Your Booking Is Safe With Us
ABTA and ATOL are confusing. In fact in our opinion they have never really worked in the way they were set out to, and even now very few people understand them. Most assume if they see an ABTA or ATOL logo their money is protected, unfortunately this is not always the case as there are various licence's, some offering just Travel Agency cover. So how can you tell? Well you cant! Incredibly the logos are the same.
"I'm ok, I'm paying by credit card" - whilst this is true, if the company holds the correct licence you may well fall victim to the increasing argument between ABTA/ATOL and the credit card companies, of who is going to pay. The problem is that it seems both have an obligation to pay. This has created disputes between the two parties, the outcome of which can be dreadful delays in refunds, in some cases amounting to years (XL holidays collapse in 2008).
Most people are unaware, the best option is to use a non licenced company and pay with your credit card. Section 75 of the consumer Credit Act 1974 explains in detail consumer rights and the obligations of the card provider's www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/1974/39/section/75. In plain English, should the company providing your holiday cease trading resulting in the holiday no longer being available, you will be refunded in full. Because there is no ABTA/ATOL involved, there is no confusion. Your credit card provider will refund you and usually very quickly.
Hotel always paid for before you arrive
Most holiday companies avoid paying your hotel until weeks after you arrive and in some cases when it comes to the big Operators like Thomas Cook who own hotels4u, Travel Republic, Alpha Rooms etc. sometimes not for months. This can be dangerous for the consumer. It means in most cases, when you are on holiday, the hotelier has still not been paid. If your holiday company goes bust, you can more or less forget the protection of ABTA or ATOL, you are almost certain to have to pay again or be thrown out of your hotel. We all saw the pictures in recent years from Greece and Turkey. Quite simply many of the overseas hotels have no trust in the UK licences. There is also another potential huge problem. You will almost certainly have to pay a great deal more to avoid being thrown out, which will not be refunded to you. With We are Holidays you have none of these concerns, on your arrival the hotel will have been paid in full - happy holidays!
100% protection
Pay for your holiday accommodation with credit card and in the unlikely event of "We are Holidays" ceasing trading, your monies will be 100% safe and you will be refunded in full. They generally refund in very quick time and certainly quicker than the likes of ABTA or ATOL - happy holidays!
You can speak direct with hotel
Where possible, we or our overseas partners try to work directly with the hotel/property owner. This allows us to give you the opportunity if required of speaking to their booking department for peace of mind. It is not possible with every hotel and some private owners, but they tend to be in the minority - happy holidays!
Ultimate Protection option – best in the industry
"You pay/we pay" its simple.
Of course paying by credit card protects you 100%, but there is still the possibility of a few weeks before you are credited and the possibility of losing your accommodation. With the "Ultimate Protection option" your worries are over because everything is paid for - you pay us and we pay the hotel/owner the second we receive your payment (your cancellation rights still apply). You will be able to monitor the payment by signing in to your account and checking out our traffic light system.
Red - no payment has been made.
Amber - payment has left our bank,
Green - hotel/owner has received funds.
Once the system is on amber (we cannot stop payments once sent), should we cease to trade at any time there after your booking will be 100% safe and unaffected in any way. You will be able to continue with your holiday without concern. You will be also be free to contact the hotel/owner (occasionally it may not be possible to contact private overseas owners) directly for confirmation of room and payment - happy holidays!
