Travel Trolley flights

FMellor

I booked 3 tickets with Ethiopia Airlines via the agency Travel Trolley. I’ve been appalled at the service I’ve received . They tell me they applied to the airline on 18/05/20 for a cash refund. Thirteen weeks later - nothing! Every time I write to them they regurgitate the same generic email saying the contract is with the airline and I can chase the refund myself if I wish! Otherwise they will forward the money when they receive it from the airline  . If I contact the airline they say they can’t help me and to go to the agency for the refund. It is disgusting that no one wants to own responsibility for this issue. The flights cost approx £500 each ( x3) and it’s a crazy amount of money to have to wait so long for! 

Has anyone got any advice or can help? Thanks. 

Ganga

How did you pay for them ? credit card or debit card, you can claim the money back directly thru your card provider.
PS next time you book flights book direct with the airline ,will not cost a lot more but will save you a lot of hassle 

Caz3121

FMellor said:

 Thirteen weeks later - nothing! Every time I write to them they regurgitate the same generic email saying the contract is with the airline and I can chase the refund myself if I wish! Otherwise they will forward the money when they receive it from the airline  . If I contact the airline they say they can’t help me and to go to the agency for the refund. It is disgusting that no one wants to own responsibility for this issue.

Some airlines are taking a long time for refunds (I just got my Lufthansa refund after 17 weeks - booked direct no third party involved)
You paid Travel Trolley so you are their customer. Travel Trolley paid the airline so they are the airline's customer. 
Travel Trolley will request the refund, the airline will issue the refund to Travel Trolley and then they should pass it on to you (possibly less some service fees if stated in their terms and conditions)
Maybe worth another call to Ethiopian Airlines to see if they can confirm if they have issued the refund to TT...if not then you can either wait longer or speak to your card company - maybe consider booking direct with the airline next time - whilst the delay may be with the airline, there will still be extra time once TT receive and process it.

Adly812

I am in the exact same boat. I am due to fly with Ethiopian airlines in September. Travel trolley have also suggested to me the refund has been requested and we await airlines response. I applied back in July for my refund. Airline says I need to await for the agents comments and rep,y. This is so frustrating and very concerned. 

mattyprice4004

Adly812 said:

I am in the exact same boat. I am due to fly with Ethiopian airlines in September. Travel trolley have also suggested to me the refund has been requested and we await airlines response. I applied back in July for my refund. Airline says I need to await for the agents comments and rep,y. This is so frustrating and very concerned. 

You’ll have a while to wait yet - it’ll likely be a few months from the date of travel before you get a refund. 

Butts

Caz3121 said:

FMellor said:

 Thirteen weeks later - nothing! Every time I write to them they regurgitate the same generic email saying the contract is with the airline and I can chase the refund myself if I wish! Otherwise they will forward the money when they receive it from the airline  . If I contact the airline they say they can’t help me and to go to the agency for the refund. It is disgusting that no one wants to own responsibility for this issue.

Some airlines are taking a long time for refunds (I just got my Lufthansa refund after 17 weeks - booked direct no third party involved)
You paid Travel Trolley so you are their customer. Travel Trolley paid the airline so they are the airline's customer. 
Travel Trolley will request the refund, the airline will issue the refund to Travel Trolley and then they should pass it on to you (possibly less some service fees if stated in their terms and conditions)
Maybe worth another call to Ethiopian Airlines to see if they can confirm if they have issued the refund to TT...if not then you can either wait longer or speak to your card company - maybe consider booking direct with the airline next time - whilst the delay may be with the airline, there will still be extra time once TT receive and process it.

Why did you wait 17 weeks, if you have a receipt for the booking, confirmation it's cancelled and acknowledgement of a refund request you are good to go with a chargeback in less than 17 days never mind weeks.
They have no defence !!

bagand96

Butts said:

Caz3121 said:

FMellor said:

 Thirteen weeks later - nothing! Every time I write to them they regurgitate the same generic email saying the contract is with the airline and I can chase the refund myself if I wish! Otherwise they will forward the money when they receive it from the airline  . If I contact the airline they say they can’t help me and to go to the agency for the refund. It is disgusting that no one wants to own responsibility for this issue.

