Coronavirus (COVID-19) Updates

This page will be reviewed and updated regularly.

Last updated: Fri 17 July 2020, 5:11pm

Quality Cottages are closely monitoring the situation regarding Coronavirus (COVID-19) and we want to assure our customers we are doing everything we can to provide the necessary support and advice.

Over the last few months, we have reached out to all guests who planned to stay before 11 July 2020 and the vast majority have now amended their holiday dates, either to later in 2020 or 2021.

Please refer to this page for regular updates. For further information, visit: https://www.gov.uk/government/topical-events/coronavirus-covid-19-uk-government-response

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My holiday start date is less than 14 days away

Your holiday should go ahead as planned.

If you have a question about your holiday, you can get in touch with us via our contact form here, but please be aware that we are extremely busy at the moment and are dealing with immediate enquiries as a priority. Thank you for your patience and understanding.

My holiday start date is at least 14 days away

Your holiday should go ahead as planned.

Please refrain from contacting us at present; rest assured that if we need to get in touch with you regarding your booking, we will do so. If you have a specific enquiry, you may find the answer below in our FAQs. Thank you for your patience and understanding.

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Frequently Asked Questions

I have not yet fully paid for my holiday. What are my options?

My holiday start date was before 11 July 2020
The vast majority of these bookings have now been dealt with. If you have not yet discussed this with us, please get in touch with us as soon as possible to discuss your options:
- Amend your Dates (if there is a difference in cost, you will be charged/refunded the difference)
- Receive gift vouchers
- Claim a refund on what you have paid (minus a booking fee)

We are waiving our usual amendment fee in light of the current situation, and we will continue to monitor the situation as it progresses

We are advising guests to pick a new date simply because we are now taking lots of NEW bookings for later in the year and 2021. If you take a refund, we cannot guarantee availability later on. If you transfer your date, you hold onto a date for later on.

My holiday start date is on or after 11 July 2020
We ask you to please pay your balance by your due date as normal. Please see the question directly below for further information.

What happens if the new dates I choose are more expensive?

You'll be asked to contribute the additional payment for the dates of your choice, should they be more expensive. We simply won't charge the additional and usual amendment fees for this. Alternatively, should your dates be cheaper, you will be refunded the difference.

Is there a cut off period for amending dates?

We aim to give you as much chance as possible to amend your dates, however, if we do not receive your amended date requirements, at the latest, by 11am on the day before you are due to arrive, we will not be able to transfer your dates and you will not be entitled to a refund.

Will I be refunded if I choose to cancel my holiday?

We want to work with you to get the best possible outcome for everyone, which is why we want to help to try and move your holiday to another date where possible, and also why we are waiving the normal amendment fees for this.

We are advising guests to pick a new date simply because we are now taking lots of NEW bookings for later in the year and 2021. If you take a refund, we cannot guarantee availability later on. If you transfer your date, you hold onto a date for later on.

Should you still wish to cancel your holiday, you can receive a refund (minus booking fee). Please request cancellation in writing to [email protected]

I am expecting a refund, when will I receive this?

We are currently extremely busy and our team are working tirelessly in order to get refunds to eligible guests as soon as possible. Please note that refunds could take up to three weeks to be processed, starting from the date of notification of the refund. For refunds based on a successful re-let, this three week processing period will start from the date of the original holiday. Thank you for your patience and understanding.

Am I covered by cancellation insurance?

If you purchased cancellation insurance with us before 4:27pm on 11 March 2020, from our recommended partners, you will be covered for Coronavirus-related illness in certain circumstances. If you purchased this policy after this time, you will not be covered.

If you purchased your policy from an insurance company independently, please refer to their policy documents and T&Cs as we cannot guide you on this.

What will happen if I need to self-isolate whilst on holiday?

We recommend that you continue to monitor the guidance from the Department for Health & Social Care. It is recommended, should you be required to self-isolate, that this is carried out at your home residence, in case the need arises for a more prolonged period of isolation.

Can I be sure the property is cleaned appropriately and safe to visit?

