Can I get my deposit back? Wedding Disaster !!

[splodge19]

I booked our wedding the end of 2010. We booked it for August 2012 and we were having the reception at a hotel and paid a £600 deposit.

 

In Feb this year, I was made redundant, which meant I also lost a good wage. I found a new job, but the money isn't great, so we thought long and hard and decided to cancel the wedding reception at the hotel because there was just no way we could afford it. I wrote a letter on the 18th May 2011 to cancel the wedding, and I did try and appeal to the general manager's better nature for our £600 deposit back but received a letter back saying that we can only get it back if they resell the room. (Unfortunately, I think I've thrown the letter away by accident )

 

I hadn't heard anything since and wondered whether they would actually tell us if they had resold the room, so I called them today to make a pretend booking. I was told that the room was already booked and thought "great we can get deposit back", but it would appear it's our booking that they haven't cancelled out of the diary from 5 months ago!

 

Do you think we will be able to get our deposit back as they couldn't have rebooked the room because it wasn't even cancelled. The lady I spoke to who is the wedding co-ordinator had no record of cancellation! The conversation ended with her saying she would have a word with the general manager.

 

I hope we can! Any advice would be great.

[Mr lex]

Hi Splodge,

 

Interesting post. It's a shame you don't have that letter from the manager. I would like to ask the rest of the forum if this comes under 'Freedom of Information' or if an 'SAR' is needed to get the hotel to prove the wedding was cancelled ??

 

Lex

[splodge19]

Hi Lex

 

I've looked everywhere, but can't find the letter I'm so annoyed with myself.

 

I've found the original contract that we had with them, but we never signed it or sent it back to them. I don't know if this would make any difference?

 

We were willing to accept that we may have lost our deposit, even though we really could do with it! But now we know that we cancelled 5 months ago but the booking is still there in the diary, we wonder whether anyone may have tried to book

[labrat]

wow edited in the time i took to report it!

[splodge19]

Does anyone think that I can get my deposit back? Should I call them tomorrow and see what they say?

 

Thanks

Splodge

[Crazy Diamond]

Please post the terms and conditions, or name the hotel and their website so we can check them out. There is no straightforward answer without those.

[Crazy Diamond]

PS: Mr Lex, it's always a SAR if it's a private company, FOI only applies to certain info on certain public info domains. (NHS, local authority etc... and even some of those would still come under SAR rather than FOI)

[callumsgran]

{I've found the original contract that we had with them, but we never signed it or sent it back to them. I don't know if this would make any difference?}

 

I would've thought this makes all the difference in the world, no signed contract, no booking!

 

Have you still got the receipt for the deposit?

[Crazy Diamond]

Correct, CG, that's another reason I wanted to see the actual booking forms, in preference to the hotel website.

[splodge19]

Hi, the terms and conditions on cancellation are:

 

Cancellation

a) In the event of cancellation we regret that the initial booking deposit can only be refunded if the room is resold for a similar event.

 

If the event is still in the diary after 5 months of cancelling in writing then the room can't be resold? I do have the receipt for the deposit.

 

The hotel website is www.stonemanorhotel.co.uk

 

I've spoken to consumer direct, but they don't think that any of the above makes a difference. They said I should write to the hotel asking them to justify why they still have our booking in their diary when we had cancelled it and to send it recorded delivery?

 

Thanks

Splodge

[Crazy Diamond]

It's certainly a good starting point, yes. They have a duty to mitigate their loss and by keeping the booking on their books, they are not doing that.

[Crazy Diamond]

Any news?

[splodge19]

Hi,

 

I am pleased to say that after sending a letter to them recorded delivery, I have today received a letter from them saying that they have resold the room and our full deposit will follow!

 

Thank you for your help.

 

Splodge

[Crazy Diamond]

Excellent result! Well done.

[honeybee13]

Well done you and the people who have helped you. I'm pleased for you.

 

My best, HB

[Mr lex]

Nice one Spoldge, very well done !!!

 

Lex

[splodge19]

There was a very happy splodge this morning!