Travel agent refusing to release cash refund, yet airline confirming they are issuing them with cash

CStubley

Hi. 

We booked Virgin Atlantic Flights via FlySharp (ABTA protected agent).
When our flights were cancelled, we called Flysharp to request a refund. They were insistent that they would only offer credit notes (because this is what they would be given by Virgin Atlantic), but after some research and listening to advice, we realised that we were entitled to a cash refund, due to the flight being cancelled by the airline.
We talked to the airline (via their text messaging service) to explain the issue we were having with the agent, and the airline confirmed that they would issue a cash refund to the agent, not a credit note, and that this cash could then be passed onto us.
We have just been on the phone with the agency, who have told us that Virgin Atlantic have 'rejected' the cash refund request and will only offer credit notes (we have forwarded the communication that we have had with Virgin, which Flysharp say is not correct). The agency have said that they are willing to give us a cash refund (from 'their own pocket') and they would keep the credit note, if we pay £75 per person. They are quoting a section of their t's and c's where it states that they can charge £150 per ticket for 'changes and cancellation BY YOU'. Well, we aren't making any changes are we aren't cancelling, so how can they apply this condition? We feel that they are going to receive (or already have) a cash refund for our flights and they are now trying to make an extra £75 per ticket just to pass that refund onto us. 

So, in summary, Virgin Atlantic have confirmed to us that they will be issuing a cash refund to Flysharp, but Flysharp are disputing this, saying they can only offer us a credit note, unless we pay them £75 per ticket to give us a cash refund (out of their own pockets). 

Yes, of course this is a lesson learned about booking direct. Please save any comments about learning our lesson, we made sure that the agent was ABTA protected and we had travel insurance in place. This situation just seems... for want of a better word, illegal!

Any advice greatly appreciated. 

Browntoa

Virgin are taking 90 days to refund , do your agent doesn't have the"cash " from them.

Read virgin Atlantic Refunds thread

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/comment/77063498#Comment_77063498

gunnar100

mypackage holiday was cancelled ,with jetline holidays, i was informed this morning with 4 days to go , no chance of a refund, but the option to have a credit note for 400 pounds, total holiday cost was 678 pounds.why are we being blatently ripped off

Aylesbury_Duck

gunnar100 said:

mypackage holiday was cancelled ,with jetline holidays, i was informed this morning with 4 days to go , no chance of a refund, but the option to have a credit note for 400 pounds, total holiday cost was 678 pounds.why are we being blatently ripped off

I don't know, it depends on the terms you agreed to when booking. They may be ripping you off or they may be exercising the contract you signed. 

Is it Jetline of "7b High Street, Barnet", that well-known international travel agent?  What terms did you agree to?

gunnar100

package to corfu abta member , all done online, all documents received ,if you booked a package holiday with abta cover then you are entitled to a full refund.
refund credit note must be equal in value the the amount paid for in original booking.
package travel regs legally entitle the customer to a full refund within 14 days, this is my contract with them and so far it hasnt changed.
So i will assume its a rip off situation.

Browntoa

gunnar100 said:

package to corfu abta member , all done online, all documents received ,if you booked a package holiday with abta cover then you are entitled to a full refund.
refund credit note must be equal in value the the amount paid for in original booking.
package travel regs legally entitle the customer to a full refund within 14 days, this is my contract with them and so far it hasnt changed.
So i will assume its a rip off situation.

Take a read of this about RCNs and what abta says about vouchers.

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

You won't get cash now

bobblebob

Browntoa said:

gunnar100 said:

package to corfu abta member , all done online, all documents received ,if you booked a package holiday with abta cover then you are entitled to a full refund.
refund credit note must be equal in value the the amount paid for in original booking.
package travel regs legally entitle the customer to a full refund within 14 days, this is my contract with them and so far it hasnt changed.
So i will assume its a rip off situation.

Take a read of this about RCNs and what abta says about vouchers.

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

You won't get cash now

What concerns me is ABTA have just changed the rules and the contract we all signed up to when booking a holiday (entitled to a cash refund). They say these RCNs will be ATOL protected, but whats stopping them changing the rules again if it didnt suit them and deciding they no longer are ATOL protected?

CStubley

Browntoa said:

Virgin are taking 90 days to refund , do your agent doesn't have the"cash " from them.

Read virgin Atlantic Refunds thread

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/comment/77063498#Comment_77063498

Hi Browntoa, thanks for this. 

I don't mind waiting. I completely understand how busy these companies are in trying to handle customer refunds. My issue is that I believe I am entitled to a cash refund and that Flysharp are manipulating their own terms and conditions to try and justify charging people to get their refund in cash. They have pages of recent reviews on trust pilot with people who have had the same issues as me. So many people are just taking the hit and paying the 'ransom' to get their money back. If they told me that I can get a cash refund, but I would have to wait for it, I would be fine with that. They are telling me that I will not be able to get a cash refund unless I pay them £150 (2 x £75). ABTA say in their guidance that a RCN can be exchanged for a refund at any time up to the CR expiry. Problem is, Flysharp would try and charge me to do that, so it is not an option.