Credit card clients get chargeback

HOPES FADE: Clients of Harvey World Travel in Gateway, uMhlanga, lost out on dream holidays after the business's sudden closure.

HOPES FADE: Clients of Harvey World Travel in Gateway, uMhlanga, lost out on dream holidays after the business's sudden closure.

Published Feb 11, 2013

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A few days before Christmas, Thareshnee Govender and her husband paid Harvey World Travel Gateway, R50 000 for a holiday in Europe, to take place in late June, and got what they thought was a booking confirmation.

They have since discovered that none of their bookings were paid for and have fallen away.

They have successfully applied for chargeback with their bank, Standard Bank, but they’re going to have to find an extra R11 000 to rebook their flights, alone.

l Dave and Deepa Naidoo of La Mercy, who are both in the police service, saved up R7 700 for a four-day cruise for their eldest child, Simone, as her 21st birthday present.

The cruise liner left Durban last week – without her, the Naidoos having discovered that HWT Gateway had not paid for the booking.

The Naidoos applied to their bank, Absa, for chargeback, but received an e-mail from the bank’s disputes department, rejecting the claim.

“We advise you to address the matter directly with the merchant concerned, in order to obtain a credit voucher,” the e-mail said.

I then raised the case with Absa’s media department.

The following day I received an e-mail from Naidoo, saying he’d been contacted by a bank representative who said the chargeback would be done that afternoon.

l Last November, Thirusha Mohabir booked a seven-night trip to Mauritius, for March, for herself and her boyfriend, paying R37 000 via EFT.

The booking was “finalised” in early November, but no vouchers were issued. The travel consultant constantly said: “I will contact you when they arrive.” They never did, no one contacted her, and then she discovered the agency had closed.

Unfortunately, those who paid by EFT cannot claim chargeback.

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