Coronavirus Tasmania: Travel agents scramble to refund holiday bookings to customers

If not being able to go on holiday was not disappointing enough, hundreds of Tasmanians are still waiting to be refunded the money paid. Find out how you can lobby to get your money back >>

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MORNINGTON couple Matt and Andrea Cooper are among hundreds of disappointed Tasmanian travellers still waiting for refunds months after their holidays were cancelled because of the coronavirus pandemic.

The Coopers had booked a holiday to Phuket through Flight Centre and were looking forward to some time in warmer climes during April and May.

Then the pandemic brought the travel industry to a halt.

Matt and Andrea Cooper of Mornington who are waiting for a refund from Flight Centre. Picture: CHRIS KIDD

The Coopers applied for a refund on their Asian adventure on April 16 and are still waiting for more than $3500 to be repaid.

“We know we are not alone but it is so frustrating,” Mr Cooper said.

“We have been told by Singapore Airlines our flights have been refunded to Flight Centre but that’s where the process seemed to stop.”

A Flight Centre spokeswoman said Mr Cooper’s refund was authorised by Singapore Airline on July 24 but not paid on until August 7.

“There has been a queue of refunds waiting to be processed but we are moving faster and faster through these now,” she said.

“We do understand that customers are unhappy and we are extremely sorry for any inconvenience however our business was never set up to deal with the volume of refunds we are now processing.”

The consumer frustration is so widespread a new Facebook group, Travel Industry Issues – The Need For Change for Australians, has been established to lobby for better consumer protection.

Consumer advocate Adam Glezer said 1085 people had already signed on to his new page.

He said he would be proposing legislative change with the federal government soon.

“I am doing this to put consumer protection in place to not only help consumers but also ethical providers. If things do not change consumer confidence will plummet after what we have seen happen during this crisis,” Mr Glezer said.

Mr Glezer said consumer confidence in the travel industry was being battered and the COVID-19 travel crisis had exposed how little fall back aggrieved customers had.

“COVID has magnified underlying issues that were always there. We need industry guidelines and layered consumer protection to not only help customers but also ethical agents.” he said.