Some airlines are taking a long time for refunds (I just got my Lufthansa refund after 17 weeks - booked direct no third party involved)
You paid Travel Trolley so you are their customer. Travel Trolley paid the airline so they are the airline's customer. 
Travel Trolley will request the refund, the airline will issue the refund to Travel Trolley and then they should pass it on to you (possibly less some service fees if stated in their terms and conditions)
Maybe worth another call to Ethiopian Airlines to see if they can confirm if they have issued the refund to TT...if not then you can either wait longer or speak to your card company - maybe consider booking direct with the airline next time - whilst the delay may be with the airline, there will still be extra time once TT receive and process it.

Why did you wait 17 weeks, if you have a receipt for the booking, confirmation it's cancelled and acknowledgement of a refund request you are good to go with a chargeback in less than 17 days never mind weeks.
They have no defence !!

Likewise I waited a similar time with the same airline.  I can't speak for Caz obviously, but my view was I knew I had a right to my refund, I was confident I would get it eventually. 

I understood the unprecedented situation and both the administrative and financial strain it was putting on the travel industry.  

When I booked and paid the money was spent.  I could afford it when I booked so didn't miss it once the flight was cancelled.  I see people saying they have "lost" the money. My view is that's not true, the money was spent, what I'd lost was the service, I'd lost the experience of my holiday.

I appreciate that not everyone is in the financial situation to be able to wait. We will all be paying for the barrage of chargebacks and S75 claims one way or another. 

Butts

bagand96 said:

Butts said:

Caz3121 said:

FMellor said:

 Thirteen weeks later - nothing! Every time I write to them they regurgitate the same generic email saying the contract is with the airline and I can chase the refund myself if I wish! Otherwise they will forward the money when they receive it from the airline  . If I contact the airline they say they can’t help me and to go to the agency for the refund. It is disgusting that no one wants to own responsibility for this issue.

Some airlines are taking a long time for refunds (I just got my Lufthansa refund after 17 weeks - booked direct no third party involved)
You paid Travel Trolley so you are their customer. Travel Trolley paid the airline so they are the airline's customer. 
Travel Trolley will request the refund, the airline will issue the refund to Travel Trolley and then they should pass it on to you (possibly less some service fees if stated in their terms and conditions)
Maybe worth another call to Ethiopian Airlines to see if they can confirm if they have issued the refund to TT...if not then you can either wait longer or speak to your card company - maybe consider booking direct with the airline next time - whilst the delay may be with the airline, there will still be extra time once TT receive and process it.

Why did you wait 17 weeks, if you have a receipt for the booking, confirmation it's cancelled and acknowledgement of a refund request you are good to go with a chargeback in less than 17 days never mind weeks.
They have no defence !!

Likewise I waited a similar time with the same airline.  I can't speak for Caz obviously, but my view was I knew I had a right to my refund, I was confident I would get it eventually. 

I understood the unprecedented situation and both the administrative and financial strain it was putting on the travel industry.  

When I booked and paid the money was spent.  I could afford it when I booked so didn't miss it once the flight was cancelled.  I see people saying they have "lost" the money. My view is that's not true, the money was spent, what I'd lost was the service, I'd lost the experience of my holiday.

I appreciate that not everyone is in the financial situation to be able to wait. We will all be paying for the barrage of chargebacks and S75 claims one way or another. 

I might have more empathy for Lufthansa if they hadn't had a 9 Billion Euro bailout from the German Government.

bagand96

Butts said:

bagand96 said:

Butts said:

Caz3121 said:

FMellor said:

 Thirteen weeks later - nothing! Every time I write to them they regurgitate the same generic email saying the contract is with the airline and I can chase the refund myself if I wish! Otherwise they will forward the money when they receive it from the airline  . If I contact the airline they say they can’t help me and to go to the agency for the refund. It is disgusting that no one wants to own responsibility for this issue.

