Coronavirus

[PaulCP]

11 hours ago, march said:

BBC are doing there best to batter the government for doing it too quickly having spent the last months bashing them for acting far too slowly at the start. Even watched them try to bait a holiday maker into blaming the government but failed miserably as she took a very pragmatic approach to the whole thing - bet they don't repeat that interview 🙄.

I saw that interview on the BBC this morning and said to the wife “they didn’t get what they wanted despite the interviewer trying to put words into the mouths of the couple being interviewed”

[LotusLeftLotusRight]

TUI cancelled our family holiday 3 and a half weeks ago (not Spain). They agreed a full refund within the maximum 14 days allowed by the Law. They repaid the credit card deposit of £200 but have still not re-paid the Direct Debit balance of £5600 24 days later. E-mails to their various Customer Services accounts are being bounced back 36 hours later. This was all before the Spain announcement, so no excuses. They’ve had my money for months. It’s criminal. I have used them every year for ages for our family holidays and they are my single largest annual spend. They’ve now lost a loyal customer. Any suggestions on how to get my money back pronto?

[PaulCP]

10 hours ago, sailorbob said:

I do think the 14 day quarantine imposed on travellers returning from Spain has been handled in a very shambolic manner. Surely it's not beyond the wit of someone to analyse the data , look for an upward trend and if there's a projection that the rate of infection is going to be larger than is acceptable to only then advise that quarantine will be imposed in X number of days.

 

9 hours ago, pete said:

Hardly shambolic, would have said decisive

Exactly, hardly shambolic at all, but I see that (surprise, surprise), Labour are calling the move shambolic.

So fcking predictable, WTF would the Labour reaction be if cases spiked here in 3 weeks time due to delaying the introduction of new quarantine requirements.  Incredible reaction from an opposition who just oppose everything the govt does😠

[andydclements]

4 minutes ago, LotusLeftLotusRight said:

TUI cancelled our family holiday 3 and a half weeks ago (not Spain). They agreed a full refund within the maximum 14 days allowed by the Law. They repaid the credit card deposit of £200 but have still not re-paid the Direct Debit balance of £5600 24 days later. E-mails to their various Customer Services accounts are being bounced back 36 hours later. This was all before the Spain announcement, so no excuses. They’ve had my money for months. It’s criminal. I have used them every year for ages for our family holidays and they are my single largest annual spend. They’ve now lost a loyal customer. Any suggestions on how to get my money back pronto?

The Credit card company are equally liable for the product, so you can start a claim back via them. It does not matter that the cc deposit has been repaid, it doesn't matter that only £200 was via CC. Start a Section 77 claim by contacting the card issuer.

[Barrykearley]

Yeah - issue a statutory demand for your cash. Nice and simple - easy to do - gets results.

They have been dire for years - I’ve a Facebook complaints group with over 17k members. https://www.facebook.com/groups/1902618720065164/?ref=share

@andydclements I agree that’s normally the best way - but cc companies are simply trying to distance themselves from this. Even if you get the money refunded TUI have actually succeeded in thousands of cases to dispute this and recharge it - even though they have had to return the cash in the end. You couldn’t make it up.

Edited July 27, 2020 by Bibs

[C8RKH]

Section 75 claim against the credit company could work as you paid over 100 on it. Request refund for service paid for not delivered then leave the CC company to fight with TUI.

[andydclements]

@Barrykearley I thjink you are confusing a credit card chargeback and consumer credit act claim (which @C8RKH correctly stated as  sec 75, since sec 77 is a different type of credit product not the card) .The former is where you get the CC company to dispute the sum, and the retailer can charge the funds again f they can prove it was an authorised transaction. Under the consumer credit act it's not about disputing the transaction, it's a law that protects the consumer and TUI would have no ability to re-charge.

[Barrykearley]

The consumer law is already clear - full refund within 14 days - and they couldn’t give a flying f£ck about that.

[C8RKH]

So you go to Spain on holiday. You're a front line health worker. Your partner isn't. 

You return and go to work dealing with sick and vulnerable people.

You're partner has to quarantine for 2 weeks, in the same house as you.

