Watchdog warns more than 100 package holiday firms over refund delays - MSE News

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The competition watchdog has written to 100 of the most complained-about package holiday providers, warning they could face enforcement action if they don't start complying with consumer law...

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'Watchdog warns more than 100 package holiday firms over refund delays'

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parcival

I am sure these firms are quaking.........

Pollycat

Why can't CMA say which these 100 firms are?

The article says

Consumers have the right to a full cash refund "without undue delay" and within 14 days of the contract being cancelled.

The CMA says it sympathises with the challenges faced by package holiday businesses due to the coronavirus pandemic, but has stressed that firms must still comply with the law and pay out refunds.

and

In its letter, the CMA tells firms they must now pay requested refunds "promptly"

So how long exactly is 'promptly?

eskbanker

Pollycat said:

Why can't CMA say which these 100 firms are?

It's an open letter to the entire sector, but has been sent directly to a hundred, who they're electing not to name:

As a result of the volume of complaints received, the CMA has published an open letter to the sector highlighting its concerns and setting out what it expects businesses to do. A copy of this letter will be sent directly to over 100 businesses that we have received the most complaints about so far.

The CMA is not disclosing the identities of businesses who it issues letters to.

Pollycat said:

In its letter, the CMA tells firms they must now pay requested refunds "promptly"

So how long exactly is 'promptly?

The references to 'promptly' are in the context of refunds that have already missed the legally-defined deadline - the CMA are trying to enforce existing measures, so it's not within their powers to specify a different binding timescale and I suspect they recognise the futility of trying to do so:

where the 14-day statutory deadline has already been missed as at the date of this letter, ensure that any refunds due are paid promptly and without undue delay (bearing in mind payment should have been made within 14 days of termination)

Lanzarote1938

Been waiting over 60 days for a 7K refund for a cancelled cruise booked with Iglu

RobM99

What do you bloomin' expect?!  How can these companies refund within 7 days when they've got hundreds if not thousands of refunds to deal with every day?  Could you increase your work output multiple times over?   Give me strength!!

mufi

Lanzarote1938 said:

Been waiting over 60 days for a 7K refund for a cancelled cruise booked with Iglu

You've probably got a way to go. From memory, the Pandemic Personal best for cruise refunds is around 120 days.

Good luck. 

Pollycat

RobM99 said:

What do you bloomin' expect?!  How can these companies refund within 7 days when they've got hundreds if not thousands of refunds to deal with every day?  Could you increase your work output multiple times over?   Give me strength!!

Isn't it 14 days rather than 7?

Shimrod

RobM99 said:

What do you bloomin' expect?!  How can these companies refund within 7 days when they've got hundreds if not thousands of refunds to deal with every day?  Could you increase your work output multiple times over?   Give me strength!!

Well Easyjet for example now has a process in place that will automatically generate a voucher for you (and keeps redirecting you to the voucher refund as you try and request a cash refund). The cash refund remains a manual process. The effort they invested in generating automatic vouchers could have been spent generating automatic refunds instead as the flights get cancelled. I am sure the same is true for many of these companies.