Can I make a claim on my insurance or should I first try a charge back?

michelleosborne

My husband and I booked a holiday in January to go to Croatia 11-21 July. We booked the accommodation directly with the hotel and paid the whole cost upfront using a visa debit card.  The hotel said that the rate was non-refundable, to secure a refundable rate they were quoting 1500 euros more. We also booked our flights direct with EasyJet. I took out Admiral Platinum travel insurance at the time of booking.
Our flights have been cancelled and I have submitted a request for refund direct on the Easyjet website.
We wrote to the hotel explaining that our flights have been cancelled and due to the FCO advice we are unable to travel. As Croatia are accepting tourists, they have offered a voucher (out to 2022) but refused a refund. We do not want to accept the voucher as there is no certainty about the virus or the fact that the hotel could potentially go into administration. Before I contact Admiral should I pursue a chargeback via my bank and can Admiral insist that we take the voucher to prevent having to pay out?

bradders1983

A chargeback wont work, the accommodation is available and it isnt their fault if you cant get there. Their offer is more than reasonable.

Mrsn

If the accommodation is available then you won’t be entitled to a refund on it either through chargeback or insurance. 

sharpe106

Take the voucher or book other flights to get there.

Anamox

Your insurer would be able to take this up IF the FCO advice remains as "advising against all travel" - as it stands that may not be the advice for Croatia on the date your trip was supposed to take place.

lizwy

I'm jumping on here as I'm in the exact same position with a trip Croatia but going on 13th. I booked it all with Expedia but they still treat them separately. I've now had an email from Easyjet saying I can get a refund but that is the lowest cost, more of it was on accommodation which is non refundable. My insurance have said I need to claim through Expedia but Expedia say no. My next step is to try the credit card company. Croatia isn't in the suggested list of holiday corridors currently so it might change if advice is still not to travel there. 

bradders1983

And the same applies for you. A chargeback will fail if the hotel was booked as a non refundable booking.

lizwy

bradders1983 said:

And the same applies for you. A chargeback will fail if the hotel was booked as a non refundable booking.

Is that still true if government guidelines say we cannot travel? 

bradders1983

FCO advice is merely that: advice. Your insurer may entertain a claim but the card company wont.