Sorry to have to confirm your fears, but SunEscapes and QuickEscapes are trading names of Hellenic Voyages, and unfortunately the company did cease trading 2 days ago.

More information regarding cancellations and refunds is available from the CAA ... please click here.

David

Something worrying jumps out of the CAA press release.

It says the ATOL bonding lapsed on the 31st March 2008. Gillon says "just booked a holiday" which suggests later than that date and therefore not bonded.

Was the £600 paid by credit card?

Yes, that may indeed be one interpretation or assumption from the press release. But hopefully the ATOL bond of £1,254,000 which is being held by the CAA will be used to cover all customers with bookings made up to the 8 May when the company ceased trading, rather than just up to 31 March when the ATOL licence expired. Hopefuly gillon7 will come back and update us on any progress.

David

Good Evening,
Had a similair situation,in fact exactly the same.
Booked to Piskopianos,Crete, on 2nd May,by debit card £555.55,not received any documentation at all,how will I stand ????

Good evening,
Just got a little shock when trying to contact Sunescapes,who to my horror have just found out thanks to this forum have ceased trading.
I have noticed somebody posting regarding this exact situation on saturday evening,but I am wondering how I will stand,because after paying £555.55 by debit card on 2nd May,I had not received any documentation.
I can get proof from my bank as it is showing on my statement,as to who the money has been paid,but can anybody shed any light on this from previous experiences?

Thanks guys

Steve

hi steve you need to get in touch with atol asap to try and get your money back that way

any problems pm me and i will send you my contact details

mike

Debit cards don't offer the same protection under UK law but if it's a Visa card you may have some protection because of Visa's own rules. There may be a time limit on making a claim so start now by at least contacting the card issuer. The details of how to claim from the ATOL bond (which might still cover you) are in the seperate link about Hellenic http://www.holidaytruths.co.uk/viewtopic.php?f=11&t=118516&p=1182913

The question of whether it was legal to trade without the bonding in place has also been raised, the answer is yes if the company has alternative insurance or puts the customer's money into a Trust account until after the holiday has been taken. Given that the MD has reportedly done a runner I rather suspect that this is not the case!

Thanks Mike,I be on to them 1st thing in morning

I have been intouch with ATOL and it seems that all monies given to the company should be refunded.
However I have also remembered that when I had booked the holiday
The flights where the most exspensive part and the accommodation it'self was relatively cheap therefore if like me you have booked the flights through air malta charter then they are Atol covered.
Credit card's Visa debit don't cover for such eventuality neither does holiday Travel insurance.


I'm more upset that I have to disappoint my sister and niece as I can't get them the holiday as promised now I myself having to try and find another £800 and get something organised.as the holidays have increased.

If anybody has any goode deals to crete 2.6.08 manchester please let me know.

If anyody has anymore information with regrads to this holiday please help

kindest regards

Good luck

A further update regarding this mess.
I have been in touch with ATOL,who tell me that cause I never had any documentation in my possesion it was rather unlikely I would get any money back!!!
I will be taking this FURTHER!!!
ATOL said to me that even though i was likely to tell them the flights were included in the price,they couldnt confirm it as I didnt have any documentation.
I was meant to be on the 05.00 flight out of Manchester,and after checking it does appear to have been with Air Malta,through XL,but even as a last resort of ringing them,my name and partners was not on that flight.
I explained to them that they only had 1.24 million in the bond,and I was only after my 555 back,but they told me they were not an insurance company which had a pot of money to DELVE into!!
I aint a happy chappy and as I have just said I will be taking this FURTHER

steve, you want to check if it has been booked with flair holidays, did you pay by card or cash?? you need to see who has taken the money, u may still have a chance. as i said before pm me and i have a fairly clear understanding of this mess. i will give you my contact details from there.

mike

Mike i cant do a pm i dont have the facility apparently.
I paid by debit card,and according to my bank statement it was paid to Hellenic Voyages

Hi Mike, Can I ask in what capacity you can help our members? And can it not be done on the open forum so everyone can benefit?

Sarah

Well can you shed anymore light on the situation Sarah ???

Well can you shed anymore light on the situation Sarah ???

Ummmmm NO, thats why I am asking Mike if he can. Why do you ask?

Sarah

well Mike reckons he can help me so why you questioning this its not an open discussion but a private matter as nobody else can come with any information Mike apparently can!

hi
i have just come across this is well, we fly out next wednesday, it was only by chance that i found on the internet that they had gone bust.
does anyone know what i need to do now, i had only booked flights with them as we are going to see family over in cyprus.
we booked with a visa creditcard.

thanks
sue

well Mike reckons he can help me so why you questioning this its not an open discussion but a private matter as nobody else can come with any information Mike apparently can!

As an administrator of this site Sarah has ALL members best interests at heart. Hence her asking:-

Can I ask in what capacity you can help our members? And can it not be done on the open forum so everyone can benefit?

As you mentioned in your post if it wasn't for this forum you wouldn't have known about the company ceasing trading, so surely it's only fair that any assistance is given to ALL members on the open forum. If your problem is private then why bring it to an open forum

hi same thing as happened to me i found out only through your posts so im greatful as i would of turned up at the airport thing what the hell! i rang atol they seem to think i shall get the money back i booked with sunescapes but the statment show it went to flair ? lucky enough my mum has raised the money for a new holiday for me going the same date 19th may to the same place! these people must have known when taking are well earned cash its a dam joke and hope one day it happens to them and their families !!!!