PTSB chargeback facility suspended due to covid 19?

tom1ie

hi all,
first off apologies if i'm in the wrong thread, mods please move as you see fit.
so i am waiting for a refund from ryanair for a flight that has been cancelled, we were due to fly the weekend just gone.
As soon as the travel restrictions were put in place i applied for a refund via the third party company i had booked through, ESKY.
they contacted me saying they acknowledge my application and they have contacted ryanair for a refund.
After a few weeks i contacted them again and they said they are still waiting to hear from ryanair and the whole thing was delayed due to the amount of refunds that have to be processed etc.
I have now heard ryanair are giving credit or vouchers instead of cash refunds.
I contacted PTSB to request a chargeback on my visa debit, to which i was told all chargeback facilities have been suspended since the government enacted emergency covid 19 legislation and that this is an EU wide reaction to covid 19.
Has anyone come across this?
Its grossly unfair that big business is getting looked after here, as opposed to the consumer, if this is the case, i mean what is the point of the chargeback and consumer rights if they can be overridden at the drop of a hat?

amdublin

I don't think visa chargebacks ever work on a debit card, it must be a credit card.

What do your terms and conditions of your booking say about refunds? Are you entitled to a cash refund or is credit refund ok?

Batgurl

As amdublin said, chargebacks are only on credit cards, not debit cards. So you’ve no protection there.

You are correct that if Ryanair cancelled the flight you are entitled to a refund. However, rightly or wrongly, many airlines are only offering credit vouchers as Covid-19 has decimated their business. If every person who booked a flight demanded a refund the airlines would go bust and no one would get anything. It’s a catch-22.

If you are offered a credit, it may be in your best interest to take it as you could be a long time waiting for the refund. If you want to pursue the refund, go ahead but bear in mind Ryanair aren’t exactly known for making things easy at the best of times.

tom1ie

amdublin wrote: »

I don't think visa chargebacks ever work on a debit card, it must be a credit card.

What do your terms and conditions of your booking say about refunds? Are you entitled to a cash refund or is credit refund ok?

No it covers debit cards aswell.

“A chargeback is a bank-initiated refund for a credit or debit card purchase. Rather than request a refund from the merchant who facilitated the purchase, cardholders can dispute a particular transaction by contacting their bank and requesting a chargeback.”
And from the visa website:

What is a chargeback?
A chargeback (otherwise known as a dispute) is a way for the bank that issued your card to reclaim money from the retailer’s bank when you do not get the goods or services you paid for, including if the retailer or supplier has gone out of business.

Chargebacks are not a legal right, but if you have paid on a Visa debit or credit card, you should address a chargeback claim to the bank that issued your card, and they can then put in a request to the retailer’s bank.

tom1ie

Batgurl wrote: »

As amdublin said, chargebacks are only on credit cards, not debit cards. So you’ve no protection there.

You are correct that if Ryanair cancelled the flight you are entitled to a refund. However, rightly or wrongly, many airlines are only offering credit vouchers as Covid-19 has decimated their business. If every person who booked a flight demanded a refund the airlines would go bust and no one would get anything. It’s a catch-22.

If you are offered a credit, it may be in your best interest to take it as you could be a long time waiting for the refund. If you want to pursue the refund, go ahead but bear in mind Ryanair aren’t exactly known for making things easy at the best of times.

I understand, however if the shoe was on the other foot would the consumer get away with what Ryanair are pulling now?
Nope.

Batgurl

tom1ie wrote: »

I understand, however if the shoe was on the other foot would the consumer get away with what Ryanair are pulling now?
Nope.

Ordinary people default on their bills all the time and get away with it. It was pretty common during the last recession.

Like I said, I’m not condoning it but you will likely find it nearly impossible to get a refund, especially as you booked through a 3rd party (why on earth would you book Ryanair through an OTA?). Your contract isn’t with Ryanair, it’s with the 3rd party.

tom1ie

Batgurl wrote: »

Ordinary people default on their bills all the time and get away with it. It was pretty common during the last recession.

Like I said, I’m not condoning it but you will likely find it nearly impossible to get a refund, especially as you booked through a 3rd party (why on earth would you book Ryanair through an OTA?). Your contract isn’t with Ryanair, it’s with the 3rd party.

It was cheaper. That’s why. However that’s not really anything to do with this?
Anyway best of luck.

GerardKeating

tom1ie wrote: »

I contacted PTSB to request a chargeback on my visa debit, to which i was told all chargeback facilities have been suspended since the government enacted emergency covid 19 legislation and that this is an EU wide reaction to covid 19.

Not true, but many EU state are rushing legistration changes to make the "vouchers instead of cash" refunds legal, something Minister Shane Ross has indicated Ireland might do. I assume RyanAir are stalling untill this become clear.

Batgurl wrote: »

As amdublin said, chargebacks are only on credit cards, not debit cards. So you’ve no protection there.

Not true, Debit and Credit cards have the exact same right with respect to chargebacks in the EU