Eurostar refund

cairodeb

I saw yesterday companies are being asked to refund, not just offer a voucher, if someone is unable to make a journey even if the service isn't cancelled. I have Eurostar tickets for May and the service is technically not cancelled. As far as I know UK citizens can't enter France at the moment. Does anyone have a similar situation? I can't see anything on the Eurostar website about refunds rather than vouchers. 

epm-84

Essential business travel between the UK and France is still permitted and the French lockdown restrictions could change on or after 11th May.

The only thing that's certain at the moment is that if Eurostar have cancelled the service you were booked to travel on then you're entitled to a refund.

Many travel companies are offering a travel voucher option, even for bookings where a refund isn't yet legally required because if you take the voucher option it'll mean you won't get a refund if they do cancel the service you booked.  However, it does mean you can rebook for a later date now rather than waiting until finding out if the service you originally booked is cancelled.

bhoy1976

I have asked Eurostar for a refund but are unwilling to because technically the train is still scheduled. Any cancellation would take approximately 24/48 hours prior to departure.

Whilst I await that time period to arrive, I have also been making the case that an eVoucher is of no to us use because my wife (UK based) and her sister (Canada based) planned this trip as a one off. It is highly unlikely that they will be able to re-plan this trip within the time period the eVoucher would be a valid.

It isn't something we can use as a couple either because we have two young children. To take them would mean forking out more money on Eurostar and accommodation which financially we cannot do.

Eurostar responded, as they have done throughout this email debate, stating the company line. They appear unsympathetic to our situation and unwilling to "bend the rules for one customer" as they have stated over and over.

Today, I discovered that despite holding firm on the train not yet being cancelled, that Eurostar cancelled my booking a month ago. No email of communication was received to that effect and no authorisation or request was made carried out by us.

I'm led to believe that with the booking cancelled, a refund cannot be processed. However, they have done this of their own accord.

So now I have approached our credit card holder to make a claim against Eurostar.