Originally Posted by
mmff
The TA is paid to make specific travel arrangements for specific destinations in specific dates. If those arrangements fall through because a third-party (e.g. airline, hotel) is unable to deliver the contracted service(s), the TA fails to provide the arrangements agreed upon (and paid for). Thus, the case for a credit card chargeback should be clear-cut in most jurisdictions.
(If I you prepay a lobster dinner for next month and at the time and date of the reservation the restaurant does not have any lobster, you are also also due a full refund. It does not matter what failed in the supply chain of the restaurant, you paid for a service that was not delivered to you as agreed upon at the time of payment.)
Not sure, the TA made the arrangements they were paid for (booked a ticket) and the airline who now has most of the money failed to deliver their bit. TA is clean. Your analogy fails as there's no agent involved when you pre-book/pre-pay the restaurant.
But, to Gary's point, why would the OTA refuse to refund if they're only processing a request on your behalf with the airline? It isn't the OTA's money, so they don't have much to lose here.
That's part of their business model to make money on changes or cancellations. Ordinarily it's pretty rare but nowadays it's massive and they stand to benefit hugely if nothing changes.