Dispute with Wowcher for Non-Existent Flights and Refund Refusal

annafx

I was promised and paid for 2 vouchers consisting of:

• Two-night 4* Milan city break with breakfast.

• Return flights from Edinburgh to Milan.

Issues:

1. Non-Existent Flights: The return flights include a layover in Stockholm, but these flights don’t exist on the specified dates (confirmed via Skyscanner and Google flights etc). The company refuses to provide evidence they exist including which airline they are with (so I could check with them), until I confirm the booking.

2. Overcharging: Offered direct return flight for an optional upgrade of £79 per person, but it costs £28 on Skyscanner for the same direct return flight. They have been pressuring me into this option, I suspect because of the flights in the one I don’t have to pay extra for not existing.

3. Refund Refusal: Despite being within the 14-day cooling-off period, Wowcher refused a refund, citing voucher redemption. My holiday is not confirmed.

The T&C’s say this “If not redemed within 48 hours, the voucher wil auto-redeem, and the customer should contact the travel agent to book. This does not impact the customer's right to a change of mind refund within 14 days unless the holiday is booked.” Does this read to others as though I am still entitled to a refund as I haven’t booked the holiday?

Also what can I do about the included indirect flights home not existing, I read some terrible reviews online of the agent dealing with this holiday (92% were 1 star) and apparently others have noticed the same happen to them with flights not existing and were told last minute the flights were full and they’d have to pay to move to different ones. I suspect that’s what they’d do to me as well.

Aylesbury_Duck

annafx said:

I was promised and paid for 2 vouchers consisting of:

• Two-night 4* Milan city break with breakfast.

• Return flights from Edinburgh to Milan.

Issues:

1. Non-Existent Flights: The return flights include a layover in Stockholm, but these flights don’t exist on the specified dates (confirmed via Skyscanner and Google flights etc). The company refuses to provide evidence they exist including which airline they are with (so I could check with them), until I confirm the booking.

2. Overcharging: Offered direct return flight for an optional upgrade of £79 per person, but it costs £28 on Skyscanner for the same direct return flight. They have been pressuring me into this option, I suspect because of the flights in the one I don’t have to pay extra for not existing.

3. Refund Refusal: Despite being within the 14-day cooling-off period, Wowcher refused a refund, citing voucher redemption. My holiday is not confirmed.

The T&C’s say this “If not redemed within 48 hours, the voucher wil auto-redeem, and the customer should contact the travel agent to book. This does not impact the customer's right to a change of mind refund within 14 days unless the holiday is booked.” Does this read to others as though I am still entitled to a refund as I haven’t booked the holiday?

Also what can I do about the included indirect flights home not existing, I read some terrible reviews online of the agent dealing with this holiday (92% were 1 star) and apparently others have noticed the same happen to them with flights not existing and were told last minute the flights were full and they’d have to pay to move to different ones. I suspect that’s what they’d do to me as well.

Yes, that's how I interpret it.  However, what form is that refund in?  Wowcher credit, perhaps?

Points 1 and 2 are moot, I think.  It's point 3 where you have a case, but check the terms because I suspect the refund may be in wowcher credit.

As is often the case with Wowcher, the "bargain" can turn out to be anything but, and as you and many others have discovered, inserting an intermediary between you the customer and the actual retailer can close off routes for redress that may have been available had you paid by card.

annafx

annafx said:

I was promised and paid for 2 vouchers consisting of:

• Two-night 4* Milan city break with breakfast.

• Return flights from Edinburgh to Milan.

Issues:

1. Non-Existent Flights: The return flights include a layover in Stockholm, but these flights don’t exist on the specified dates (confirmed via Skyscanner and Google flights etc). The company refuses to provide evidence they exist including which airline they are with (so I could check with them), until I confirm the booking.

2. Overcharging: Offered direct return flight for an optional upgrade of £79 per person, but it costs £28 on Skyscanner for the same direct return flight. They have been pressuring me into this option, I suspect because of the flights in the one I don’t have to pay extra for not existing.

3. Refund Refusal: Despite being within the 14-day cooling-off period, Wowcher refused a refund, citing voucher redemption. My holiday is not confirmed.

The T&C’s say this “If not redemed within 48 hours, the voucher wil auto-redeem, and the customer should contact the travel agent to book. This does not impact the customer's right to a change of mind refund within 14 days unless the holiday is booked.” Does this read to others as though I am still entitled to a refund as I haven’t booked the holiday?

Also what can I do about the included indirect flights home not existing, I read some terrible reviews online of the agent dealing with this holiday (92% were 1 star) and apparently others have noticed the same happen to them with flights not existing and were told last minute the flights were full and they’d have to pay to move to different ones. I suspect that’s what they’d do to me as well.

