Package Holidays and Travel Trade Act, 1995
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Alteration or cancellation by organiser. |
18.—(1) In every contract the following terms are implied— | |
(a) that, subject to section 17 , where the organiser is compelled before departure to alter significantly an essential term of the contract, such as the price, the consumer will be notified as soon as possible in order to enable the consumer to take appropriate decisions and in particular to withdraw from the contract without penalty or to accept a variation to the contract specifying the alterations made and their impact on the price; and | ||
(b) that the consumer will inform the organiser or the retailer (as appropriate, in the light of the organiser's instructions) of the decision as soon as possible. | ||
(2) (a) The terms set out in paragraphs (b) and (c) shall be implied in every contract and shall apply where the consumer withdraws from the contract pursuant to the term in it implied by virtue of subsection (1) (a) or where the organiser, for any reason other than the fault of the consumer, cancels the package before the date when it is due to start. | ||
(b) The consumer is entitled— | ||
(i) to take a replacement package of equivalent or superior quality if the organiser (whether directly or through a retailer) is able to offer such a replacement; or | ||
(ii) to take a replacement package of lower quality if the organiser is able to offer such a replacement and to recover from the organiser the difference in price between that of the package purchased and the replacement package; or | ||
(iii) to have repaid as soon as possible all the moneys paid under the contract. | ||
(c) The consumer is entitled, without prejudice to paragraph (b), to be compensated by the organiser for non-performance of the contract except where— | ||
(i) the package is cancelled because the number of persons who agree to take it is less than the minimum number required and the consumer is informed of the cancellation, in writing, within the period prescribed in the contract, or | ||
(ii) the package is cancelled by force majeure, that is to say the package is cancelled by reason of unusual and unforeseeable circumstances beyond the control of the organiser, the retailer or other supplier of services, the consequences of which could not have been avoided even if all due care had been exercised. | ||
(d) Overbooking shall not be regarded as a circumstance falling within paragraph (c) (ii). |