Amex chargebacks time limits, awful BA.

disney_cjd

Hello everyone

I am literally feeling sick writing this. Like many of you we were affected with our holiday plans in 2020 due to the pandemic. We had planned a trip to Miami as a family flight with British Airways and then cruises with Royal Carribbean. The cruise part has all been sorted many months ago but British Airways did to us what they did to many others and refused to give us a refund even though the return flight was cancelled and we made it very clear to them on the phone before they told us to go online to get a refund and after that  we did not want a voucher. 

After months of battling with them I gave up and went to American Express. I was lucky that I had been given transcripts of the call recordings with British Airways to prove I said I did not want a voucher and American Express told me that “as a goodwill gesture“ they had asked British Airways to refund all tickets bought on American Express cards. I thought that this thing was all closed back in November last year.

Earlier this year was looking at my American Express account I noticed one dispute had arisen again for British Airways. I had 4 tickets with them and therefore 4 disputes but only one seem to re-arise. I called American Express and the person I  had been dealing said not to worry the Request from British Airways to reverse the chargeback had been declined and unless they provided you new evidence then it will continue to be declined. I asked her what sort of evidence this would be as clearly there was nothing new from the last time. She said for example if they had issued you a cheque as a refund obviously you can’t have the money twice. That makes sense.

Yesterday I noticed a charge have been replied to my account and when I tried to query this with American Express they told me that evidence has been provided and the chargeback could be reversed. They are sending me the evidence but wouldn’t tell me over the phone but it was was. Nothing has changed since the flights were cancelled in June 2020. So I’m wondering what other evidence I think I have. However the point of my post is really to ask how long do these companies have to challenge a chargeback. I have done some googling and saw American express merchant terms that said a merchant had 20 days. This has been five months our American Express going to always hold this over my head and I’m never going to be able to relax and take the money.

Some guidance would be really appreciated.

Thank you

MattMattMattUK

Largely they have as long as the card provider gives them, do not forget that just because a charge back is successful, it does not mean the company can not pursue you via other methods (eg. Court) for the funds.

You need to wait and see the evidence, but if the flights operated and the holiday was not package and flights booked separately or a reasonable alternative return flight was offered if both booked together then the charge back reversal was correct.

PaulW922

That happened to me with Iberia - four charges just like you, one chargeback defended. I disputed their response and Amex sided with me second time around 

jpsartre

BA haven't refused refunds but in the beginning of the pandemic you had to request this over the phone with the only online option being for a voucher. Did you request a voucher refund online?

disney_cjd

jpsartre said:

BA haven't refused refunds but in the beginning of the pandemic you had to request this over the phone with the only online option being for a voucher. Did you request a voucher refund online?

I call for a refund and was told I had to do it online. When I went to manage my booking and cancel it sent a Voucher not the refund. Many like me were treated like this. Thankfully I have the call recordings and transcripts to say I did not want a voucher and wanted the refund. 

Nothing in the post yet. My main questions was there has to be a cut off. The charge backs were completed in November !  I cannot have this Hanging over my head for ever. There has to be a cut off. 

Thanks everyone for your replies. 

blenz101

Well if they issued a voucher then you can't have both the voucher and the refund.  They presumably need to cancel the voucher and provide you with the cash.  If you have a future travel voucher and the money back you have effectively been refunded twice.

disney_cjd

blenz101 said:

Well if they issued a voucher then you can't have both the voucher and the refund.  They presumably need to cancel the voucher and provide you with the cash.  If you have a future travel voucher and the money back you have effectively been refunded twice.

Yes I am well aware of that but as you may know (or not) they have done this to many - they issued vouchers when people had requested refunds. Of course they can cancel the voucher, they can shove it where they like- but they won't.  The question is still how long does this take to be final....  Amex saying there is no timeline which I do find hard to beleive.

Thanks anyway

jpsartre

disney_cjd said:

they issued vouchers when people had requested refunds.

The website made it clear that the online request was for a future travel voucher. It also stated that you needed to phone if you preferred a cash refund. Sounds like you had a clueless agent on the line. If AmEx fails to come through for you, you can take the matter to CEDR, an alternative dispute resolution service that BA uses.

disney_cjd

jpsartre said:

disney_cjd said:

they issued vouchers when people had requested refunds.

The website made it clear that the online request was for a future travel voucher. It also stated that you needed to phone if you preferred a cash refund. Sounds like you had a clueless agent on the line. If AmEx fails to come through for you, you can take the matter to CEDR, an alternative dispute resolution service that BA uses.

Thanks. Actually, the website was not clear at all.  The website had one option after MANAGE MY BOOKING which was CANCEL MY BOOKING.  On the phone I had been told by the agent that to get a full breakdown of the refund I needed to do it online.  Thankfully I have the call transcript of that but yes if Amex let us all down then I presume CEDR is a last resort.
Life is never easy sadly.  Thanks for your help.

born_again

disney_cjd said:

blenz101 said:

Well if they issued a voucher then you can't have both the voucher and the refund.  They presumably need to cancel the voucher and provide you with the cash.  If you have a future travel voucher and the money back you have effectively been refunded twice.

Yes I am well aware of that but as you may know (or not) they have done this to many - they issued vouchers when people had requested refunds. Of course they can cancel the voucher, they can shove it where they like- but they won't.  The question is still how long does this take to be final....  Amex saying there is no timeline which I do find hard to beleive.

Thanks anyway

As Amex are working to their card regulations. They may not have a fixed time limit.
I can say that Visa have 45 days for a retailer to respond to a chargeback, but that does not mean that after 45 days it is done & dusted. As due to the massive amount of chargebacks last year. It was taking a long time to pick up rejections.

All you could do is raise a complaint and see where that goes.

davidexmachina

if all else fails, use the voucher to book another holiday to a place that a dead cert to be cancelled (Dubai?) - a BA driven cancellation will refund you based on the original payment method - ie you'd get your cash back.