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Kevin Smith • 7 years ago

IMPORTANT INFO: For those who paid on a Debit Card (MasterCard in my case, not a credit card) I just got all my money back through my bank via the Chargeback scheme, this was via MetroBank. I got all £782.46 refunded today which was the cost of the hotel and car hire. Flights were paid for already. This took 4 days to do.
I originally booked on 15th Jan 2016, so still very possible to get your money back.
Make sure you contact your bank immediately 😊

Natalie • 7 years ago

Goods news, well done Metrobank. Let's hope we hear of many more refunds soon :o)

Annie • 7 years ago

The Financial Ombudsman web site says card issuers should make it clear chargeback amounts can be re debited from customers accounts if the company in question does not agree to the refund within a certain timescale. I think it's forty five days from memory. I don't want to put a dampener on things but any refunds should perhaps be ring fenced in case this happens.

Richard Traut • 7 years ago

Great news and well done now lets hope everyone on here gets there money back too! :)

jacky • 7 years ago

hi Kevin
did u use the templet chargeback letter from monysavingexpert ?

John Matthews • 7 years ago

Hi Guys,

Right as no one is taking any responsibility for this I have decided to tackle this head on! I am out of pocket about 4k and not happy. The situation at the minute is so confusing and I think its best if we all stick together. I've created a website where you can send me your information and I will challenge each and every case. Im a practising solicitor and am going to take this to the highest level. Hearing all the stories is very upsetting and frustrating. Companies should not be allowed to get away with this. If you wish me to help you try and re-coop some money from the Spanish when visit my website and register. It will only take a few minutes. Please have a look and share. I am not settling for £7 in comp

lowcostclaim co uk

Thanks John

IA-UK-2016 • 7 years ago


Here's a few ideas.

Perhaps better to try to get a definitive answer from the credit card providers first. Most people should be covered by insurance, credit card S75, or debit card chargeback. Visa Debit promote their product as a safe bet for booking holidays (see my initial comment)

I think the banks may prefer that you go off on one and chase the Spanish as it gets you off their back so maybe concentrate on resolving the banking disputes first.

Maybe also find out who LCH banks with too this could be useful as they might have to payout the chargebacks.

Also, couple of things I picked up yesterday from comments here.

1. People claiming that they had no flight reservations although they booked several months ago.
2. Stories about hotels being cancelled this week.
3. LCH still using templates with ABTA and Atol certification.
4. Promotional activities and bookings being taken after the administrators were notified (I think I heard somewhere that administrators were aware at start of last week).
5. LCH claims that moving to Spain and outside Atol would not affect customer protection.
6. Would also not be surprised if there had been recent dividend payouts to directors.

TM • 7 years ago

Conveniently the UK holding company changed their accounting year end so no new accounts are published yet to look out. They own the spain company so they are doing what they can to not reveal too much. No dividend was given out in October 2014 but since then I cannot find anything.

Michelle Hughes • 7 years ago

Thanks John. I'd like to use this but I can't see you registered as a practising solicitor with the SRA - can you let me know your roll number so I can check before sending over any money?

Miaya Mattoo • 7 years ago

what is your website John as i have lost out on over 4500 very annoyed and the hotel we were with wanted us to pay over £6000.00 when we paid £4500.00 in the first place so had to find cheaper accommodation which has really annoyed me they were not helpful at all even though I am sure they were not going to find anyone to take the accmmodation at such short notice

Brett • 7 years ago

John, thanks for setting the site up and I have visited and signed the petition on change dot org. However, please stop spamming this comments section with the address as it is making it difficult to assist others directly by finding their comments among yours. Thank you and I can understand your frustration and your enthusiasm to fight!

Louisa 'Yang' Scarff • 7 years ago

I'd be wary of this site, I filled out the contact form and it immediately sent me an email asking me to bank transfer £10.00 to a random account?! Exact wording was:

"Thank you for submitting your details. Before we can proceed in making your claim please make payment of £10 to Nationwide **-**-** Account ******** (I've censored it). Please place your surname as reference to allocate the payment.
Once payment has been made please forward us your booking confirmation documents. We will need these to back up your claim."

Doesn't look right to me I'm afraid...

