Ola Holidays and Refund?

Wayners

Hi everyone.

In early july of last year, I paid for in full a holiday for me and my friend to go to turkey through a deal on Teletext through a company called Ola Holidays.

I should have researched before hand.

When goldtrail went bust, I was informed that my holiday was one of them and to follow the procedure for getting my money back, which I have done. Numerous letters, forms filled in etc and to this date i still have nothing back.

When I call, I get the same 'doesnt care' attitude from them saying that they are waiting on the CAA try again in 7-10 days. That has happened on more than 1 occasion now and im getting a little annoyed.

Can anyone give me some advice on how to go forward with this?

I paid it all in one go on a debit card so cannot speak to my bank to reclaim.

Any help is greatly appreciated.

-Wayne

draw76

We also booked via ola holidays and just keep getting palmed off every week saying they are working with the CAAto consider our claim. This is not acceptable and have had our money since before July last year. If anyone is receiving their money via ola please let me know as i feel i am never getting my money back

Alan_Bowen

Have you ever had any acknowledgement or indeed anything at all from the CAA saying they are processing a claim? Did you send the claim form direct to the CAA processing centre or back to Ola? Unless you authorised payment to be made to Ola, if they rebooked another holiday for example, then if you have heard nothing at all, I suspect the claim may not have been made yet. The CAA website says that they have reached agreement with Ola already (back in November it appears) so there is no reason for valid claims not to be settled

Tatoo07

We have had the same issue's with Ola Holidays.

We were asked on a few different occasions to fill in forms ETC. I called and finally got through in Nov and they said it is still with the CAA and they will start paying out when they get the money. Have called and emailed several times in Dec and yet no reply. Everytime i call and manage to speak to someone and ask to speak to a manager they say the manager is busy and they will ask them to call me back. I still never get a call.

Did you say that the CAA have now settled with OLA? If yes can you send me the link to this info.

If this is the case i think they are holding the money to get interest.

If i don't speak to someone this week i am going to complain to BBC Watchdog and also take a trip to Woodford Green and demand my money back with a baseball bat LOL

Alan_Bowen

Look on the CAA website under failures and you will see a list of companies they have reached agreements with, Ola is certainly there> Whilst I don't condone violence, a trip to Woodford Green might be a good idea, the Central Line seems the best way!

Tatoo07

Although violence is my prefered method that was a joke lol. I have a son who depends on me so getting arrested for being violent is not on my priority list. It is just the frustration build up.

I have emailed Teletext today to ask how they can be associated with such a poor company. Apparantly Teletext have put allot of weight behind complaints from customers of Ola Holidays.

I will update if i hear anything.

_smartie_

Hi, me and my partner booked a holiday last year with Ola Holidays. Long story short Goldtrail went out of business, and we still haven't received our refund from Ola Holidays or an acknowledgement letter of any description from either the CAA or Ola Holidays.
We filled in all the paperwork sent by Ola Holidays allowing them to get our refund from the CAA. I tried on several occasions to speak to someone regarding my Ola holiday refund, I also left countless emails (all nicely saved and logged) and several voicemail messages on the Ola holidays Goldtrail "help line" number 08444 828 828, but had NOTHNG back for months. Finally by pure luck I guessed an email address from previous letters I received in August and email their “After care manger” [/SIZE]
I have been told to email [EMAIL="goldtrailclaims@olaholidays.com"]goldtrailclaims@olaholidays.com[/EMAIL] in the future (which is what I previously had done on numerous occasions).

Any way Ola Holidays have denied having any kind of refund from the CAA and Ola Holidays will apparently advise all customers that are waiting for their refund due to Goldtrail going bust, by post, and they can not advise us on any dates for when this may happen!!!

I have been told that Ola holidays and the CAA have reached an agreement (whatever that means) but it does not mean that they have had any kind of refund from the CAA.

I’ve even contacted the CAA after reading the posts on this forum, who informed me that if i sent my claim direct to my travel agent I should have received an acknowledgement letter from the CAA. This is also written on the CAA web page. I have NEVER received any kind of paper work from Ola holidays or the CAA of this description.

