Refund from Ryanair

[WorkingHard]

Hi All,
Does any one know how to get a refund from Ryanair on the taxes and fees etc from an unused journey. I fully understand that no refund is applicable on the fare BUT for our journey the taxes and fees were substantial. Ryanair has acknowledged our claim but stated the !admin" charge exceeds the applicable refund without specifying the value of the charge. It is a matter of principle now and in the final event I shall make a claim through the courts.
thanks

[CARR30]

I would guess that your fees and taxes would have been less than 20 quid each.

In the unlikely event of you still being in pocket after pursuing this 'substantial' amount through the courts I'd suggest you put the residue towards travel insurance before your next trip.

[formerijmpilot]

You must give the company a warning that you wist to persue your calm, and that should they reject your formal, and time limed request for satisfaction, you will persue the matter thru the UK small claims court.

(Beware the possible problem that RY are not a UK company, and outside the remit of the UK system, however if you find a UK subsiduary, that would be a good start.)

Then go on line for the UK on line small clams procedure, fill in the forms, and pay the sum.

Even RY dont like too much publicity, in the courts, as it might just trigger a class action, and then they are totally fluked.

Print out all E Mail and other communitions.

good luck

[WorkingHard]

Thanks for the replies. As a matter of interest the value of the fees and taxes which has to be refunded is £135.60, so it is worth a point of priciple. I shall sue if they do not settle voluntarily.

[CARR30]

135-60!! Are you claiming for football team?

[chrism20]

When the £/€10 fares offers aren't on FR's taxes,fees & charges varies wildly on the same route from one hour to the next.

For example on my usual route of EDI/DUB the taxes were 14.83 one day and when I checked the same flight 4 hours later the taxes were £19.99. Thefore in theory, 3 people on a return journey the taxes could be circa £120.

It would appear that they are skimming of the charges instead of the fare line, thus in turn making the lead in fare remain low and the not so informed punter thinks that it's all greedy Gordon as it comes under the taxes fees and charges line on the booking form.

[Avman]

Indeed, the so-called low fares are a simple scam. The lower the fare the higher the taxes. This progressively changes proportionally as seats are sold. It's simple commercial manipulation to con the early bookers in thinking they've got a super deal in terms of the fare (as opposed to total costs of the booking).

[Final 3 Greens]

I see that Carr30 is spouting his old nonsense again, sounds just like the fifth column.

[NRU74]

Re Ryanair
Does anyone know how to avoid paying the £4 charge per sector when carrying cabin baggage only -it's the second time I've been conned by having to click the cabin baggage/priority boarding button on their web site as, otherwise, I couldn't continue to make the booking ?
Also does anyone have a half reliable e mail address for Ryanair

[chrism20]

Underneath the drop down box there is some blue text telling you that you can remove it - click on the text and it should remove it.

[CARR30]

"Old nonsense"? The only "old nonsense" here is how an individual's fees and taxes for a single journey have multiplied nearly 7-fold, from what we all agree is about £20 to £135.60.
Since the ad hominem attacks have now begun, let's say that Final 3 Greens is a master in the spouting of bull$hit. I wonder how much brain I'd need to loose to engage him on equal terms.

[SXB]

I've no idea how much the taxes were on this particular flight but if they were £20 for each person (and maybe for each sector) he may have been travelling with his wife and kids, and if that were so it sounds like RYR are applying an administration charge to each passenger (and maybe each sector) rather than just to each booking. Am not sure if the other airlines do that but if they do it sounds like sharp practice....

Carr30, You should be able to give us RYR's policy on this, I seem to remember that you work for RYR

[Gonzo]

CARR30

I would guess that your fees and taxes would have been less than 20 quid each.


Some simple maths for you, which might explain the situation.

Taxes of £20 (top end of what you surmise), x2 for return journey, x 3 for partner and child = £120.

It's certainly not beyond the bounds of possiblity, is it?:ugh:

[Final 3 Greens]

Dear CARR30

You say 'The only "old nonsense" here is how an individual's fees and taxes for a single journey have multiplied nearly 7-fold, from what we all agree is about £20 to £135.60.'

I see little agreement with you from anyone else and have no reason to doubt the probity of Working Hard's statement (who has posted on this forum for quite some time), but your note that you commented in 2 separate posts

- "I would guess that your fees and taxes would have been less than 20 quid each."

- "135-60!! Are you claiming for football team?"

