Return Transfer didn't arrive, LoveHolidays not refunding full fees

[Poppiesway1]

Hoping someone can advise me..
Ds2 and I returned Monday after a 5 day break in Spain which I book through Loveholidays.
We were due to be collected at 6:30am by the coach to take us back to Malaga airport. We arrived at pick up point early to make sure we were there and ready.. it got to 6:50am and no coach turned up.
I rung the emergency transfer number provided who also tried to contact the transfer company, however they were unable to get hold of anyone within the company to ask where the coach was.

The emergency contact told me to take a taxi to airport and loveholidays would refund the taxi fees (which were €70!)

Eventually today I have had a response from them to say they will refund me £20.40 which is what the coach fee cost.

I am not happy that 1- The coach didn't turn up and I had to find an emergency taxi
2- The taxi was expensive
3 - I was told hat loveholidays would reimburse the taxi fee and they're now refusing.

Where do I stand on this? Are they in their rights to only refund the coach or should they refund the taxi which is an extra cost that I wasn't expecting.

I'm a lone parent and had saved for quite a while for this holiday. It's was the first time I have ever taken ds2 abroad and had planned it meticulously. Ds2 has Aspergers Syndrome so I have to be quite anal about timings and instructions so he know what's going to happen and when. As you can imagine this completely threw him and didn't make for a pleasant return journey home.

Where do I go from here? All I want is my taxi fare back. If I'd have wanted and been able to afford a private transfer I would have booked it to start with
Any advice? Has this happened to anyone else?

first thing you have to do is put your issue in writing and send it off to them. tell them when you want them to respond by. if they don't send them another reminder.

are they in abta? if so, contact abta. explain that you've tried to sort this out and can't and can they help.

hopefully you have the names of the people who told you to get the taxi and that you would be refunded? if not, make sure you record the times/dates of the conversations.

i'm no legal person mind. if they arent part of abta then and they refuse you then its the small claim's court - but that may cost you more in the court application. citizens advice and trading standards are also worth contacting. you could do this before writing to them and then you can quote what they say.

i think they are in breach of contract, and are therefore legally liable - but this is worth checking with someone who knows better - eg citizens advice/trading standards. its a long time since i studied law

The company are ABTA member so they should adhere to a code of conduct. Have a look here and you can use it to remind them of the contract they have formed with you,
abta.com/about-us/code-of-conduct

I'm not sure about loveholidays but in t&c for another transfer company the small print states they will only reimburse the cost of their return transfer NOT the additional cost of a replacement transfer. Check their t&c. If you have the name of the person who said they would cover the cost of the taxi you might have come back especially if they record their calls.

Thankyou for your replies.
I had emailed them several times, I had no response until I tweeted them and left comment saying I wasn't happy and no one was answering my emails. I'd emailed while sitting in the taxi on our way to airport and traveling during the day.

I did get the name of the man who said they would refund the taxi, I don't recall them saying phone call so we're ready recorded though..
having read reviews of the transfer company they've done this numerous times before. It never occurred to be before going to google reviews of them as they were just part of the package.

They are with abta, I will have a look through that link and see what else I can do.
I did wonder earlier if my revalue I surname would have covered us, but the excess is more than the taxi fare!

Going to closely read the teenager t&c's!

The t&c usually cover all sorts to get them out of paying out. Social media their ass! Fb, twitter and whatever else avenue you can use. It is the only way. They won't want the negative publicity.