Refund Or Credit Note ?

[sirlearie]

hi all , some advice please .
holiday booked before march with trailfinders . coronavirus began with cancellation of flights to USA . didn't pay remainder of balance but had paid deposit . trailfinders not very helpful & have issued
credit note /voucher but will not refund money .
i feel this is unfair /unreasonable as we are not going to be travelling any time in the near future under covid restrictions & certainly they cannot provide the same holiday that we originally booked .
what is best approach before small claims court decides ?
thanks.

[KARL]

The first thing to do is to establish what the expectations are in legal terms. My impression is that tour operators/sellers must refund in full if that is what the customer wants - but you need to ensure that is what you can reasonably demand. Citizen's Advice, googling sensibly, etc. should get you to a reliable understanding. Were it not for Covid, operators cancelling flights originating and/or ending within the EU would automatically lead to a right not just to a refund but also compensation of hundreds of euros per person per leg - these days Covid inspired cancellations guarantee a right to a refund. The accommodation element (food and transfers too) are a separate element which I am not 100% certain about. If you have paid by credit card there is a separate/additional level of money back guarantee that may be available to you over any amount paid that way - check with the card issuer.

Choosing a refund rather than a voucher (even one boosted by a "bonus" element) makes sense because the voucher replaces the right to a refund, and if the operator subsequently goes bankrupt or simply closes then the voucher is worthless and there is no comeback.