Virgin refund

neilbond007

Those lovely people at Virgin cancelled the ORD - LHR route over the winter and therefore my flights home for xmas went up in smoke.
These were "reward" flights so I only paid the taxes / fees. This still totalled around £450.
It's been 6 weeks since they cancelled and I've yet to see a refund. Anyone have any idea if I'm going to see this £450 again?

At first I was told it would be 3-4 weeks for a refund... a conversation today and it's now 6-8 weeks.
I've sent in several e-mails and phoned them 3 times but this doesn't seem to be working (well, they have credited my 5000 miles, whoopy do).

Does anyone have some big cheese at Virgins e-mail? I feel like a rantogram coming on...

stoneman

That's disgraceful, but I must say about par for VS. Isn't there some sort of consumer legislation saying that refunds have to be done within 30 days?

Moonchild

Whether it's something you like or not, Airline Refunds normally take 3-4 months to come through, so Virgin are just doing what all airlines do.

Doesn't make it right mind.

neilbond007

Thanks gents.
The fact that they cancelled the flight and then promise me a refund in 3-4 weeks which hasn't appeared yet is what's p'ing me off

neilbond007

An update!
I sent an e-mail to richard.branson@fly.virgin.com and got a reply -
Dear Mr Bond,

Please be advised that as your booking was created within the USA our US Refunds Department will be investigation your refund request and processing any refund due back to the original form of payment.

As such I have copied them in on this email so as they can reply to you directly.

Kind Regards

JC
Virgin Atlantic Refunds Dept


So, how long for these suckers to contact me? Will they refund in $US? This is going to be painful...

Aidenr

I dont know if it helps but there was an email address that I have:
Refunds.HQ@fly.virgin.com
They should be able to give you more of an idea of turnarounds.
I work for them and we are always told 6-8weeks for our refunds

Good luck
A

neilbond007

I have a reply from the US side of things -
Dear Mr Bond

A refund of USD679.18 will be refunded back to your card today and can
take from 5 to 7 working days to appear on your statement.

If you have any problems please contact our US office quoting the above
claim number on: [EMAIL="usrefundsdept@fly.virgin.com"]usrefundsdept@fly.virgin.com[/EMAIL]

Wonderful.... So, I get a refund of $679.18 after paying £471 on a UK credit card.
Needless to say I've replied that I want the refund on my original card for the original amount.

Anyone know where I stand on this one legally?

Moonchild

Did you book ORD-LHR-ORD using the US Virgin site?

Did you pay in US$ (but being a UK account it got converted into £ at the prevailing rate of 1.44 - so I presume you booked about 6 months ago?)

If so, i'm guessing they are just refunding what you paid (which I presume shows as $679.15 on your statement).

However, if you booked in GPB £ on the UK Virgin site from LHR - ORD then i'd be furious, but it sounds like you've been done by the £ strengthening??

neilbond007

Moonchild wrote: »

Did you book ORD-LHR-ORD using the US Virgin site?

Did you pay in US$ (but being a UK account it got converted into £ at the prevailing rate of 1.44 - so I presume you booked about 6 months ago?)

If so, i'm guessing they are just refunding what you paid (which I presume shows as $679.15 on your statement).

However, if you booked in GPB £ on the UK Virgin site from LHR - ORD then i'd be furious, but it sounds like you've been done by the £ strengthening??

I booked on the UK website using a UK card. I don't remember what I was quoted as the payment - $ or £.
All my credit card shows is the UK£ payment... not a $ equivalent...

Surely I shouldn't be "done" by a strengthening £... they cancelled the flights!!

Moonchild

neilbond007 wrote: »

I booked on the UK website using a UK card. I don't remember what I was quoted as the payment - $ or £.
All my credit card shows is the UK£ payment... not a $ equivalent...

Surely I shouldn't be "done" by a strengthening £... they cancelled the flights!!

In that case you shouldn't lose out. Final question - did you book ex-ORD or ex-LHR? Were you in the US when you booked (any chance they threw you onto the US sight?).

Did they offer to rebook you on UA/BA/AA or even indirect on CO?

I'm just checking every eventuality and wondering where they are coming from. I can't think why your booking was 'created in the US'?

If you booked a flight from the US then it will be that you were charged in US$ - Your booking will be quoted and charged in US Dollar (USD) - to quote -

"The above amounts are an indication of the converted price. Your card issuer may use a different exchange rate to the rate used above and/or charge an overseas transaction fee, if your card is not charged in US Dollar (USD)."

neilbond007

I booked ORD-LHR-ORD as I'm now living in the US.
I booked from the UK. So was on the UK website.
When my flight was cancelled I wasn't offered alternative flights. Purely a refund, despite asking for one...

I understand that I may have been quoted in $ as the flight originates from the US but at the tome I didn't have a US bank account / credit card at the time so had to pay in £.
It seems I'll be out of pocket by about £50 due to the them cancelling my flight...