Boots lost my pre-departure PCR test

Millie30

I've just returned from a long-postponed visit to family in Ireland (great) but my carefully planned travel turned into a nightmare thanks to the incompetence of Boots PCR testing and their associated lab.

The Irish government currently requires a negative PCR test result within 72 hours of departure so I paid £85 to have the test done in-store at my local Boots. I booked the test as early as I could within the 72 hour timeframe allowed and the in-store tester told me that most people were receiving their result by email within 24 hours. However, nothing arrived and after 48 hours I phoned their call centre (I was due at this stage to leave for the airport - a couple of hours drive away) and they said they would chase it up. Just over three hours before the flight departure, I received an email from them advising that the lab hadn't received the test and it wouldn't therefore be available. Then Ryanair wouldn't let me board without evidence of a negative test.The result of this is that I lost my original flights, airport car parking and car hire in Dublin.  I had to take a new £150 PCR test at Glasgow Airport, rebook my flights and car hire and fly out late the following day, hence losing two precious days with family.

I took out travel insurance with Flexi-Cover but they have turned down my claim as they say it doesn't fall within their missed departure criteria - which clearly haven't changed since pre-Covid!

All in all a hellishly stressful experience and I'm left over £500 out of pocket. I've also been phoning and emailing DiscoverCars.com, the broker for my original car hire booking for over a week without a response - more TERRIBLE service!  I've begun a formal complaint to Boots but no redress so far.

Has anyone had a similar experience with Boots and/or with their laboratory partner Recova-19? Or with DiscoverCars.com? Interestingly, the testing centre at Glasgw Airport (where I had to take the new pre-departure test) indicated that they encountered other people looking for retests having had problems with Boots.

Ben1989

It's such a sticky situation. It's not Ryanair's fault you didn't provide them with a negative PCR result, it's not the car hire's fault you didn't arrive, Boots will argue it's not their fault but the labs, the lab will argue they only aim for a timed result and not guaranteed.

Keep nagging and see if one gives. I'd aim it at travel insurance and Boots. Hopefully somebody can come along who can provide you with better advice.

onashoestring

Boots T&Cs say
“• Whilst every effort will be made, we cannot guarantee results will be received within 48 hours” -

 so you are not entitled  to a refund from them all though  it does not hurt to ask as a goodwill gesture.

This highlights the experience of many travellers at the moment - often the testing centres at airports are more expensive but proving to be more reliable turnaround times.

2childmum2

But the test wasn't just not back within 48 hours, it was lost completely, so the service paid for was not received at all

[Deleted User]

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michael1234

If it was me I'd be looking at dropping a small claims court claim into Boots' registered address.

As with the other posters, I'm not a lawyer although I have been involved in numerous cases. Suspect Boots may be required to put you back into the position you would have been in had you not purchased your PCR from them - i.e. with the £500 and an additional two days with your family (you would have to calculate what you think a sane person would consider reasonable for those 2 days)

I further suspect a company like Boots would be very keen to settle before it went to hearing.
Just register and fill out a few forms here: https://www.moneyclaim.gov.uk/web/mcol/welcome

CKhalvashi

[DELETED USER] said:

2childmum2 said:

But the test wasn't just not back within 48 hours, it was lost completely, so the service paid for was not received at all

That weeke only get you the cost of the service back though, not the full losses.

Without insurance to cover it and without paying considerably more for a guaranteed timeframe there is probably little you can do in cases like this.

This isn't necessarily my opinion with this.

OP contracted with Boots to provide a PCR test to be analysed by a lab. Boots have failed to do this whether it is their fault or that of one of their suppliers. It is impossible for the service OP has paid for to be provided now.

It's possible therefore that the duty of care has been breached and therefore any further losses by OP should be compensated. This is not a legal opinion and has not been tested in court.

MalMonroe

I would list all the losses, as you have done above in your post, in a letter to Boots' head office, asking them to recompense you for everything.

They lost your test!!

That is not a small mistake.

Not only should they refund you for your test but also for everything else you had to pay out as a result of their incompetence. It's really quite unacceptable - and as you say, your holiday was cut short by two days. They caused major inconvenience.

I'd also contact Citizens Advice for information on the Consumer Rights Act 2015. Link here -

https://www.citizensadvice.org.uk/about-us/our-work/citizens-advice-consumer-work/the-consumer-rights-act-2015/

You're entitled to receive what you paid for or your money back and compensation where appropriate,which I think it is in your case. 

MalMonroe

[DELETED USER] said:

2childmum2 said:

But the test wasn't just not back within 48 hours, it was lost completely, so the service paid for was not received at all

That weeke only get you the cost of the service back though, not the full losses.

Without insurance to cover it and without paying considerably more for a guaranteed timeframe there is probably little you can do in cases like this.

That's not the OP you are replying to there. 

Even without any insurance, there's every chance the OP can get her money back with compensation if she challenges Boots. They failed to provide what was paid for and the domino effect was huge for this OP. That's why we have The Consumer Act 2015 and the Financial Ombudsman Service in this country

mattyprice4004

michael1234 said:

If it was me I'd be looking at dropping a small claims court claim into Boots' registered address.

As with the other posters, I'm not a lawyer although I have been involved in numerous cases. Suspect Boots may be required to put you back into the position you would have been in had you not purchased your PCR from them - i.e. with the £500 and an additional two days with your family (you would have to calculate what you think a sane person would consider reasonable for those 2 days)

I further suspect a company like Boots would be very keen to settle before it went to hearing.
Just register and fill out a few forms here: https://www.moneyclaim.gov.uk/web/mcol/welcome

Pre action protocol dictates you need to send a letter before action - rather critical, as if you don’t give Boots a chance to settle / deal with it first a judge won’t be too impressed! 

michael1234

mattyprice4004 said:

michael1234 said:

If it was me I'd be looking at dropping a small claims court claim into Boots' registered address.

As with the other posters, I'm not a lawyer although I have been involved in numerous cases. Suspect Boots may be required to put you back into the position you would have been in had you not purchased your PCR from them - i.e. with the £500 and an additional two days with your family (you would have to calculate what you think a sane person would consider reasonable for those 2 days)

I further suspect a company like Boots would be very keen to settle before it went to hearing.
Just register and fill out a few forms here: https://www.moneyclaim.gov.uk/web/mcol/welcome

Pre action protocol dictates you need to send a letter before action - rather critical, as if you don’t give Boots a chance to settle / deal with it first a judge won’t be too impressed! 

Yes that's right. Its essentially just a letter setting out how much you believe Boots owe you and why . Search the 'net on how to write such a letter its pretty straightforward normally.