More money back from cancelled holiday

Chris_5339762

Ok here's an interesting one for you all. I'll try to keep it brief.


March 2020 myself and the girlfriend went to Australia from Ireland. The holiday was booked through Trailfinders. She flew from Belfast, I flew from Cork. She completed her booking in the Belfast shop, I completed mine in Cork.


We enjoyed two of the three weeks of holiday before the COVID situation got the better of us and we asked Trailfinders to get us home early. Those flights didn't work - they had us arriving in Brisbane AFTER the flight to Dubai left; this is important for what came next. Realizing this, and with an island stay for the next few days, we booked our own flights home with their blessing. Importantly, Aussie state borders were closing and DFA advice at the time (including Tanaiste speeches) told us to come home.



Home in Ireland and quarantines done, we both got onto Trailfinders who said "All of our holidays are 100% non refundable. Please go away"


I went to my ROI travel insurance and, after a fight, got about €1100 back. I was never sent a proper breakdown of what was covered.. was it the remaining holiday? Was it the new flights home?


She went to her NI travel insurance and they told her to FO. After a fight, they told her to contact her credit card company who also told her to FO but to get a lawyer onto Trailfinders as they HAVE to refund the remaining trip. Sure enough, after a short fight, Trailfinders refunded her the remaining holiday, around €2500 when converted from Sterling.


This left me with sour grapes, as the holidays were exactly the same and our Travel Insurances were pretty much the same. Question: Do I have ANY recourse to go demanding to Trailfinders now, or am I boned because I got some back from the ROI Travel Insurance. Can I badger Trailfinders for the balance now?


She managed to move Trailfinders by sending a "Letter Before Action", and was told to quote "that under the Package Travel and Linked Package Travel Arrangements regulations 2018, the travel agent is required by law to provide a refund". As far as I can tell, these are UK regulations, do we have an equivalent statute down here?


Am I heading towards a brick wall with this? Any advice would be appreciated before I start composing formal letters. Thanks.

endofrainbow

ask for a breakdown ?

Chris_5339762

I've done that, as a first step. Three days and counting so far, no word. Will keep updating this thread...

Chris_5339762

Update: So it turns out the travel insurance company screwed up. We paid seperately, but the travel insurance thought that the amount claimed was for BOTH of us, so they halved it as only I was insured on that policy.

So I am now getting new curtailment invoices to rectify this mess-up.