How to cancel a ski course because of illness or lack of snow, review cancellation fees and request a refund of the course fee.
Mag. Christopher Angerer, Rechtsanwalt
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Whether a cancellation fee is owed depends on the booking, the reason, the timing and the service actually provided. Illness and lack of snow require different checks.
Answer two questions. The result is an orientation and does not replace a review of the individual booking.
Would you like to discuss your booking? Go to the enquiry form.
The reason for cancellation affects the contract and cancellation review.
Compare the booking confirmation, cancellation terms and date of notice. Check whether the scale was clearly incorporated and whether the amount matches the situation. Illness does not automatically invalidate a cancellation term.
Next step: keep the notice, booking, payment record and calculation requested by the school.
Request the contractual basis and a comprehensible calculation. In consumer contracts, section 6 of the Austrian Consumer Protection Act and section 879(3) ABGB may be relevant. The outcome depends on the wording, incorporation and booking circumstances.
Next step: save the terms and booking screen that applied at the time.
Record date, location, duration, group size and level of the alternative. Rebooking may be suitable if it is contractually available and reasonable. A change in the essential service requires a separate review.
Next step: keep the offer and your response in writing.
If the school cannot provide the booked course because of lack of snow or closure, first check alternatives, rebooking and the agreed refund terms. Where no equivalent service is provided, retaining the full fee requires careful examination of the contract and actual performance.
Next step: collect the school notice, booking confirmation and payment record.
Illness or injury may make participation impossible. It does not automatically end the ski course contract. The relevant points are the agreed cancellation terms, the timing of notice and whether the place could still be filled.
Check travel cancellation insurance as well. Its payment depends on the insurance contract and the evidence it requires. Medical evidence should be shared only to the extent necessary.
Under certain work-contract arrangements, section 1168 ABGB can make saved costs and other earnings relevant. Whether it applies directly depends on the actual ski school contract.
Establish whether the school could provide the booked lesson in full, in part or at another location. A poor snow situation is different from a resort closure or a complete cancellation.
If an alternative date or service is offered, compare date, location, duration, group size and level. Record any change in writing.
If the course is cancelled completely and no equivalent alternative is provided, the unperformed service is the starting point for the refund review. The school cannot keep the full fee without examining the contract and performance.
A scale may set a fee for late cancellation. Check whether the term was clearly incorporated and whether the version saved is the one that applied at booking.
For consumer contracts, section 6 KSchG and section 879(3) ABGB may be relevant. A cancellation term is not automatically invalid because it provides for a fee. It also does not remove the need for a comprehensible calculation.
Ask what costs were saved, whether the place was rebooked and whether an alternative participant or rebooking was available.
State whether you seek a full refund, a partial refund or rebooking. Include booking number, course date, reason for cancellation and the solution requested. Keep the notice and acknowledgement.
Save the booking confirmation, payment record, terms, notice, emails, messages and offers of an alternative. For lack of snow, keep the school notice and details of the service offered.
If the response is unclear, repeat the request in writing and ask for the contractual basis and calculation.
A substitute participant may take over a place if the school accepts the change and the person fits the group. Age, ability, language and safety requirements can matter.
Propose the substitute before the course starts and obtain written confirmation of the fee, payer and new booking. Rebooking for another date is a different solution and should also be recorded clearly.
Important: Illness, lack of snow and a travel change require different reviews. The contract, timing, actual service and calculation remain decisive. This information is not a substitute for advice on an individual booking.
Not automatically. Check the contract, cancellation term, timing and travel cancellation insurance. Illness may be relevant to the insurer but does not necessarily end the booking with the ski school.
If the course is cancelled completely and no equivalent alternative is provided, a refund should be reviewed. The result depends on any alternative date, location or service.
That depends on the incorporated terms and the actual loss. For a high or flat demand, request the contractual basis and calculation.
Keep the booking, payment record, terms, notice, correspondence and alternative offers. Request the refund or rebooking in writing.
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