Teletext holidays investigated over coronavirus holiday refunds as hundreds complain
TELETEXT holidays are currently under investigation failing to refund customers.
It comes after hundreds of people filed complaints for not being refunded for their package holidays that were cancelled due to coronavirus pandemic.
In some instances, Teletext customers reported that they were promised refunds by a certain date, only to have that date pushed back, the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) has said.
A spokesperson from Truly Travel Ltd who operate the Teletext Holidays told The Sun that they’re working with the CMA to sort things out.
They added: “Despite the conditions that the travel industry faces and the lack of support provided by the government, we continue to work hard to process refunds as quickly as possible.
"We will work closely with the CMA to reach a satisfactory outcome for all our customers.”
The CMA states that they are at the initial stage of its investigation, so it should not be assumed that any business under investigation has broken consumer protection law.
This isn’t the first holiday firm that’s had action taken against them by the CMA.
Loveholidays is in the process of refunding £18million to 44,000 customers after hundreds reported them for refusing to give full refunds.
In September 2020, Tui promised to refund customers by the end of the month after thousands of holidaymakers complained.
HOW TO MAKE A COMPLAINT
WHAT you can do if you need a refund due to coronavirus:
states that you’ll automatically have the right to a refund if your booking was for either:
- Package holiday - check if your booking counts as a package holiday
- UK or European flight - check if your booking counts as a UK or European flight
Check with your travel agent or the company you booked your travel or holiday with to see if you're entitled to a refund.
If you booked a train or coach to travel between 23 and 27 December 2020:
If you booked your journey when the rules said you could travel at Christmas, you should get a refund.
To get a refund, you need to have booked your journey on or after 24 November 2020 - and before the rules changed on 19 December 2020.
Check the train or coach company’s website to find out how to claim.
If you’re offered a voucher instead of a refund:
The company you booked your trip with have to give you a refund if you’re entitled to one, which includes if they cancelled your travel.
If you are dealing with a UK company you can insist on a full cash refund, you don’t have to take a voucher or rebook your holiday.
For non-UK based companies, you may not be entitled to a cash refund.
If you’re thinking of accepting a voucher, check the terms and conditions, including:
- When the voucher expires
- Whether you can change your mind later and get a refund
has called for more government action to create a temporary Travel Guarantee Fund to support travel companies, which are unable to fulfil their legal responsibilities.
This would ensure customers still receive a full refund even if their provider goes bust before they have a chance to redeem their holiday.
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Andrea Coscelli, CEO of the CMA, said they understand the pandemic has challenged business for travel.
He said: “It is important that the interests of consumers are properly protected and that businesses comply with the law.
"We’ll be engaging with Teletext to establish whether the law has been broken and will take further action if necessary.”
The CMA has written to over 100 package holiday firms to remind them of their obligations to comply with consumer protection law, and has secured refund commitments from a number of holiday firms, including Love Holidays, Lastminute.com, Virgin Holidays, TUI UK, Sykes Cottages and Vacation Rentals.
You can find out more about how to claim your holiday refund here.