Love holidays/Ryan air

iqbal1976

Hello all. I'm guessing this has been an ongoing theme but I desperately need help please. I booked a package holiday for August 2020 with love holidays. This was cancelled (as flights with Ryan air were cancelled) in June. Love holidays issued a refund for transfers and hotel in July. I am still waiting for Ryan air to issue my flight refund of £730. They have continuously tried to enforce vouchers on me, I do not want them and have never agreed to them.

Each time they mail I click on request refund only this time, my reference number is not valid. The people on the phone won't help, twitter support have stopped responding, love holidays have refused to assist, my bank won't help as covered by ABTA (but its not anymore, so they won't help either)

Ryan air are now saying to complete another form and send my passport info to them. I don't have a passport as the passport office more or less shut down at the start of covid and then my holiday was cancelled. Plus why? I have sent so many refund requests that it feels like they're giving me the run around.

I am so lost and don't know what to do now. I really need that £700, it's been 6 months since it was cancelled so I don't think I'm being unreasonable.

Can anyone please offer me some guidance on next Steps. Thank you 

bagand96

If you're trying to get a refund directly from Ryanair, then they have a verification process so they can amend your booking details and refund you.  The reason for this is that LoveHolidays use "screenscraper" software to book Ryanair flights (because Ryanair have no agreements for bookings via agents).  The LoveHolidays software books the flight as if it were you, however they give their own email address and payment card.  Ryanair need to verify you are who you say you are so they can process your refund.

It's explained here: https://www.ryanair.com/ie/en/refundfaqs/screenscraperbookings

If you don't have a valid passport do you have an expired one? They'll likely accept that.  Or a photocard driving licence?

bagand96

Or the other way to go about this is holding LoveHolidays accountable for their obligations under the Package Travel Regulations.  If they sold you a package, and you paid them, tell them you want a refund from them for the holiday they have failed to provide.

They've tried to pass you off to Ryanair to reduce their workload.

Did you pay by credit card?  If so, try a Section 75 claim with your bank for good not provided.

iqbal1976

bagand96 said:

If you're trying to get a refund directly from Ryanair, then they have a verification process so they can amend your booking details and refund you.  The reason for this is that LoveHolidays use "screenscraper" software to book Ryanair flights (because Ryanair have no agreements for bookings via agents).  The LoveHolidays software books the flight as if it were you, however they give their own email address and payment card.  Ryanair need to verify you are who you say you are so they can process your refund.

It's explained here

If you don't have a valid passport do you have an expired one? They'll likely accept that.  Or a photocard driving licence?

Thank you. I asked if I could send a driver licence but haven't responded yet. My passport expired 2006 (lol) but I will add that too. I just despair,  feels like I'm being passed back and forth with no help 😢

iqbal1976

bagand96 said:

Or the other way to go about this is holding LoveHolidays accountable for their obligations under the Package Travel Regulations.  If they sold you a package, and you paid them, tell them you want a refund from them for the holiday they have failed to provide.

They've tried to pass you off to Ryanair to reduce their workload.

Did you pay by credit card?  If so, try a Section 75 claim with your bank for good not provided.

I have said this to LH but they really just don't care. They have left ABTA, literally said NO to me. 

I paid by debit card, spoke to natwest who were great but I. Can't claim because they are/were ATOL/ABTA covered. But I can't use that now either 

bagand96

Ryanair aren't easy to deal with, but jumping through their hoops might get you there in the end.

LoveHolidays are fobbing you off.  They sold you a package and you paid them, so they should refund you (and the law says within 14 days!)  You could try small claims court as a last resort with them.  Or at least send a "Letter Before Action" to see if that persuades them.

Natwest may be being economical with the truth.  ATOL has no relevance, that is just protection if LoveHolidays go bust.  ABTA are just a trade organisation that LoveHolidays were part of but are no more.  I might try going back to Natwest if I were you, stand your ground, you want a chargeback for goods not delivered.  Only issue there may be the 120 days rule.  Some banks will say it's from the transaction date, although I think some interpret it as 120 days from the day the goods should have been delivered (i.e. your departure date).  August isn't 120 days ago yet!

There's no harm in perusing more than one of these avenues at once, although keep track of what you've asked for from who, as it could complicate things down the line if all the organisations involved decide to take action at the same time.

antsazancharlie

Going through a similar thing, holiday was to Canaries late August, Love Holidays contacted us a week before by SMS stating that as the UK government advice had changed to recommend only essential travel we needed to respond either positively or negatively as to our travel intentions. We responded negatively to expedite the refund process. We then received comms via their web portal informing us of 'options' - refund of hotel and airport transfers, or refund credit note for same + £100 credit. No option for Ryanair refund other than to say we needed to seek a refund from them ourselves. As Ryanair were still operating the flights, they said they wouldn't refund. So I took a bit of legal advice and informed Love Hols, via their web portal, that we rejected all their offers and hold them responsible for refunding us in full under s12 of The Package Travel Regs. the advice we received was that acceptance of what they had offered might be interpreted later down the line as acceptance of their 'remedy'. To date, they haven't responded in any way and we're now waiting on our credit card issuer to process our s75 claim. We intend to take this all the way. If the card issuer refuses to cough up, we'll send Love Hols a Letter Before Action, which we kind of already have in our comms via the web portal, then we'll take them to court if we need to. If we get to that stage, perhaps a class action type claim might be possible...

nilanteh

Out of curiosity why have you gone straight for s75 meaning the credit card is liable rather than a chargeback which would take the money back from love holidays? You are within 120 days

Brodiebobs

were in the same boat and its a nightmare. Ryanair say they refunded Loveholidays on 28th Sept for our June flights, but they cant provide proof to me as the refund was issued to LH not me. 
LH advise not received, and just say I have to wait and they're "chasing up" customers refunds. I've approached my card provider and they have advised because of volume of claims it will take 12 weeks for it to be looked at. 
On live chat i also asked the girl to confirm the address to send a letter before action, and her rather nonchalant reply was to confirm the address but that it wouldn't be picked up as all the staff were home working so it was pointless!! 

macman

It doesn't matter if they open the LBA or not: it's purpose is simply to demonstrate to the judge that you made an attempt to resolve the issue before litigation. Just send it and get a proof of posting: receipt is then presumed in law.

antsazancharlie

nilanteh said:

Out of curiosity why have you gone straight for s75 meaning the credit card is liable rather than a chargeback which would take the money back from love holidays? You are within 120 days

Because we consider LoveHols to be in breach of contract