Love holidays

magicmanuk

I'm in same boat too, was going to go to Cyprus 6th Apr :- Ryanir air refund clicked, but waiting to hear back & Love Holidays have said either rebook or this (no cash alternative yet):

Option 2: You can make a new booking with your personalised loveholidays refund credit note*.

Our priority is to ensure our affected customers are still able to go on holiday at a later date. We do, however, recognise that you might not be ready to choose another one just yet. We are creating a personalised refund credit note* for customers (consisting of your payments to date, less travel insurance and flights, as applicable), and subject to the terms and conditions attached to this refund credit note*. The refund credit note you receive can be used straight away, however, there are some important expiry dates you should be aware of:

loveholidays new booking expiry: 2nd April 2021

ATOL protection expiry: 31st July 2020 (or such later date as may be specified by ABTA or CAA guidance)

What is a loveholidays new booking expiry?

Your refund credit note comes with a personalised code. You can use this code to make a new booking on our website. You’ll need to make the booking before the loveholidays booking expiry date, but you don’t need to travel before then. If you choose to take a cash refund for the remaining unused amount of the refund credit note when the ATOL protection expiry occurs, you will no longer be able to use this code on our website to make a new booking.

What is an ATOL protection expiry?

In line with current ABTA guidance, your refund credit note will retain the ATOL protection attached to your original booking until the date specified in the ABTA and/or CAA guidance. At the expiry of this protection period, you will be entitled (if you have not used your refund credit note) to request a cash refund of the remaining unused refund credit note amount.

How it works:

Opting for a refund credit note will cancel your original booking and prevent any future payments from being taken. Please note, you will need to contact your airline to understand your options for the flight element of your booking; at the moment airlines are working with passengers directly and have put in place their own policies. If loveholidays receives a cash refund from your airline, this will then be passed on to you.

You will be issued with refund credit note documentation in Manage My Booking which sets out the terms for usage. This refund credit note is protected under the ATOL protection attached to your original booking - this will last until the expiry date. If you use the refund credit note to book a new package, the new booking will also be ATOL protected. On the ATOL protection expiry date, you will be entitled to request a cash refund of the remaining unused refund credit note value.

In order to process your refund credit note issue, please follow the simple steps below:

magicmanuk

Here are the T&Cs for the credit note for someone to make sense of...

Terms and conditions of use of the Refund Credit Note:

1. It is valid for use on our site and is subject to the terms and conditions set out below. This Refund Credit Note* has the following expiry date:
   • If your original booking was for hotel only, this Refund Credit Note* expires within 12 months of its issue.
   • If your original booking was for a package holiday, this Refund Credit Note* expires on 31 July 2020 and it shall continue to be financially protected under the ATOL or ABTA scheme (as appropriate) until its expiry or use. If the CAA or ABTA extend the period of financial protection for Refund Credit Notes beyond 31 July 2020, then the expiry date of this voucher shall be extended to match that new date.
2. The value of the Refund Credit Note* is the amount which you have to spend on your new booking. The value of the Refund Credit Note* is the booking amount paid less the cost of any travel insurance(this is a non-refundable element).
3. Where your booking included the purchase of flights, the following applies:
   • (i) If your originally chosen airline is offering a free amendment policy in respect of the original flight, you are responsible for re-arranging your flights directly with the airline. The value of the Refund Credit Note* which can be redeemed on the loveholidays website will not include the original paid flight costs; or
   • (ii) If the airline has issued a voucher, credit note or refund for the cancelled flight directly to you, you must use that voucher, credit note or refund to make a new flight booking. The value of the Refund Credit Note* which can be redeemed on the loveholidays website will not include the original paid flight costs; or
   • (iii) If loveholidays receives a refund from the airline for a cancelled flight, loveholidays will either credit this to you so it can be redeemed on the loveholidays website or refund you the amount owed for the flight separately.
4. If this Refund Credit Note* is used in part for a booking, the remaining balance of the Refund Credit Value may be applied against another booking provided such booking is made prior to the stated expiry date and in accordance with these terms and conditions.
5. If you do not use all or part of this Refund Credit Note* to make a new booking before its expiry date, you may request a cash refund of the balance of the value of the Refund Credit Note* which could have been redeemed on the loveholidays website (which, as described in paragraph 3 above, may not include the flight cost). For the avoidance of doubt, any amount of the Refund Credit Note* used to fund a booking on our site prior to its expiry date will not be refunded.
6. Other than as described in these terms and conditions, this Refund Credit Note* may be used for no other purpose. It is non-transferable. It will also not be redeemable for cash other than as described above.
7. The terms and conditions attached to this Refund Credit Note* may be subject to change by loveholidays if the UK Government, European Union, the Civil Aviation Authority or ABTA issue guidance or new legal measures which determine how travel companies such as loveholidays should process refunds and/or refund credit note* vouchers.

fihugo

Hi In January I bought a package holiday to Malta 1st-8th April. I had confirmation from Ryan air on 20th March that flights were cancelled and was offered a refund , which I requested and is in progress However Loveholidays are only offering either revised dates or  a loveholidays refund credit note valid until 3rd April 21. But ATOL protection only until 31 July 2020. I want a refund and am not accepting date changes (there are no flights etc so how can this be a viable option). I paid in full via my credit card and had bought travel insurance. How do I get my money back? 

