Ok - latest update!!!

Contacted Consumer Advice to see what they could advise on as to claiming my money back.

They took my details and said that all of the FD requests that have been made are being passed directly to trading standards.

I've been informed that someone from trading standards will be contacting me in the next 2-3 working days to get more information.

She also said that there are several hundred of these claims already been passed to trading standards - so if you want to be in with a chance you may want to get the number for your local consumer advice cntre and explain what you have been told - and they should pass the information directly to trading standards.

Hope this helps you all!!!

I have just received my 2nd letter from ABTA to forward to my bank to make a claim - this is as well as a faxed copy. I have also received a claim letter from my bank. They will all be getting posted tomorrow, to hopefully start the process of getting my money refunded.
I re-booked my accomodation with low cost beds (my original supplier) and got them for the same price as originally booked. Transfers were a bit more, but these are rising by the day. LCB price for transfers has risen twice since yesterday.
If you havent rebooked yet, I suggest you do it soon as it looks like some suppliers are cashing in on our misery!!!

Recieved a call from Consumer advise this morning.

They have said that as FD booked the flight and accomodation through seperate companies it is not classed as a package holiday.

With this being the case anyone who booked through FD will probably not get any money back as the claims are only valid for package holidays.

I have been asked to e mail consumer advice the documentation i have but it doesn't look good

Hi

I have booked with FD with flights with Easyjet (paid and okay) but they booked my accomm with You Travel. I have paid for the holiday in full and got a Hotel Voucher but You Travel have said they have received no payment, not even the deposit paid a couple of months ago.

Abta have just said they are still investigating. I have rang my bank (paid by Visa Debit) and they have referred me back to ABTA.

I don't know whether to try to rebook the hotel or try to get a different hotel. Is there any chance of claiming my money back? If I booked a different area/hotel would that affect my chances of getting a refund. Do I hold off booking again until I see what is happening?

I am really confused. If there is no chance of getting my money back I really cannot afford to pay double for the accommodation.

Any advice appreciated.

Bobbyboo

@ bobbyboo

What date do you go on holiday ?

I am also booked through Youtravel for my accomodation. ABTA have been telling me for over 2 weeks to wait for the outcome of their discussions with Youtravel - but I am due to fly a week on Wednesday.
I tried to claim refund at my bank HBOS but as I paid final payment with cheque - they will only refund my deposit paid with VIsa Debit card.

Sounds like my only hope is Youtravel honouring the booking - but time is fast running out.

Kevin

Hi Kevin46, Ive been watching this thread for weeks now and your comment re HBOS not allowing you to claim for the full amount sounds a bit suspect. If you have a look under section 75 of the consumer credit act it states that even if you pay for part of the total cost of something you do not recieve (ie accommodation etc) then you are entitled to make a claim for the whole amount. Im not 100% certain ref visa debit card but that is certainly the case regarding credit cards. My understanding is if you pay deposit by ccard and balance by cheque for example then you can claim for both as long as you have supporting documentation from bank etc.

If you get grief then try the financial ombudsman for clarification. Good luck!
OOh whilst Im here has anyone heard anymore about this "helpline " that ABTA were supposed to be sorting ??

Keep on Keeping on Lara

Hi, got a call from ABTA on friday to confirm my details. I then recieved my claim form from them Saturday morning,the girl on the phone asked me how i had paid for the holiday and i confirmed it was with my debit card, i asked her would recieve my money back and she said yes.so heres hoping.

Hi Lara,

I spoke to HBOS regarding claiming for the cheque. They told me I can claim the deposit as I used my Visa Debit card - but as I paid the final payment with cheque- HBOS state they can't claim this back if they pay me back this lost money.
I put complaint in to their head office as recommended by financial onbudsman - although he stated that they don't have to refund the cost from the cheque. HBOS sent me letter back refering be back to ABTA.
After reading your reply - I have sent email back to Financial Onbudsman - stating to clarify the consumer credit act 1975 as they have details of my case with HBOS .

I will keep you posted.

Kevin

@ Kevin

Thankfully I don't fly out for a few weeks but it is still very confusing and upsetting. Been on with ABTA Claims this morning. Apparently they had a meeting with YouTravel on Friday but the outcome is still not clear. They are hoping that they can tell us all more on Wed/Thur of this week.

Regards

Bobbyboo

Hi Bobbyboo,

Yes, it is upsetting because we don't get the truth from ABTA.
I spoke to ABTA this morning. I was told that Youtravel have still not responded to their requests to discuss the accommodation issue.

I have had the same reply for last 2 weeks - but I hope that a meeting has taken place as you mention - because they had no knowledge about this when I asked them today .

I fly out a week on wednesday but they still won't advise me what to do next - so I have no accommodation at this time.

I completed the Watchdog help online - I don'y expect a reply before I go on holiday though.

Regards

Kevin

From a story in the TTG this week, one credit card company are thinking of removing the credit card protection they give for holidays or if booked through an ABTA agency due to the amount of claims being put to them.

Something has to happen soon with protection. If the £1 per pax levy was put on everything, whether it be a flight, package, accommodation, car hire or whatever and even for the low cost carriers and backed by the government then surely this would work, wouldn't it.

Maybe they should even give the customer an option, pay say £2 per pax regardless of how the package has been put together and paid for and you will be covered.
Or, don't pay it and risk loosing it if the providor goes bust.

