Update And Advice About Ryanair Not Refunding Us For Cancelled Flight

[shivvy]

I posted on here back in March when we were trying to get our money back from Ryanair for a flight that they had cancelled. This is the link to it https://www.theanswerbank.co.uk/Travel/Question1699573.html
By way of update for anyone who is interested and anyone who might still be struggling to get their money back, this might be useful.
After all sorts of communication with Ryanair where we had been told that we were in a queue of people waiting for refunds and that we should wait, we eventually found out that there is no queue and they had no intention to pay us back for the forseeable future. A supervisor told us that the staff are all working from home and do not have the facility to process our £650 refund.
So what we have done is go to our bank and ask them for a Chargeback against the purchase of the tickets. All I had to do was fill in a simple form, provide them with details of the transaction and forward any evidence of communication with Ryanair. Approx a week later the bank called me to let me know that they money has been returned - hooray!
Apparently Ryanair still have 30 days to 'counter claim' but if they don't it goes into our account.
I would advise anyone who is still struggling with Ryanair to do the same thing. The process is called Chargeback if you paid by debit card and you are covered in a similar way under Section 75 if you paid by credit card.
I hope this is useful to anyone who is stuck.

[Bobbisox1]

Was this a bank transaction ,I paid with my M&S MasterCard to travel on the 11th July, as yet I’ve had no word from RA and was just sitting tight , we are travelling to Malaga

[shivvy]

Yes, we paid by debit card Bobbisox.
From what I know, I think the only thing you can do is to sit tight because they only become obliged to refund you once they have cancelled the flight.

[Bobbisox1]

Yes, thanks shivvy

[ubasses]

Section 75 would have been made on a credit card Bobbi, but if you are thinking about your post of yesterday, it will not work for you yet. Ryanair will have to cancel your flight and you not receive your refund before you would be able to use it. If your flight goes ahead and you do not take it, it can't be used either as Ryanair will not have deprived you of anything.

[ubasses]

Meant to add that if it is a debit card you ask for a chargeback, but basically same rules apply.

[jazzyjen]

We booked our flights a long way in advance using PayPal. Unfortunately their chargeback/refund system has a time limit that has already expired. All we can do now is wait in the queue (if it even exists).

[KARL]

I/we am/are in the same boat - Ryanair said in an online chat that they would refund, then about a month or more later they messaged to say they were working on it but by that time I had submitted an online application. A month or so later they have acknowledged the application or the chat (don't know which) saying they are very busy, going through the applications, etc. - that was a fortnight ago. I am about to apply to my credit card for a refund charged to Ryanair.

[Bobnunton]

Thanks for that.
We paid with a credit card and have been trying and trying. The thieving scumbags will not get our custom any more and I am sure a lot of other people think the same

[shivvy]

Yes we went through all that nonsense too KARL.
We didn't mind waiting for as long as we thought we were in a queue, but once we found that that was bullsh1t we went straight for chargeback.

[puzzled54]

Had similar problems with easyJet. The flights in April were cancelled but they say it was not their fault so they are not giving a refund.

[ubasses]

I believe that Esasyjet grounded it's planes, apart from repatriation flights, on 30th March. Have they offered you anything? If not go back to them and make another claim, if that fails get together all the information and complete the forms with your Bank. You have to have tried to resolve the situation first.

[Toorak]

Easyjet are offering refunds although it is not easy to find the form online - they are hoping that people will opt to rebook or accept a voucher instead. Below these two options on their website is a button for ‘other options’ - click on it to get a link to the online refund claim form.

[KARL]

I/we have two easyjet flights cancelled and are awaiting refund - much the same applies here as with Ryanair. In fact, both at some stage (online ?) indicated 28/30 days was about right as waiting time. For comparison's sake, Jet2 have refunded three separate flights at intervals and in date of departure order as from the start they said they would. In one or two respects I am inclined toward saying Jet2 are a touch classier than the other two.

[KARL]

Toorak, exactly, and once you click you are asked "Are you sure" twice, if I remember correctly.

[Toorak]

Yes - after you click the first time you get presented with the rebook and voucher options again with the refund form link further down the page (and not with a large heading as the other options have)

[KARL]

By the way and just so everyone understands: Fares which are prepaid and either in bookings, vouchers or unpaid refunds amounts to an interest-free loan for the airline. It is to that extent understandable that they delay issuing refunds, so all the more credit to Jet2.

[shivvy]

Couldn't agree more Karl.

[Hymie]

My question is having reclaimed the money from the bank, does the bank chase the airline for the money?

Otherwise the airlines are avoiding their obligations, by having affected travellers claiming from their bank or insurance.

[ubasses]

With debit cards, your bank claims the money back from the Company's account, however the Company can challenge the refund, and it can be debited again. They have to prove that the chargeback was not valid.
With section 75 the Credit card co. has joint liability, so the bank will lose out if there is a challenge. However the bank/credit card will investigate the original claim to make sure it isn't fraudulent

[Hymie]

Since I would assume a large percentage would pay by credit card, they are avoiding having to pay the money back.

In reality you and I are bailing out Ryanair by paying higher credit card charges to cover the bank’s loss in such transactions.