Flight cancelled (mid-Dec, 21), still no refund to date, Lastminute rejected Small Claim Court?

Stuck_1963

My American Airlines flight to the US got cancelled (apparently, the flight itself didn't get cancelled, someone nabbed my seat, according to AA and they have no record who actually did that)....

Lastminute.com said they'd try to get my money for me (it was not them who told me how/why my flight got cancelled), and yet they still haven't, and I'd learned from sources to chase LM for my money (not the airline), so after waiting enough time, I gave them 14 more days to return my money in full else it'd be to the Small Claims Court to resolve (that email to them was beginning of April 2022).

They ignored that, and so in mid-July 2022 I went through the Small Claims Procedure for my £626 + interest back + court fee, therefore just over £700 after which, at the 11th hour finally Lastminute got back to me with an email saying that I'm suing the wrong branch of Lastminute, that the ticket was sold by their Swiss company, BravoNet (I think it's called) but anyway, that they'd give me a voucher for £621 as a goodwill gesture.

(btw, it does say LM Next Ltd on their T&Cs on their website)......

I emailed them asking for more information regarding this voucher (and what were the limitations of it, if any) and to date they've not responded to me.

In the meantime, they've rejected my claim in the small claims court and I cannot find anywhere online that can guide me on the possible scenario were I to lose (I cannot afford a lawyer).

And meanwhile, I have just over 2 weeks to decide what to do with that, and part of me feels they're stalling so that I run out of time.....

The reason I did go the SCC way was because I'd seen a Barrister on YouTube stating Agents MUST return money within 14 days (I actually think it's 7, I'd have to watch the video again).  Also, there is a YT video of someone taking Lastminute to small claims court and he won, and he advised anyone else suffering the same to do the same.

I am annoyed that all I want is my money back so I can use that to buy another ticket, failing that I would accept a voucher, but to hear nothing from LM and for them to reject my claim puts me on the back foot.

I don't know what to do.

I did purchase this ticket using PayPal, but PayPal have a policy of only one dispute per transaction and I'd already used that up on something else related to this whole sorry sage with Lastminute, AA, BA (the flight was operated by them) and the pandemic situation.....

I just want my money back.

Please can someone advise?

Many thanks.

PS - I have learned a lesson and that's never to use an Agent again, there is/was no advantage, and I only did so because of what I typed in on my Google Search for flights to USA. 

Stuck_1963

I should explain a bit deeper;

I paid Lastminute for the ticket in Sept. 2021.

The email I got from LM telling me my flight was cancelled came to me in mid-December 2021......

My actual flight itself was due for departure in early Feb 2022.

(so I got told very early on about the cancellation prior to the actual flight itself).