So, I say again that you are spouting nonsense, defined by the Oxford Concise as

1 words that make no sense.

2 foolish or unacceptable behaviour. Ø an absurd or unthinkable scheme, situation, etc.

For the avoidance of doubt, I am referring to definition #1 of the above.

[PAXboy]

CARR30, I don't doubt your sincerity but one suggestion. As you go along, document EVERYTHING. Whilst this may be useful should you reach court,
it will provide the background research for you in the book you can write, "How I beat RYR to get my taxes back".

I know that sounds harsh but it will be a good story to tell. ;) :D

[WorkingHard]

Thanks for the input people. 2 or 3 things to note:
1) the taxes and charges were as stated and covered 3 people from STN to Hamburg and return.
2) I accepted by booking with Ryanair that in the event of a cancellation I would not get the fares refunded
3) they will email to you but you cannot email a response since they leave their mailbox at it's limit so all emails bounce. (unless someone can give us a "proper" email address.
kepp the ideas coming please.
Thanks

[chrism20]

Well taxes for 3 for this week on a return flight are 75.60 out and 36.00 back fast forward a fortnight and the return taxes are 19.68 due to the £10 fare.

Given the scope in which FR vary taxes, fees & charges £135 is a very realistic figure for 3 pax.

[PAXboy]

Another useful site for this kind of information is:
http://www.saynoto0870.com/

Enter the company name, in this case 'RyanAir' and it lists various numbers including a fax. If you send to the fax, you should get a confirmation of the page sent BUT, I expect they have set their machine not to transmit their company name or number and so you will only have your machine's details and the record of the number that you dialled.

[FairlieFlyer]

Forget the emails - send them a registered letter to their registered company address.
Make sure its the same entity that sold you the ticket - hopefully it'll be through a UK subsidiary. Check the company address on http://wck2.companieshouse.gov.uk/

Once you do that and your time limit has expired, then file proceedings through the Small Claims Court.

I suspect you will get a response if you do it his way. I have done this before with other companies with poor Call Centres (NTL) and their Legal teams seem quick to respond.

[CARR30]

I work for a bank, I do not and never have worked in any part of the travel industry.

I understand now that Workingboy's 'unused journey' is now actually 6 journeys since Ryanair don't do return tickets.

Thanks for all the other comments.

[FairlieFlyer]

Name & Registered Office:
RYANAIR UK LIMITED
SATELITE 3
LONDON STANSTED AIRPORT
STANSTED
ESSEX CM24 1RW
Company No. 01917579


Just make sure this company issued your tickets

[Frangible]

Working Hard. I suspect your sanity and financial wellbeing don't depend on getting this cash back. I think, however, you might have much more satisfaction, fun, and payback in getting the Irish Revenue to investigate what becomes of that tax FR won't give back to you when you don't fly.

It must surely be illegal for an agency to collect a tax on behalf of the government and then keep it for itself. All government tax organisations have wonderfully broad powers. If they think MOL has been diddling the exchequer, you could well get your money's worth there rather than bashing your head against FR's blood-drenched and brain-spattered wall.

[WorkingHard]

There are some super replies here folks. I especially like the touch from Frangible.
Out of interest I will let everyone know the final result when it happens. One question however, the tickets do not have any company specified, just "RYANAIR" so as the tickets were purchased in the UK it may be logical to assume it was the UK regitered company of Ryainair UK!!!!

[slim_slag]

If you win we will all find out as it will make the papers. There was a similar sort of case when a passenger took FR to the small claims over his 'valuable' luggage and the judge agreed with the passenger. FR were, as you might expect, bloody minded about the whole affair and I suspect if you sue them they will treat you the same way.

It needs taking to court though, I think their admin charge for refunding the tax is £15 and that needs testing. It's obvious to me that is excessive as their charge for taking you to another country is often 1p. Their charge for taking money off you when you use a debit card is about 70p. So £15 is to me taking the pee. You need to ask yourself if you are the person who is prepared to 'test' the charge. I couldn't be bothered with the hassle myself, which of course means FR have won.

But then I went to Rome and back last month for £21.40 total so they sometimes lose out too :)

I once got a $2 'tax' refund off Southwest when I changed a two sector journey to a one sector journey. Must have cost them more to process it than that as I used an 800 number and a human on the other end, but they did the decent thing and refunded the cash which they didn't end up having to pay. I also didn't even have to ask for it, it just ended up back in my account.