Epic Events - won't refund and only offer credit

GreenDaveC

Hi All 
I've been trying to get money from various cycling events companies who cancelled cycling events understandably due to covid. 
Epic Events are offering a credit note but are refusing to offer a refund. The other companies have agreed government guidance suggests there should be a cash option, but I've had no luck with EE. 
they have one term "If events are cancelled due to bad weather or other unforeseen circumstances. The organisers will offer entrants a ‘credit note’ for use as payment or part payment for another Epic Event" 
But also they have another that says even in cicrcumstances where they give a refund (cancelling before an event) "We are unable to offer 100% refunds due to administration & online transaction charges"
Both of which seem unfair and not right to me?

sharpe106

When was the event?

GreenDaveC

@sharpe106 it was supposed to be 19th April, then postponed until 5th July, then again until april 2021

Jeremy535897

See https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/cma-to-investigate-concerns-about-cancellation-policies-during-the-coronavirus-covid-19-pandemic/the-coronavirus-covid-19-pandemic-consumer-contracts-cancellation-and-refunds

The normal approach is that there will be some retention for the original costs of booking.

sharpe106

Are you going to go next year? might just be easier to move the booking, no hassle.

GreenDaveC

@sharpe106 sadly not, I've done that where I can but quite a few I couldn't make the same dates. But a lot of the organisers have refunded as they know they have to here, it's just frustrating when you point out the guidance on the legislation and they still ignore it

GreenDaveC

Jeremy535897 said:

The normal approach is that there will be some retention for the original costs of booking.

that's interesting, specifically they do mention that they'll only return 75% of your original fee regardless of cost, which to me seems arbitrarily decided. So a £200 event is apparently made up of £50 of admin & transaction fees, hmmm

Jeremy535897

The guidance I posted says:
"In some cases, where Government public health measures prevent a business from providing a service or the consumer from receiving it, the business may be able to deduct a contribution to the costs it has already incurred in relation to the specific contract in question (where it cannot recover them elsewhere). In the CMA’s view, these cases are likely to be relatively rare, however, and the costs that may be deducted from refunds will usually be limited."

GreenDaveC

Jeremy535897 said:

The guidance I posted says:
"In some cases, where Government public health measures prevent a business from providing a service or the consumer from receiving it, the business may be able to deduct a contribution to the costs it has already incurred in relation to the specific contract in question (where it cannot recover them elsewhere). In the CMA’s view, these cases are likely to be relatively rare, however, and the costs that may be deducted from refunds will usually be limited."

sorry I missed that bit, that does sound like even if they do charge a fee it needs to be something sensible. 
I also saw elsewhere that they can't cover fees they could regain from a new customer, so that would suggest it should really just be a transaction fee if anything. 

diggingdude

The problem is we all look at these things in hindsight, you will have clicked somewhere that you agreed with the terms and conditions re cancellation fees

unholyangel

Jeremy535897 said:

The guidance I posted says:
"In some cases, where Government public health measures prevent a business from providing a service or the consumer from receiving it, the business may be able to deduct a contribution to the costs it has already incurred in relation to the specific contract in question (where it cannot recover them elsewhere). In the CMA’s view, these cases are likely to be relatively rare, however, and the costs that may be deducted from refunds will usually be limited."

These costs haven't been incurred in relation to the specific contract in question though. It's costs they've incurred organising the event in general, not specific to the OP.