A family whose £2,700 dream holiday to Majorca was scuppered by Covid-19 got a Ryanair refund after four months claim the cheque bounced.
Paul Irvine and his wife Lisa were supposed to take their 12-year-old son Bradley on his first trip abroad on October 12.
But the week-long, half-term break was cancelled on July 31 due to travel restrictions imposed during the pandemic.
It took two months until the family were told they were getting a full refund on the £1,386 budget airline flights on September 23.
(Image: Triangle News)
Then last Thursday they got a cheque through the post.
Lisa claims she went to their bank that day to cash it in but two days later they got a letter from the branch saying the cheque hadn’t cleared.
IT company boss Paul, 41, said: “I was not impressed in the slightest.”
They say the letter from the Bank of Scotland read: “There is a problem with a cheque that was paid into your account.
“You may wish to contact the issuer of the cheque for further information and possibly obtain funds by an alternative method.”
(Image: Triangle News)
(Image: Triangle News)
Paul, of Cowdenbeath, Scotland added: “I spoke to Ryanair and they couldn’t explain why it had bounced.
“I asked for an explanation and they could not give it.
“They said they would send another in two weeks but how do I know that will not bounce.
“Also, am I one of or how many other people has this happened to?”
(Image: Triangle News)
(Image: Triangle News)
Paul did get their £1,336 refund back from Love Holidays for the stay at the four-star Aluasun Torrenova hotel, Palma Nova.
The holiday – booked last October – was supposed to be Bradley’s first holiday abroad.
“It looked like everything was going ahead despite everything going on with Covid-19,” Paul added.
“Then we got an email from Ryanair with a confirmation of the cancellation on July 30
“Ryanair said we would have to go through Love Holidays so I completed that form.
“I then got an email with the confirmation of our refund on September 23.
(Image: Triangle News)
“We got the cheque on November 19, my wife went to the bank that day to pay it in.
“We then got a letter from the Royal Bank of Scotland confirming the check had been stopped by the issuing bank.”
“Due to cancelled flights it had 80 per cent drop in passengers flying with them. Paul had posted what happened on Facebook.
(Image: Triangle News)
He tagged in the Ryanair and said: “Would love to know what the f**k is going on with you lot.
“Flights cancelled, leading to the holiday this year being cancelled.
“Waited four months for a refund. Refund cheque arrived Thursday – yay.
“Put said cheque into bank.
“Letter received in the post from our bank Saturday morning.
“Cheque bounced/was stopped by the issuing bank.
“What a total and utter shambles man.”
Pal John Davie said: “A cheque?! Are they still on gas lighting too?!”
Ian Murdoch added: “Maybe just issuing cheques and bouncing them to slow down the hemorrhage of cash from the business.”
Fabian Lord said: “If there’s no lawful reason for their having stopped the cheque then you are within rights to levy an administrative fee against them.
“They will of course, like always, dispute this but a small claims court would find in your favour.”
Ryanair said in a statement:
“This customer booked his Ryanair flights through an unauthorised screen scraper (Love Holidays) who provided Ryanair with fake customer payment details.
“Due to difficulties in obtaining refunds through unauthorised screen scrapers this customer submitted a refund request through Ryanair’s Customer Verification Form, which ensures Ryanair can pay customers directly.
He subsequently received a cheque for the full value of his cancelled flights.
“This is an isolated case, the refund cheque is valid and we are have contacted the customer to assist him further”.
