A distinct but closely related complaint: a booking is paid in full, the accommodation or service is then declared unavailable, and the refund enters a queue that never moves. The trip does not happen, the money does not return, and follow-up produces reassurance rather than payment.

Establish the facts in writing

You need three things on the record: the confirmed booking and the amount paid, the notification that it could not be provided, and each refund commitment with its date. Where those commitments were made by phone or chat, summarise them in an email back to the company — "confirming our call today, you stated the refund would be processed within X days" — which converts a verbal assurance into documentation.

Your recourse depends on the payment method

  • Card: a chargeback for services not rendered. This is the strongest route, and it is why paying by card for travel matters.
  • Bank transfer: a recall request, dependent on speed and on funds remaining. Considerably weaker.
  • Payment platform: check whether the transaction carried buyer protection, and whether a friends-and-family option was used, which usually excludes it.

Do not let the deadline pass while waiting

The most common way these cases are lost is a customer waiting patiently through successive promised dates until the chargeback window closes. Dispute windows for travel typically run from the transaction or intended travel date. Open the dispute while continuing to pursue the refund directly — the two are not mutually exclusive, and you can withdraw a dispute if you are paid.

Consider the currency and cross-border angle

Where a booking was charged in a foreign currency, or through a platform based elsewhere, the amount refunded may differ from the amount paid because of exchange rates, and the responsible regulator is usually in the platform's jurisdiction rather than yours. Establish where the company is registered early — it determines who you escalate to.

Escalation routes

The consumer protection authority where the business is licensed, the national tourism regulator if the business is a licensed travel agent, and — where relevant — the ombudsman or dispute service for your payment provider. For cross-border disputes within the EU and EEA, the European Consumer Centres Network assists. Send the same evidence pack to each.

If the company stops responding entirely

Treat it as a payment dispute rather than a customer service problem and put the effort into the card issuer and the regulator instead. Continuing to chase an unresponsive merchant consumes the time your dispute deadline is running on, and produces nothing that helps your case.