Lastminute.com only offering vouchers for refunds

Voyager2002

For once I think that Lastminute (world's worst travel agent) are in the right: they did their job in getting you air ticket, and it is the carriers who are not honoring those tickets, so it is up to the carriers to process the refunds.

And is there any reason why you want to cancel rather than defer your trip? Krakow will be just as beautiful once travel becomes possible again, and it would really help the airlines if passengers agreed to travel at a later date rather than insist on a cash refund. There is also the possibility that flights might become significantly more expensive...

Butts

Voyager2002 said:

For once I think that Lastminute (world's worst travel agent) are in the right: they did their job in getting you air ticket, and it is the carriers who are not honoring those tickets, so it is up to the carriers to process the refunds.

And is there any reason why you want to cancel rather than defer your trip? Krakow will be just as beautiful once travel becomes possible again, and it would really help the airlines if passengers agreed to travel at a later date rather than insist on a cash refund. There is also the possibility that flights might become significantly more expensive...

Are you sure that's correct ?
I was under the impression that if you purchased a ticket through a third party the Airline has to refund them so they can then refund you ? 

Voyager2002

Butts said:

Voyager2002 said:

For once I think that Lastminute (world's worst travel agent) are in the right: they did their job in getting you air ticket, and it is the carriers who are not honoring those tickets, so it is up to the carriers to process the refunds.

Are you sure that's correct ?
I was under the impression that if you purchased a ticket through a third party the Airline has to refund them so they can then refund you ? 

Yes, if the agent wants that to happen (and take their cut from the refund) then the refund has to go through the agent. If LastMinute are removing themselves from the process and so allowing the whole refund to go to the customer then that is a plus.

Butts

Voyager2002 said:

Butts said:

Voyager2002 said:

For once I think that Lastminute (world's worst travel agent) are in the right: they did their job in getting you air ticket, and it is the carriers who are not honoring those tickets, so it is up to the carriers to process the refunds.

Are you sure that's correct ?
I was under the impression that if you purchased a ticket through a third party the Airline has to refund them so they can then refund you ? 

Yes, if the agent wants that to happen (and take their cut from the refund) then the refund has to go through the agent. If LastMinute are removing themselves from the process and so allowing the whole refund to go to the customer then that is a plus.

But this would seem to contradict the experience of most anecdotal evidence on here that says Airlines will only deal with the agency who booked the ticket and not the individual whose flight it is ? Sounds like LM are passing the buck !!!

rdwarr

Voyager2002 said:

For once I think that Lastminute (world's worst travel agent) are in the right: they did their job in getting you air ticket, and it is the carriers who are not honoring those tickets, so it is up to the carriers to process the refunds.

And is there any reason why you want to cancel rather than defer your trip? Krakow will be just as beautiful once travel becomes possible again, and it would really help the airlines if passengers agreed to travel at a later date rather than insist on a cash refund. There is also the possibility that flights might become significantly more expensive...

No, I'm in a similar position. Paid lastminute.com, they paid the airlines, the airlines have now refunded them so they're just sitting there with the money and there's no way of claiming it back!

Claire_giraffe80

Guys ive approached my bank with whom i maden the purchase with via a Visa debit card and have made a "charge back " claim. They were so helpful and appalled at the way lastminute.com has treated me. They cant seenmy claim being an issue and will take maximum 30 days. 
If you are all still being fobbed off with a voucher contact your bank or credit card to do the same .
Good luck 🤞🤞

Butts

From the anecdotal tales on here, other sites and reviews on Trust Pilot et al.. Last Minute.com seem to be the worst performing of all the Third Party travel providers. It seems they are nigh on impossible to contact with poorly trained staff based in India.
Should you by some miracle manage to get through they seem to be as useful as a chocolate teapot, offering their vouchers and ludicrous amendment and cancellation fees that bear no relation to the actual loss if any they are likely to suffer as a result of processing them.
It is my belief their Terms and Conditions in many areas would be deemed unfair if tested in Court against The Package and Linked Travel Regulations of 2018. 
Is it perhaps time  Martin Lewis called them out publicly to answer for their trangressions and particularly poor customer service.

gingermuppet

I've been getting the same refusal of a refund from Lastminute.com and have asked my bank to do a 'chargeback' on my credit card as well. We'll see what happens..............

charl2828

Hi 

I am writing due to my current distress and upset over this matter.

I booked a holiday with last minute travel agency online which was due to take place on Friday 3rd April to Sunday 5th April for a surprise for my boyfriends 30th birthday. I booked a junior suite at a 5 star hotel in Prague and flights and paid for all of this as a package holiday and atol protected on lastminute . com travel agency online 

Due to the current pandemic Czech Republic has a travel ban and therefore I contacted last minute  for several weeks and have tried to receive a refund or resolve a way forward. However they have done nothing but give the same generic responses “sorry for your concern a team is reviewing” and “we are dealing with imminent travel” 

Now I don’t mind based on the current situation how long it takes and appreciate they may be busy as I understand there are important scary things happening at this time. So I decided to help and phone the airline I was supposed to be flying with Lufthansa and they agreed to provide a full refund for the flights but it would need to go directly to last minute first as that’s who I booked with. So I contacted last minute and confirmed that the airline had phoned me and transferred the monies to them that they could now send to me. I received the same response from lastminute a team will be reviewing. 

I also contacted the Prague hotel who stated last minute would need to phone them to cancel the hotel reservation and the hotel would provide no cancellation fee for this. So I contacted last minute to let them know. Again even though the travel dates have now passed they said the same thing. 

I contacted my MP who wrote to them and they haven’t responded. I paid nearly 1k of my hard working money and have absolutely nothing to show for it as last minute have done nothing in this time. What’s more upsetting is they have posted holidays since on their Facebook and Instagram page which has outraged customers who’s hard working money they have kept. This is a lot of my monthly wage to take and considering I had no choice as I can’t get to Prague due to the travel ban lastminute have offered absolutely nothing no future travel dates no refund no vouchers. In all honesty I wouldn’t want vouchers now based on their behaviour they don’t seem to care  

I’m sorry to send this at this time it’s just stressful when they have money that isn’t rightfully there’s and my holiday was protected under the travel package regs. I have done everything I can my end and still nothing but the same email from them doing nothing. 

They don’t seem to care. 

bradders1983

You just need to be more patient, its as simple as that.