Nationwide flex plus insurance and credit notes

wakez123

Hi,

I booked a holiday 2 years ago (cruise and flights  to Miami separately). I was unable to travel in April due to COVID. The flights were booked through flightguru and were  different airlines each way (United outbound, air canada return). Flight guru said a credit note was offered From the airlines  but that is no good as I can’t rearrange the cruise etc and co-ordinate flights with the different carriers etc so I pursued a refund. I tried a section 75 chargeback With John Lewis however this was rejected based on flight guru only being an agent and they said to seek an insurance claim. I tried to claim through my bank account policy with nationwide (flex plus) however they have said that as they’ve offered a credit (even though we still can’t travel due to restrictions etc) that is suitable reimbursement and they won’t pay out- has anyone experienced this. The original flight was booked as a non refundable etc as if I couldn’t go then I would expect not to go so to now say a credit is acceptable seems unfair?! Has anyone successfully dealt with this problem or has any advice? 

Thanks 😊 

mattyprice4004

It seems pretty standard across the board - were the flights actually cancelled? 
Unfortunately involving one of these tin-pot online travel agents does muddy the waters; you've then broken the chain between your payment and the airline for a S75 claim. While it may seem unhelpful advice now, I strongly urge everyone to book direct with airlines so you have a direct path of recourse should this happen. 

Butts

mattyprice4004 said:

It seems pretty standard across the board - were the flights actually cancelled? 
Unfortunately involving one of these tin-pot online travel agents does muddy the waters; you've then broken the chain between your payment and the airline for a S75 claim. While it may seem unhelpful advice now, I strongly urge everyone to book direct with airlines so you have a direct path of recourse should this happen. 

Excellent advice, if it goes belly up it's much easier to deal with the organ grinder rather than the monkey.

Upsidedownandaround

All you can really do is escalate it with your insurer via the complaint procedure then to the Ombudsman. However if you have been offered a voucher then the view most seem to be taking is that you have not suffered any loss.

As Mattyprice says you have basically thrown away most of the great protection provided by your credit card by trying to save a few quid using some dodgy online mob based abroad. Though it's unclear if you would have been entitled to a refund in any event given you don't say whether you cancelled or the airline cancelled.

sheramber

 If the flights were operating then getting a credit is a bonus as the  airlines are not under any obligation to refund you.
Any claim for not being able to travel due to Covid would be an insurance claim but most seem to be considering  t a credit note is a suitable monetary recompence. 

SevenOfNine

The FlexPlus policy allows for you to cancel if FCO advice from within 28 days of departure is "essential travel only", it was (I assume), so you could argue that point. The only reason you hadn't cancelled first was because the airlines were faster.

In the early days of claiming, insurers were successful in classifying a "voucher" as a refund, but I believe this has subsequently been challenged successfully. 1) You may not be in a position to use it before expiration. 2) It may no longer be of enough value to buy you EXACTLY what you paid for initially. 3) You may be obliged to travel with limited pandemic cover which you fully had initially (though I think renewal & new FlexPlus policies do have it, but who's to say you must insure again with them).

Have a good look on Which on-line & see if there is more advice there. Personally, as has been said, I would certainly escalate the claim to a formal complaint, & if still rejected, then on to the ombudsman. They will give you the process for that if they reject you again.

Their policy does exclude payment that "can be recovered elsewhere", but they were standing on a bit of thin ice insisting a voucher is a "refund", in reality it's an IOU (in my opinion) that could result in being worthless to you. You will need to include all the evidence you have of FCO advice at the time, of refusal to refund in cash, perhaps even flight costs having risen susequently, can't assemble too much evidence to support your complaint.

Penelopa.Pitstop

You should try and press credit card again. I disputed cancelled flight cost with Nationwide, and credit card got money back from GotoGate which is OTA too. In my case OTA was waiting for refund from airline, it's still waiting ...