Couldn't Travel? What Now?

Step 1: Travel Insurance Claim

Contact your insurance company to make a claim to recover cancellation losses. 

We have received reports that some insurance companies are being less than forthcoming in paying claims. Therefore, we recommend you:

• Ascertain your cover level and options from reading your ORIGINAL policy, sent to you at the time of purchase. As most insurers have recently updated their cover, the policy available to view online may have changed in comparison to that of which you purchased. Therefore, this updated policy may not be relevant as insurance providers are not able to change your agreed cover and exclusions part way through a policy. Please note that insurance providers may advise that they no longer cover this, but if it doesn't state that in the policy document you were provided when you purchased the policy, then please contest this with them.

• Read your policy and establish yourself if you think you are covered - do not make the decision based on advice provided by your insurer's website, by phone etc.

• If you are unable to reach your accommodation, (due to flights being cancelled, borders closed etc.) you are making a claim for not being able to use your accommodation, and not a 'pandemic' claim or due to 'Foreign Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) Advice'. With this in mind, if your insurance is rejected advising you don't have cover for 'Pandemic, epidemics or changes in travel advice', go back and restate your claim utilising the above guidance.
• Some insurance companies may ask you to ask Solmar Villas for a refund and process a credit card claim first, if they do please advise:

"Due to the current situation, I am unable to occupy my booked accommodation and therefore need to reclaim my losses of the cancellation charges which Solmar Villas have confirmed are non-refundable and irrecoverable.

As the cancellation doesn't constitute a breach of contract, I have no claim under Section 75 of the Consumer Credit Act and therefore I wish to reclaim my losses incurred from my insurance policy."

If this isn't sufficient, we can provide you with a letter to confirm to them.

Step 2: Request Additional Goodwill Support

Where you have exhausted all other avenues to cover your losses, we are stretching our resources to provide what we can wherever possible. Cancellation charges are structured in line with business costs as they too increase the closer you get to departure and this structure, used throughout the travel industry, is approved by ATOL, ABTA and has remained unchanged for several years.

Whilst there is therefore no obligation for accommodation owners/suppler to refund us or our clients, we also recognise that if you are left out of pocket this can be very emotive and distressing having lost out on the holiday you have planned and paid for.

With this in mind, if you do have irrecoverable losses, we are inviting you  to tell us about your situation and we will approach the accommodation provider to ask them to consider each particular circumstance with a view to offering a gesture of goodwill credit voucher or booking move with reduction in cancellation charges.

With each property having different ownership and payment schedules etc., requests will be assessed on a case by case basis but rest assured we are here to help and do the very best for all our clients. We want to help as many clients as we can, as much as we can, which is why, if you have travel insurance we must insist you pursue that avenue first for a positive outcome as this will then allow us to help even more people at this difficult time

To discuss discretionary support please contact us