Boomhaueruk • 7 years ago

I agree, perhaps John is legitimate, perhaps not, but I'd ask him to post a considerable amount of detail into his site about who he is and what he intends to do with the details, and remove the links to payments on the first page, before anyone else posts anything to him.

Brett • 7 years ago

I agree. I didn't put any of my details on the site as I had suspicions and when he started spamming the comments section that just made me more wary.

IA-UK-2016 • 7 years ago


Here is an example from 2010 regarding a successful chargeback on visa debit for a bankruptcy case.

Google this = > Barclays pays out £5,430 for cancelled cruise

In addition, Visa website states:

Wherever you use Visa debit, you are fully protected. If, for example, you're unfortunate enough to book a holiday with an airline or travel agent that becomes insolvent, you'll generally get your money back.

Although it states 'generally' the wording seems promising. If it was a definite no-no they could have promoted their credit card here instead for extra security.

Martin, please could we have some clarification here. I thought the visa debit was promoted as a similar level of security as visa credit without the credit facility.

How difficult can it be to get one of the banks to make a definitive statement on this? They have all the facts at hand now. I suspect the banks maybe keeping quiet so they can drip feed the news to individuals. Don't accept this thou, keep the media involved. If visa debit does not cover then I can see its usage drop massively for online usage and new players like PayPal capitalising.

If any peeps on fb, please feel free to share info to lowcost page for others.

MariacB • 7 years ago

Thanks for that IA - good news maybe - I have copied and pasted the the info from the Visa website and for good measure printed/ pasted the actual screens. I myself am not affected but my single mum daughter is and Visa will have a TIGER MOTHER to deal with if they do not keep to their word/ publicity. I know one thing Paypal will get my vote in future provided they do as they say

Chris • 7 years ago

You will need to be firm with Nationwide. They can put through a chargeback request, but this is likely to be rejected. Remember, a chargeback request is not like a Section 75 insurance claim.. the provider, in simple terms, asks the companies bank for the money back.. as the company is in administration this is unlikely to be honoured by their bank/the administrators. The providers that offer a 'chargeback' are offering to put through a Visa Chargeback, they are not actually saying that it would be successful as they have no control over this.

IA-UK-2016 • 7 years ago

I don't think chargeback is as simple as: sorry, no money in account, bye. It will entail a much more sophisticated process. Every company that goes into administration has no money however chargeback is a valid avenue to retrieve money for customers. See quote from Visa website in my initial comment. I suspect that the banks may well be insured against these type of losses via the reinsurance markets or might just accept the loss as bad debt in order to maintain their merchant facilities for Visa, Mastercard etc etc.

Might just come down to which institution LCH actually bank with and if they can absorb the loss. Anyone aware of this?

Chris • 7 years ago

Yes, but it varies massively as stated originally my summary was a very 'simple' view - so that people that face suffering losses realise that a chargeback is not as easy as the providers simply requesting the funds back.

Sara Joy Brown • 7 years ago

Hi Chris thanks yes I am ware of this fact and that it's unlikely to be successful but what I want from nationwide is the right to try like the other banks are providing.

Chris • 7 years ago

Be firm with them, insist that you want it logged regardless and they will log it.

Sara Joy Brown • 7 years ago

Hi thanks for his. I have been on to nationwide building society all afternoon and they have refused to submit my charge back request they have told me simply to go to the administrator for my money. Now I'm pretty sure I have the right to at least try and claim via visa, no? If anyone knows how I would do this without the help of nationwide I would appreciate it.

@hca200 • 7 years ago

I was able to put through a charge back claim via the disputes team at Lloyd's, also sent the template letter that was from a link on this page to back up the call.

Mandy Jayne Bass • 7 years ago

Lloyd's have also put in a charge back claim for us with no hassle

@hca200 • 7 years ago

Fingers crossed x

stefanie rogers • 7 years ago

I have just been told that any visa chargeback claim through nationwide would definitely be rejected unless I have a letter from the administrator's telling me that I can make the claim - has anyone else had this?

Jade Collins • 7 years ago

Chargeback rights for services not rendered the cardholder is required to contact the administrator/bonding authority for the merchant. The Issuing bank then has to provide this information with the Chargeback in order for it to be considered valid - failure to do so will mean the Issuer loses the case and is liable

stefanie rogers • 7 years ago

Which is impossible when there is no administrator!

