Virgin Credit Card - Unwanted Reward Boost - need £160 refunded

onesixfive

Checked Virgin Atlantic Card account today (19th) for pending £4k refund from Virgin Holidays, only to spot that £160 debited yesterday (18th MAY) for Virgin Atlantic Reward Boost which I applied for pre-Coronavirus, 11/12th FEB !  (that's when I had 3 x holidays planned & pre-COVID expected to spend on card!)

o   Now No longer require Reward boost & can’t afford £160 cost that goes with it

o   Due to COVID we won’t be spending – Main holiday already cancelled & 2 x pending holidays likely will be cancelled too. 

Last email from Virgin Atlantic Reward Boost was 20th Feb which said “Once Reward Boost is ready, we will send you another email confirming it has been added to your account”

Virgin Atlantic Reward Boost Terms & Conditions state:

o   it will take UP TO 30 DAYS

o   £160 will be added AFTER we’ve told you Reward Boost has been added to your account

§  Nothing received in Feb / March / April so assumed not proceeding or we hadn't been accepted.

§  Had received nothing / no regular contact since FEBRUARY!

Called them today asking for the £160 back & asking why it had taken them almost 3 months to process/charge the Reward scheme - all without notice.

£13 card-Covid safe-spending today (19th May) at supermarket, which, at this stage, only shows as Pending on my statement was the excuse that “Jasmine” at Virgin said she couldn’t refund/reverse £160 charge.

 Now need to go through unnecessary complaints process.

Await call-back on Friday morning – expect by then will be told the “pending” £13 payment is processed & blocks refund!

Any advice please....?

adamp87

It's not unnecessary as you have a complaint, not sure how you expect a resolution without doing so.

You agreed to purchase the miles boost at the time, whilst there is a delay you also didn't ring up and query this the fact the flights have canceled and COVID, isn't really their fault either. I think really you should have been expected that charge to be coming. 

See how the call goes, if unhappy send a formal complaint. Someone may come along to advise legally, but I can't see a legal issue without seeing the terms/conditions but can't find them online.

penners324

Why would your supermarket shopping block a refund of the 'boost'?

D3xt3r5L4b

So you were informed about the upgrade then?

onesixfive

adamp87 said:

It's not unnecessary as you have a complaint, not sure how you expect a resolution without doing so.

You agreed to purchase the miles boost at the time, whilst there is a delay you also didn't ring up and query this the fact the flights have canceled and COVID, isn't really their fault either. I think really you should have been expected that charge to be coming. 

See how the call goes, if unhappy send a formal complaint. Someone may come along to advise legally, but I can't see a legal issue without seeing the terms/conditions but can't find them online.

Thanks for that - here's a link to the original flyer https://www.virginatlantic.com/gb/en/flying-club/miles/earn-miles/miles-booster.html?cid=PDM42181&bid=244816736 and the terms & conditions  https://uk.virginmoney.com/virgin/credit-cards/vaa-cards/upgrade/terms.jsp

onesixfive

penners324 said:

Why would your supermarket shopping block a refund of the 'boost'?

Exactly what I said - they said by using the card since they have instigated the charge, in effect we've accepted it

onesixfive

D3xt3r5L4b said:

So you were informed about the upgrade then?

Cannot spot any emails since the one on 20 Feb, following our original application 11/12 Feb - Certainly none within the promised 30 days of their T & C's  https://uk.virginmoney.com/virgin/credit-cards/vaa-cards/upgrade/terms.jsp

onesixfive

The saga continued on Friday...

Awaited call-back due at 8am on Friday morning - when that call never came by 9:10am I called Virgin.  Although very polite & helpful he could not help in ensuring the refund of the £160 would be processed.

He said a letter had already been sent detailing complaints procedure & we should call 0345 2661 244 .

I explained Virgin's terms & conditions have been breached.

• The £160 was taken despite it being over 30 days (without warning) 
• I was told I'd had an email telling me Virgin signed me up on 6th May (which I don't appear to have received). So, In effect I'd called you on 19th (& cancelled within 14 days of your so-called sign-up email) 
• Alternatively, we had the right to change our mind, and obtain a partial refund. 

He questioned this despite my reading out to him the T&Cs sent to me with the original email from February, and asked me to forward a copy to customerrelations@virginmoney.com (although why they'd have no copy I don't know). I simply did as he asked - and Friday afternoon I was sent another email from customerrelations@virginmoney.com asking "Thank you for your email. May I ask what this is in relation to?" !!!

It appears to me nobody knows what's happening here!

When nobody called me back I rang Customer Services on the above number 0345 2661 244 (chargeable this time!)

I'd prefer it if somebody would CALL ME ASAP & tell me that the £160 has either been withdrawn or the Reward Boost has been closed, and AT LEAST 11 x months has been refunded (11 x £13.34)

I explained the whole story, they were immediately accommodating! & withdrew the £160 same day!!

FOOTNOTE & URGENT WARNING:

coincidence that these £160's were applied late & after TUESDAY "It is very likely that you would receive a pro-rata fee refund if the airline went into receivership, however, as the FCA would take a dim view otherwise" see this report (is this Mr Branson recouping some of his recent Atlantic costs???)..... 

https://www.headforpoints.com/2020/05/24/virgin-atlantic-is-removing-the-sign-up-bonus-from-its-credit-cards/

D3xt3r5L4b

So long story short you’ve now been refunded?

onesixfive

D3xt3r5L4b said:

So long story short you’ve now been refunded?

Yes I was eventually fully refunded - thank you.