If we want to be picky T&Cs state:
Once seats are pre-booked and payment has been made charges are non-refundable. Exceptions to this are a) if the seats are not provided or.....
I would suggest your family members did not actually contact the correct department for a refund or the situation was not as clear cut as it sounds and there was much more to it.
Also if a New Eco or Plus ticket is bought where ASA is included there is no refund as no amount is applied for seats on their own.