I’ve still not received money due to me from a cancelled flight.

madbrenn

I’m at my wits end with Ryanair and Love Holidays. The holiday in April was cancelled, and the money for the hotel was paid back pretty promptly. Love Holidays advised though, that they were waiting for Ryanair to refund them the money for the flights before they could refund me. I filled in the refund form on Ryanair’s website twice and have heard nothing.
I managed to speak to someone at Ryanair last week on their web chat and they advised me they had paid the money to Love Holidays on the 9th August. Love Holidays are adamant they have not received it. Both parties tell me there is nothing they can do and to speak to the other party! I feel I’m knocking my head against a brick wall!! What can I do?

NoodleDoodleMan

Both firms have attracted a reputation for bodyswerving refunds.

Passing the buck back and forward apparently is one of these tactics.

Turns into a pantomime act - "oh, yes I have" with the "no you haven't" reply.

Perhaps the Banking Ombudsman is the way forward to identify a paper trail of who holds the funds in question ?

That is the key issue here.

https://www.financial-ombudsman.org.uk/consumers/complaints-can-help/banking-and-payments

Copy to ABTA won't do any harm either, although I suspect they'll have a large in tray of complaints about each company.

Maybe somebody can suggest other avenues to sort this out ?

Good luck.

Alan_Bowen

Sorry no point in contacting ABTA as neither Love Holidays nor Ryanair are members

NoodleDoodleMan

Wasn't aware Ryanair weren't members - I wouldn't fly with them unless there was no other option, so never bothered to check.

Had forgotten Love Holidays had bailed out of ABTA.

Alan_Bowen

ABTA has no airline members at all, they don't discriminate! Some airlines set up separate tour operation companies, BA Holidays for example, and they can be members but that is the limit of airline connections to ABTA

NoodleDoodleMan

Thanks for that educational assist.

J_B

Alan_Bowen said:

ABTA has no airline members at all, they don't discriminate!

So, does anyone cover 'flight only' (we have Easyjet flights)?

Voyager2002

NoodleDoodleMan said:

Had forgotten Love Holidays had bailed out of ABTA.

Surely what matters is that they were an ABTA member at the time the OP paid for her holiday.

NoodleDoodleMan

Correct.

Likewise for On The Beach.

I doubt if either will get many returning customers.

Alan_Bowen

If you booked with a company that ceased to trade after leaving ABTA, and if they were providing the financial protection (which they do not for any air-based holidays) then ABTA would protect funds for 6 months after termination. However, for customer complaints, ABTA has no influence at all as the company can, and will, ignore correspondence from them. Members can be hit with fixed penalty fines for failing to respond to customers or ABTA itself but once it leaves, a company can do as it pleases. 
It is clear that a number of Online agents have failed to live up to customer expectations but I very much doubt this will have much if any effect in 2021 when millions are looking to book a cheap package holiday. Clearly, there are millions who have no idea of the issue still ripe for the taking....

Jetter

madbrenn said:

I’m at my wits end with Ryanair and Love Holidays. The holiday in April was cancelled, and the money for the hotel was paid back pretty promptly. Love Holidays advised though, that they were waiting for Ryanair to refund them the money for the flights before they could refund me. I filled in the refund form on Ryanair’s website twice and have heard nothing.
I managed to speak to someone at Ryanair last week on their web chat and they advised me they had paid the money to Love Holidays on the 9th August. Love Holidays are adamant they have not received it. Both parties tell me there is nothing they can do and to speak to the other party! I feel I’m knocking my head against a brick wall!! What can I do?

Ask Ryan Air for written evidence that they have refunded Love Holidays.  If you paid by credit card contact card provider and put in a section 75.  You will need to supply evidence that holiday was cancelled and emails that you have contacting either company.