To ask for help claiming reimbursement from travel company?

[Tafelberg]

Hi all

I recently went on holiday booked via Lastminute.com My booking included transfers to and from the airport/hotel. During my stay, the hotel gave me a confirmation form stating I needed to be in the hotel entrance at 6.50am on the day of departure. I also had an online voucher which had a link I needed to click to confirm, I did this (also stated I needed to be in the hotel entrance).

On the departure day I was in reception at 6.40am and remained there until 7.30 waiting. The hotel reception is glass-fronted so I could see all vehicles that pulled up outside, no taxi/bus came for me. I eventually spoke to the receptionist (who had also been there the whole time), she called the emergency phone number for the transfer company for me (as I don’t speak Spanish). They told her they had come to get me but I hadn’t been there so they left She then booked me a taxi to the airport which I obviously had to pay for myself - came to about £50.

Since then I’ve been battling with Lastminute.com to get a refund. I’ve sent them the taxi receipt, a copy of the confirmation form the hotel gave me and a screenshot of the online confirmation I had from the voucher, but they’re telling me the taxi company has sent them proof they came to the hotel at 6.58am and I wasn’t there, and also saying that I was meant to wait outside the hotel (nothing in any of the documents I had said this, they all said hotel entrance). Even if I had been outside it wouldn’t have helped as they didn’t come! I did go to the toilet at one point while waiting but was gone for a couple of minutes at most and the hotel receptionist told me no one came while I was gone.

What can I do? The Escalated Care Team is refusing to provide a refund on the grounds above and I’m not sure who else to contact to contest it. Can any help please?

Did any vehicles arrive outside at all?
Maybe it wasn’t a conventional looking taxi/bus?
I would also say that it’s probable that one turned up but saw no one waiting outside so they just left tbh.

If it said to wait at the hotel entrance, but you were inside, you were actually in the hotel lobby/foyer not the entrance. I wouldn’t have waited inside personally if it was just for me/my family

When you say the receptionist said no one came, we’re you expecting the driver to come in and fetch you? I wouldn’t think that’s normal service at all.

Sounds like there’s been a misunderstanding about where the entrance is.

Did you pay on a credit card? If so, contact the credit card company: www.moneysavingexpert.com/reclaim/visa-mastercard-chargeback/

You say the driver provided proof of being there at 6:58am - what proof was this?

If last minute have proof from the transfer company, I doubt you'll have much luck getting a refund unfortunately.
Is there only one entrance in to/out of the hotel?

Personally, as above, I would also take hotel entrance to mean the front door, not inside the building.

Obviously it's not ideal but I think unfortunately it's just one of those things - although I may be wrong and someone may be able to help more

Thanks for the input all. @Dotdotdotdashdashdashdotdotdot a bus did come, but the driver came inside and spoke to the receptionist and definitely wasn’t looking for me - that’s what made me think that mine would do the same. I was sitting facing the front outside of the hotel, it’s all glass so literally would have seen any bus or taxi that pulled up, it’s definitely the only place people were collected from. I’d seen lots of others waiting in the reception area on other days for their collections.

@Lou98 they’ve told me they have proof and say they’ve sent it to me but nothing was attached to the email and they haven’t gone into any detail about what this proof is, I have asked them again to explain but not sure I’ll get anywhere. I completely take the point about not having been outside but the entrance was a glass door which I was sitting a few metres from so would’ve been in full view of any driver who pulled up outside - I would have gone running out the minute I saw anything that looked like my shuttle but none came.

@LordEmsworth do you mean pay for the taxi? I paid on my debit card - I presume this wouldn’t work for that?

I would keep pushing for what proof they’re saying they have, did the receptionist say people usually wait inside when you let them know you were waiting to be picked up?

If it was standard for people to wait outside you’d think the reception would’ve mentioned it too.

@LoudingVoice yeah she was very much surprised and indignant on my behalf - I was the only one waiting at that time in the morning so it was just me and her for most of the time, and I feel sure she would’ve said for me to go outside if that’s what was expected. I will keep pushing for the proof.

[quote Tafelberg]@LordEmsworth do you mean pay for the taxi? I paid on my debit card - I presume this wouldn’t work for that?[/quote]
Umm, it might be covered - the info is in the link. You need to make your claim within 120 days of the non-delivery date, you call your bank and ask them to dispute the transaction & they'll tell you what evidence they need from you. They then ask the supplier's bank to refund on the basis of non-delivery of services paid for. A credit card would give you more protection but this is definitely worth trying if you're not getting anywhere with the provider.

[quote Tafelberg]@LordEmsworth do you mean pay for the taxi? I paid on my debit card - I presume this wouldn’t work for that?[/quote]
You can't do a charge back for the taxi. You paid for the service used. Why should the driver be out of pocket?

Do a charge back for the amount of the transfer that didn't happen.

How much stress is worth £50 to you?

Why were you waiting for a bus/van if you were the only person there? Wouldn’t it have been a car?

If they have proof the transportation came, and you don’t have proof that they didn’t, I’m afraid you’ve got your work cut out for you.

I was sitting facing the front outside of the hotel, it’s all glass so literally would have seen any bus or taxi that pulled up

If you were a few metres away from the door, the taxi, being a few minutes late, may have approached the hotel and seen that there wasn’t anyone waiting so drove past rather than pulling up. A bus driver could have been coming in to ask if anyone had booked tours or something whereas a taxi, just for you, wouldn’t have any reason for the driver to get out of the car in the same way a taxi wouldn’t get out of the car in the U.K. if you booked them to pick up from your house.

Sorry, Just thinking through the possibilities.

You can’t request a chargeback for the taxi that did take you, you hired them & they took you but maybe if you paid for the holiday on your card you could discuss if you can request a partial refund through them for service not provided? It will depend on the ‘proof’ though.

Good luck.

Oh yes, sorry. No I was suggesting a chargeback for the service that you paid for but didn't receive... not the taxi you actually used

Good point, I don’t want the money back from the taxi company.

I was the only person waiting as my hotel was the furthest from the airport - when I got dropped off at the start of the holiday I was the last one, and the only one to get out at my hotel. It was a minibus that drove me to the hotel so I imagined it’d be the same kind of thing for the return journey.

All good points though, will do some more investigating re trying to get chargeback for the transfer part of the booking. £50 may not seem like a lot to some but it’s quite a lot to me and I’d like it back if possible.