Who has booked thru Bookit.com recently?

[DandyDon]

And what are you doing to obtain refunds? Reports vary but they seem to be effectively out of business and have not paid some airlines, cruises, resorts for services expected by their customers. Their website talks about coming back in the future, but talk is just talk.

Their site also advises "As we are currently unable to process refunds to you, please contact your bank for options available to you as a cardholder." I've also seen some FB reports that some banks are refusing to honor chargeback claims and issue credits, but I found those questionable?

 

[ReefHound]

If they are telling you to seek recourse through your credit cards that sounds like they know they aren't coming back. A cc chargeback is usually something a merchant tries very hard to avoid as they are charged penalty fees, higher transaction fees, and can impact their ability to even accept cc payments.

 

[ReefHound]

It won't surprise me at all if banks start refusing to honor chargebacks over this pandemic. The chargeback and buyer credit is all based on the usually situation where it represents a small percentage of transactions and the cc leverage to get it back from the merchant is they can debit it from cc payments. But in this event, the percentage is very high. Far too high to absorb. And with these businesses that have shut down and likely won't reopen, there are no incoming payments to debit against.

 

[Cert1967]

Bookit.com has stranded customers and is likely out of business

 

[ReefHound]

"And, as a result, we do not plan on making payments for arriving guests who do not cancel their stay."

That's even worse than not getting your money back for a canceled trip. You likely don't even get to continue with your trip because the resorts aren't getting the money you paid. In the end, I figure the principals in the company will decide it's a lot cheaper to declare bankruptcy and reform as a new company.

 

[Fin59]

We've used them in the past, most recently for one of our weeks at Grand Park Royal. We were in Cozumel Dec 28 - Jan 18 and our last week there was booked with them, $576 total for 2 in one of the ocean view rooms. Maybe our cheap deal forced them out...haha.
I had looked at their site a few days before to price a trip later this year or early next and they had a few good deals. Sure glad I didn't book with them.

Good luck to everyone, hopefully their credit card company will help.

 

[WetInPortland]

And what are you doing to obtain refunds? ... I've also seen some FB reports that some banks are refusing to honor chargeback claims and issue credits, but I found those questionable?

Credit card companies usually have some time limit on disputing charges (60 days?) which can be problematic for travel booked well in advance. But if you're within the allowed dispute period and didn't get the product you paid for, the CC companies don't have a lot of choice. Dispute the charge, don't pay the bill, escalate if necessary, including to your state attorney general's ombudsman / consumer affairs office, if you don't get satisfaction from the CC company. This seems very clear-cut.

 

[W W Meixner]

If they are telling you to seek recourse through your credit cards that sounds like they know they aren't coming back. A cc chargeback is usually something a merchant tries very hard to avoid as they are charged penalty fees, higher transaction fees, and can impact their ability to even accept cc payments.

R-H...

Like airlines...companies like this exist on a ''line of credit''...based on pre-sold packages...they really are not solvent to begin with even during the best of times...

Canada 3000 Airlines went bankrupt as the result of 9-11...at the time...they had $25,000'000. USD in the bank...and that still was not enough to allow them to survive...

In comparison...these small tour operators are boiler-room operations...and in a lot of instances...run by bandits...

I never have...and never would use any of them...thankfully this virus is going to wipe most of them out...hopefully...permanently...

Anyone right now...having money hanging out in the breeze for ''anything'' had better be fully prepared to lose it...and prepared or not...in cases like this...you're going to lose it anyway...

W.M...

 

[DandyDon]

I hope that what I heard about some banks refusing to refund credit card charges was wrong. This is a guarantee of Visa, MC, and others, isn't it?

 

[Cert1967]

I hope that what I heard about some banks refusing to refund credit card charges was wrong. This is a guarantee of Visa, MC, and others, isn't it?

@DandyDon
***************************

Hello Dandy,

The dispute process you are referring to is baked into federal legislation. There are requirements that are imposed on both parties.

While credit card companies may contractually give you other protections - your rights to dispute transactions are founded in long-standing federal legislation.

Bored?

You may wish to read 15 U.S. Code § 1681

Or the FTC publication excerpts below, along with the full pdf attached.

Disputing Credit Card Charges

The FCBA settlement procedures apply only to disputes about "billing errors." For example:

• charges for goods and services you didn't accept or that weren't delivered as agreed;

To preserve your rights you must,

• make the dispute in writing
• to the address given for disputes in your billing statement
  • this address will not be the address for payments or other correspondence

Filing the dispute online does not preserve your rights.

Certified Mail - probably a good idea. I like a third party to mail the doc - including a signed mailing statement. Take photos of the doc.

Read the procedure carefully, keep all of your documentation, and be prepared for additional requests for documentation.

The sample letter is a good start as to what is required in your letter.


Note the link in the PDF to the FTC complaint process.