Wits end

gheather

Morning. I'm new to this forum so any words of encouragement would be great.
We booked a holiday last october to spain commencing 5th may 2020 with globalhoppers.
Of course this was cancelled but since March I have been repeatedly fobbed off with excuses about obtaining a refund. The latest was I have to wait until after lockdown is lifted.
It appears I have a multi contract package holiday and globalhoppers cant pay me until they receive all monies back from individual service providers. Is this right?
 I have also written to my credit card company requesting their help using section 75 but they are not answering. 
 On checking my annual insurance document purchased on 2nd January 2020 I've just noticed that they have included Covid 19 as an exception to make payouts. Where do I stand with this? Was this disease common knowledge back in January?
 Any help would be extremely grateful.

Life__Goes__On

Are you sure that your insurance bought on the 2nd Jan exudes COVID-19,  as I don't think it was even named till mid Feb.

Browntoa

You need to ring your travel insurance and ask .

You need to ring your credit card company about the section 75 , it's the only way to get any reply.

It's correct that your agent is waiting for refunds from the service provider , they don't have the funds 

SevenOfNine

Oh dear, I don't think you'll like what you see here:  https://uk.trustpilot.com/review/www.globalhoppers.co.uk

You've been told you'll receive a refund (eventually/in due course), so it's quite possible that a Section 75 would fail (offers of 'travel vouchers' has also added to card providers excuse for not taking responsibility). 
 
Insurance claims also proving difficult, aside from the surprise that Codiv-19  was already excluded in yours (unless it was under the blanket description of 'pandemic'), mine covers it BUT I'd trip over the offer of an eventual refund &/or travel voucher. Get out of jail free card for insurers.

You can make a Chargeback claim if paid with a d/c OR c/c.  If a Barclaycard Visa is an example, then it can be done on line,  any evidence of booking, cancellation, maybe ATOL cert & covering letter has to be downloaded & attached.  Last advice by Martin Lewis on one of his shows was to do a Chargeback, the explanation of it is here: https://www.moneysavingexpert.com/shopping/visa-mastercard-chargeback/?_ga=2.225239577.228483873.1589638056-1531354924.1589638056#successes

I find WHICH on-line covers just about every topic you might find useful, though it takes a bit of navigating & quite a lot of time!  I had thought that Chargeback could only be done within 120 days of purchase, but apparently it's 120 days from the date you discovered you would not receive what you'd purchased - the holiday.

Life__Goes__On

SevenOfNine said:

You've been told you'll receive a refund (eventually/in due course), so it's quite possible that a Section 75 would fail (offers of 'travel vouchers' has also added to card providers excuse for not taking responsibility).

In that case a S75 wouldn't fail  it would have been wrongly rejected, as you would win an appeal.
If you are legally due a refund (and you have either gone direct or bought a package) then the only legal reason a S75 should be closed is when you have that refund (not a promise of one)
Also with a S75 rejected travel vouchers are no excuse to withhold payment, it has to be a cash refund.

Chargeback this can be different as the legal protection isn't there like a S75

SevenOfNine

Unfortunately, what should be isn't what is actually happening (well, according to feedback on assorted consumer groups helping people find ways to get their refunds).  Though it may work better submitted on-line, some people initially can't even get past call handlers refusing!

There is a full explanation of the legal difference with a Chargeback in the link. I think Martin Lewis was right to suggest it (twice on his shows so far), financial organisations are more willing to act when not being held liable.  Some success with it mentioned on twitter feeds, 1 appeal & clawback - but only after the company refunded promptly though initially indicated they wouldn't.

Life__Goes__On

I agree it can be challenging, but if you have been told  "no"   from a travel agent, card company, insurer, et al   double and triple check to see if you been wrongly rejected.

telboy1381

Hi everyone. New to this but I was also being fobbed off by Opodo for two months. I read Martin's advice and went from this site to Resolver and followed the procedure. I eventually said I would ask for a "chargeback" or go to Small Claims Court. Then phoned Lloyds bank who were brilliant. They refunded the full price I had paid and said they would recover the amount from Opodo because they had not provided the goods or service that I had paid for. The call lasted 15 min. Fantastic. All Hail Martin Lewis. Thanks.

christineglover123

HI I've booked with Travel Republic, I  have been told  by lots of people that you must pay the last of your holiday balance  even though you will probably not be going on holiday to make sure you get a full refund, I was looking on the Customer Care website and it states for example "balance payments for customers travelling in June have been paused"
So I take it the balance does NOT have to be paid?

mr_stripey

Life__Goes__On said:

Are you sure that your insurance bought on the 2nd Jan exudes COVID-19,  as I don't think it was even named till mid Feb.

My annual policy (which was previously regarded as being a "comprehensive" travel policy - even including UK cover for cancellations and curtailment here for example) had a clause in the T&C's which excludes any claim arising from where the WHO declares a "global pandemic".
So even though the policy was taken out last July, it effectively became much less comprehensive when the pandemic was declared. 

Life__Goes__On

mr_stripey said:

My annual policy (which was previously regarded as being a "comprehensive" travel policy - even including UK cover for cancellations and curtailment here for example) had a clause in the T&C's which excludes any claim arising from where the WHO declares a "global pandemic".
So even though the policy was taken out last July, it effectively became much less comprehensive when the pandemic was declared. 

I think the person I was replying to must have meant they weren't covered for a pandemic,  rather than a named virus.
I've covered for a pandemic with my insurer,  but any new bookings doesn't cover for COVID-19, but if there is a new virus I'm covered for that.