Resale site aims to ‘revolutionise’ secondary travel market
A new travel re-sale site is aiming to ‘revolutionise’ the secondary bookings market by allowing users to buy and sell non-refundable hotel, train and event bookings online.
UseMyBooking said it will also be educating consumers on their rights.
"Not only does the platform supply workarounds for people who purchase ‘non-refundable’ tickets, it also provides a simple listing and purchasing function for buyers and sellers, with no additional admin," it said in a press release.
"The platform ensures that buyers aren’t forced to pay more than the original sale price when purchasing bookings or tickets on the platform, restricting sellers to upload their booking for face value or less."
Founder Melonie Dando was previously head of project finance for a large FTSE organisation, according to the press release.
She had to cancel her travel many times due to work commitments and through research, she discovered that although the bookings were non-refundable, some did allow a change of name, which created the idea for UseMyBooking.
"I wanted to develop an online business that gives the power back to the consumer," said Dando. "Many people are unaware that they are within their right to reuse their non-refundable bookings, such as hotel rooms, by selling the booking on to someone else, so we want to give people the tools to turn their losses into gains.
"It’s important that people are treated fairly and understand their rights when it comes to travel bookings, so we see ourselves as an enabler that allows consumers to get the most out of non-refundable purchases, and allows buyers to purchase secondary bookings at face value or less and instantly. It really is a win-win for all."
UseMyBooking is available now and is free to download on iOS and Android.
However, it’s not the first travel re-sale site to launch in the UK. Other include Transfer Travel, which provides a resale platform for flights, packages, hotels, train tickets, cruises, vouchers and festival tickets. It was launched in 2016.
Payment for travel bought through Transfer Travel is made via the site and kept in a secure account until the transfer has completed.
Linsey McNeill
Editor Linsey McNeill has been writing about travel for more than three decades. Bylines include The Times, Telegraph, Observer, Guardian and Which? plus the South China Morning Post. She also shares insider tips on thetraveljournalist.co.uk
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