Sara Joy Brown • 7 years ago

Yes this is what I was told yesterday

William Bell • 7 years ago

I spoke with them on Saturday morning, charge back claim submitted there and then. try again might have been a staff member with no clue

Sara Joy Brown • 7 years ago

Spoke to them 3 times William and the complaints department and I can tell you sadly you will be getting a letter telling you your charge back claim had been cancelled and you need to apply direct to LCH

Sonja Carter • 7 years ago

Nationwide done a chargeback for me yesterday with no problem.

Debbie Hill • 7 years ago

hi Sonja, Nationwide told me they to do not do charge back, have you recieved your money back?

Sonja Carter • 7 years ago

Not yet but the guy I spoke to was lovely and said he'd dealt with several low cost customers and that I should be credited the money I paid except flights as they are still valid in the next 10 days. He seemed to think it wouldn't be long as there is not much investigating to be done.

Rosemary Drury • 7 years ago

I was told the same from Nationwide. I spoke to Tom about a claim I put in on Saturday and it will take 10 working days to be credited to my account. N Wide can take back the monies too!

Sara Joy Brown • 7 years ago

I hope.this happens but I doubt it ad I was told the same on Saturday only to be told be several nationwide employees today that this WILL NOT be the case and all out claims have been cancelled. They only decided to do this Monday morning and that's when the staff were supposedly briefed. Whe you get your letter telling you this. Call and raise a complaint regarding the miss information you have been given, I have done this, you maybe get some compensation, won't be much but better than nothing!

Sonja Carter • 7 years ago

I think u can go to financial ombudsman as they're supposed to raise one of u ask them to.

Sara Joy Brown • 7 years ago

This is intresting as I was told no.

llyfee • 7 years ago

I've just completed a form over the telephone with Nationwide, it sounded promising but then I shouldn't get my hopes up.

leah • 7 years ago

I have just been on the phone to Nationwide and they said the chargeback procedure would definitely be refused so there was no point in filling out the form. I have been given an email address lowcosttravelspain@smith.williamson.co.uk to contact though...

Fiona • 7 years ago

Oh no did they give a reason why?

leah • 7 years ago

Just that the request would be declined in the system and the email address they gave me is useless too. I have emailed Visa to see if that helps...

Dave S • 7 years ago

Every time I get a message back from Nationwide they give me different info and are generally trying to fob me off. Their latest advice is that I can't claim chargeback because I paid using my Visa Debit card. They reckon if I'd used my credit card I could claim a chargeback. Apparently they'll raise a "Visa dispute" but I have to go through the Spanish Regulator / administrators first. This could take forever, feel like they're just fobbing us in the hope we'll give up and go away!

Dave S • 7 years ago

Nationwide have just told me to claim through the Spanish regulator / administrators. I have asked them why they are telling different customers different information!

l b • 7 years ago

I called my bank santander first thing Saturday morning, they were unaware of LCH going bump at that stage. They said I'd need to speak to visa and gave me contact details. A Visa robot person said the santander debit card was not covered.

I then called santander back later and they said I'll get my money back by completing a dispute form.

So a 'yes' and a 'no'... fingers crossed but don't bank on it is my advice !!

Jadey Makinson • 7 years ago

Could you let me know when you hear something from Santander as I've sent off the disclaimer form today any info would be great

Jadey Makinson • 7 years ago

Hi I'm also with Santander bank and spoke with somebody a few days ago and they are sending me out a disclaimer form in hope I will get back the money I paid for accomodation however they did say I needed a reference number and to be able to get this I had to log a claim with the smith and Williamson email address that's on the low cost holidays info page I have tried to do this but all I'm getting back is an automated email address there is nobody to actually speak with. Any info would be much appreciated thank you

Debby • 7 years ago

Hi, yes I've emailed the administrators and just get the automated email back too

Wajid • 7 years ago

i called santander on the friday night & got the dispute form this wednesday, now it just a waiting game, problem with charge back is that theres no legal obligation unlike credit card section 75 -_- if you booked accommodation then you should have received an email that included the hotel vouchers which has the booking reference on it

Jadey Makinson • 7 years ago

Hi thank you very much for your help! I have that email that's great thanks again.