Freedom Direct 'close to collapse'

Marky123

mmcgill wrote: »

Phone JET2 it was my experience that freedomdirect had to pay the airline as they will not reserve your seat without payment.

However the accomodation is another story, Lowcostbeds stated that they had not been paid for some time by Freedomdirect. It appears that they had their ATOL was not renewed for April.

Phoned Jet2. The Flights are still ok.
I can't get through to Medhotels at the minute. Hopefully I will be able to re book then claim it back.

mmcgill

anyone who has booked and paid this with their credit card remember they have some liability for your purchases. so even if atol cant pay then your card provider has responsibility.

section 74 or 75 i think it is, Martin did a big thing about it not that long ago

mmcgill

marky

good at least you know that you will be going, maybe have to get the dust of that old tent.

hope all goes well with the hoteliers

magdelana

My parents booked holiday with FD and due to fly on sunday. Flights are paid for with Thomas Cook but we have had to pay again for Hotel and transfers as FD had not paid the third parties for them.
They will have to claim for origional booking, mum paid with her Mastercard so i presume she needs to contact her card provider?

jacnorm

My son has booked his hols twice a year for the last six years with FD and they never had any problems its such a shame this has happened.

mmcgill

magdelana

CAA states that you can claim for the re-booked extras but you must produce all original receipts. if of course they have no success with this avenue then we can all take up the issue with our credit card companies.

meerustar

My friend booked with them on Wednesday and paid £2000 on her DEBIT card and they went bust on Friday.

I doubt she'll get anythng back, but she's livid that they even took the money. The booking was for hotels only.

Anyone any advice I can gve rather than 'bad luck'!

luci

If it's a Visa debit and not Maestro she may be able to claim Charge Back. Don't ask me how it's done as I've never done it, only read about it.

Liz_M_3

I am so frustrated!! I booked with Freedom Direct on 31 March 09 for a holiday on 1 June 09. I paid with visa debit card (I've sent a letter off to Barclays to see if I can claim the money back via the visa debit chargeback route). However, when you see 'abta' or 'atol' registered the assumption is that those people know what they are talking about! Not in my experience. I have spent all day Friday and today trying to make sense of what they are telling me.

ABTA say that the companies that FD booked with (teleticket for the flight and med hotels for the accomodation) are obliged by UK agency law to honour that agreement, regardless of whether they have been paid or not.

ATOL say I have to contact the companies and if they haven't been paid, then I have to pay again, then I can make a claim.

I think ABTA may be correct, had row with MD of teleticket and he admitted that he would have had to supply the flight....but he had cancelled my booking two days before FD went bust and he said he instructed them to return my money! I asked for a copy of this correspondence, he said he needs to look at the server!!

Marky123

mmcgill wrote: »

marky

good at least you know that you will be going, maybe have to get the dust of that old tent.

hope all goes well with the hoteliers

Tent not required.
I have re-booked the hotel with Medhotels. I now have to make a claim to get that money back.
I think I have been lucky really. We still have a holiday.
Feel sorry for all those worse off than me. Hope it works out.