A Nottingham Trent University lecturer has been left more than £70 out of pocket after she was refused a refund by Zip World. Ann Charlton was unable to honour her booking at Zip World Slate Caverns in North Wales during her holiday, after her car was damaged in a crash the night before in the early hours of Thursday, June 2.
Zip World offers a range of outdoor activities, including a zip wire with stunning views across Snowdonia. But the family car was parked up outside their accommodation overnight when it was hit by another vehicle, which flipped over and left their car totally written off with extensive damage. Ms Charlton, 56, who lives in Ranskill near Retford, was on the trip with her partner Tim and three teenagers Barney, Archie and Leo.
The family were on the last day of their six-day trip when they realised what happened and, because it was the Jubilee Weekend, they were not able to get a hire car to replace it. They were due to drive at Zip World on June 2, on their way back from the holiday, but were left with the prospect of having to take multiple trains back to Nottinghamshire.
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After contacting the company to cancel, she was told she would not be offered a refund of her £73.50 and instead had 12 months to return and enjoy the activity free of charge. Ms Charlton said: "It would cost us hundreds to go back, we'd have to travel around 400 miles, it's not worth it - it's pointless. The holiday started off great but it turned into a nightmare. My feeling was that I understand they aren't going to be dishing out refunds right, left and centre but it just feels as if they were reading off a prepared script."
Ms Charlton spent more than £500 with the company, booking multiple different activities throughout the week - having saved up during lockdown. The family were planning on driving to the site on their way home to Nottinghamshire but, because it was an hour's drive away, they wouldn't have been able to go without use of their car.
Ms Charlton offered to show Zip World photo evidence as well as share her crime incident number to prove what had happened, but she says Zip World told her she still would not be offered a full refund.
She continued: "I have not been impressed with the company in terms of their customer relations and it makes me think I wouldn't go again, I don't really feel as if I would ever want to with how we have been treated. I ended up having to spend a lot of time on the phone to our insurance.
"It was really rubbish - they didn't get it. That's what it felt like. You've got to listen to what someone is saying." Nottinghamshire Live has approached Zip World for comment.
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