We are working closely with our owners to ensure that property cleanliness and hygiene standards are consistently met. Our owners have been advised on the NHS guidelines on how to prevent the spread of germs: https://www.nhs.uk/live-well/healthy-body/how-to-prevent-germs-from-spreading

We will continue to follow instructions by The Department for Health & Social Care and have advised our owners to do the same.

Can I speak to somebody about my holiday/property?

We are currently experiencing extremely high call volumes into our customer service teams. Currently, if you are due to arrive at your holiday property/location more than 14 days from today, we would ask that you refrain from calling us until you are within 14 days from your date of arrival in order to allow us to help those whose bookings are due to begin imminently. Thank you for your patience and understanding.

Where can I receive more information about Coronavirus?

We would advise you to check the GOV.UK website for the most up to date information:
https://www.gov.uk/guidance/coronavirus-covid-19-information-for-the-public

We have also put together a blog on limiting the risk of spreading potential infections and best practices:
https://www.qualitycottages.co.uk/aroundwales/eliminating-infection-risks-holiday-cottage

I'm a guest, and following VAT reductions announced by the Government on 8 July 2020 for the hospitality and tourism sector, will I receive a refund or discount for my booking?

With the chancellor's announcement about the reduction of VAT from 20% to 5% in these sectors it is important to note the following:

• We do not directly provide the accommodation you visit and instead provide a booking/marketing service to our owners and booking service to you as guests. These services are not applicable to the announced changes.
• The majority of holiday cottages are independently owned, and as such do not have enough annual income to be liable to register for VAT and as such cannot charge VAT on their rental prices. As such, all prices listed on our website are exclusive of VAT.
• When agreeing on pricing with our property owners, we pass on the owner's rental price direct to you without addition and as a result are not liable to add VAT on the rental price which is charged to you, the guest.

As an owner, do the VAT changes announced by the Government on 8 July 2020 apply to me?

Your cottage is classified as "holiday accommodation" under VAT Notice 709/3, section 5.1
Under this same VAT Notice section 5.8 clearly states "there is no reduced value rule for holiday accommodation". Hence there is no change to the way we process payments to you, the owner, or calculate the commission and the subsequent 20% VAT added to the commission.

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Insurance purchased through Quality Cottages

Who is my insurance provider?

If you have purchased insurance through Quality Cottages your insurance is provided by Endsleigh. Your insurance documents were provided to you at the time of booking.

If your travel policy starts with BN9, IL9, IS9, KL9, NG9, NS9, SG9 or UL9 please use the following numbers:Travel claims: 01202 038 946 | Mon-Fri: 8am to 8pm Sat: 8am to 4pm
Claim online

If your travel policy starts with GY9, MT9, SA9 or SL9 please use the following details:
Travel claims: 01202 038 946 | Mon - Fri: 9am to 5pm Sat-Sun: Closed
Claim online

Am I covered for cancellation due to Coronavirus?

If you purchased travel insurance through Quality Cottages before 4:27 pm on Monday 11 March 2020 then you should be covered if you are diagnosed as having coronavirus, or you are required to self-isolate, or if you or a member of your household has contracted the illness, provided that the holiday date coincides with the period of self-isolation and you obtain a case reference from NHS111, please see further information online. Please contact Endsleigh to discuss your circumstances further.

If you transfer your booking using our online form and have had confirmation of this please note we have been informed that Endsleigh will allow the policy to be transferred to the amended booking, but that it will not cover any future claim relating to COVID-19 coronavirus.

Policies purchased after 4:27 pm on Monday 11 March 2020 will not cover claims relating to coronavirus.

What if my holiday is now more expensive?

If you have previously paid for one band on insurance (e.g. £1,000 cover) and move your holiday booking to a more expensive week, you have the choice of either:

a) Pay the extra insurance premium to upgrade your cancellation insurance to a higher cover limit (e.g. from £1,000 cover to £2,000 cover)

b) Keep your existing cancellation policy, but risk being "underinsured", which means you would only receive a portion of your money back if you made a cancellation claim.

*Each change to a booking is subject to the individual property owner's approval and we have no control over this.