Some airlines are taking a long time for refunds (I just got my Lufthansa refund after 17 weeks - booked direct no third party involved)
You paid Travel Trolley so you are their customer. Travel Trolley paid the airline so they are the airline's customer. 
Travel Trolley will request the refund, the airline will issue the refund to Travel Trolley and then they should pass it on to you (possibly less some service fees if stated in their terms and conditions)
Maybe worth another call to Ethiopian Airlines to see if they can confirm if they have issued the refund to TT...if not then you can either wait longer or speak to your card company - maybe consider booking direct with the airline next time - whilst the delay may be with the airline, there will still be extra time once TT receive and process it.

Why did you wait 17 weeks, if you have a receipt for the booking, confirmation it's cancelled and acknowledgement of a refund request you are good to go with a chargeback in less than 17 days never mind weeks.
They have no defence !!

Likewise I waited a similar time with the same airline.  I can't speak for Caz obviously, but my view was I knew I had a right to my refund, I was confident I would get it eventually. 

I understood the unprecedented situation and both the administrative and financial strain it was putting on the travel industry.  

When I booked and paid the money was spent.  I could afford it when I booked so didn't miss it once the flight was cancelled.  I see people saying they have "lost" the money. My view is that's not true, the money was spent, what I'd lost was the service, I'd lost the experience of my holiday.

I appreciate that not everyone is in the financial situation to be able to wait. We will all be paying for the barrage of chargebacks and S75 claims one way or another. 

I might have more empathy for Lufthansa if they hadn't had a 9 Billion Euro bailout from the German Government.

It's a common view that "they are a massive PLC and I'm a lowly consumer, they shouldn't be holding on to my cash"

I don't wholly disagree with it, but the problem right now is that nearly every company is fighting to keep their heads above water too. 

A €9 billion bailout from the government is a great headline but nobody knows the details of it, how and when Lufthansa access it etc. It's rarely simple. 

Waywardmike

I have the same problem with Travel Trolley, different Airline though.
Was due to fly early April with Oman Air to Malaysia.  All Oman Air flights were grounded, actually still are, so obviously cancelled.  Initially told wasn't allowed a refund, only credit note, so opened a dispute on my MC credit card.  They have now said I can have a refund and have applied to the airline, and when they receive it they'll pass it on. That was in May.  Still no refund.
They disputed my chargeback on day 43 of 45, thankfully my card provider didn't agree so re-applied the chargeback, I'm now currently nearing the end of the second 45 day wait so we'll see.

And to everyone saying you should always book direct with the airline, Oman Air's policy is that refunds will be paid 12 months from date of ticket issue, if you're eligible, and they only accept refund requests via email, which according to the forums and refund groups they don't respond to, so booking with the airline direct would have left me in no better a position.

Ganga

Waywardmike said:

I have the same problem with Travel Trolley, different Airline though.
Was due to fly early April with Oman Air to Malaysia.  All Oman Air flights were grounded, actually still are, so obviously cancelled.  Initially told wasn't allowed a refund, only credit note, so opened a dispute on my MC credit card.  They have now said I can have a refund and have applied to the airline, and when they receive it they'll pass it on. That was in May.  Still no refund.
They disputed my chargeback on day 43 of 45, thankfully my card provider didn't agree so re-applied the chargeback, I'm now currently nearing the end of the second 45 day wait so we'll see.

And to everyone saying you should always book direct with the airline, Oman Air's policy is that refunds will be paid 12 months from date of ticket issue, if you're eligible, and they only accept refund requests via email, which according to the forums and refund groups they don't respond to, so booking with the airline direct would have left me in no better a position.

Normally it is better to book with the airline BUT lets be honest these are not normal times and i bet not many people on this web site remember an event like what we are going through now including companies going bust etc.