Booking / Points problems at QVC

On 12 February 2026 we did a booking at Baywater Village from 24 April to 1 May 2026 via Quality Vacation club (QVC) (***) by utilising our points (Member No LQVC008765). Shortly after we have done the booking, the government came with those enormous price increases on fuel due to the world crisis and indicated that there will be fuel shortages in certain areas of South Africa. As we have to travel through small towns in the Northern Cape, we contacted petrol stations on the route to Sedgefield and several of them indicated that they experience a shortage. After consultation and having done a few calculations, we realized that this will be an enormous unforeseen expenditure for us and it will not be possible to cover the additional cost. As pensioners with only one income and the possibility that we might have to stay over at places who might not have fuel, we decided to rather cancel the booking and re-book at a later stage.

On 23 March 2026 I forwarded email to QVC and requested them to cancel the booking due to the above-mentioned problems. They then came back and indicated that we should pay a penalty of R550. I asked them why we should pay a penalty as we are not the reason for the fuel crises and asked them if we don’t cancel, are they prepared to pay those additional amounts for fuel as well as accommodation / meals if we must stay over. To date, July 2026, they did not respond and still did not even update our points balance.

I have done several enquiries, but again with no response from QVC’s side. They did not even inform Baywater Village about the cancellation as we have received email during April from Baywater Village indicating they are looking forward to seeing us there. I then indicated to them that we have cancelled due to this world crisis, and they mentioned that QVC did not inform them, but they will cancel the booking.

This is clear that QVC will try to make it as uncomfortable as possible for their members and will rather financialising penalise them while it’s not their “mistake” to cancel. In 2021 during the covid period, we experienced the same problems with QVC. Government changed the school holidays on several occasions and because we have booked in the school holiday, we were forced to change these dates. Booking was done at Ngwenya Lodge. I think, and I’m under correction, the Government moved these dates at 3 or 4 occasions. With each change of dates, QVC forced us to pay penalties. It was something like R750 per cancellation and they also indicated that if we don’t pay, they going to cancel the booking. Not to disappoint our grandchildren, as it was their first visit to the Kruger National Park, we unwillingly, paid those penalties. I’m not at all prepared to pay it now again, because the cancellation is not due to something that happened on our side. QVC should cover these types of cancellations in the yearly levy as their yearly levy increases for the past 10 years are far above the inflation rate.

We would like to know why must we pay these penalties caused by a world crisis and why did QVC not update our points so that we could do another booking somewhere else due to the damaged roads in Meiring****rt.