Fraudulent use of my easyJet voucher

EricSt

In April 2024 we were given the devastating blow that my husband was diagnosed with acute myeloid leukaemia. As he took on the battle starting the day after with chemotherapy I began to unpick the year ahead plans, including our holiday to Spain.

In April 2024 i submitted a critical illness form to EasyJet resulting in a voucher being given for 12 months.

After 3 rounds of chemotherapy we were advised my husband would need a stem cell transplant, which after a fourth round of intensive chemotherapy and radiotherapy happened in December 2024 leaving him in hospital for another 4 weeks on top of the 5 ish month he had already been in hospitality that year receiving treatment. 

In December 2024, knowing my husband wouldn’t be able to travel within the voucher parameters I called EasyJet only to be told that I had to call back in April 25. Yet again causing further stress on top of an incredibly heartbreaking situation. 

During my entire contact with EasyJet my intention hadn’t changed, we wanted to use the voucher. I called back in March 2025 to extend the voucher (as advised my easyJet and was given a further blow only to be advised the voucher had been spent. My children have spent 6 months without their daddy as he underwent treatment and was unable to see them as he was an infection risk due to his condition and treatment, a holiday was our light at the end of the tunnel.

EasyJet say there is nothing that can be done and we must have given the voucher as a ‘thoughtful gift’. The only thought on our minds were fighting the Leukaemia and going in a well deserved holiday with our family.

We have been stonewalled by easyJet who won’t let us know any details of how, where or when the voucher has been spent. And just left us with it’s been spent and nothing they can do about it. The voucher was for approximately £1100 and has just added ad extra layer onto the trauma we are going through.

Has anyone else experienced the same? Any advice? We have reported it as a fraud, and raised it through ADR.

caprikid1

"This isn't fraud. Not sure why you think it is fraud?"

Someone has obtained goods (Flights) by deception ?. The OP did not use the voucher, unless someone did a typo I cannot see it's anything else.

What's your definition of fraud ?

Flugelhorn

sounds like one for a consumer rights journalist 

user1977

caprikid1 said:

"This isn't fraud. Not sure why you think it is fraud?"

Someone has obtained goods (Flights) by deception ?. The OP did not use the voucher, unless someone did a typo I cannot see it's anything else.

What's your definition of fraud ?

I suspect it's more likely the voucher has been "spent" by going out of date. Their (current) terms say it only lasts for six months. Given the OP (presumably) didn't have a ticket which entitled them to cancel/amend the booking, and only got the voucher as a goodwill gesture, I'm not sure they have any legal entitlement - but I would still persist given the circumstances and confusing messaging.

As above though, this is really a job for travel insurance.

BFBW

user1977 said:

caprikid1 said:

"This isn't fraud. Not sure why you think it is fraud?"

Someone has obtained goods (Flights) by deception ?. The OP did not use the voucher, unless someone did a typo I cannot see it's anything else.

What's your definition of fraud ?

I suspect it's more likely the voucher has been "spent" by going out of date. Their (current) terms say it only lasts for six months. Given the OP (presumably) didn't have a ticket which entitled them to cancel/amend the booking, and only got the voucher as a goodwill gesture, I'm not sure they have any legal entitlement - but I would still persist given the circumstances and confusing messaging.

As above though, this is really a job for travel insurance.

Really?

EasyJet say there is nothing that can be done and we must have given the voucher as a ‘thoughtful gift’

How do you explain that away? 

user1977

BFBW said:

user1977 said:

caprikid1 said:

"This isn't fraud. Not sure why you think it is fraud?"

Someone has obtained goods (Flights) by deception ?. The OP did not use the voucher, unless someone did a typo I cannot see it's anything else.

What's your definition of fraud ?

I suspect it's more likely the voucher has been "spent" by going out of date. Their (current) terms say it only lasts for six months. Given the OP (presumably) didn't have a ticket which entitled them to cancel/amend the booking, and only got the voucher as a goodwill gesture, I'm not sure they have any legal entitlement - but I would still persist given the circumstances and confusing messaging.

As above though, this is really a job for travel insurance.

Really?

EasyJet say there is nothing that can be done and we must have given the voucher as a ‘thoughtful gift’

How do you explain that away? 

I expect the call centre operative has just looked up the voucher, found no remaining balance and assumed that it's been spent (rather than expired). As ever, c0ck-up is more likely than anything more nefarious.

TheShape

BFBW said:

user1977 said:

caprikid1 said:

"This isn't fraud. Not sure why you think it is fraud?"

Someone has obtained goods (Flights) by deception ?. The OP did not use the voucher, unless someone did a typo I cannot see it's anything else.

What's your definition of fraud ?

I suspect it's more likely the voucher has been "spent" by going out of date. Their (current) terms say it only lasts for six months. Given the OP (presumably) didn't have a ticket which entitled them to cancel/amend the booking, and only got the voucher as a goodwill gesture, I'm not sure they have any legal entitlement - but I would still persist given the circumstances and confusing messaging.

As above though, this is really a job for travel insurance.

Really?

EasyJet say there is nothing that can be done and we must have given the voucher as a ‘thoughtful gift’

How do you explain that away? 

My initial thought was perhaps the voucher was 'spent' as in 'past expiry'.

My second thought is that whoever communicated to the OP did not understand 'spent' as in the above definition and assumed it had been 'spent' in some way by the OP.

Green_hopeful

You could try the Guardian consumer champions. 

We welcome letters but cannot answer individually. Email us at consumer.champions@theguardian.com or write to Consumer Champions, Money, the Guardian, 90 York Way, London N1 9GU. Please include a daytime phone number. Submission and publication of all letters is subject to our terms and conditions.

EricSt

caprikid1 said:

"This isn't fraud. Not sure why you think it is fraud?"

Someone has obtained goods (Flights) by deception ?. The OP did not use the voucher, unless someone did a typo I cannot see it's anything else.

What's your definition of fraud ?

The voucher hasn’t expired. EasyJet are saying someone has spent it. Which don’t occur by us. They are saying that we could have given it as a gift to someone else, which again didn’t occur. However now the voucher has been used (not by us) we have lost £1100.

BFBW

EricSt said:

caprikid1 said:

"This isn't fraud. Not sure why you think it is fraud?"

Someone has obtained goods (Flights) by deception ?. The OP did not use the voucher, unless someone did a typo I cannot see it's anything else.

What's your definition of fraud ?

The voucher hasn’t expired. EasyJet are saying someone has spent it. Which don’t occur by us. They are saying that we could have given it as a gift to someone else, which again didn’t occur. However now the voucher has been used (not by us) we have lost £1100.

Did you ever use this portal to check your voucher expiry? https://www.easyjet.com/en/help/voucher-details