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Airhelp seeking payment years later

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  • 11-06-2021 10:27am
    #1
    Feerr
    Registered Users Posts: 8 ✭


    Hi - in 2017 I’ve got Airhelp to chase ryanair for me because of a mess of cancelled flights etc.
    Eventually I was compensated by Ryanair in 2018 and contacted Airhelp several times asking for their invoice. I ended forgetting all about it until this week, when I received an email from them asking for the 600eur fee.

    The thing is, I absolutely don’t have that money right now. I’m unemployed and struggling and honestly forgot all about that because it was it was almost 3 years ago!!

    What can they do if I just ignore the emails?


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    #2
    Sheep Shagger
    Moderators, Business & Finance Moderators Posts: 6,247 Mod ✭✭✭✭Sheep Shagger


    Feerr wrote: »
    Hi - in 2017 I’ve got Airhelp to chase ryanair for me because of a mess of cancelled flights etc.
    Eventually I was compensated by Ryanair in 2018 and contacted Airhelp several times asking for their invoice. I ended forgetting all about it until this week, when I received an email from them asking for the 600eur fee.

    The thing is, I absolutely don’t have that money right now. I’m unemployed and struggling and honestly forgot all about that because it was it was almost 3 years ago!!

    What can they do if I just ignore the emails?

    I'd ignore it- would say they are chancing their arm trying to catch up on a payment 3 years later.

    Wait until they write to you by post, if they ever do. Sure you could have changed email addresses for all they know.


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    #3
    Feerr
    Registered Users Posts: 8 ✭Feerr


    Sheep Shagger wrote: »
    I'd ignore it- would say they are chancing their arm trying to catch up on a payment 3 years later.

    Wait until they write to you by post, if they ever do. Sure you could have changed email addresses for all they know.

    Problem is…I have changed address. Actually, they took so long that I even moved to Portugal for over a year and then returned last year. I have all the emails I’ve sent them asking for the invoice in 2018 and they never replied. I guess I’ll wait and see what happens because I don’t have the money now anyway. Thanks


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    #4
    Dick Turnip
    Registered Users Posts: 982 ✭✭✭Dick Turnip


    Feerr wrote: »
    Hi - in 2017 I’ve got Airhelp to chase ryanair for me because of a mess of cancelled flights etc.
    Eventually I was compensated by Ryanair in 2018 and contacted Airhelp several times asking for their invoice. I ended forgetting all about it until this week, when I received an email from them asking for the 600eur fee.

    The thing is, I absolutely don’t have that money right now. I’m unemployed and struggling and honestly forgot all about that because it was it was almost 3 years ago!!

    What can they do if I just ignore the emails?

    €600 fee is massive?! How much were you compensated as a matter of interest?


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    #5
    stopthevoting
    Registered Users Posts: 267 ✭✭stopthevoting


    Were you even liable to pay them anything? Maybe you got the compensation eventually through your own efforts. Did you receive the compensation directly from Ryanair? If it came through Airhelp wouldn't they have already deducted their fees? Does that amount of €600 match with what you expected at the time? Is it a certain percentage?


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    #6
    Sheep Shagger
    Moderators, Business & Finance Moderators Posts: 6,247 Mod ✭✭✭✭Sheep Shagger


    Feerr wrote: »
    Problem is…I have changed address. Actually, they took so long that I even moved to Portugal for over a year and then returned last year. I have all the emails I’ve sent them asking for the invoice in 2018 and they never replied. I guess I’ll wait and see what happens because I don’t have the money now anyway. Thanks

    Better reason to just ignore it.

    Seems excessive anyway, they're chancing their arm if you tried to sort this years ago and they only start communicating with you years later.


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    #7
    Feerr
    Registered Users Posts: 8 ✭Feerr


    Dick Turnip wrote: »
    €600 fee is massive?! How much were you compensated as a matter of interest?

    I received €1200 directly from Ryanair (family of 3 traveling). Airhelp says they charged me 35% standard fee + 15% fee to take it to the court.


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    #8
    Feerr
    Registered Users Posts: 8 ✭Feerr


    stopthevoting wrote: »
    Were you even liable to pay them anything? Maybe you got the compensation eventually through your own efforts. Did you receive the compensation directly from Ryanair? If it came through Airhelp wouldn't they have already deducted their fees? Does that amount of €600 match with what you expected at the time? Is it a certain percentage?

    I honestly don’t even remember agreeing to pay 50% of my compensation to them, but I guess I thought it was better than nothing. But the terms are these, they are not overcharging regarding what was agreed, they just ignored me for 3 years and dropped this massive invoice now.


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    #9
    Eli1
    Registered Users Posts: 54 ✭✭Eli1


    This happened to me 4 years ago- same story. I kept asking for invoice but no joy. Then 2 years ago loads of emails looking for their share of money. I decided to ignore all of their communication and nothing since.


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    #10
    Alonzo Mosley
    Registered Users Posts: 113 ✭✭Alonzo Mosley


    OP, I was delayed on an Aerlingus flight coming home from the Canaries, the flight was in fact cancelled. I was eligible for compensation and I claimed through a German company (the name I cannot recall). I signed a Power of Attorney document which basically allowed them to claim on my behalf.

