Since pandemic restrictions forced the cancellation of Rebecca Ferguson's holiday plans, she's been fighting for nearly a year to rebook it or get a refund.
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Ms Ferguson was due to travel to Uluru with her four children, husband and parents on April 1, 2020. But, days before they were informed that borders would close and they would be unable to travel.
After some negotiation, the airline and the resort provided travel credit vouchers to cover the $2,936 combined cost.
"I still want to be there but COVID-19 meant I couldn't at that time," Ms Ferguson said.
As soon as the borders re-opened and restrictions allowed for domestic travel again, Ms Ferguson attempted to reschedule her holiday but has been met with months of frustration.
"Since the international borders have been closed, there's been all the deals for people to book holidays [in Australia] now, so we can't find a time to book again," Ms Ferguson said.
"Every time we try to book, we can't get rooms for eight. The most we've been able to get is for five."
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Both the flight and accommodation credit vouchers have a December expiry date, and Ms Ferguson is now wondering whether she will be able to make that cut-off.
"I've already paid, but I'm not getting the experience I paid for," Ms Ferguson said.
The Daily Advertiser contacted Voyages Travel Centre, which owns the resort, and a spokesperson confirmed they would be "working closely with travellers whose trips were impacted by COVID-19 to help them re-plan their holidays as we know how important these are".
"Guests whose bookings were impacted by COVID-19 were contacted by Voyages last year and provided with a specific email address [...] to arrange their new travel dates," the spokesperson said.
"Dependent on the terms of the original booking, should they be non-refundable, we would consider an extension of the rebook period."
After experiencing his own struggle for a refund when his family's cruise was cancelled due to COVID-19, consumer rights advocate Adam Glezer has turned to work pro bono to assist others.
"Directly and indirectly, I've seen thousands going through this," Mr Glezer said.
"My advice to anyone is to thoroughly look over the terms and conditions when booking a holiday, especially the part about refunds and cancellations."
Mr Glezer is now advocating for a complete overhaul of legislation to holistically protect the rights of consumers to a refund when cancellation occurs beyond their control.
"At the end of the day, it's their money and they should have a right to know where it's going," Mr Glezer said.
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