Having cancelled all channel crossings until at least 22nd April, Brittany Ferries are offering those with pre-paid bookings a voucher to be used against future travel valid for a year.
EU regulations, Article 18 of Regulation (EU) No 1177/2010 to be precise, clearly state that in the event of the company cancelling a sailing then the customer MUST be offered a choice between an alternative crossing and a full refund.
I had thought that in these unusual circumstances there might be some loophole that Brittany Ferries are using to avoid offering refunds, however, I find that on 18th March 2020 the EU Commission issued âInterpretative Guidelines on EU passenger rights regulations in the context of the developing situation with Covid-19â in which, at Item 6.2 the right of a passenger being able to choose a refund is confirmed.
Source: https://ec.europa.eu/transport/sites/transport/files/legislation/c20201830.pdf
As an âEU Carrierâ operating ferry services out of an âEU Portâ I wonder how it is that Brittany Ferries feel able to take such a high handed attitude and flagrantly breach the law.
My interest in this is that I am very nearly ÂŁ400 down the drain and a voucher for travel with a company that may not even still be trading in a few months time is of no use to me whatsoever.
Has anyone else also been unlawfully disadvantaged I wonder.
You are one of 0000âs Robert, from Disney to BA many travel companies are doing exactly the same and you can see why - cashflow. I can only suggest that you keep pushing them.
Itâs time to look at the big picture. If Brittany Ferries and all the other carriers repaid everyone in full immediately there is a fair chance that next time you want to use them they just wonât exist. These are not normal times. I have a friend who payed for overnight accommodation at Gatwick and they have been told that no credit not or refund will be issued. The virus is hitting individuals, businesses and governments hard.
It nice to see that you managed to have a dig at the EU at the same time as pointing out how you have suffered from this crisis.
What you have actually lost, is a ferry crossing. Which you can make up at a later date.
Thousands of people have lost jobs and income that theyâll never make up.
Do what you have to do but Iâd prefer BF to prioitise its employees right now.
We have a gite and we are offering re-booking on the same terms for the same time next year.
Did you use a credit card for your booking? If so, I suggest that you get in touch with your card provider.
By the way, Franceâs borders are closed to protect those who are living here now.
I have to comply with the rules, as do millions of other people, companies, and shareholders throughout the world. Life as we know it is changing forever and people are loosing their jobs, businesses, livelihoods, and having inter-personal relationships seriously damaged. I suppose my question really is; What makes Brittany Ferries so arrogantly special ?
True but there is also a chance that when you next need them they wonât be there anyway (look at the airlines) and it will be too late to get a refund via alternative means (CC or travel insurance).
It was not that easy a decision but Iâve chose to accept the voucher as I could see the âitâs cashflow innitâ argument and hope that BF can weather the storm on freight transport, until I can make use of their services as a passenger again.
It needed saying Anna. Itâs also a case of only listening what you want to hear, as Tim has pointed out itâs hardly a case of BF acting differently to everybody else. Yet again I think that perhaps some people just havenât come to terms with the enormity of the situation.
Look at it this way Robert. The protection is in place to stop unscupulous operators taking your booking, cancelling the service and keeping the money.
But thatâs not the situation here.
Brittany Ferriesâ role is to operate a ferry service. Not to mitigate the sanitary and economic effects of a pandemic. Thatâs a job for governments.
BF is a major operator and I suspect they may have heard whispers that the rules on refunds will be relaxed, so they may simply be anticipating the new ruling.
New situations need new rules.
Bearing in mind that the European Commission considered this matter as recently as 18th March when the Interpretive Guidelines were issued, and also keeping in mind that said guidelines were issued specifically in the light of the Covid 19 situation, then I donât see how there is likely to be any further change in the rules.
Anyway, the rest of us are all required to comply with the law as it is now rather than how we hope or wish it may be in the future.
I understand that vouchers may be acceptable to many people, but for some of us the very purpose of our intended journey is evaporating with time.
Anyway, the major point encompassed in all this is the rule of law. The EU Commission have re-iterated that the ferry company MUST offer a choice between a deferred journey and a refund.
Whether that should or should not be the case is not the point. The law has been reconsidered by the powers that be, and has been found to be worthy of maintaining.
What is important is that we all comply with the law, and in my view that compliance should include Brittany Ferries.
You say âas recently as 18th Marchâ but thatâs not terribly recent in pandemic terms.
Weâll see what evolves. But the options seem to be, let travel operators go bust, support them with public money, or encourage their customers to help them stay afloat (as it were). Or stroje a balance between all three.
Hi Jane, the insurance you advise your customers to take out will not cover them for CV19 related issues unless they have taken out specific CV19 insurance. Most insurance companies are specifying this in their updated/modified policies.
Perhaps, but itâs not their fault so we prefer to leave a good memory and maybe theyâll be back another year. We are resigned to a big dip in income this year. But we are saving money at the moment since we canât go anywhere or do anything, so who know it may not be that awful.