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Booking Holidays Online

Introduction

As more and more of us get on the internet, so too do more of us book our holidays by this means. By so doing, we cut out the travel agent and cut down on the holiday company's administration costs. The result is usually a cheaper holiday for us. But be careful. As with normal holiday shopping, it pays to shop around and to read the small print.

What the law says

If you buy a holiday online from a seller in the United Kingdom, you're protected by the same laws that apply to goods and services bought from shops or other local suppliers in the normal way. Services must be carried out with reasonable skill and care, in a reasonable time and reasonably charged (if a price was not agreed beforehand).

Also, all countries in the European Union have to obey the Distance Selling Directive. In the United Kingdom, this has been implemented through the Consumer Protection (Distance Selling ) Regulations 2000. Under these, before you buy your holiday online, you have to be given the identity of the supplier, their address, the main characteristics of the goods or services being offered for sale, their price including taxes and information on cancellation rights.

Useful information

As with buying anything, it often pays to shop around. Go to more than one good website and compare prices etc before booking your holiday. A good holiday website will have some or all of the following;-

• Plenty of competitive price quotes, including all taxes and supplements.
• Good discounts for booking online.
• No charge for delivering tickets or the offer of electronic ticketing.
• Terms and conditions set out well before the booking stage.
• Good security.

When searching online, try to be as flexible as possible with your dates, location, type of accommodation etc. You may not get too far if you're too specific at the start of your search. You can always tighten up later on.

Don't assume that because you're using modern technology, it can't go wrong. Always check any price quote or length of holiday. Things can be, and are, miscalculated. Once you've booked, print out a copy of the booking page and keep it safe to check out the details once you receive written confirmation.

If things go wrong, it's easier to deal with a UK company. UK in a website name does not necessarily mean that the company is based in the UK. If the holiday company's address and telephone number are not on the website, you should proceed with caution. Make sure you keep a note of any available contact details.

Use a secure website. This will be one with a secure system sign such as an unbroken key or a closed padlock. A website address that begins with https:// is also a sign that it should be secure.

What to do if you have a complaint

Please note there are no special ways of making a complaint about a holiday bought online. Try first to get the supplier to put things right. If that doesn't work, contact any trade association which the supplier belongs to. If you're still unhappy, try one of the following organisations - Consumerline on 0300 123 6262, your local Advice Centre or Citizens Advice. If all that fails, you may have to consider taking court action. For amounts of not more than £2,000 you can take your case to the Small Claims Court. For larger amounts, talk to a solicitor.

From category: Travel & Transport