High Court ruling: Teletext Holidays broke consumer law with refund failures
The High Court has ruled that Teletext Holidays broke consumer law by failing to refund customers within the appropriate time period for bookings cancelled due to Covid.
The Court agreed with the consumer watchdog that Truly Travel and Alpha Holidays, which traded as Teletext Holidays and Alpharooms, breached travel regulations.
Under the Package Travel and Linked Travel Arrangements Regulations (PTRs), firms are required to refund customers for package holidays that were cancelled due to the coronavirus pandemic within 14 days.
The Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) had sought a Court declaration to highlight the issue of travel firms respecting holidaymakers’ refund rights.
The firms were placed into liquidation last year after many customers complained they were still waiting for refunds worth thousands of pounds.
Customers with outstanding refunds have been urged to submit a claim to the Travel Trust Association (TTA).
Andrea Coscelli, chief executive of the CMA, said the ruling should be a “wake-up call” to any company that hopes to disregard customers’ refund rights.
He added: “Today’s ruling confirms the CMA’s view that Teletext Holidays and Alpharooms broke the law by not providing the refunds customers were due within 14 days for cancelled package holidays.
“While this ruling comes after these firms have been placed in liquidation, we hope the decision will make it easier for people to get their money back for a cancelled holiday in the future.”