Thousands of holidaymakers can now get a REFUND on Welcome Cottages and Hoeseasons that were cancelled due to Covid after watchdog probe into parent firm VacationRentals.com

• Competition and Markets Authority investigated refusal to refund customers 
• The website VacationRentals.com has now changed its police to allow refunds 
• The CMA said the firm made up a 'significant' block of around 4,500 complaints
• Have you been refused a refund? Email s.murphy-bates@mailonline.co.uk 

Thousands of holidaymakers can now get a refund on Welcome Cottages and Hoeseasons that were cancelled due to Covid after a watchdog probe in parent firm VacationRentals.com.  

The Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) said Vacation Rentals had changed its policy after originally refusing to give money back to customers whose stays had been cancelled.

Vacation Rentals - which runs a raft of brands such as Welcome Cottages and Blue Chip Holidays - has now been forced to make a formal commitment to the CMA that it will give customers affected by lockdown the option of a full refund.

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Pictured: The Vacation Rentals website, which is now refunding customers thanks to an investigation from the CMA 

Vacation Rentals also runs the website Blue Chip Holidays, which is pictured, above 

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Pictured: The Welcome Cottages website, which is owned by the company Vacation Rentals 

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Pictured: The statement from Vacation Rentals acknowledging that they must now pay out to customers affected by the coronavirus measures 

The CMA said its Covid-19 taskforce had received around 4,500 reports about UK holiday rental companies, with complaints about Vacation Rentals making up a 'significant proportion'.

Common complaints include companies refusing to provide full refunds at all or offering only vouchers instead of cash refunds, according to the watchdog.

But it said it is continuing to investigate the sector, with other holiday companies still refusing to offer customers their money bacCoscelli said: 'We welcome this step and other holiday lets firms must now follow suit.

'We know the pandemic is presenting businesses with challenges too, but it's not right that people are being left hundreds or even thousands of pounds out of pocket - on top of having to sacrifice their holidays.

'Consumer protection law exists for a reason; businesses must observe the law or face the possibility of enforcement action.'

Mark Grenfell, the executive director of enforcement at CMA told BBC Radio 4 today: 'We've this morning secured a formal undertaking to ensure people who've booked holidays with them [VacationRentals.Com] and they've been cancelled because of lockdown restrictions get the option of getting their money back.

What are your rights on airline refunds? 

Under the Denied Boarding Regulations, if you’re due to fly with an airline based in the UK or EU, or are flying from an airport in the UK or EU, you’re protected if your flight is cancelled, and should be refunded within seven days.

The Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) announced last month that it will be reviewing airlines’ handling of refunds during this crisis.

It came after consumer watchdog Which? found that airlines and travel operators were flouting the law by delaying refunds for cancelled holidays'We at the CMA right at the beginning of this pandemic were worried people's consumer rights would be harmed.

'One of the very very big concerns is when people had paid a large amount of money for a holiday or an event and had that cancelled some were finding, to add insult to injury, they weren't getting their money back.'

He added that the 'law is absolutely clear' and that the company never should have refused refund.

And he said the next focus of CMA investigations would focus on people who've lost out to package holidays.

Mr Grenfell said: 'We hope that in the coming days and weeks we'll have more good new to announce. If not we'll have the right to take them to court.'

The CMA probe's outcome following the VacationRentals.com investigation means that customers are entitled to be contacted within one month of their cancelled let and be informed of the right to recouperate the money.  

• Have you been refused a refund? Email s.murphy-bates@mailonline.co.uk