What am I missing as my head is telling me only a complete idiot could make that up! 🙄

[Chillidoggy]

I see that the bastion of morality, RyanAir, has announced it will still continue to run its flights to Spain as planned. Of course, that’s because it won’t have to refund anyone if the flight isn’t cancelled.

[C8RKH]

There are also many people on furlough still and benefits, so of course going on holiday is fine for them as they don't need to worry about work/loss of earnings when they come back and get quarantined!  

Probably prompting a backlash here but these are probably Ryanairs target market anyway, so job done!

Personally, I would rather put red hot needles into my testicles and pull out my eyeballs with long nose pliers than fly with Ryanair. Maybe I'm just a snob!

[Sparky]

Never have flown them, never will.  They're an example of everything that's wrong with humanity.  I agree about their target market.

[Chillidoggy]

And Jet2 are jumping on the bandwagon, too. Still pushing ahead with bookings, despite the fact that going against FCO advice voids travel insurance.

[PaulCP]

Hmmm 🤔, I wonder if they are selling (mis-selling?) travel insurance along with those packages as well !

[Chillidoggy]

I wouldn’t discount the possibility.

https://www.jet2insurance.com/

 

[C8RKH]

So, I know it's not Chinese Flu, it's Covid-19, but.....

 

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-52573137

[LotusLeftLotusRight]

One other con with TUI: if you bought your travel insurance through them,

a) you have to contact their insurance partner directly (AXA).

b) AXA will only refund you 65% of the money paid.

c) AXA will only refund you that 65% AFTER TUI has refunded all of their own dues.

So presumably if TUI can stretch out delaying the holiday refund payment, then AXA can say it’s too late to cancel the policy.
 

Whilst on the subject of TUI, I saw the MD being interviewed on BBC Breakfast this morning. He was sunning himself at Lake Como, so I sent him a direct e-mail. Of course, it probably won’t even reach his inbox, but it was worth a try. The only message I have got from them so far arrived this afternoon and is effectively a repeat of their original 02.07.20 cancellation document, but now with today’s date! I wonder if they’re trying to defraud the system by unilaterally trying to change the start dates for their refund obligations? Frankly I haven’t got a clue because they don’t want to be contacted.

 

[Chillidoggy]

Not a good situation to be in, indeed I’m expecting something similar in the next few weeks. Did you buy travel insurance, because that might well save the day. Mine covers me (at least how I read it) in the event FCO advice is not to travel, so if it all goes tits-up with BA, I shall be turning in that direction.

Edited July 27, 2020 by Bibs

[C8RKH]

Jet2 have seen the light

https://www.express.co.uk/travel/articles/1315045/jet2-flights-spain-holidays-quarantine-uk-news-latest

[C8RKH]

It's official, people are stupid.

Guy being interviewed re the Canaries/Spain travel ban says "but what's the problem, the COVID rates are generally lower here than in the UK so everyone should come here and the Spanish Government is right to think this is ludicrous". The obvious, intelligent retort should have been something like "so, you're encouraging people to travel from the higher infection rates in the UK, to the Canaries and Spain. Does that not put the local population at greater risk of an infection spike given their is no testing nor quarantine when people arrive?" - I mean am I missing something here and of course the Spanish Government is pissed because of the economic impact.  My stance, tough shit - pay back for your constant shenanigans over Gibraltar. Get over it.

Also, next rationale - "but there is generally less of an infection rate in Canaries to rest of Spain. That's why people from all over (infected) Spain are coming here for their holidays" - so, come to the Canaries because it's too early for us to have spiked as all the infected people from Catalonia and the UK etc have only just got here and the spike hasn't hit yet".  Either I'm thick, or..........  

[Bravo73]

18 hours ago, C8RKH said:

So, I know it's not Chinese Flu, it's Covid-19, but.....

Yes, Julie... 🙄🤦‍♂️

[Bibs]

Contains plenty of foul language and awkward suggestions with baked bean tins.

 

[Chillidoggy]

Is there anyone other than me that wants to punch this bloke?

Edited July 28, 2020 by Bibs

[C8RKH]

49 minutes ago, Bravo73 said:

Yes, Julie... 🙄🤦‍♂️

So funny I nearly died.... 

[Barrykearley]