Lastminute.com in the firing line for not refunding customers.
In a new report conducted by consumer group Which? Claims have been made that the holiday group Lastminute.com has failed to refund customers their holiday booking money when they had promised to do so previously. For most people wishing to get a few weeks in the sun last year, the majority probably had their plans fail due to the coronavirus crisis. Because of this Lastminute.com promised their customers to refund their money by December. But Which? Claims several customers still have not received a full refund after the deadline had passed.
In light of this Which? Has asked that the Competition and Market Authority to investigate further and act where needed to compensate those customers affected. Speaking to BBC news Rory Boland editor of Which? Travel said: “Despite being given ample time to return all outstanding refunds to customers – as well as clear instructions regarding its liability for refunding both accommodation and flight costs – Lastminute.com has failed to meet its commitment to the regulator. The Competition and Markets Authority must send a clear message that this kind of behaviour is unacceptable.”
The Competition and Markets Authority ordered Lastminute.com to repay more than £7 million in refunds to affected customers. Lastminute.com assured the regulator they would refund all package holidays that were cancelled on or before 2 December 2020 by the end of January. Despite this promise being made to the regulator and customers, Which? Found many instances where people had only received partial refunds and in some cases no refund at all. A spokesperson for Lastminute.com explained that because of the complexities surrounding travel restrictions and coronavirus, the online company had found it difficult to process the refunds but was working hard to rectify the problem.
What are your rights if your holiday was cancelled due to Coronavirus?
Many people have been left for months waiting to get their money back for missed holidays, however the law remains the same and all package holiday companies are obliged to return your money under the Package Travel and Linked Travel Regulations 2018. They must do this within 14 days of your holiday being cancelled and you are legally entitled to all your money back.
For flights which depart or arrive in an EU country or the UK through a holiday company and the flight was cancelled, again you are entitled to your money back. With cancelled flights you should be entitled to a refund within 7 days, however many airlines have been encouraging customers to take flight vouchers instead of a refund. If your airline only offers you this, you can still demand a refund.
If you have been affected and are waiting for a refund, further advice is available here at the Money Saving Expert: Coronavirus Travel Rights (moneysavingexpert.com)
