Anyone still considering travel and using Airbnb should book very carefully!
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Choice is quoted about Flight Centre’s responses.
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An update on pressures to update consumer protections.
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Hi @clubman
I just sent you a private message. I would be more than happy to try and assist you with your battle to get your money back.
Cheers
Adam
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I sent a reply to the email I received Adam. Should I post the information here, also what number can I contact you on please? Thanks Ian
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Having booked trip with Scenic in October 2019 and paid in full $35,000.00 . Trip cancelled due to Cov 19 . Our attempts to obtain a refund for this trip have been unsuccessful. They have offered a credit to be used at a time when we are unable to take. Dealing with our travel agent Has been unhelpful. Totally frustrating. Are their any suggestion for us to take to obtain some sort of cash refund… Help Please
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Welcome to the Community @eireid,
I merged your query into this long, long existing one that might be helpful. Pretty much all the advice available from personal experiences, ACCC statements, Choice advice, and what has and has not worked for individuals is included or linked. You can scan the topic or use the Community search tool for specific keywords.
I hope you will find something helpful, and if you have success please report back what you did and your outcome as it might help another.
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In receipt of my July Choice magazine, there are a few pages dedicated to this topic.
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My friend and I had our cruise March 18 2020 canceled by Royal Caribbean due to the Covid outbreak ! We did have travel insurance and receive A credit BUT NO REFUND .
With NO idea iF AND WHEN ? Cruising will recommence in Australia? I fear we may loose our money ALL TOGETHER .
The cruise credit expires on 30 April 2022
What can we do ?
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Welcome to the Community @Vicky-p,
I merged your topic into this existing one. You will find links already posted to the ACCC and Choice advice, as well as information from many consumers in a similar situation. I hope you will find some useful guidance.
There is also a related topic focused on collecting information from affected consumers
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Hi @Vicky-p, welcome to the community.
As a first step, have you contacted the cruise operator to ask what happens if cruises/travel isn’t possible due to government imposed Covid controls, before 30 April 2022? Also ask if an extension is possible to say 12 months after travel is allowed. 12 months could be seen as being reasonable as it would tie in with employment annual leave planning time frames.
There will be many others in the same situation and it will be interesting to see their response as it will also apply to others.
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Flight Centre called out for ‘horrible’ customer service and delayed refunds:
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My 78 year old mum booked a family (15 people) once in a lifetime trip to Fiji with Virgin using Flight Centre. After 5 months got the accomodation $44,000 back with loads of persistence from us. There is $16,000 in flights with Virgin she hasn’t got back. We contacted Flight Centre very, very early who asked us to just hold on and wait and we’d get a better outcome from Virgin. We only ended up with Travel Credits after 13 months - with about 1.5 years to use them. Given we were far earlier than others in requesting our refund and followed Flight Centre’s advice we feel mum should be refunded bc it’s their poor handling that resulted in this huge loss to her. Has anyone heard of others getting Virgin refunds? Any help is really appreciated.
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Hi @SueP1,
I merged your topic into this existing one as your situation has been experienced by many people and the topic includes about ever bit of advice provided to date, including links to ACCC statements and Choice advice.
I might be tedious scanning it but a) it might be worthwhile, and b) if you use the Community search tool and set it to ‘search this topic’ it will reduce what you need to wade through.
There are a few topics explicitly about Flight Centre also.
I hope you find something helpful.
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I booked 3 return domestic flights just before the first COVID lockdown (March 2020) with online booking agency Opodo. I cancelled the flights in April 2020, and have struggled since then with Opodo to get refunds. After about 8 months I got a refund of the Qantas sector of my flights, but am still awaiting a refund of 3 Virgin Australia flights. I had a lot of patience due to the COVID situation plus Virgin going into receivership, but 18 months is a bit too much! I have tried ACCC, but they tell me that they only deal with Australian companies. I tried getting the money back from Visa, but after a lengthy delay they couldn’t help me either. I cannot speak to anyone at Opodo (registered in London), but keep getting ridiculous messages on the Live Chat line, and am still out of pocket $973.81, with no light at the end of the tunnel. Any suggestions will be gratefully accepted. Thanks in advance.
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Welcome to the Community
I have moved your post into this already existing thread on COVID related Travel booking issues.
As Opdo looks like it is an Overseas entity it may be hard to get a resolution but you may have an avenue of complaining to the Country in which they established’s Consumer Affairs department. As they are members of the IATA you may also be warranted in making a complaint through them (though they say they do not take consumer complaints if Opodo are failing their accreditation requirements this may help get them moving in the right direction). Finally as it seems they look like they have an Australian presence you may be able to use the ACL to tackle them and could also make a further complaint to the ACCC and notify them that it appears Opodo do use an Australian presence (https://www.opodo.com.au/) and telephone number (02 9199 5336). https://www.whois.com/whois/opodo.com.au
They also state in their Terms and Conditions regarding your rights “However, if you are a consumer and have your habitual residence in Australia, you will additionally enjoy the protection afforded to you by the mandatory provisions of consumer laws of your country of residence.” You may wish to further take that up with the ACCC if they are asserting this is not the case as it would appear then that this business has declared false information regarding your ACL rights.
If you search this site regarding Letters of Complaint you should find information on how to approach your problem. I hope you have success and let us know if you wish about how you go. I’m sure others will be able to help provide you with more advice.
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Booked for 2 nights for 16-18/8/21 on 22/6/21 through Luxury Escapes, accommodation at 13th Beach Golf Club Apartments Barwon Heads Victoria.
State Government announced lockdown extension to 20/8/21, yesterday the 11/8/21. Rang accommodation, Owner said nothing to do with me, ring Luxury Escapes. I asked about the golf extra’s in package, nothing to do with me, we are completely separate to Golf Club, l asked do you own land outright right on the golf course, answered what’s that got to do with it.
On hold on phone to Luxury Escapes for 1 hr 15 minutes, before l got through yesterday. They said they would ring owner, it took another hour on hold today to get onto Luxury Escapes, no refund, all you can do is book another time at whatever the going rate is at the time. End of this month $350, instead of $320.
“Out clause” only after you paid full money and get 13th Beach conditions, “can cancell up to 2 weeks before for full refund, no refund after that” No comment about Covid, although Luxury Escapes in their conditions, indicate refund. Result is no Covid Refund under any circumstances, pay full rate at time of booking, do not get it for previous price 2 weeks earlier. I THINK THIS IS DECEPTIVE AND ILLEGAL.
Welcome to the Community @eastgolf22
The ACCC advice is that you need to reference the T&C of your booking.
It seems that the consumer has been expected to pay extra attention to them as the COVID situation has unfolded and then matured. Some suppliers have ‘customer friendly’ COVID policies and others FU customer policies, but whatever policy was in effect at the time of booking is what you have to argue with.
If you have a copy of the T&C related to your booking and they state you are entitled to a refund, compose a ‘Letter of Complaint’ per the Australian Consumer Law citing them as well as the situation and ask for your refund. Many of the T&C offer credits not refunds, and the credits are against the prevailing rate at the time of future booking rather than a 1:1, so read carefully.
Good luck getting an acceptable outcome.
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I have just worked out where the issue was so have deleted the post.
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My daughter booked 3 nights accommodation in July at Quest Appartments Bella Vista. She was meant to stay there with her daughter for the Netball State Titles. The State Titles were cancelled due to COVID Lockdown.
She has had numerous conversations with Quest to no avail towards a refund. She has also contacted the netball association who can’t help either. What are her chances of a refund.
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