Service Cancellation Fee at Application Stage

PilotGee

Hello all,

I have a Private Pilot's Licence (PPL) and due to changes coming into effect soon all licences of a particular type have to be upgraded at a cost, to the new scheme.

Due to some confusion over when these licences had to be upgraded (before they effectively became invalid), I panicked and filed an online application to upgrade my PPL to the new scheme with the CAA (this was at 2am). The next morning, I called the CAA who told me that I had another year before it needed to be upgraded.

I then sent them an email later that morning with an explanation and asking them to cancel the application and give me a refund.

A reply came telling me that the refund should be with me within 2-3 weeks. When the refund arrived, I noticed that they had charged me a £25 cancellation fee.

After some email exchanges, they pointed me to their terms and conditions to do with refunds and as I had 'ticked the box' to agree to them, they are in their right to charge me.

These are the two pertinent clauses I think I can challenge:
1.4 A minimum administration fee of £25 to be deducted from each refund claim subject to specific exceptions concerning:
a) fast track charges;
b) where the applicant has paid in error or paid in excess of the correct fee;
c) where further investigation is required to determine the appropriateness of a refund request, then an hourly charge of £100 may be applied.

and

1.6 Where an applicant has paid in error and no associated CAA costs have been incurred, then a full refund should be given.

Full link to the document here http://www.caa.co.uk/docs/33/Refunds.pdf

Where do I stand?

Thanks for any help!

shaun_from_Africa

PilotGee wrote: »

1.6 Where an applicant has paid in error and no associated CAA costs have been incurred, then a full refund should be given.

The CAA would have incurred costs in taking the original payment and processing the paperwork for the refund and issuing the refund itself.

Even though your licence didn't need upgrading at the time you submitted your application, it is perfectly acceptable to apply before the date that it was actually due so the CAA probably don't consider that you applied in error.

I have an EASA engineering licence (CAA issued) and when this is due for renewal, I usually apply a few months early as I might not be in the UK when it actually expires.

PilotGee

Thanks for your reply Shaun.

I still think it's a bit harsh that I created an application in error and cancelled it just a few hours later, to be charged £25. If it was more obvious that I would incur a charge equal to nearly 35% of the fee, then I would've continued with the application.

I'm sure that there is a consumer right to cancel online purchases up to 14 days later (cooling off period?). Not sure if this applies or if cancellation fees still apply to that either, that's why I've posted here.

Thanks.