A devastated grandad has slammed travel firm TUI after they cancelled his luxury holiday but kept his 'hard-earned' £2,500 due a 'missed payment mix-up' - while his wife battled cancer. Nick Eldridge had booked two holidays for him and his wife Eileen Eldridge with the holiday giant - one to a four-star resort in Mauritius and one to the Dominican Republic in January 2023.
The £5,000 Mauritius holiday was originally booked for November 2021, but due to Covid was rearranged to September 2022 and a £190 admin fee was requested to make the change. As the deadline approached for paying the additional charge on the Mauritius break in June, retired caterer Eileen, 68, was diagnosed with lung cancer and then underwent surgery in July.
Nick claims he received an email warning him that payment was due on a holiday - but crucially that it didn't specify which getaway it was for, merely quoting a booking reference number. Under immense personal pressure, and believing it to be a demand for payment on the Dominican Republic holiday, the 64-year-old rang the branch he booked it at.
