Lowcostholidays collapses – your rights as 140,000 hit by travel chaos

jacpotman

I made a hotel booking via Lowcostholidays -- the amount was above £100 -- but I paid deposit using a debit card and remaining amount on credit card.

I have raised a section 75 claim with the Bank, which is now under processing. Should I also raise a chargeback process with credit card and debit card, in case the section 75 claim falls through? I am concerned that bank might come back saying that lowcostholidays was just an agent working on this deal, not vendor.

SW17

Zirafa wrote: »

I've still heard nothing from Hotels4U. I'm presuming they're going to cancel our hotel but it would be nice to know for certain seeing as I've started a chargeback claim.

They are probably still working through the cancellations, I imagine in chronological order by arrival date. It's also possible that H4U have booked through another intermediary.

SW17

JJB1979 wrote: »

Alan, can you link to where this information comes from? Thanks.

http://www.caib.es/govern/sac/fitxa.do?codi=2657363&coduo=1&lang=ca

Alan_Bowen

Ainsley, if your agent who issued the ATOL Certificate is not guaranteeing payment to your hotel, contact the CAA on the number shown on the Certificate and get them to push the agent into action.

Those on holiday should be the first to be dealt with but I fear some, having never been in this position before, are like rabbits in the headlights and need help ( or if I was being cynical, which I never am in respect of the travel industry) they forgot to buy insurance against supplier failure and can't afford to pay, or think if they do nothing it will all go away.

Tell your agent your hotel needs an answer within the next day or you will contact the CAA, and do!

jimjiber

We booked hotel and flights to Kefalonia next month with LCH. My dad paid deposit of £1500 on Sainsbury's Mastercard and the £1000 balance on debit card.

He contacted Sainsbury's Bank credit card department yesterday and they said they will send him the claim forms, which should arrive in 7 - 14 days!

How are they taking so long to send out the forms?

We can't afford to rebook until we know for certain that we are getting all the money back.

whitewater_2

Sainsburys raised the claim for me over the phone on Friday. I checked yesterday and no forms are needed it's being processed. It may be different for you as part paid on credit card so I'd imagine they need proof of full cost etc.

N20Y1D

I called American Express regarding my 5 nights in Cancun next month on Friday evening when i got home and just checked my account and it shows the following?

13 MAR 16 CREDIT FOR DISPUTED CHARGE -£XXXX.XX DATE PROCESSED: 18 JUL 16

gardner1

N20Y1D wrote: »

I called American Express regarding my 5 nights in Cancun next month on Friday evening when i got home and just checked my account and it shows the following?

13 MAR 16 CREDIT FOR DISPUTED CHARGE -£XXXX.XX DATE PROCESSED: 18 JUL 16

Hopefully the first of many

dti2k

KDH wrote: »

Agreed - if you are using the FLEXPLUS a/c (£10 a month) account holiday insurance you have "End supplier failure cover" (ESF) included. If you are using the FLEXACCOUNT holiday insurance you don't get the ESF unless you have opted into it and paid an extra premium before travelling (and also paid it before Friday 15/7/16?)

http://www.nationwide.co.uk/support/product-support/current-account/flexaccount#xtab:docs-and-downloads
http://www.nationwide.co.uk/support/product-support/current-account/flex-plus#xtab:docs-and-downloads

The End Supplier Failure cover with Nationwide Flexplus does not cover this collapse of LCH.
I sent an email to the Claims Dept and this was their response:

Thank you for your e-mail.

Our policy covers for the financial failure of the end supplier only (i.e. airline, car hire company, hotel owner, etc.) and not the insolvency of the Travel Agent, Tour Operator, the booking agent or consolidator. As Low Cost Holidays were trading as a tour operator/travel agent their financial failure is not covered as it is a stated exclusion.

If you paid by either Visa Debit or a credit card you may be able to request a chargeback from your bank/credit card company and I have attached a suggested sample wording for you to use.

Kind regards,

Claims Department
IPP Limited

brian_g

On drafting my section 75 claim for LCH payment, I noted on my CC statement that when making the initial deposit of £400 to LCH by Credit Card they actually only took 10% and passed flight payment authority to Ryanair who transacted their flight payment against my card. Will this affect my Section 75 claim?