Cumbrian family wins fight for no-snow Lapland refund
A family have won a six-month fight for a refund on their £3,500 dream holiday to Lapland which was hit by a series of weather-related cancellations.Lisa O'Neil complained after tour operator Tui told her that her family's four-day trip could go ahead last December despite there being no snow forecast and the firm having a "no snow you don't have to go" policy in place.It meant none of the snow activities part of the package - a husky ride, reindeer encounter and snowmobile trip - could go ahead. Tui, which has been approached for comment, initially only offered a 50% refund, but Mrs O'Neil's successful appeal means she has received full compensation, including legal fees.
"We were absolutely elated," said Mrs O'Neil, 40, from Gosforth in Cumbria."You think all of the time have you done the right thing, is it worth the hassle to push through. "But when you know that you're in the right and you're just being forced into a situation by a corporate company, [the outcome] just validated all of the hard work that we put in."
Mrs O'Neil and her husband Wayne had spent their savings on the Lapland trip for their son Finn, who is now eight.A couple of days before departure they contacted Tui to raise concerns about the forecast of rain, but were reassured there was snow at their resort and were told if they chose to cancel the holiday they would lose the money.On arrival they were greeted with a "magical" winter wonderland scene, but overnight rainfall melted all the snow. As they had feared, all snow activities for their trip were cancelled, leaving them to arrange and pay for alternatives.
'Holiday purpose defeated'
When they first complained to Tui they were offered 50% of their money back, which they refused.ABTA, an association of travel companies which helps mediate disputes, referred the case to an independent adjudicator who found in favour of the O'Neils."The family's essential purpose in taking the trip, to enjoy snow-based activities, was defeated," the final adjudication read.It added Tui had not complied with its own "no snow" policy and the family would not have set off for their trip had Tui let them cancel or reschedule it.Mrs O'Neil said the family's fight for a refund seemed daunting at times but, after their experience was featured in a BBC News article, a couple contacted them to help with the claim."This couple had been on a cruise that cost them £20,000," Mrs O'Neil explained."It was for a big anniversary but, because of the weather, they couldn't do all the stops that they were supposed to do."The couple had been successful in securing their claim after a six-year legal battle and shared their knowledge with the O'Neils.Mrs O'Neil said: "They gave me loads of advice and the inspiration to keep going, so I am really grateful to them."
Follow BBC Cumbria on X, Facebook, Nextdoor and Instagram.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
The Independent
7 minutes ago
- The Independent
Premium Bonds prize checker: When is July's NS&I draw and how can I check if I've won?
Every month, savers have the chance to win big prizes as the Premium Bonds winning numbers are announced. There are now 24 million people taking part in the government-backed savings scheme, with more than £127bn banked. Premium bonds are an investment product from the National Savings and Investment (NS&I), which is owned by the government. Each month, millions of savers are entered into a prize draw to win cash prizes ranging from £25 to £1 million, with two millionaires made at every draw. Every £1 entered has a 22,000-to-one chance of winning. The minimum investment is £25, while the maximum is £50,000. These savings don't accrue interest as with regular bank accounts, but are put up against a random digital prize picker called 'Ernie' – the Electronic Random Number Indicator Equipment. The date of this month's draw is Wednesday 2 July. The results of this draw are available a day later and released by the NS&I here. What are the chances of winning? There are many premium bond winners every month, but the actual chance of winning remains fairly low. Most people will never win a prize, meaning their investment will stay the same. However, the scheme is also risk-free, meaning money won't be lost either. Analysis by money expert Martin Lewis found that the 'interest rate' on premium bonds accounts is 4 per cent when all winnings are considered – but notes most people won't see anything like this. Many savings accounts in the UK also offer a higher interest rate than this, which will be far more consistent. The distribution of prizes changes slightly every month. Here were the results in January 2025: £1 million x 2 £100,000 x 82 £50,000 x 163 £25,000 x 328 £10,000 x 818 £5,000 x 1,636 £1,000 x 17,163 £500 x 51,489 £100 x 1,987,844 £50 x 1,987,844 £25 x 1,803,871 How to check if you've won To check if you've won a prize on premium bonds, you can visit the NS&I checker on its website and enter your bond numbers. There is also an NS&I app which allows savers to check results on the go.
