Expedia - flights non package booking - refusing a refund

Odetta

Hi Everyone. 

I'm not a first time poster but for some reason the site wouldn't accept my old login (likely due to the change over)  Question at the end, the below is for context. 

We were due to get married and honeymoon at the beginning of May.  We chose May as we had the offer of free accommodation and attendance at a one off local event in the USA which now will not be repeated. 

Expedia came back to us regards the flights - our most expensive outlay (the wedding was super low key). They wish us to take vouchers with 12 mo on them. We have absolutely no way we can use these. But they are adamant that that's all they are obliged to offer us. I have opened an enquiry with our credit card, as our travel insurer said as a voucher has been offered they are not going to help us. I am expecting the credit card to say the same.

We could only afford to go in the first place as we  had been gifted the accommodation, transport, meals out and entrance to the event as a wedding present - that offer can not be re-gifted as once travel is lifted the family members are being relocated and the flights to their new location will be a heck of a lot more. Never mind them not wanting guests when they have just moved to a new city/house/job. 

We legitimately can not afford to fly anywhere and not within the next year.  even if we took a city break we would have to pay for the accom, transport, uk side parking and such, an outgoing we didn't have on the original. 

To my question - how do i present this clearly to my credit card company that i am not getting what i paid for and not as expected - i have never charged back anything in my life and i would like to make sure i am putting my best foot forward as i just don't know what we will do if the bank says no. 

Thank you,
 Odetta 

Browntoa

Abta are now backing vouchers with an end date , at the end of that date you can then ask for cash . I think they are calling them RCNs and retain the full ABTA/ ATOL protection in event of the company failing.

https://www.abta.com/news/coronavirus-outbreak

Section 75 claims won't work 

bagand96

Who was the airline? Expedia might be bound by the T&Cs the airline has decided.  If you could find out the airline are issuing refunds, then you have some ammo to go back to them with.

Also - has the flight actually been cancelled yet?  Or have you just explored cancelling your booking? 

Odetta

The flight was canceled by the airline - then Expedia confirmed.  

I am unhappy to accept a variation on what i purchased - I didn't buy vouchers - i bought a flight on a specific time and day which was cancelled.

As such I am not looking to sit and wait until this burns out, this is not in the spirit of consumer protection and i cant lose a significant sum of money to allow Expedia use it to shore up it finances. I need to shore up my own! 

Expedia have written to confirm they have absolutely no intention of refunding me i have decided to TRY a section 75. 

If its denied, baring in mind that the breach is plain i will look to take it further. 

promise2

Hi Odetta
I am in the same boat. The Civil Aviation Authority website says 
If your flight has been delayed or cancelled, then you are protected by a European regulation, referred to as EC261. 

Under EC261, your airline has a duty of care for you if you were flying out of a UK airport or if you were flying back to a UK airport with a UK or EU airline.

I spoke to Citizens Advice yesterday and they suggested a complaint to the CAA.

Let me know how you get on and I will do the same

Alan_Bowen

Browntoa seems to be posting telling everyone about Refund Credit Notes which are only relevant to package holidays and not flight only bookings. You can only get back what the airline is offering, many particularly the US-based airlines are only offering vouchers and no refunds. Virgin are saying it will be at least 100 days before they refund and having booked online, Expedia do not have the resources in human terms to go chasing, and BA will refund but only on the phone and Expedia certainly won't waste a member of staffs time waiting for an answer. Mastercard chargeback rules appear more generous than Visa who suggests if flights are cancelled due to government action, credit notes may be an acceptable outcome, so do not accept one. Unfortunately, your reasons for not wanting to travel at a later date do not really have any impact on your legal rights.

Odetta

My not wanting to travel at a later date is neither here nor there. I didn't purchase a voucher. I have no need for a voucher.
To be fair Expedia have responded promptly, politely but with a resounding no to each of my enquiries - so they are at least responding 
My Flights are with Virgin, i would happily wait 100 days to get a cash refund, however i paid through Expedia and they have said that i will only ever be offered a voucher.
So regardless i will be casting about where i can to see if i can reclaim monies for which the service was not provided. 

promise2

I spoke to the citizens advice and they have said even though the flights were booked through Expedia, we have paid the airline direct. The Airline is saying no to refund and to go back to Expedia. I spoke to my credit card provider yesterday to progress a Chargeback claim and they also said that I had paid the airline directly therefore my relationship is with the airline. I am pursuing the claim via Chargeback. In the meantime my credit card provider has reimbursed the money to my credit card while it looks in to the case, which at least gives us some breathing space.
Fingers crossed.

Life__Goes__On

promise2 said:

I spoke to the citizens advice and they have said even though the flights were booked through Expedia, we have paid the airline direct. The Airline is saying no to refund and to go back to Expedia. I spoke to my credit card provider yesterday to progress a Chargeback claim and they also said that I had paid the airline directly therefore my relationship is with the airline. I am pursuing the claim via Chargeback. In the meantime my credit card provider has reimbursed the money to my credit card while it looks in to the case, which at least gives us some breathing space.
Fingers crossed.

If you paid the airline then the advice from CA is correct, Expedia in this case is just a "finder"
Have you read up on the Chargeback rules  and Section 75 in the airline disputes it?

promise2

Life__Goes__On said:

promise2 said:

I spoke to the citizens advice and they have said even though the flights were booked through Expedia, we have paid the airline direct. The Airline is saying no to refund and to go back to Expedia. I spoke to my credit card provider yesterday to progress a Chargeback claim and they also said that I had paid the airline directly therefore my relationship is with the airline. I am pursuing the claim via Chargeback. In the meantime my credit card provider has reimbursed the money to my credit card while it looks in to the case, which at least gives us some breathing space.
Fingers crossed.

If you paid the airline then the advice from CA is correct, Expedia in this case is just a "finder"
Have you read up on the Chargeback rules  and Section 75 in the airline disputes it?

I'm not in the least bit sure I know all the rules around Chargeback and Section 75, I'm feeling my way through this. Every time I hit a brick wall I look to the next lifeline in order to get a refund for my flights. Thanks for replying 

mattyprice4004

Odetta said:

My not wanting to travel at a later date is neither here nor there. I didn't purchase a voucher. I have no need for a voucher.
To be fair Expedia have responded promptly, politely but with a resounding no to each of my enquiries - so they are at least responding 
My Flights are with Virgin, i would happily wait 100 days to get a cash refund, however i paid through Expedia and they have said that i will only ever be offered a voucher.
So regardless i will be casting about where i can to see if i can reclaim monies for which the service was not provided. 

You need to read the first reply again - vouchers are being backed, and when expired you can exchange them for cash. 
You can take other action if you wish, but given most court cases are on there'll be a huge backlog when operations resume and you'll likely be waiting a year or more for a resolution - by which time vouchers will probably have expired and you'll get your cash.