Unfair cancellation fee - cancellation of holiday booking 6 months before actual booking dates

<p>I have no idea where to complain about the unfair cancellation fees that we were asked when we had to cancel our holiday booking for December.</p> <p> We have booked accommodation on 2 June 2017 in Yzerfontein for the December holidays via Cape Coastal Accommodation (period 15 December to 2 January). We had to pay a deposit of R15 225 immediately to secure the booking.</p> <p>On 16 June (only 12 days later) we went to Yzerfontein for the weekend and then decide to make an offer on a holiday house while we were there. Our offer to purchase was accepted on 19 June 2017 (Monday after the weekend) and I immediately informed Cape Coastal that we will have to cancel our booked accommodation, because our situation has changed. When I made the booking I saw that there may be a cancellation fee, but thought that because it is still almost 6 months before our actual booking, they will refund us in full. Big was my surprise when they said the cancellation fee would be 50% of the fee! That means that we lose 100% of our deposit of R15 225?!</p> <p>They have more than enough time to get another booking and I think this would mean that they (and the owner) will now get half of our deposit PLUS another full fee if the place is booked out again, which cannot be fair to the consumer?</p> <p> The agent told me that they will try to get another booking and may then refund our full deposit, but in my opinion they have more than enough time to be able to get another booking and it would just be fair to us as the client to refund us in full, seeing that we had not choice to pay the deposit so long in advance to secure our booking.</p> <p> </p> <p>Your help in this regard would be appreciated.</p> <p> </p> <p>Warm regards</p> <p> </p> <p>Riette Basson </p>