Was supposed to be going away 12 May, TUI just advised they are cancelling. Didn't expect anything else. But the better half has had to renew her passport, which I have done on line, did all the gubbins last Tuesday, posted her old one off Tuesday teatime and the new one popped through the letter box this morning, hows that for a service. Also she has a proper blue one now not one of the multinational ones.
According to the consumer magazine ' Which ', the magazine say's that Tui have told them that they will not be offering refunds on holiday's cancelled, that they will not be issuing refunds only rebooking.
Seems strange after I have been told twice I was to get a full refund, under European rules we should have had the full refund in 15 days of Tui cancelling holiday.
Abta is currently lobbying the government to formally change the rules of the package travel regulations to allow travel agents to legally issue credit notes rather than refunds.
For now, customers retain the right to a cash refund.
No good going to ABTA, ABTA has said it won't take enforcement action against its members in regards to complaints about coronavirus related refunds.
Fair enough holiday companies have to be be given time to make refunds due to the coronavirus, but now Tui saying they won't pay refunds is going back on the information given on their website, saying full refunds will be given.
May be Tui like other companies are hoping that the lobbying of the government to move the goal posts, re giving credit notes will go through, so holding onto customer refunds for this purpose.
Has I said in a earlier post, as a final throw of the dice is use a section 75 claim if you have paid using your credit card.
Which magazine does the form on its website.
Not strange at all. Like I said in an earlier post, Tui is in serious financial trouble. They do not have the cash in the business to pay out refunds. They've applied to German government for a bailout.
This from the FT... "Tui, the world's largest tour operator, has received approval for a €1.8bn loan to help it survive an almost total shutdown of its operations, including its airline, hotels and cruise ships as a result of coronavirus.
The bridging loan, which is being provided by the German state-owned development bank KfW, will boost Tui’s existing €1.75bn credit facility, giving it more than €3bn in finance.
Tui’s shares have fallen more than 60 per cent this year as governments have closed borders and shut down hotels in an attempt to stop coronavirus spreading. "
After 2 telephone calls & Tui telling me my holiday refund going in bank, plus a Tui in house message regarding the refund, I decided that I would claim against my card provider on a Section 75 claim.
The claim letter went Monday morning 20 April 2020, Tuesday evening 21 April 2020, my full refund in my account.
Do not know whether card provider or Tui put the money in the account, I am waiting for correspondence from my card provider, but my refund of £1009.60 is safely back with me.
A Which? report into the travel industry says holiday companies are offering credit notes and not refunds. I doubt its Tui that made the refund.
"According to the travel industry’s own estimates, up to £7bn could be owed for cancelled trips. However, industry bodies such as Iata, for airlines, and Abta, for travel firms, say firms would be bankrupted by repaying now as they are receiving no booking revenue."
https://www.theguardian.com/business...ch-coronavirus
Just paid for a holiday in Rhodes (on request from Jet2) on the 25th of June knowing there is little chance of actually going.
TUIs credit rating is taking a bashing with S&P and Moody downgrading, also, I think credit card charge backs will also take its toll