I'm not suprise tho hear that leisurelad. I was thinking myself that i bet that part of the consumer credit act will be reviewed by the credit card companys soon. So many smaller travel companys are going under, insurance wont pay out and ABTA are toothless and useless, I reckon its only a matter of time before CC companys start looking at ways around this.

hi all...Im not affected by this (but there for the grace of god go you or I) but it has realy had me asking questions and thinking about how my own bookings have been set up....and have been following how you are all getting on.....leisurelad has just voice something I have been thinking about myself....have been wondering if you could actually insure privately for this kind of event.

If I could for instance pay £10 for a policy each holiday... that was either goverment run or atleast completely independant of the holiday industry ....that would cover me for things like this going wrong ....I would take it every time......

also keeping the £1 to ATOL soley for the repatriation if left stranded abroad....but expanding it to include all passengers stranded abroad due to company failure regardless of how flight had been booked....would be a better solution......they seem quite good at getting people home....its when they try to sort peoples holidays out they struggle....and funds dont go far enough....when their overdraft grows out of sustainable limits....putting the service they are best at in jepardy

scrap ABTA it has become no more than a gimmick used by travel agents ect to give a false sense of security to lure potential clients......small travel agents struggle to pay the bonds or fees for membership.....probably what has caused the upsurge in travel agents who only act as agents ....opening more loop holes to substandard or less reputable companies...allowing them to trade .. ..has probably caused the failure of some good repretable long established travel agents....prevented new blood entering the competion.......allowed a few big firms to create a near monopoly under an ATOL banner.....under a sign that says " COME IN HERE OUT OF THE RAIN".....what they dont tell you is there roof is not as strong as it looks ....it could colapse if the rain gets too heavy....and we will choose who we pull out from under the rubble....we will put an X on your back without you knowing....you wont know we can put it there.....and unless you ask we wont tell you...the first you will know is when we walk over you in the rubble ....shouting "YOUVE AN X ON YOUR BACK YOUR NOT PROTECTED BY US...RESCUE YOURSELF.....TOUGH IF YOU CANT...PUT IT DOWN TO EXPERIENCE"

wish you all well and hope things get sorted.....probably more than just me following this thread members and visitors....who are hoping for good news for you all...and noting the failings of certain bodies...

if visiting join these peoples voices ....become a member ...if a member post your support

I'm like you Tweetie Pie and am following this on the 'there but for the grace of God' ticket.

I agree with you 100%. I also would be quite happy to pay some form of reasonable premium to be able to use companys that operate in the same way as Freedom Direct did. It would still be cheaper even with some sort of protection than Thomas Cook and TUI. If something isn't done soon all confidence will go from the market and their will be no competition for the two big companys and that has got to be really bad news for both consumers and those that work in the Travel Industry.

Like the previous two posters, I've been following this with interest, although not actually involved. It certainly gives you food for thought - travel tv programmes etc all tell you to make sure the travel agent you book through is ABTA/ATOL registered, giving us all a false sense of security that should anything go wrong, we're protected which sadly seems not to be the case for the majority posting on here. For a good few weeks now the ATOL website has shown different scenarios of how bookings have been made and said they will post an example of the documentation shortly - to date no example has been posted.
I too would not mind paying for an insurance to safeguard my holiday/money should a situation like this happen again. I would prefer to do and have more choices as regards my holiday than feel compelled to book with the two main players.

attn: tweetie pie

if it were'nt for ABTA us the consumer would have no rights at all... many other items we buy there is no cover

a kitchen company goes bust and you lose all your money and no kitchen thats just one example

ABTA is a godsend

Sorry , but to tell someone who has lost £1200 that ABTA is a godsend is an insult.
ABTA have been no good to us and at this moment in time I cannot even claim off my CC as they say it is down to ABTA to sort out ABTA say it is the holiday supplier to sort out, holiday supplier says ABTA is to pay up,
So ABTA is a godsend eh!!!!
No doubt your reasoning is because some people are assisted and you may be one of them, but we not being assisted at all and are being ignored, palmed off with half truths and blatent lies.

If you paid your kitchen by Credit Card and the vendor went bust, you will swiftly get all your money back from you credit card bank under Section 75.

If you paid for your holiday by credit card to a non-ABTA and non-ATOL provider and it went bust you will also get swift refund from your credit card bank.

However, if you have booked ATOL-protected holiday or a holiday from an ABTA travel agent, the credit card company will rightfully want them (CAA or ABTA) to refund you, as you have already paid for the financial protection. So you will be passed from post to pillar because of it.

Conclusion is simple: until ABTA or the goverment sort out this mess, avoid using ABTA travel agents as the protection is non-existent and you will just have more trouble claiming back from your cc. So just book directly with the providers and pay by credit card and you will get much better chance of a refund. You actually have better protection if you reserve your holiday with a respectable hotel directly, as you will only be charged the day you arrived, and your credit card will only be used for the no-show guarantee. It may be more expensive, but at least you are not giving your money months in advance to cowboys like Freedom Direct who can just dissapear and reform as nothing happened (except that you funded the MD's new big house with your hard-earned money).

This will probably put more travel agents into the administration, but they have only ABTA and themselves to blame for the mess they are putting their customers in.

thanks vladivar......saved me typing it....you did it all for me.....you are spot on