Paramount cruises company refusing to give refund

[linbren03]

On 29^th April we wrote to in Paramount cruises to inform the company that due to extenuating circumstances,

 

the accompanying letter from the orthopaedic surgeon stated That my wife was unable to undertake the cruise due to a failed knee replacement, Which has left my wife unable to sit in one position for a prolonged period, with a heavy heart we had to cancel as this was a trip of a lifetime for us and retirement present to my wife from me.

 

Paramount cruises had point blank refused to refund our deposit 0f £600. Citing their terms and conditions.(please see attachment) Considering we are cancelling nearly 9 months before the departure date  Paramount cruises stance on this matter is totally unfair. 

 

We have been told that Paramount cruises are not adhering to The Competition and Markets Authority code of practice concerning cancellation charges. We would like some help from your team as £600 is a lot to lose especially when you are on a state pension.

 

here are the T&C's

 

6. CANCELLATION AND AMENDMENT

Cancellations:

 

You may cancel your booking at any time.

 

Cancellation requests must be sent to us in writing to Customer Services by post to Paramount Cruises, 2nd Floor, 10/11 Percy Street, Fitzrovia, W1T 1DN, United Kingdom, or by email to customercare@paramountcruises.com, by the lead name on your booking and it will not take effect until received by us.

 

Upon receipt of your cancellation request, the principal(s) or supplier(s) may be entitled to charge a cancellation fee as specified in their terms and conditions.

 

Cancellation fees may be as much as 100% of the total price of the travel service depending on when cancellation occurs. Flights are usually non-refundable any time after the date of booking. In addition, as we incur administration costs in processing your cancellation request, we charge an administration fee per passenger as set out in Clause21.

 

Amendments:

If you want to amend any aspect of your booking you must notify us in writing by post at Paramount Cruises, 2nd Floor, 10/11 Percy Street, Fitzrovia, W1T 1DN, United Kingdom, or email to customercare@paramountcruises.com.

 

We cannot guarantee that an amendment can be made after your booking is confirmed and this will depend on the terms and conditions of the supplier(s) of the travel service(s).

 

Other than in respect of a request to increase the number of persons in your party/booking, you would need to pay an amendment fee per passenger as set out in Clause 21, together with the airline/supplier amendment charges (if any).

 

If you have taken out travel insurance (see Clause 7 below), you may be able to claim any cancellation and amendment charges under your policy.

 

 

[dx100uk]

how did you pay?

 

dx

 

[Kyosanto]

...and do you have travel insurance?

[dx100uk]

so what happened? tell us the outcome to help future readers with a like problem

[linbren03]

We could not get insured as it was too long a period for a company to insure us as it was over 12 months till departure date.

 

Paramount Cruises wouldn't move on their position saying it was in their T&Cs that deposits were non-refundable.

 

I took it to ABTA  and they agreed it was against the CMAs code of practice but had no powers to enforce their findings.

 

I have complained to the CMA  about  Paramount Cruises T&Gs and hopefully they will do something about this matter and people in the future will not lose their deposit if something unforeseen happens to them.