IMAGINE HOLIDAYS/CRUISING DONT DO IT

We booked a holiday with Imagine Holidays ON 12th of November 2019 Departing 9thth of Sept 2020 and returning 19th of Sept 2019

The cost for two amounting to R59999. We were told to make a mandatory deposit of 30K for the booking to be made which we then paid.

Two months later we found out my wife was 5 weeks pregnant and the due date is around the depature date in Sept. Naturally i would be forced to cancel the holiday which i did by sending an email to customer service. This is a request 8 months prior to DEPARTURE. Sandy of Imagine Holidays then responds that MY cancellation penalty amounts to R 29 999.00. Now none of their suppliers are charhing a cancellation fee as per research so why do they think they can charge such a fee or keep that money. Now i am aware of their terms and conditions mentioned below as riduculouslous as they are but i did not intend on cancelling. And as these are special cicurmstances that i have to cancel. Below are the terms and conditions.

Note: 105 days or more is loss of deposit, and 104-57 days is 50%. I am 105 days and more and still paying a 50% cancellation fee??? Because they insisted on 50% deposit for booking.

105 days or more Loss of Deposit 104-57 days 50% 56-42 days 75% 41-22 days 80% 21-15 days 90% 14 days or less 100%

3 emails later about how i am not happy about the refund amount and still no response from Sandy or anyone at customer service at Imagine Cruising. I also stated the CONSUMER protection act concerning “the right to cancel any advance booking, reservation or order for any goods or services to be supp****.” mentions in section 17(5) that : The question of what is considered a reasonable charge depends on the circumstances. Campbell says a charge is unreasonable if it exceeds a fair amount in the circumstances, having regard to:

(a) The nature of the goods or services that were reserved or booked;

(b) The length of notice of cancellation provided by the consumer;

(c) The reasonable potential for the supplier, acting diligently, to find an alternative consumer between the time of receiving the cancellation notice and the time of the cancelled reservation; and

(d) The general practice of the relevant industry.

IMPORTANT:::::: As my wife would be in or hospital or preparing for or in no condition to travel. The only instances where a supplier is prohibited from charging a cancellation penalty is where the consumer cancels the booking, reservation or order because of the death or hospitalization of the person for whom, or for whose benefit the booking, reservation or order was made (section 17(5)). .

Sent issue to ASATA for help.

Important link as to how they treat customers - https://www.hellopeter.com/imagine-cruising/reviews/rip-off-by-imagine-holidays-cruising-*** . Will revert with updates.