Flights Paid For - Human Error Involved - Cancel Card Payment?

Glynnar

Hi all,

Last night, I looked at onthebeach.com and booked flights to Malaga and return, specifying that I required the selected dates and airport.

With this in mind (silly I know), I looked at the prices and booked them on my credit card, thinking they were good.

It appears the search function didn't give me the required dates or airport still (tested afterwards, it's flawed).

I've tried to contact them and they said there are going to be charges and I need to wait all weekend, but this is a very budgeted holiday as I can't afford a lot.

Does anyone know if any repercussions will be involved if I was to cancel the payment on my credit card? I know I am able to do so as per the Financial Services Authority, but will there be any repercussions from Ryanair or onthebeach.com if I do this? I cannot afford the additional payments and have even contemplated taking out a loan just to be rid of the issue, as I was booking for me and my parents and have screwed up royally.

Thanks guys.

grumbler

Glynnar wrote: »

...I know I am able to do so as per the Financial Services Authority, ...

Can you be more specific? Personally, I have never heard of anything like this.

Glynnar

grumbler wrote: »

Can you be more specific? Personally, I have never heard of anything like this.

Hi,

It's stipulated on the FSA website the following:

Stopping a card payment

The law says you can withdraw your consent and stop a card payment at any time up to the end of business on the day before the payment is due.

You can withdraw consent by simply telling whoever issued your card (the bank, building society or credit card company) that you don’t want a payment to be made. You can tell the card issuer by phone, email or letter. It's a good idea to also tell whoever the payment is to, that you don't want them to take the payment.

Your card issuer has no right to insist that you ask the company taking the payment first. They have to stop the payments if you ask them to.

If you ask to stop a payment, the card issuer should investigate each case on its own merit. They should not apply a blanket policy of refusing to refund payments taken when the client gave their account number out.

You should point out to the card issuer that they should follow the FSA guidance available in the FSA Know your rights booklet which can be found on the FSA website

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Payments can be cancelled, but it's more the repercussions from the providers I purchased from that concern me. What would happen if I cancelled the payment? I can't afford to change the flight dates/airport as it's way over budget.

molerat

Those regulations are for a continuous payment authority (CPA) which means you can cancel ahead of a payment being taken not to try and cancel a one off payment which you have authorised. As the payment was due immediately you clicked you are unable to cancel "up to the end of business on the day before the payment is due" (unless you have a time machine of course).

gb12345

Cancelling payments does not cancel the contract that you have entered into with Ryanair/onthebeach.

You have entered a contract with them to supply flights/holiday on a particular date (the fact that you booked the wrong date is not their fault). They are still willing to provide you with the service you contracted to, so you owe them the money for it.

Conceivably, they could issue court proceedings against you for the money that you owe them. Whether they would bother is another matter.

Glynnar

molerat wrote: »

Those regulations are for a continuous payment authority (CPA) which means you can cancel ahead of a payment being taken, not to try and cancel a one off payment which you have authorised. As the payment was due immediately you clicked you are unable to cancel "up to the end of business on the day before the payment is due" (unless you have a time machine of course).

Hi Molerat,

I am still within my rights to cancel a payment on the card though. The card issuer cannot refuse my request. I discussed this with them last night and they told me I can call back and request a refund.

My main factor here is the repercussions from onthebeach/Ryanair

Glynnar

gb12345 wrote: »

Cancelling payments does not cancel the contract that you have entered into with Ryanair/onthebeach.

You have entered a contract with them to supply flights/holiday on a particular date (the fact that you booked the wrong date is not their fault). They are still willing to provide you with the service you contracted to, so you owe them the money for it.

Conceivably, they could issue court proceedings against you for the money that you owe them. Whether they would bother is another matter.

I know there's a bit of a balance here with regards to accountability. 75% my fault and 25% onthebeach's fault.

I specified on their website the dates required, they brought back search results way out of line with my requirements. I'm sure it's a very common issue as I discussed this with my colleague earlier who said "Avoid that website" (haha, too late).

I do see what you're saying though. I have entered an agreement with them. It's just the fact their website doesn't do the job correctly and I (in a moment of stupidity) didn't check it was foolproof.

imoneyop

Glynnar wrote: »

I know there's a bit of a balance here with regards to accountability. 75% my fault and 25% onthebeach's fault.

I specified on their website the dates required, they brought back search results way out of line with my requirements. I'm sure it's a very common issue as I discussed this with my colleague earlier who said "Avoid that website" (haha, too late).

I do see what you're saying though. I have entered an agreement with them. It's just the fact their website doesn't do the job correctly and I (in a moment of stupidity) didn't check it was foolproof.

The accountability for booking the wrong dates lies 100% with you I'm afraid.

Onthebeach might have a crap system that doesn't highlight the fact that the dates returned don't match what you entered, but you are the one who clicked the confirm button to book based on the results that they displayed (which you obviously failed to check).

Glynnar

imoneyop wrote: »

The accountability for booking the wrong dates lies 100% with you I'm afraid.

Onthebeach might have a crap system that doesn't highlight the fact that the dates returned don't match what you entered, but you are the one who clicked the confirm button to book based on the results that they displayed (which you obviously failed to check).

Yep. Ok I hang my head in shame right now. It's my fault. I am stupid and I failed to check. I have beat myself up enough here thanks! :T

It doesn't answer my question though I'm afraid.

Trapezius

I'm sorry to tell you that it is entirely your fault.

It all boils down to you not reading. You're trying to make it sound like it's their fault for not having a flight that's exactly what you want.

You can cancel the payment but they could take it further, and it wouldn't end well.

Glynnar

Trapezius wrote: »

I'm sorry to tell you that it is entirely your fault.

It all boils down to you not reading. You're trying to make it sound like it's their fault for not having a flight that's exactly what you want.

You can cancel the payment but they could take it further, and it wouldn't end well.

I'm not trying to make out it's their fault. I'm basically giving the story as to how booking the wrong flights happened, to prevent "How did you do that?" questions