Originally Posted by
AJA_
Never book flights using a debir card! But you can contact your bank and dispute the charge. They should help you get your cash back. If you had booked using a credit card you would have had s75 protection and could have got the credit card company to pay for a new flight. The Avios is a separate issue and BA needs to refund that to you.
Unfortunately for some paying with a credit card isn't possible; bad credit or simply the inclination not to use one.
I suppose for those reading the next closest alternative is PayPal's dispute resolution service if you pay via them... but worryingly in both my experiences with PayPal the same thing happened to me as it did to the OP...
"Please wait whilst we make your booking"...
"payment failed"...
yet the money had been debited which on a debit card does affect your balance as it's held in escrow to one side.
To be fair, in all three cases I have had (one was simply paying with Starling before Gibraltar allowed Amex), the bank (Starling) returned the money after 72 hours as the money hadn't been 'collected'.
Further, how many lots of 30,000 Avios does the OP have to keep chucking at the booking? I'd call up personally and make the booking via. the phone.