Unfortunately when you pay a low deposit it is on the understanding that if you cancel for any reason you are liable for full deposit.
A low deposit is only a special offer to encourage you to book early.
I don't know much about their website but if you look you should find it in the small print. If you booked on line you would have had to tick to say that you had read the terms and conditions and this would have been covered in them.
Sorry that this is not positive but they are correct in what they say.
A low deposit is only a special offer to encourage you to book early.
I don't know much about their website but if you look you should find it in the small print. If you booked on line you would have had to tick to say that you had read the terms and conditions and this would have been covered in them.
Sorry that this is not positive but they are correct in what they say.
Hi
What Joan has advised is correct. I work for Thomson head office, and you would have to pay your balance of low deposit before being able to cancel. There is no way round this. However, if it is just a case of you cant travel on the planned dates, you may be able to pay an admin fee to amend your booking....
What Joan has advised is correct. I work for Thomson head office, and you would have to pay your balance of low deposit before being able to cancel. There is no way round this. However, if it is just a case of you cant travel on the planned dates, you may be able to pay an admin fee to amend your booking....
And further to the advice already offered, you might find that depending on the reason why you had to cancel you might find that you can reclaim this from your insurance. Another reason for taking out a decent holiday insurance the moment you make a booking if not before.
SM
SM
You could also try to re-book your holiday for a later date by transferring your deposit. You may have an amendment fee to pay but this may be better than loosing the whole of your deposit.
whenever i have booked a holiday with a low deposite i have always been made fully aware that if i cancel i would have to pay the full deposite.But like others say...cant u transfer the deposite to another holiday at another time?
The subject of low deposit rears its ugly head from time to time on this board 
It is only thanks to HT that I know about it at all, and I feel it is about time that TO's made it absolutely clear to all people booking, that they will lose the full deposit should they have to cancel.
Out of interest I went to Portlands site to see exactly how clear they make it, and I do feel sorry for you brb30, because even though I knew what I was looking for I found very little, and what I did find was ambiguous IMO. Yes, on the specials it did say that having paid a low deposit the remainder was due within six weeks, but I couldn't find where it actually said that if you cancel you will still be liable. Maybe it is at the end of the booking form which of course I couldn't complete.
It is only thanks to HT that I know about it at all, and I feel it is about time that TO's made it absolutely clear to all people booking, that they will lose the full deposit should they have to cancel.Out of interest I went to Portlands site to see exactly how clear they make it, and I do feel sorry for you brb30, because even though I knew what I was looking for I found very little, and what I did find was ambiguous IMO. Yes, on the specials it did say that having paid a low deposit the remainder was due within six weeks, but I couldn't find where it actually said that if you cancel you will still be liable. Maybe it is at the end of the booking form which of course I couldn't complete.
Thanks to everyone who replied. After much dialogue Portland have now waived the remaining balance of the deposit.
really plesed for you. This happened to me a few years ago. I lost my job and couldnt afford to pay the holiiday. I used my redundancy money to pay the balance on the deposit and now, having learned the hard way always take out my own insurance immediatley.
well done brb30.Although i think u were lucky,just shows it pays to put up a fight
The main reason I did, was Portland should have invoiced me for the remaining deposit, six weeks after I booked. They didn't and because I pressed and pressed the call centre person asked her boss and they gave in. Just goes to show to everyone, if you think you have a case, don't give up. Cheers, Barry.
I am in the same position as the original poster in that I want to cancel a holiday booked with portland and I paid a low deposit.
I also was not invoiced for any further deposit and my booking form simply shows the deposit paid and shows details of the balance to be paid.
I have just spoken to portland on the phone and told it is going to cost over £300 to cancel, or admin costs of £105 to change the booking to next summer.
Barry - can I ask you to give me more details of how you managed to get postland to waive the cost? My situation is identical to yours re the low deposit and no further invoice for balnce of deposit.
Karen.
I also was not invoiced for any further deposit and my booking form simply shows the deposit paid and shows details of the balance to be paid.
I have just spoken to portland on the phone and told it is going to cost over £300 to cancel, or admin costs of £105 to change the booking to next summer.
Barry - can I ask you to give me more details of how you managed to get postland to waive the cost? My situation is identical to yours re the low deposit and no further invoice for balnce of deposit.
Karen.
How did you find out that portland should have invoiced you for the remaining deposit, six weeks after booking?
Don't know if this will help any of you, but I think Portland may have a glitch in their on-line booking system. I booked a holiday Sept 05 on low deposit of 26pounds per person and at no point was I either told I would have to pay a 'balance' of the deposit, nor did I have to. I have just paid the full balance 8 weeks prior to travel.
Perhaps this year it was a genuine low deposit and therefore they will not be able to force you into paying the balance of the deposit if you wish to cancel.
Perhaps this year it was a genuine low deposit and therefore they will not be able to force you into paying the balance of the deposit if you wish to cancel.
We booked with Portland on a low deposit and didn't have to pay anything further until 8 weeks before which was last week.
Karen, I found out by searching their website & that states that if a low cost deposit was paid that I would be invoiced six weeks later for the balance. They did not do this and when I pointed this out to Portland, they admited that this was over looked. As far as I was concerned they had broken their Terms and conditions and pointed this out and therfore they waived the rest of the deposit. My advice to you Karen, is not to let them get away with it. Ask to speak to the manager. It worked for me. Barry.
Thanks for all the advice, Im going to try contacting them again.
We also had a problem with the low deposit, when i phoned to find out when the remainder of the deposit had to be paid i was informed that nothing further was due until 8 weeks before we go , after calling them over and over just to be sure they finally said yes there was a balance overdue regarding the deposit and that i should have been invoiced, so it happens quite frequently.
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