NEWS


Trade urged to ‘dispute every chargeback’


Ian Taylor


Law firm Travlaw reports growing success in challenging card chargebacks and advises agents and operators to “dispute every one”. It warned a recent rise in ‘double


recovery’, where a chargeback is issued when a refund has already been paid, may be fraudulent. Travel Weekly reported last


week on card chargebacks sought by customers already in receipt of refunds (Travel Weekly, August 13). Travlaw associate solicitor


Krystene Bousfield said: “If you receive a chargeback request, one million per cent dispute it. If you don’t, it will be raised against you. Dispute every one.” She said: “Of every five agents


we’re advising [on chargebacks], probably less than one in five has issues.”


Bousfield added: “Double


recovery has only come to light in the last couple of weeks. I don’t think it’s a large thing, [but] we’re starting to see more [instances]. It could be accidental, it could be fraud. It


Krystene Bousfield: ‘Keep a record of every refund’


may be you tell a customer they will get a refund in three weeks and the customer thinks ‘I’ll chargeback and see which pays first’. Keep a record of every refund and check.” Speaking on a Travlaw webinar,


Bousfield said: “We’re disputing as many chargebacks as possible. “We’re seeing chargebacks where


the customer has travelled. Dispute it. Check your records. “We see chargebacks where


there is a disinclination to travel. If you’re able to provide a service and people choose not to go, they can’t


raise a chargeback. Dispute it. “Visa has said if a booking can’t


proceed due to Foreign Office advice, a chargeback is not due. If you offer a ‘reasonable alternative’ – a refund credit note – Mastercard and Visa have said a chargeback won’t apply. “If the customer hasn’t contacted


you about a refund – if the first you’ve heard is when you’re notified of a chargeback – say that.” Visa and Mastercard say charge-


backs are invalid if “the cardholder has not attempted to resolve the dispute” direct with the merchant.


Rowland reveals Blue Bay plans Lucy Huxley


Blue Bay Travel will expand into new market sectors and different regions after Alistair Rowland becomes group chief executive at the online travel agency next month. Abta chairman Rowland, chief


retail officer of specialist business at The Midcounties Co-operative, will join Blue Bay Travel on September 1. He will remain a non-executive


advisor for Midcounties and remain Abta chairman. At Midcounties, Rowland currently oversees the society’s funeralcare, pharmacy and childcare divisions, in addition to travel. He has worked for Midcounties for nine years, and for various co-operatives for the past 30 years. Speaking to Travel Weekly,


travelweekly.co.uk


Rowland said: “For quite a while, I have just wanted to invest all my time in the travel industry. The ability to run [Blue Bay] as group CEO with a view of growth in mind – by acquisition and organically – is a really powerful thing.” Blue Bay, which specialises in


luxury long-haul holidays, has been part of the Midcounties consortium since 2012 and is the largest of its 170 members. Rowland said the OTA had


trebled in size in that time. It employs more than 100 people and turned over more than £50 million last year. In February 2017, it secured a


£6.5 million investment from Lloyds Banking Group’s private equity arm LDC. Stuart Wilson, Blue Bay Travel’s


Alistair Rowland


current chief executive, will become group executive director. Managing director Maxine


Rowland, who is Rowland’s wife, will step down from her role but will remain with the business. Rowland said he aims to


“substantially expand” the range of products on offer, albeit carefully. “Many businesses get criticised


for an everyman philosophy, selling everything to everybody, and are rarely successful,” he said. “But there is an opportunity as


the world opens up again to sell other destinations significantly and to sell other sectors such as cruise.” The Midcounties Co-operative


has recruited Alison Bain as chief marketing officer and Neil Hardy as head of omni-channel development. Chief executive Phil Ponsonby


said it was unlikely that Rowland’s replacement would have as many divisions in their remit. Chief operating officer Rad Sofronijevic will report to Ponsonby while a new chief retail officer is sought.


20 AUGUST 2020 7


PICTURE: Steve Dunlop


PICTURE: Shutterstock


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