Ferry bookings .... Refunds ??

[Helicoptermanr22]

Well ive asked for a full refund stating that i wont be using it etc 3 times and i got this.

message
I'm sorry you're disappointed with the voucher.


These are unprecedented times and undoubtedly everyone is working hard to negotiate the many challenges the world faces in the coming weeks and months.


For our part, we employ 3,000 people, operate in a very seasonal market and trade in two of the industries most severely impacted by the global outbreak
leisure and travel.


The pandemic's impact on our business, people and customers is without parallel. We have to act now to secure our long-term future and the welfare of our teams, their families and the communities we serve. Clearly we also want to take you on holiday in the future, when the current crisis passes and normality returns.


We're confident we'll be able to do that, but need to adopt some considerable, exceptional changes to our business model in order to do so. Your refund voucher is one of those changes, acknowledged as necessary at this time by ABTA and other organisations. Emergency legislation permitting the same and encouraging customers to accept credit notes to try and lessen the considerable strain on all operators (and protect the vital services some of us provide), is being assessed.

We're working hard to navigate a viable, reasonable course through this economic storm that enables us to provide some form of refund, as much customer retention as possible and a safeguard to our customers, employees and communities of a brighter future when this cloud passes.


I'm sorry for the further disappointment this email will bring.


Kind Regards

[Flipflop]

I think they look after people well.

Maybe they do and maybe they don't.
We were with them one year and the crew went on strike and we were supposed to get a ferry back here from St Malo.
They put us on a ferry from Calais to Dover with another company though they did refund us money for a stay in a hotel and fuel to Calais.
Not a very pleasant drive from St Malo to Calais as it's a fair old trek.

It’s 320 miles of non motorway driving with fuel and hotel paid for - that’s 160 miles a day through the French countryside. A cheap picnic lunch both days, that’s basically how we spend our summer holidays every year - except we usually travel further in a day and camp.

[92kk k100lt 193214]

The thing is the situation is unprecedented.

Its simply not possible financially across all the companies to do refunds much as all of us might like or as is perhaps our right at the moment. They don't have the cash flow and its not a reflection on their viability or strength. A company that does vouchers and credit notes is far more likely to be around in the future than a company that suddenly pays out 2 or 3 months peak business in cash refunds and ends up with no reserves. Fixed overheads don't go away, so they still have costs.

Perhaps there may be a change to this rule and the credit notes guaranteed. Makes a lot more sense now.

[Peirre]

If you paid the fare with your credit card shouldn’t you be able to get around the credit note by asking the credit card company to pay you under the section 72 consumer credit act ??

[Flipflop]

If you paid the fare with your credit card shouldn’t you be able to get around the credit note by asking the credit card company to pay you under the section 72 consumer credit act ??

Yes, if you pay with a credit card, you’re covered

[johnnyboxer]

Coronavirus: Ferries need financial help to survive pandemic, says trade association https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-52166995

Thoughts ???

Fuck’em

Somebody will fill the gap

As I know you’re not a troll - this statement makes me very sad for the society we live in. It won’t be Covid 19 that destroys our world as we know it but human sentiments like this.

I was being flippant after a few lockdown beers

Yes I agree with you - but I do have some angst with some operators who won’t refund people

My partner was due to fly to Eire this Easter with Ryanair and obviously it’s cancelled

Can she get any money back, can she hell - website is blocked and refund section greyed out and to call them costs a fortune on a premium rate number

So she has invoked a refund via her Credit Card

Operators could be handling it better

[AlanHolt]

The thing is, nobody knows how long the movement restrictions will last. The WHO say it could be 'many months', and possibly 18 months until a vaccine is available.

Personally, i'm in the unfortunate position of being self-employed, unable to work and I don't qualify for financial support, so the €361 BF is holding in the form of a voucher would be enough to buy me food for the next 14 weeks. I'm not a frequent traveller, and if I come out of this pandemic in debt, the possibility of having a jolly in the next 2 years will be slim at best.

So my business looks set to close permanantly this month (it costs €298 a month just to remain self-employed in Spain), I can't get a job, can't get benefits and don't know how or when i'll get out of the hole i'm currently in, so asking for €361 from a company which made €8milion profit last year isn't unreasonable and won't stop me sleeping at night.

[Peirre]

I’ve been looking at the moneysaving expert site for info on debit card charge backs and section 75 credit card claims from Brittany Ferries and other travel operators.
It seems that under the emergency government legislation the card companies have been given a cop out, because the ferry companies etc are offering credit notes, the banks and credit card companies are refusing chargeback claims because of the valid credit notes offered, however I can’t find any further details of the success of refused claims by the card companies that people are taking to the ombudsman in an attempt to fight back

[smudger272]

The thing is the situation is unprecedented.

Its simply not possible financially across all the companies to do refunds much as all of us might like or as is perhaps our right at the moment. They don't have the cash flow and its not a reflection on their viability or strength. A company that does vouchers and credit notes is far more likely to be around in the future than a company that suddenly pays out 2 or 3 months peak business in cash refunds and ends up with no reserves. Fixed overheads don't go away, so they still have costs.

Perhaps there may be a change to this rule and the credit notes guaranteed. Makes a lot more sense now.

Wikipedia
Revenue
Increase €444.2 million (2018)
Total assets
€444.2 million (2018)

[smudger272]

If you paid the fare with your credit card shouldn’t you be able to get around the credit note by asking the credit card company to pay you under the section 72 consumer credit act ??

Yes, if you pay with a credit card, you’re covered

I did luckily but was looking forward going to Portugal though