Travel Refunds/Andante Travels Salisbury

jamshe

We have just pursued a refund from a holiday cancelled by Andante Travels of Salisbury through the small claims court as recommended by Martin. Andante Travels refused to make any refunds, insisting its customers accept a Refund Credit Note instead. This is contrary to their own Terms & Conditions and contrary to the Package Travel Regulations. We obtained a Court Order through Money Claims on-line but they refused to comply with this, claiming it was against company policy. At the same time as they were refusing to comply with their own Terms and Conditions, and the Court Order, they were offering holidays to new customers with those same Terms and Conditions, obliging any customer who cancelled to lose their deposit - hardly equitable treatment.  We were then obliged to seek enforcement of the Court Order which we did successfully through a Third Part Debt Order, not an easy process but worth it in the end; we were awarded costs and interest. Our refund was due on 23 March and we got it on 5 October. Not a Company we can recommend.

Alan_Bowen

I am sorry to hear your tale of woe, they sell archaeological holidays and they appear to be living in the dark ages. They are not members of ABTA, who were the designers of the Refund Credit Note, but who also emphasised that customers could always insist on a refund, but they are members of AITO who see themselves as specialists who provide superior service, you might like to contact them and tell them your story

jamshe

Yes, thanks Alan, we'll take that up with AITO as you suggest, also with the Competition and Marketing Authority as it is clearly
unfair on those companies that have done the right thing and refunded their customers compared with companies like this which have not and which have, at the same time, offered 'industry-leading' incentives to customers who rebook with them.