Yes, that's how I interpret it.  However, what form is that refund in?  Wowcher credit, perhaps?

Points 1 and 2 are moot, I think.  It's point 3 where you have a case, but check the terms because I suspect the refund may be in wowcher credit.

As is often the case with Wowcher, the "bargain" can turn out to be anything but, and as you and many others have discovered, inserting an intermediary between you the customer and the actual retailer can close off routes for redress that may have been available had you paid by card.

Appreciate the advice, thanks! I think with point 1 they say on the deal page the prices are based on Skyscanner and booking.com so the flights not being listed on Skyscanner is surely going to arouse suspicions about the purchase not being as described but it it enough..

As for the refund thing I agree with you it technically could mean credit, although I’d argue that’s misleading as “refund” to most usually assumes your original payment method whether that might be PayPal, credit card or wowcher credit if you had some. 

I did find their FAQ page which said this though “We offer a no-quibble 14 day money back guarantee on all unredeemed vouchers (starting from the day after the day on which you receive your voucher) whereby if you originally paid in cash, you can receive a 100% cash refund or 100% Wowcher Wallet Credit/ Deal Credit or, if you paid using Wowcher Wallet/ Deal Credit, you can receive
a 100% Wowcher Wallet Credit/ Deal Credit.”

I guess the tricky thing in play is the voucher is technically redeemed on their system despite the fact you must do this to get any further info on the holiday such as flight times and potential additional costs, in any case I do think a credit refund is the minimum that could be expected.

born_again

annafx said:

annafx said:

I was promised and paid for 2 vouchers consisting of:

• Two-night 4* Milan city break with breakfast.

• Return flights from Edinburgh to Milan.

Issues:

1. Non-Existent Flights: The return flights include a layover in Stockholm, but these flights don’t exist on the specified dates (confirmed via Skyscanner and Google flights etc). The company refuses to provide evidence they exist including which airline they are with (so I could check with them), until I confirm the booking.

2. Overcharging: Offered direct return flight for an optional upgrade of £79 per person, but it costs £28 on Skyscanner for the same direct return flight. They have been pressuring me into this option, I suspect because of the flights in the one I don’t have to pay extra for not existing.

3. Refund Refusal: Despite being within the 14-day cooling-off period, Wowcher refused a refund, citing voucher redemption. My holiday is not confirmed.

The T&C’s say this “If not redemed within 48 hours, the voucher wil auto-redeem, and the customer should contact the travel agent to book. This does not impact the customer's right to a change of mind refund within 14 days unless the holiday is booked.” Does this read to others as though I am still entitled to a refund as I haven’t booked the holiday?

Also what can I do about the included indirect flights home not existing, I read some terrible reviews online of the agent dealing with this holiday (92% were 1 star) and apparently others have noticed the same happen to them with flights not existing and were told last minute the flights were full and they’d have to pay to move to different ones. I suspect that’s what they’d do to me as well.

Yes, that's how I interpret it.  However, what form is that refund in?  Wowcher credit, perhaps?

Points 1 and 2 are moot, I think.  It's point 3 where you have a case, but check the terms because I suspect the refund may be in wowcher credit.

As is often the case with Wowcher, the "bargain" can turn out to be anything but, and as you and many others have discovered, inserting an intermediary between you the customer and the actual retailer can close off routes for redress that may have been available had you paid by card.

Appreciate the advice, thanks! I think with point 1 they say on the deal page the prices are based on Skyscanner and booking.com so the flights not being listed on Skyscanner is surely going to arouse suspicions about the purchase not being as described but it it enough..

As for the refund thing I agree with you it technically could mean credit, although I’d argue that’s misleading as “refund” to most usually assumes your original payment method whether that might be PayPal, credit card or wowcher credit if you had some. 

I did find their FAQ page which said this though “We offer a no-quibble 14 day money back guarantee on all unredeemed vouchers (starting from the day after the day on which you receive your voucher) whereby if you originally paid in cash, you can receive a 100% cash refund or 100% Wowcher Wallet Credit/ Deal Credit or, if you paid using Wowcher Wallet/ Deal Credit, you can receive
a 100% Wowcher Wallet Credit/ Deal Credit.”

I guess the tricky thing in play is the voucher is technically redeemed on their system despite the fact you must do this to get any further info on the holiday such as flight times and potential additional costs, in any case I do think a credit refund is the minimum that could be expected.

You pay Wowcher for voucher to redeem at the retailer. Once you have redeemed it, What you bought from Wowcher has been used.
So the best you can really hope for is a Wowcher credit if they want to be generous.

Not every product has a 14 day cooling off period. 
As you redeemed the voucher you have negated the 14 day, even if it was applicable anyway 🤷‍♀️