RavingMad

So, if loveholidays are issuing credit notes, where do we stand with insurance policies?  I'm not interested in another holiday down the line as I can see prices soaring.  I don't need the money back in any great hurry, so what is best?  Wait for loveholiday to refund?  

RavingMad

Hi, my predicament is exactly the same as yours!  I spoke to the insurance company to see if I would still be covered if I amended the date of travel and was told that I wouldn't be, so I'm not interested in a credit note.
I haven't cancelled Ryan Air yet (nor car parking) as wasn't sure if that was dealt with by loveholiday/insurers/credit card co.

Sun-Is-Fun

Have been on a livechat to loveholidays thisweek. As you say, they are only offering vouchers and will not budge on that. I contacted my credit card company last week to see what are the options, as my final bill to loveholidays was taken out after they had sent an email saying we wouldn't be going, but they weren't the most forthcoming with information, saying that the whole situation is in turmoil and into the unknown, possibly loveholidays haven't  stopped providing you with a service; they are just deferring it?? But what if loveholidays goes bust?They wouldn't give a definite answer and wanted some questions answered by loveholiday, so no idea if I can claim or not really. Are you sure your holiday insurance covers you, as some do not?? You need to check that. I would contact your credit card provider and see what they have to say and please post back on here so we can compare.

RavingMad

I spoke to my insurers, Leisure Guard Travel, on the 24th and as my policy was bought at the beginning of Feb, they said I was covered.  This was before I knew about the credit notes, so I don't know where we stand with them now.
I haven't spoken to Tesco as neither loveholidays or insurers have gone bust, so assuming they won't do anything just yet?

NoHolidayNicola

I bought a package holiday in February with Love Holiday, flying with Ryanair to travel at the end of March 2020.  This holiday was cancelled when the Govt advice banned travel; cancelled through no fault of my own.  Ryanair were the first to contact me to say the flight had been cancelled.  This was before my final payment had been claimed on my credit card. I called Love holiday and they said they were dealing with cases in travel date order and I should wait and they would be in touch and I could get a refund but told me not to contact Ryanair directly as they were my tour operator and would take care of it all.  They later contacted me by email on the day that the trip was cancelled and that they would be in touch with 'options'.   On the day of travel, I received an email giving me a 'refund voucher' .  I opened the email as there is no other way to look at how much the voucher is for or other information about the voucher ( I thought there would be a statement such as click here if you would prefer a cash refund or something similar).  Apparently by doing so - I have accepted the voucher!    By the way, they contacted me about the cancelled holiday, and then two days later took the final payment from my card! They deny taking payment after cancellation.
Love Holiday have shut their phone lines.  Do not have a complaints department and only have chat-bots. I've had two chat-bot conversations, both informing me that 'the law has changed' and they 'are following ABTA rules that they can no longer give a refund until 31/07/2020 as my money is protected until then'.  However, when I pointed out that this was not the case - they ended the chat.    I have asked for a manager to call back and not received this.   I asked for my ATOL certificate and booking form which they emailed to me again. Upon checking them against the original, they have amended them to flight only bookings, and removed the hotel, transfer and airport parking which were covered on the original.  This seems like a massive scam.   I've tried to get in touch with ABTA and ATOL and they are not answering calls.  I've raised it with my credit card but they don't know what the state of play is with the amended ATOL certificates.   I'm worried that the money is protected until 31/07 and I can't even get a refund now - what happens after 31/07 when it's no longer protected - there's very little chance of getting a refund at that point!    I contacted Ryanair by email for a refund and they have said they are processing it and will be in touch, but obviously they will refund directly to Love Holiday and not to me.
If anyone else is affected - please check to see if they have also altered your ATOL certificate and booking confirmation.  Perhaps a mass legal claim may do the trick??

Westin

"So, if loveholidays are issuing credit notes, where do we stand with insurance policies? "
  > Sorry, not sure I understand your question regarding this.
 "I'm not interested in another holiday down the line as I can see prices soaring."
  > I actually see the opposite.  Prices may appear higher now as prices have yet to be adjusted.  When things settle I expect hotels and other services to be reducing rates to encourage sales.  Not yet but as things hopefully stabilise. 
"I don't need the money back in any great hurry, so what is best?  Wait for loveholiday to refund? "
  >  Wait then.  As I understand it, ABTA is trying to ensure protection on the credit voucher for packages up to 31 July 2020. After which time the credit can be cashed in for a refund if not spent.

RavingMad

Just opened up my original booking confirmation email and I have the ATOL certificate and a booking confirmation (both pdf)
Do you have that?
Why do you say that refunds won't be issued after the July date?