CAA Negative Response Letter?

NigelHancock

We were booked on an ATOL protected holiday with Fleetway travel, who have now gone into administration.  We have now received a letter from the CAA (ATOL) to say that we should claim from our credit card company and to quote the letter as a "CAA Negative Response".   We paid by credit card.  This seems to be standard practice and so, does that mean ATOL are shifting the responsibility to the credit card firms rather than pay out directly?  How does that all work?

bagand96

It's quite normal for ATOL to refer you to another method of refund, like a credit card, if indeed that is available. 

Under the law, Section 75, your credit card company are liable for the transaction. So start a claim with them. If they try to mess you around, show them the letter from ATOL. 

Alan_Bowen

The CAA has an agreement with some card issuers, not all, that they pay out and the banks can then make a claim against the CAA. It may well be quicker this way as the CAA are not very effective working remotely!

Westin

Alan_Bowen said:

The CAA has an agreement with some card issuers, not all, that they pay out and the banks can then make a claim against the CAA. It may well be quicker this way as the CAA are not very effective working remotely!

Just remotely?

Alan_Bowen

Westin, are you trying to put words in my mouth? Most of the time they are trying, possibly very trying, but it appears they genuinely have had real issues with running the scheme remotely as the systems hadn't been planned, I won't say it's typical of this government, but it is!

Westin

The planning and cost of the Monarch repatriation with worldwide aircraft on charter springs to mind (twice).  

The unnecessary trouble they put people through when an ATOL claim is made. A valid claim should be paid out and settled promptly given that tour operator customers are paying the £2.50 fee. Instead they seem to play pass the buck with credit card firms and suggest people make a S75 claim first. Poor customers are pushed from one to the other.

Also the whole debacle and time taken to make a decision and issue guidance recently over ATOL protection on RCN’s.

Personally I think the CAA is long overdue a shake up.

richardw

Westin said:..... I think the CAA is long overdue a shake up.

It is. How is the CAA funded?

bagand96

richardw said:

Westin said:..... I think the CAA is long overdue a shake up.

It is. How is the CAA funded?

It doesn't get any Government funding.  It's funded entirely from the money raised by the charges they levy on those they regulate.  So basically the pilots, airlines, airports etc fund it.

Like any regulator, it is much maligned, will probably get a lot worse before it gets better, given that it will have to take most regulation back in house as we leave Europe.  

Personally I think it should be divested of the consumer protection elements, to focus on the safety regulation of the aviation industry.  They've obviously got limited resources and has never seemed to be very effective at the consumer side of things.

franki47

Still awaiting payment from Fleetway travel liquidation. We booked in January 2020.  The CAA have out sourced their claims to CEGA. Why is there such a long delay in this refund?
The Travel companies who are failing to honour their agreements with their customers are doing untold damage to the future travel industry - ‘What you sow is what you reap’  comes to mind.

Alan_Bowen

Have you contacted the CAA Claims department, who ultimately authorise payment to find out? Has CEGA asked for any extra documentation and most importantly, how did you pay for the holiday?