Travel Q&A: If you are considering a ‘low deposit’ booking, always take the time to check the terms carefully
We’ve been contacted by readers expressing concern about how low deposits placed with multinational travel companies can end up costing a lot more than anticipated.
The magazine expressed concern that some firms are “not clearly signposting this at the point of sale, leaving customers unexpectedly out of pocket in the event they need to cancel their plans”. The consumer group also expressed concerns about other firms’ low deposit schemes, with some appearing even more confusing.
If selecting the low deposit option, loveholidays outlines a breakdown of future costs, calling them “instalments”. It does not clearly indicate that the first two instalments make up the remainder of a larger deposit, meaning a customer might wrongly assume they’d lose just £58 if they wanted to cancel. In fact, they’d be required to pay a further £1,439 to cancel this trip — the remaining deposit due.