TUI refunds thread

timjim

Online form still needs to be verified before payment to stop fraudsters.

But if you have the refund credit code they know who you are

dennyjames

Hi we had a cruise booked with TUI on the 9th June which has been cancelled, we would like a full refund as my wife has underlying health conditions and does not know when it will be safe to travel. We have tried many times to ring them and cannot even get in a queue to be answered, the bank says we have to talk to them and be refused a refund for them to help, how the hell can you get through, they are making it extremely difficult . I go back to work tomorrow so will be unable to be constantly ringing them. Something needs to be done to make it possible for them to be contacted.

bradders1983

dennyjames said:

Hi we had a cruise booked with TUI on the 9th June which has been cancelled, we would like a full refund as my wife has underlying health conditions and does not know when it will be safe to travel. We have tried many times to ring them and cannot even get in a queue to be answered, the bank says we have to talk to them and be refused a refund for them to help, how the hell can you get through, they are making it extremely difficult . I go back to work tomorrow so will be unable to be constantly ringing them. Something needs to be done to make it possible for them to be contacted.

Well its pointless ringing today as they are closed. 

Pollycat

dennyjames said:

Hi we had a cruise booked with TUI on the 9th June which has been cancelled, we would like a full refund as my wife has underlying health conditions and does not know when it will be safe to travel. We have tried many times to ring them and cannot even get in a queue to be answered, the bank says we have to talk to them and be refused a refund for them to help, how the hell can you get through, they are making it extremely difficult . I go back to work tomorrow so will be unable to be constantly ringing them. Something needs to be done to make it possible for them to be contacted.

Have you read what it says on the TUI website?

• If your holiday can no longer go ahead as planned, you’ll receive a refund credit for the full value of your holiday, and we’ll give you a separate booking incentive up to 20%. We understand that you may not be ready to book again just yet, so the refund credit gives you the flexibility to book your travel in future. Plus, if your original booking was for a package holiday, you’ll get a separate booking incentive up to 20%. You will receive a separate email four weeks from your original departure date with all the relevant information, if you were due to cruise from 1 July onwards you’ll receive it by end the end of June.

Also, if your original booking was part of a package, your refund credit will carry the same ATOL protection. And, if your Marella Cruises or TUI River Cruises booking was cabin-only, or sailed from a UK port, your refund credit is protected under the ABTA bonding scheme. You can therefore be confident that you have financial security.

You can read the refund credit and separate booking incentive terms and conditions here.

• If you’re unable to accept a refund credit you can apply for a refund; due to the volume of holidays impacted, we’re asking you not to contact us until you receive your refund credit so we can continue helping customers in date order. However, if you do need to request your refund before this you can do so using the details below. Please be aware that our call centre teams are incredibly busy, so call waiting times are considerably longer than usual. You can call 0203 451 2868 between 9am and 7pm from Monday to Friday.

• If your original booking was for a TUI River Cruise and you were due to travel on or before 31 May 2020 you’ll also receive a refund credit and a separate booking incentive up to 20%. If your river cruise was due to depart between June and October 2020 we’ll be proactively contacting you with an update so please do bear with us.

• If you booked through a third party, you should contact them directly, as their conditions around changes and cancellations may differ.

If you don't want a refund credit you can apply for a refund - but not until you are in receipt of the refund credit.

If you're asking how to get a refund right now without waiting for a refund credit, maybe read through the thread to see if anyone has already managed that (I'm sure some people have).

Nobody on here can make TUI answer your call.

Grannygoodheart

You do not have to wait until you receive your credit voucher. TUI prefer that you wait but we phoned upon receiving our cancellation e-mail. Had to redial many times but eventually got through and a helpful TUI person processed our request for a refund and it was in our account next day.

Pollycat

Grannygoodheart said:

You do not have to wait until you receive your credit voucher. TUI prefer that you wait but we phoned upon receiving our cancellation e-mail. Had to redial many times but eventually got through and a helpful TUI person processed our request for a refund and it was in our account next day.

As I said above, I'm sure some people have ... received a refund without waiting for a refund credit.

I've been following the thread since it was first started so I knew some people have. I read your post.

But it takes perseverance and I think the poster wants some advice on how to avoid having to spend ages on the phone.

I'm not sure anyone has got that magic formula.

Domboy72

So I cancelled my holiday on the 19th March when it was obvious that we wouldn't be able to go to Corfu on the 8th May as my husband suffered from Asthma and had been asked to shield.  When I spoke to TUI on the 19th March they confirmed I'd lose 50% of the holiday paid as I was cancelling the holiday.  I was ok with this as I was lucky enough to get my insurance cover to confirm they would refund the remaining 50%.  
The website said refunds would be within 3-5 days and then the email I received upon confirmation said 3-4 weeks.  I was happy with the extended timeline assuming this was as a result of the Covid-19 backlog and reduction in staff etc.  

However, it is almost 8 weeks now and nothing has been paid.  I called the call centre at 4 weeks and a rather dismissive man told me it would be paid shortly if they had said 4 weeks, but then couldn't confirm when, so couldn't possibly know it would be paid shortly, not even wanting my booking ref as there was "no point". Called after 6 weeks and whilst got a very nice lady, and manager, again no one could tell me when I was going to get the refund I instigated and was told it was all being done in date order.
Reading some of the comments here, some people seem to have either been really lucky or TUI are all over the shop.  
The refund is only for just over £700 - so I'm not hard strapped for the cash - but no comms to say the payment will be late by email is just poor.  I would like my money back and think 8 almost 8 weeks is excessive, especially when they have taken 50% of the booking.
Anyone else still waiting and cancelled their own holiday? Going to try and call again today.  

RalphWiggam

Well, I have received an email from Tui, a repeat cancellation invoice that I originally received on 13 March when I cancelled my holiday, but still no money in the bank.  I still cannot get through to them on the phone either.  

skadupuk

Pollycat said:

Grannygoodheart said:

You do not have to wait until you receive your credit voucher. TUI prefer that you wait but we phoned upon receiving our cancellation e-mail. Had to redial many times but eventually got through and a helpful TUI person processed our request for a refund and it was in our account next day.

As I said above, I'm sure some people have ... received a refund without waiting for a refund credit.

I've been following the thread since it was first started so I knew some people have. I read your post.

But it takes perseverance and I think the poster wants some advice on how to avoid having to spend ages on the phone.

I'm not sure anyone has got that magic formula.

But waiting 4 weeks for the refund credit, then trying to ring in July when all the summer holidays have been cancelled is surely not going to be a good idea.

skadupuk

So, I have managed to arrange refunds for 2 holidays (without waiting for the refund credit notes), there was no attempt to avoid the refund or sell me on the refund credit note etc. they were processed quickly without fuss.

Getting through is a case of constantly redialling for as long as it takes, reentering the numbers on the menu (when you get through, sometimes you get kicked out so keep redialling) and eventually you'll get into the queue (when the TUI music plays), it's going to take a long time and a lot of redials but you will get in eventually.
 
Through the conversations I have had I now have a better idea of why things are all over the shop, and this should explain a few of the mixed experiences of refund timescales:
 
1. The phone teams can only refund card payments, and only where the card used is still valid (i.e. not expired), these refunds are pretty quick (2 days for the card element of one of my holidays)

2. The only people that can action the following payments are the Finance team:
Direct debit Payments 
Card payments where the card has expired
Paypal payments

This is where the bottleneck is, likely due to staff numbers, system access when working from home (data security etc.) and that each transaction is likely more lengthy than the "click button" card refund.

This workload is likely why you won't get timescales out of TUI on outstanding refunds as they just don't know how long it will take to clear this queue of work.