Not a happy camper

Go writer Sandra O'Connell feels badly treated after deciding to cancel a holiday she booked with Keycamp Ireland

Go writer Sandra O'Connellfeels badly treated after deciding to cancel a holiday she booked with Keycamp Ireland

ABOUT A MONTH ago, on March 28th, I phoned Keycamp, the holiday company, to book 13 nights in June at Bella Italia, a campsite on Lake Garda. A bungalow would cost €1,595.80, and, the woman I spoke to told me, it was the last unit available, so I was lucky to get it.

I had already booked our flights with Ryanair, for two adults and three children to Bergamo, at a cost of €700. Before confirming the campsite booking I rang my husband, as the price seemed a bit steep. We agreed to go ahead. I rang Key-camp back and spoke to the same woman.

This time she gave me a price of €1,695.80 - €100 more. She said she couldn't understand why the price had increased in the space of about 15 minutes. She agreed to go with the original price. I paid a €100 deposit by credit card and was told I had to pay the balance eight weeks before departure or I would lose the holiday.

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Four days later, on April 1st, an invoice arrived from Key-camp confirming the booking and looking for the balance of €1,496.80, "by return".

In the meantime I received an e-mail from Bella Italia about an inquiry I made directly before I booked with Keycamp. Initially the Bella Italia reservations team had told me the site was full, which is why I went through Keycamp. It now told me it could offer 12 nights in a bungalow similar to the Keycamp one for €770 - €825 less than Keycamp's quote for 13 nights.

I did my sums. By paying €100 more to Bella Italia for the 13th night, plus €60 linen hire, and even through I was losing my €100 deposit with Keycamp, I was saving almost €600 by going direct. Better still, Bella Italia wanted only €200 up front, with the balance to be paid at the holiday's end.

I didn't get to ring Keycamp to cancel immediately, and in the following days I was in Italy for work. While I was away Keycamp left three messages, reminding me that it could not hold my holiday if I did not pay the outstanding €1,496.80.

The day after I returned it called again. I said I wouldn't be taking the holiday and accepted that I would be forfeiting my €100 deposit. I was told I could be hit for cancellation fees of €800 - half the cost of the holiday. When I expressed my amazement, I was told that cancelling within eight weeks, or 56 days, of the start of the holiday incurs a penalty of 50 per cent of the price of the vacation. I didn't check a calendar, but I assumed that, as Keycamp raised this, it was saying I was within eight weeks of departure.

I explained that at no stage of the telephone booking had anybody pointed out that the penalty for cancelling within eight weeks would be half the price of the holiday. The woman dealing with me said this was in the terms and conditions of my booking.

As a last resort I explained that I was a travel writer. I asked to speak to a manager, who told me that, yes, I owed Keycamp the cancellation fee but that, as a travel writer, my case might be looked on favourably. He said an invoice for the €800 would be issued but possibly not chased up.

He said he did not accept it was sharp practice not to verbally spell out to telephone bookers the consequences should they change their mind about a holiday. I was furious. I ended the conversation.

I checked the terms and conditions, which stated in the middle of a page of very small pale-blue type that if you cancel "between 56 and 29 days of the start of the holiday you lose 50 per cent of the total holiday cost". I checked my calendar - and realised there were still 60 days before my booked departure date, meaning the 50 per cent cancellation charge should never have been raised.

I called the manager back. He said to send an e-mail to cancel the holiday.

My gripe with Keycamp is that over the phone it did not clearly spell out, in my view, the terms and conditions and the 50 per cent cancellation penalty.

That I was able to get almost identical accommodation at half the price is another issue, although I still cannot understand how my original quote increased by €100 in about 15 minutes.

Keycamp Ireland was invited to respond. Colette Ford, its managing director, said: "Our cancellation policy is clearly listed on the back of all our documentation, our brochure and our website." She did not want to comment any further.