    My claim did come through and I remember the commission was fairly hefty. I received my monies from the German company and not the airline. If things escalate I would question their involvement and did you win your claim because of their involvement or through your own persistence ?


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    #11
    Feerr
    Registered Users Posts: 8 ✭Feerr


    Eli1 wrote: »
    This happened to me 4 years ago- same story. I kept asking for invoice but no joy. Then 2 years ago loads of emails looking for their share of money. I decided to ignore all of their communication and nothing since.

    Thanks - that’s really helpful!


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    #12
    Feerr
    Registered Users Posts: 8 ✭Feerr


    Alonzo Mosley wrote: »
    OP, I was delayed on an Aerlingus flight coming home from the Canaries, the flight was in fact cancelled. I was eligible for compensation and I claimed through a German company (the name I cannot recall). I signed a Power of Attorney document which basically allowed them to claim on my behalf.

    My claim did come through and I remember the commission was fairly hefty. I received my monies from the German company and not the airline. If things escalate I would question their involvement and did you win your claim because of their involvement or through your own persistence ?

    They did their job. Ryanair was ignoring me so they got it sorted, I guess that’s why I was ok to pay for it after I received the compensation even considering airhelp was asking for half of the money! But they ignored me for years and I forgot…now I don’t jave the €600 and it would probably take me a few months to put that money aside.


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    #13
    nibtrix
    Registered Users Posts: 1,305 ✭✭✭nibtrix


    The Statute of Limitations for them to start legal proceedings for the debt are up to 6 years from when the services were provided, according to https://www.citizensinformation.ie/en/money_and_tax/personal_finance/debt/glossary_of_debt_terms.html

    It’s up to you to take a gamble on whether they will bother chasing it up further or not.

    If you owe them the money, and you seem to be agreeing that they fulfilled their side of the contract, my inclination would be to contact them, explain that this is the first time you have received their invoice, that you are unable to pay it right at this minute but that you want to agree a payment plan to pay in instalments over the next 12 months (or something similar).


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    #14
    Dav010
    Registered Users Posts: 14,084 ✭✭✭✭Dav010


    Feerr wrote: »
    I honestly don’t even remember agreeing to pay 50% of my compensation to them, but I guess I thought it was better than nothing. But the terms are these, they are not overcharging regarding what was agreed, they just ignored me for 3 years and dropped this massive invoice now.
    Feerr wrote: »
    I received €1200 directly from Ryanair (family of 3 traveling). Airhelp says they charged me 35% standard fee + 15% fee to take it to the court.


    So they are not overcharging, they are charging what was agreed, apparently they did aid you in getting a refund, they are three years inside the statute of limitations for sending you a bill, but you are not inclined to pay?

    I think it is worth remembering, you engaged this company to go to court if necessary to recover a relatively small amount of money, because that is what they do, but you want to take a gamble that they won’t take you to court for the same amount they charged to go to Court on your behalf? Seems logical.


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    #15
    Alonzo Mosley
    Registered Users Posts: 113 ✭✭Alonzo Mosley


    Does it boil down to how these companies work? It seems in some cases if you win your case the compensation is sent directly to you by the airline. In your case it seems the company acted on your behalf, won the case and Ryanair sent the compensation directly to you. In other cases the compensation is sent to the company acting on your behalf, they take their cut and forward the balance to you.

    As Dav010 has said you do owe them their fees. However it is bad form on the Eirhelp not to reply to your emails and then invoice you 3 years later ! Hope it works out ….


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    #16
    Squiggle
    Registered Users Posts: 1,251 ✭✭✭Squiggle


    Dav010 wrote: »
    So they are not overcharging, they are charging what was agreed, apparently they did aid you in getting a refund, they are three years inside the statute of limitations for sending you a bill, but you are not inclined to pay?

    I think it is worth remembering, you engaged this company to go to court if necessary to recover a relatively small amount of money, because that is what they do, but you want to take a gamble that they won’t take you to court for the same amount they charged to go to Court on your behalf? Seems logical.

    The morality of non payment aside, litigation is generally pointless for small sums, even more so when the debtor is unemployed.


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    #17
    Dav010
    Registered Users Posts: 14,084 ✭✭✭✭Dav010


    Squiggle wrote: »
    The morality of non payment aside, litigation is generally pointless for small sums, even more so when the debtor is unemployed.

    And yet this is a company that operates on litigating for small sums.


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    #18
    Squiggle
    Registered Users Posts: 1,251 ✭✭✭Squiggle


    Dav010 wrote: »
    And yet this is a company that operates on litigating for small sums.

    Against airlines not individuals. Massive difference.


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    #19
    MOH
    Registered Users Posts: 6,464 ✭✭✭MOH


    There was another thread about them a while ago, from somebody who got a bill from them a few years later despite them not actually doing anything.


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    #20
    Feerr
    Registered Users Posts: 8 ✭Feerr


    I will try to negotiate a payment plan with them. It’s not that I don’t want to pay, I can’t at the moment. I had a good job 3 years ago, now is different.


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    #21
    Sheep Shagger
    Moderators, Business & Finance Moderators Posts: 6,247 Mod ✭✭✭✭Sheep Shagger


    Feerr wrote: »
    I will try to negotiate a payment plan with them. It’s not that I don’t want to pay, I can’t at the moment. I had a good job 3 years ago, now is different.

    Why not just ignore them and see what happens?


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