Travel firm issued a credit note when I asked for a refund

hgd7

My travel package with Destination 2 Ltd was cancelled due to COVID-19. They called me to tell me my options and one was a refund, I opted for this and was told it could take 5 months. I agreed this was fine, as long as I get my money back. However today I received a email with a credit note stating this was in line with government guidance. Surely if I asked for a refund, I should be given that instead? The mail states I can ask for a refund at the end of October if I wish. Do I have any option here to get the money back sooner? (I already applied for a section 75 with my card firm when I never heard from the travel firm for weeks, but that is in the backlog as they have so many claims to see).

Life__Goes__On

hgd7 said:

My travel package with Destination 2 Ltd was cancelled due to COVID-19. They called me to tell me my options and one was a refund, I opted for this and was told it could take 5 months. I agreed this was fine, as long as I get my money back. However today I received a email with a credit note stating this was in line with government guidance. Surely if I asked for a refund, I should be given that instead? The mail states I can ask for a refund at the end of October if I wish. Do I have any option here to get the money back sooner? (I already applied for a section 75 with my card firm when I never heard from the travel firm for weeks, but that is in the backlog as they have so many claims to see).

You are being told rubbish, it's the ABTA who were telling people that a voucher is OK, but even they had to change their advice and say if a cash refund is asked for  it has to be given.

SevenOfNine

The Government have not changed this: Section 3 (14) https://www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/2018/634/contents/made Unless they do you are legally entitled to a full refund (within 14 days, but some leeway will have to be given in these coronavirus/lockdown times).

Section 75's are failing because card providers are classifying an IOU Credit Refund Voucher as being equivalent to your £££ back!  Does your "credit note" refer to your previous booking, with the reference number and an ATOL certificate?  If not, you're in an even worse position with that.  It's not an absolute 'given' that the RCN's that have everything that implies protection, actually 00% beyond doubt even have it.

On Twitter, people are having much better success with Chargebacks. That action was recommended by Martin Lewis on his show a couple of weeks ago (credit card payment method can also use it, not just debit card payments), mainly because the card provider reverses the transaction & not held equally liable like a Section 75.

I do think that the supplier can 'appeal', when I did a chargeback a few years ago, the supplier would not refund nor respond to me.  Chargeback done, transaction reversed.  That pushed the supplier to refund me as well, chargeback payment reversed by the card provider back to the supplier (obviously I couldn't keep it twice).  That's why I think suppliers can appeal, & pushed into the correct action of refunding.

WHICH are providing huge amounts of info on-line search there, but here's the chargeback link. https://www.which.co.uk/consumer-rights/advice/how-do-i-use-chargeback

Life__Goes__On

Sadly some credit card companies are trying it on, and refusing S75, but they have no grounds to do so.
A S75 is a legal right, so a CCC should be taking them and if they feel shouldn't pay then reject the claim.
I've seen  a few cases on here myself on here,  I told them go back to CCC and say you can claim as it's the legal right, and if they refuse to take a claim ask of a "letter of deadlock"  no one has come back saying they didn't take the claim.