Norwegian long haul cancellation - cashpoint exchange

bagand96

Westin said:

bagand96 said:

cacolborn said:

Hi all, been monitoring this post for a while. We received cashpoints when our flight was cancelled by the airline - no option to cancel. Now there is no use for the points as they don’t fly to USA anymore. Also can’t use them at all! Just heard back from our credit card company - section 75 denied as they argue we were provided adequate compensation. Norwegian wouldn’t refund either. Going to try insurer next and if that doesn’t work it’s all over for our claim!

I agree with @Alan_Bowen and would be complaining to credit card company, and then the ombudsman if necessary.

Norwegian cancelled your flight, so by law are required to refund you.  Giving you points in an all but bankrupt airline, that cannot be used on a comparable product is not a refund!

This is of course assuming there was no option for a refund, and you didn't accidentally "accept" cashpoints.

Last point is key.
I think some were tempted to take the CashPoints option as the value was enhanced over and above the cash price paid.

Yes, and other airlines made it very easy to get a voucher, almost suggesting it was the only option, not sure what the process was with Norwegian.

Lillibett_2020

Speaking of accidentally 'accepting' cash point options, I have just received an automated email from Norwegian Reward saying "CashPoints that are due to expire this year, we would like to offer you the opportunity to extend the validity of these CashPoints so you can spend them on a future trip. The new expiration date for these CashPoints will be set to 31 December 2022, giving you more opportunity to spend them. If you wish to extend the validity of your CashPoints, please click the button below by 8 April 2021."

In the small print below this statement it says i have to "actively consent" to the extension (and clicking the button amounts to actively consenting). Is this accidentally accepting some kind of renewed points contract without realising it?

I did not have to click on a button to consent when previously the date cashpoint was extended. I am wondering why I am being asked to "actively consent' now - I have a feeling I am being walked into actively consenting to more than I realise, more than just a change of date on my points. All the things that have happened (stopping the long haul, suspending the redemption of points) are not things I have actively consented to they are things forced on me and which I actively reject. So does clicking the button trick people into consenting to all changes (including date extension)?

At the same time if I don't click the button will my points expire this year? I am due to be working in the USA (why I bought a flight from Air Norwegian was a single to get to my job in USA) and so cash points redeemable for a service operating only out of Europe are next to useless to me unless I can extend them beyond my year or work in USA.

I don't know what to do. One thing is for sure - I do not trust Air Norwegian companies - and nor will I trust them or buy from them in future.

I am wondering what other people with cashpoints are choosing to do in response to this email?

Many thanks

Shoedog

Norwegian have just emailed me offering to extend the life of my reward points, but I need to log in and click on 'accept'. I wonder if by doing so, I would be affecting any potential future refund claim? Are they trying to get me to agree to something to invalidate a later refund claim?

The email says: "We understand that due to ongoing travel restrictions and temporary changes to our Reward program, you may not have been able to spend your CashPoints as you would normally.
As you have 35002 CashPoints that are due to expire this year, we would like to offer you the opportunity to extend the validity of these CashPoints so you can spend them on a future trip.
The new expiration date for these CashPoints will be set to 31 December 2022, giving you more opportunity to spend them.
If you wish to extend the validity of your CashPoints, please click the button below by 8 April 2021".

Westin

I have acted as guinea pig for you as myself only have a small number of Cashpoints.
After clicking on the link and accepting cookies, the following message displays -

Just above this a link regarding the temporary suspension of the reward scheme - https://www.norwegian.com/en/about/company/reorganisation/#reward

Over all I don't see a trick or underhand cunning plan. Looks more like they just wish to record and update Cashpoints on accounts.  I wonder if they are completing the exercise to enable a submission to the receivership courts to calculate a new and up to date liability figure of customers holding Cashpoints.  If some passengers don't take the extension offer on the Cashpoints then I guess their liability to honour disappears and over all debt to present for the restructuring process is lower.

IvanTheTerrible

We have received a response from Halifax, unfortunately, Section 75 couldn't be used to protect our purchase as Norwegian have fulfilled their contractual obligations by offering CashPoints   

I guess we have no choice other than to book their flights when they back to business even though Norwegian is the most unsuitable airline to fly to Europe for us as they only flying from Gatwick which is the furthest airport from us and direct flights to Sweden, Norway or Finland only, we already been to these countries and had no plans to visit them again.

Lillibett_2020

Hello,

Thank you so much Westin for testing this out for us! that was very thoughtful of you and much appreciated! I also thought this was to do with the upcoming court submisison (the reason we had to accept by a certain date) as the dates seemed to me to tally.

Thank you also IvanTheTerrible for your update re Halifax and Section 75. It is interesting that someone earlier did get a refund from Barclaycard (even though they accepted points). I will be about to apply for a Barclaycard and giving them my future custom!

So I will extend the points. Not going to be much use to me though from America. Unless Air Norwegian long haul rises from the dead in an unforeseen future.

Lillibett

richardw

Lillibett_2020 said:

Hello,....Unless Air Norwegian long haul rises from the dead in an unforeseen future. 

