Category: The Travel Troubleshooter

Will I ever see a refund for this canceled tour of Ireland?!

By Christopher Elliott

After Susan Danner canceled her tour of Ireland during the COVID-19 outbreak, the operator promised a swift refund. But that was a year ago. So where’s her money?

Question:

Last year, I reserved a tour through Paddywagon, an Irish tour operator. I prepaid $1,219 for a two-day Wild Atlantic Way tour of the Irish countryside.

We could not go because of the pandemic. So I canceled the tour of Ireland in May, more than 28 days before the tour started. Under the terms of the tour, we qualified for a full refund. Paddywagon acknowledged the cancellation immediately but has claimed ever since that they cannot issue a refund until they are allowed access to their offices in Dublin.

I can see no reason that the company would not have access to their funds to issue a refund. I have emailed Paddywagon multiple times, and they always respond with the same excuse.

Can you help get me a refund for this canceled tour of Ireland? — Susan Danner, Healdsburg, Calif.

My Britrail Pass is worthless — so where is my refund?

By Christopher Elliott

The pandemic caused Brent Norgaard to cancel his trip to the U.K. last year. So why won’t his travel agency give him a refund for his BritRail Pass?

Question:

Last year, I bought an eight-day Britrail Pass through ACP Rail. I couldn’t use the tickets because of the COVID-19 outbreak. So I asked for an extension, and a representative told me to return the paper tickets. I did so last summer. Since then, I’ve inquired several times about the status of my extension. They say they are working on it.

It’s been more than a year. Could you please help me get either an extension or a refund for my BritRail Pass? — Brent Norgaard, Minneapolis

Answer:

If ACP Rail offered an extension for your BritRail Pass, it should have processed the extension quickly. ACP is a distributor of rail products. It has an exclusive arrangement to sell the BritRail Pass, so it should have been able to fix your ticket quickly.

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