Driven Mad trying to get Flight Refunds - AIBU to, er, kick off at someone?!

[JemimaPyjamas]

We had flights cancelled last year, one set with lastminute.com in April 2020 and another from a different agent, kiwi.com, in June 2020.
Since then, I have been chasing the refunds.

Kiwi.com occasionally respond to FB messenger messages grovelling about how inundated they are, and how they are working round the clock etc etc.

Lastminute.com are now impossible to call and just say that they have 'contacted the airline' when I log onto the account.

I have contacted HSBC. They sent me travel dispute forms to fill in and so I did, in the first week of January.

I heard nothing.

I contacted their 'chat' and they said someone would get in touch. They didn't. I called, twice, and both times someone said someone would call me. They didn't. I contacted 'chat' again and still the same.

What do I do now...?

And AIBU to glow purple and have steam coming out of my ears as I do it?

I cannot afford to lose this money, but I don't know what else I can do to get it refunded! I have proof of purchase, and of communications but that seems to be ignored too!

How did you pay ?

Visa Debit. According to HSBC that still means I am covered.

Not much help, but this why I now always book direct with the airline regardless of how cheap agents appear to be.

Have you approached your debit card company to apply a chargeback ? look here

To be fair @coogee almost everyone I know who booked direct with the airline flights last year have had to go through their credit or debit card companies. I am pleased if you are the exception though!

@JemimaPyjamas go through your bank. It's the only way I think 😔

Try a broadleaf newspaper’s (Guardian, Times, Telegraph) travel or money agony aunts. The fear of bad publicity is often effective.

@Sunbelievable Bugger. I’ve tried the bank several times so it looks like I will now have to go in. Otherwise I just get told someone will contact me and then they don’t! They have the forms, and all relevant proof, but nothing bloody happens!

I had a holiday booked with Jet2 last year.

They called me once everything kicked off, and asked whether I wanted to postpone, have a credit or a refund.

I asked for the refund and it sorted while I was still on the phone.

Another holiday I had booked was cancelled. This was through a third party. Long story short I gave up chasing them and being told lies, and so I did a chargeback(that also had the added bonus of costing them extra £)

Everyone who I know that has booked flights or holidays through a third party has either struggled to get a refund, been palmed off with a credit or if they have received a refund it's been minus the third party charges(which they can charge as they provided the service requested)

I'll always book direct in future. Be it Hotels, flights or holidays.

PS. My chargeback was all done online. So easy