Lillibett

See Norse Airways 

rebeccaw7

Shoedog said:

I have interesting news.....

Just like others on here, I booked flights to USA for summer 2020, then when the flights were cancelled, I accepted cashpoints. In November, I used the points to rebook for summer 2021, then all long haul flights were cancelled in Jan.

My situation is slightly complicated in that I paid for the outbound flight on a Santander DEBIT Card, but paid for the return flights on a Barclaycard CREDIT Card.

I recently approached Barclaycard, sent them all the supporting documents, and they have REFUNDED THE FULL AMOUNT. Santander are dragging their heels, and have warned me not to be optimistic (because it was a debit card ather than credit card), but they have logged the details and are sending a claim form to me to complete. So there is hope. Especially if you used a credit card. Hope this helps.

Hi Shoedog,

Just wondered how you got on with this in the end and if you got to keep the refund from Barclaycard?

We have just put in a claim with Virgin as I booked my tickets on my partner's Virgin Credit Card. We had a letter from them today to say that they have requested a refund from the retailer and have applied the provisional credit to his account. I was a bit sceptical and thought that this was too good to be true, so after ringing Virgin it sounds like Norwegian have 45 days (7 have passed so far) to dispute/respond. I imagine that they will dispute it, so trying not to get my hopes up!

Thanks,
Rebecca

Shoedog

rebeccaw7 said:

Shoedog said:

I have interesting news.....

Just like others on here, I booked flights to USA for summer 2020, then when the flights were cancelled, I accepted cashpoints. In November, I used the points to rebook for summer 2021, then all long haul flights were cancelled in Jan.

My situation is slightly complicated in that I paid for the outbound flight on a Santander DEBIT Card, but paid for the return flights on a Barclaycard CREDIT Card.

I recently approached Barclaycard, sent them all the supporting documents, and they have REFUNDED THE FULL AMOUNT. Santander are dragging their heels, and have warned me not to be optimistic (because it was a debit card ather than credit card), but they have logged the details and are sending a claim form to me to complete. So there is hope. Especially if you used a credit card. Hope this helps.

Hi Shoedog,

Just wondered how you got on with this in the end and if you got to keep the refund from Barclaycard?

We have just put in a claim with Virgin as I booked my tickets on my partner's Virgin Credit Card. We had a letter from them today to say that they have requested a refund from the retailer and have applied the provisional credit to his account. I was a bit sceptical and thought that this was too good to be true, so after ringing Virgin it sounds like Norwegian have 45 days (7 have passed so far) to dispute/respond. I imagine that they will dispute it, so trying not to get my hopes up!

Thanks,
Rebecca

HI Rebecca, I don't wan to jinx it, but so far Barclaycard have not contacted me since they refunded the amount. I did recieve a warning at the time from Barclaycard similar to your warning, that they were still investigating, and might take the money back off me if they decided it was not a justified claim. But so far, silence.

On a second note, I made a claim with Santander for the second amount that we paid through a DEBIT card via the chargeback scheme. I have sent them all of the documentation and claim form, but have yet to hear back from them. Will keep you updated.

Thanks

Dan

rebeccaw7

Shoedog said:

rebeccaw7 said:

Shoedog said:

I have interesting news.....

Just like others on here, I booked flights to USA for summer 2020, then when the flights were cancelled, I accepted cashpoints. In November, I used the points to rebook for summer 2021, then all long haul flights were cancelled in Jan.

My situation is slightly complicated in that I paid for the outbound flight on a Santander DEBIT Card, but paid for the return flights on a Barclaycard CREDIT Card.

I recently approached Barclaycard, sent them all the supporting documents, and they have REFUNDED THE FULL AMOUNT. Santander are dragging their heels, and have warned me not to be optimistic (because it was a debit card ather than credit card), but they have logged the details and are sending a claim form to me to complete. So there is hope. Especially if you used a credit card. Hope this helps.

Hi Shoedog,

Just wondered how you got on with this in the end and if you got to keep the refund from Barclaycard?

We have just put in a claim with Virgin as I booked my tickets on my partner's Virgin Credit Card. We had a letter from them today to say that they have requested a refund from the retailer and have applied the provisional credit to his account. I was a bit sceptical and thought that this was too good to be true, so after ringing Virgin it sounds like Norwegian have 45 days (7 have passed so far) to dispute/respond. I imagine that they will dispute it, so trying not to get my hopes up!

Thanks,
Rebecca

HI Rebecca, I don't wan to jinx it, but so far Barclaycard have not contacted me since they refunded the amount. I did recieve a warning at the time from Barclaycard similar to your warning, that they were still investigating, and might take the money back off me if they decided it was not a justified claim. But so far, silence.

On a second note, I made a claim with Santander for the second amount that we paid through a DEBIT card via the chargeback scheme. I have sent them all of the documentation and claim form, but have yet to hear back from them. Will keep you updated.

Thanks

Dan

Hi Dan,

Great, thanks so much for your helpful reply! I will keep my fingers crossed for us both then!

Best wishes,
Rebecca