When I asked Ola Holidays about this letter they got extremely defensive and sent this reply; “Ola Holidays’ do not nor does the CAA within our terms of agreement that we reached with them issue any acknowledgement letters to any clients for the receipt of their claim nor for the sending of their claim to the CAA.”

When I spoke to Ola Holidays in September 2010 I was told that we should hopefully receive our refund before Christmas 2010, Christmas has come and gone still no refund!

Can anyone advise us what else we can do? Or is it just a case of waiting.
I understand these things take time its the complete lack of information and contact that is frustrating and REALLY concerning me! I just want MY MONEY back!!!!

suzeee

My story is exactly the same as yours in total our party of potential holidayers is awaiting nearly £8000!

I rang the CAA on Fri 28th Jan explaining the situation after 6 ignored emails and approx 10 ignored calls to OLA.
I was assured that refunds are being made to OLA by the CAA but not if all have been credited yet.
I also queried the ATOL reg of OLA, to the CAA, as they were not following benchmark procedures (ignoring all calls and emails).
The girl I spoke to at the CAA was very interested and was following up my line of enquiry, but not on a personal level. I told her to google OLA refunds and read such statements as ours.
Oddly enough, that afternoon OLA emailed me regarding our claim and told me I would be informed by post and to hang in there. (nearly another 2 weeks have gone by and nothing!)
A mass report to trading standards may be in order and I mentioned that to the CAA also.
I am giving them to the end of February then Trading Standards and our Credit Card company must intervene. I will say our credit card company have been extremely shy with this process, not so shy to take our money though!
I have an email from 8th November saying we were on approx day 55 (working days) of a 90 working day wait.
WE ARE NOW ON DAY 133 (with a very generous Xmas shut down period!!)
Now getting VERY :mad: anxious as to whether this refund will materialise and wonder if OLA are in financial trouble????
I have just put a report into Watchdog online, outlining my refund nightmare.
I think it would be a very good idea if we ALL do the same, it might just get a new wheel in motion!

delboyelson

Ola holidays still owe me over £2000 from a collapsed holiday back in july 2010 and i am still waiting!
Unable to speak to anyone,sent recorded letters,40 e-mails,approx 60 phone calls,all at 10p per minute for an automated recording blamming me for the delay in refunds as too many people are trying to contacting them!
Likewise,credit card companies will now have to do the chasing,but they can do nothing whilst the CAA are 'processing' our claims!
I do not know how this company can get away with holding onto our money.
I suggest everyone owed money by this company,contact 'Watchdog' or 'rogue traders' as i intend to.

sarahadele

Hi, i'm having the same problem. Booked a holiday for 2 to turkey in July 2010, then goldtrail went bust 2 days before hand, I was gutted.
We entered our claim form and got a acknowledgment letter around October 2010, and after numerous emails sent and evasive phone calls, still no refund.

I called them today (tried a thousand different numbers but this one seemed to work: CAA claims dept. : 02074536350 but just stay on hold right through the options, they will eventually put you on hold and you can speak to someone)
So basically what i've been told now is that Beach Collection (the people I booked with) and 'Global' (the parent company) are coming to an agreement that should be confirmed within 2 weeks, and then the claims would be processed. He explained that they are aiming to contact all customers within 28 days and if I haven't heard since then to contact again.

Anyone else feeling completely helpless? I'm /this/ close to just trying to get a refund through my credit card company (thank god we used credit card). I mean it's been almost a year! It's getting out of control. :mad::mad::mad::mad:

MGSTEWART

Hi, Our story is exactly the same and it is now 1st April. Ha, we were the April fool for booking with a company who can not even inform its customers of their claim status. I have called the CAA and they have said although they have reached an agreement with OLA they have in fact just farmed out the claim back to them on mass. They will not have any records of any Ola individual claim and could not comment, they also would not send out any confirmation of claim receipt for Ola claims.Reason being: our contractual obligations had reverted back to them! In other words we are at their mercy. I am afraid that we can not also get our money back via our credit card as the claim has not been refused in writing or in any other form. They will only intervene once they receive a refusal. I have always stuck to ABTA and ATOl companies solely for the peace of mind, however it appears that if we had just booked it without this cover we would have had our money back via our credit card company. The rules are misleading and we are without protection.