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UK: B Corp-certified, holiday cottage rental agency Sykes Holiday Cottages has introduced new flexible cancellation terms for holidaymakers which will allow them to cancel up until the day before their booking begins.
It is the first holiday rental agency to launch such an option in the UK, with Sykes partnering with specialist insurtech provider Pikl to enable the new customer proposition.
Sykes Holiday Cottages currently lists more than 22,000 holiday properties across the UK and Ireland.
Flexible cancellation allows travellers to change their mind about going on holiday, cancel their booking and get their money back until midday on the day of their check-in [less a small flexible cancellation fee and the costs of any travel or accidental damage insurance that they have purchased through Sykes].
As well as benefitting customers, the flexible cancellation terms also aim to support holiday let owners to increase bookings.
James Shaw, managing director of Sykes Holiday Cottages, said: “As a champion for UK holidays, it’s only right that we’re leading the charge when it comes to our customer proposition, including trying new cancellation options. We understand that plans can change unexpectedly, and our new offering ensures customers can book their dream staycation with peace of mind that they will get money back if they can’t travel.
“This latest update ties directly into our commitment to providing holidaymakers with the best experience possible. Following an initial test period, by providing this option on all of the properties across our UK portfolio, we hope customers will feel more empowered than ever to choose what feels best for them,” he added.
Four years ago, Sykes was forced to issue thousands of customer refunds for cancelled bookings during the Covid-19 lockdown period, after action from industry watchdog The Competition and Markets Authority [CMA] prompted the company to reverse its coronavirus cancellations policy.
The CMA launched an investigation into Sykes Holiday Cottages [and the 24 businesses and brands it owned] after it claimed that 80 per cent of the complaints it had received since the lockdown began in March were related to cancellations and refunds.
The watchdog threatened legal action against UK holiday accommodation and private event providers who failed to provide refunds to those affected by cancellations of holidays and weddings due to the coronavirus outbreak.
Its main case against Sykes resulted from the agency reportedly refusing to provide full refunds in cash to all of its customers who had had their bookings cancelled due to the Covid-19 pandemic.
Sykes then reversed its initial policy and offered refunds in full to customers whose bookings were cancelled or who had not already rebooked. It also converted credit vouchers into cash when customerss requested it, and provided monthly reports to the watchdog on how many refund offers were made and accepted.
Now part of Forge Holiday Group, Sykes achieved B Corp certification last year, marking a major milestone in the holiday let agency’s ambition to make a positive contribution to its people, the planet, and communities it serves.