Telegraph
14 minutes ago
- Telegraph
House prices fall unexpectedly after Reeves's stamp duty tax raid
01 July 2025 7:49am 7:49AM Interest rate cuts will reignite house price growth, say economists Interest rate cuts will help house prices regain momentum next year, economists have said. Nationwide said the value of the average home fell for the third time in four months in June, while the annual rate of growth dropped to an 11-month low of 2.1pc. However, separate data from the Bank of England on Monday showed mortgage approvals increased by 2,400 to 63,000 in May. Paul Dales, chief UK economist at Capital Economics, said: 'The first rise in the number of mortgage approvals in five months in May points to the annual growth rate of house prices rising back to around 3.5pc. 'That might not happen in time to meet our existing forecast that prices will rise by 3.5pc in the year to the fourth quarter of 2025. 'But our new forecast that Bank Rate will fall from 4.25pc now to 3pc next year (our previous forecast was for a fall to 3.5pc) suggests that housing activity and prices will regain more momentum next year.' 7:35AM Good morning Thanks for joining me. House prices dropped unexpectedly in June after Rachel Reeves refused to extend the stamp duty holiday. Here is what you need to know. 5 things to start your day Trump triggers dollar's worst start to year since 1973 | US president's tariff onslaught sent US assets plunging amid worries over the future of the world's largest economy 'No intention of coming back': The expats choosing proximity to Iran over a life in Britain | Conflict in the Middle East hangs over the calm in tax-free Dubai – but for many life goes on Families' disposable income slumps in blow to Labour | Prime Minister's pledge to raise living standards on shaky ground as inflation and tax rises hit households Ben Marlow: British manufacturing could disappear for good under Labour | A lethal cocktail of neglect, complacency and short-termism is devastating UK industry Adam Smith: Starmer has shredded Reeves's credibility – how long can she last? | Changing her fiscal rules would be a resigning matter for the Chancellor What happened overnight Asian shares are mostly higher after US stocks added to their records with the close of a second straight winning month. Japan's Nikkei 225 fell 1.2pc to 40,003.24 despite positive results of the central bank's quarterly Tankan survey of large manufacturers, which showed an better than expected improvement in business sentiment. The Shanghai Composite index added 0.2pc to 3,451.69 after China's official manufacturing purchasing managers index, or PMI, rose to a three-month high of 49.7 in June while the PMI for services and other non-manufacturing businesses also rose to a three-month high of 50.5. Hong Kong's stock market was closed on Tuesday. South Korea's Kospi Composite Index surged 1.5pc to 3,117.17 after the government reported that exports bounced back in June, helped by strong demand for semiconductors, ships and health products. Australia's S&P/ASX 200 edged up 0.1pc to 8,550.80. The PSEi in Manila, Philippines, rose 0.2pc. On Wall Street, US stocks rose modestly with the S&P 500 and Nasdaq closing at record levels for a second session in a row, led by the tech sector. The Dow Jones Industrial Average rose 0.6pc, to 44,094.77, the S&P 500 rose 0.5pc, to 6,204.95, and the Nasdaq Composite rose 0.5pc, to 20,369.73. In the bond market, the yield on 10-year US Treasury notes fell to 4.228pc from 4.290pc late on Sunday.
The Sun
28 minutes ago
- The Sun
‘This is a really good deal' people cry as Tommee Tippee kit launches in Home Bargains for almost a third of the price
MANY new parents will know that buying baby supplies isn't always cheap. However, one shopper shared how they spotted that a Tommee Tippee kit has landed in Home Bargains for a third of the price. 5 The bargain hunter posted a photo of their First Tastes weaning starter kit, which was priced at just £5.99. On the Home Bargain sign it said that the pack is usually priced at £15.99, meaning you save £9.01. Included in the kit is a Roll 'n' Go bib comes with a crumb catcher. It also has a number of Easiscoop feeding bowls, which stack inside each other to save on space. They are said to be safe to use in the microwave, and BPA free - as well as being dishwasher safe. There are also a number of ergonomically shaped spoons which are 'easy to hold, without getting your fingers messy.' The Tommee Tippee website says: 'Our Softee weaning spoon is the perfect choice for their first adventures into solid food. 'The smooth, flexible tip is specially designed for tiny mouths - it tips food gently onto their mouth and is super soft on tender gums. The extra-long handle makes scooping and feeding easy.' Meanwhile, the kit also comes with a weaning sippy cup to help develop tipping and sipping skills whilst preventing spills. The bargain was posted on the Facebook group Extreme Couponing and Bargains UK, and numerous people seemed keen to snap it up. BBC Panorama documentary investigates the nutritional claims of baby pouches One person wrote: 'I want one.' Another said: 'need to grab this, that's a bargain.' A third commented: 'Handy for little man.' We previously shared how a mum spotted the Tommee Tippee anti-colic set, which is normally on sale for £39, being sold for just £9.75 in the Tesco clearance. She only realised, however, that the price of the set had been slashed when she checked her receipt at home. 5 5 The lucky customer said the set is "still full price" on the Tesco website, so she wasn't sure if the deal was available everywhere. Writing on Facebook, she said: "Tommee Tippee anti-colic set from £39 down to £9.75 on clearance in Tesco, Mold. "Still full price on their website. Comes with 4 bottles, 1 brush, 1 dummy, and 2 replacement heads. Not sure if this is nation wide, or not." The set is designed to ease colic, gas and reflux and includes nine helpful items. It includes 2 150ml bottles, 2 260ml botts, 2x medium flow teats, 2 night time soothers and 1 bottle and teat brush. 5 What is baby led weaning? Starting your baby on food can be a daunting, scary process. And while mums have depended for years on purees and soft, easy to eat foods for their babies, there's another approach that often causes controversy. Namely baby led weaning (BLW). Instead of spoon-feeding your baby pureed or mashed foods, BLW means offering them "only finger foods and letting them feed themselves from the start", the NHS explained. "You can offer a range of small, finger-sized pieces of food," they added. "Some parents prefer baby-led weaning to spoon feeding, while others combine a bit of both. "There's no right or wrong way – the most important thing is that your baby eats a wide variety of food and gets all the nutrients they need."
