FURIOUS Brits have blasted Virgin Holidays for failing to refund thousands of pounds FOUR months after cancelling their trips. More than 4,000 sun-seekers have joined a campaign called Virgin No Refund Support Group in a desperate bid to get their money back. Some fuming customers claim they have been waiting almost four months for cash […]
FURIOUS Brits have blasted Virgin Holidays for failing to refund thousands of pounds FOUR months after cancelling their trips.
More than 4,000 sun-seekers have joined a campaign called Virgin No Refund Support Group in a desperate bid to get their money back.
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Some fuming customers claim they have been waiting almost four months for cash that was promised to be refunded “between 10 and 14 days”.
Others said they have been met with silence from the company, which is owned by billionaire Richard Branson, in the wake of the Covid-19 pandemic.
The competitions watchdog has received 27,000 consumer complaints about airlines and holiday firms failing to refund customers for cancelled trips and has since launched an investigation.
Virgin Holidays and Virgin Atlantic are among the travel companies slammed by consumer group Which? for “breaking the law” by failing to refund passengers.
THE Competitions and Marketing Authority (CMA) has issued a statement on its views on cancellations and refunds during the current crisis.
In most cases, the CMA would expect a full refund to be offered if:
For customers that have already received some, but not all, of the services they paid for, a refund should be expected for value of the goods not received, the CMA says.
However, if customers have received something of value, they would generally be expected to pay for it and will not usually be entitled to all their money back.
Ongoing contracts
Where a customer pays a fee for an ongoing service, the CMA expects refunds to be issued for:
Business may be allowed to ask for a small contribution to its costs until normal services resume, but only where the contract terms set this out clearly and fairly.
Future contracts
Businesses can accept payments for future bookings, but only for services that it knows it can provide.
Credits and re-booking
Customers shouldn’t be pressured into accepting vouchers over cash refunds from businesses.
If a credit note is received, it should be available to use under the same terms as the original booking.
Timing
The CMA says it understands that refunds may take longer than usual, but businesses should still be expected to process payments in a timely manner.
Non-refundable payments and fees
Refund rights will apply even for non-refundable services.
The CMA says businesses should also not be expected to apply an admin fee to process refunds.
How do I complain?
If you think you’ve been affected by an unfair cancellation during the coronavirus crisis, you can report a firm to the CMA by using this online form.
TUI, Ryanair and British Airways are also on the list of those failing to treat customers’ fairly.
Virgin customer Jane Coneley, from Nottingham, wrote in the Facebook group that she is still owed £42,517 for a once-in-a-life-time holiday to the US.
She had her 11-strong family trip to New York and Florida cancelled on March 23.
But despite being promised a refund, she claims to still be waiting for her money.
Writing in the group, Jane fumed: “I now have a solicitor involved. We couldn’t go again, for health reasons and school commitments.
“Would I ever use Virgin again? NO. I’m cancelling my Virgin Atlantic credit card and will not use any company which is part of the Virgin brand.”
Lynn Puttock, from Guildford, Surrey, claims to have been waiting 81 days to get her £5,289.57 back.
She raged: “Virgin Holidays cancelled our holiday to St Lucia on 17th March – we were due to fly on 18th March.
VIRGIN Atlantic should be your first port of call if you're looking to get your money back.
If you’re struggling to reach an agreement with the airline, you can escalate your claim to an alternative dispute resolution (ADR) body.
Virgin Atlantic is a member of the AviationADR group – you can find information on how to start a complaint here.
If you booked through a third-party company, you’ll need to contact them regarding a refund or alternative flight.
But if you’re struggling to get a refund, you may be able to make a claim through your credit or debit card provider.
Credit card payments between £100 and £30,000 are covered under Section 75 of the Consumer Rights Act.
To start a claim, you need to contact your credit card provider directly – Which? has a free tool that can help you do this.
Those with flights and hotels booked by debit card may be able to claim a refund via their banks using the Chargeback scheme.
Claims apply for purchases made by debit card, or by credit card for purchases under £100, and must be done within 120 days of the transaction.
To start a chargeback claim, you need to contact your card provider but as it isn’t written into law there is no guarantee you’ll get your money back.
You may also be able to claim money back through your travel insurance provider, but this depends on the terms and conditions of your policy.
You should speak to your policy provider to discuss your options.
“At the time of cancellation advised refund would take between 10 and 14 days. To date we haven’t received a penny – 81 days so far.”
Retired policewoman Cath Taylor fears she may never see her £7,300 again.
Cath, from Sunderland, wrote: “Booked my dream holiday to the Maldives for April 6, after retiring from the police service and its the only ever time I have been able to afford such a fabulous holiday but its was a special occasion.
“I was told I would receive my refund within 14 days. I’m still waiting.”
She added: “I don’t mind waiting as long as I know I will get my money back but its a long time to stress over, wondering if Virgin will go bust and not getting a penny back.
“It’s a lot of money to me but its only pennies to Richard Branson and I have no doubt his company will recover from this, but I will never ever book through Virgin again.
“Their customer service is appalling.”
A spokesman for Virgin Atlantic insisted that all customers eligible for a refund will get one.
He said: “Virgin Atlantic continues to respond to a huge volume of enquiries, with our absolute focus on supporting all of our valued customers, whether to amend, rebook or cancel plans during this unprecedented Covid-19 crisis.
“While our customer centre building remains closed and advisors continue to work from home, we’re very grateful for our customers’ patience.
“We’re using all available resources and exploring solutions to speed up refund payments for cancelled trips, with all scheduled passenger flights now cancelled up to and including 19 July 2020.
“As we continue to receive a large and increasing number of refund requests unfortunately these are taking longer than usual to be processed.”
He added: “We would reassure all of our customers that if they’ve eligibly requested a refund they will receive one, and the work to process refunds is ongoing, prioritising bookings based on how long they have been in the refund queue and working in chronological order from March 2020 onwards.
“We don’t underestimate the importance of these refunds to our customers and will complete their request, providing a more accurate timeframe when it is available.”
