SK AAR

Don't do it. There have been reports in other threads that the credit card issuer (maybe except for AMEX) will refuse the charge back (with various arguments, including that you have been offered a refund already) and if the charge back is processed LX will come up with obscure arguments that you have no right to refund in order for the card issuer to deny the charge back. Then you will get caught in the charge back limbo and have to spent time on this better + the frustration of getting nowhere. Better wait the 2-3 months before your refund will be processed by LX. Eventually you will receive the refund, just be patient.

LondonElite

If the carrier has agreed to a refund initiating a chargeback would be counter-productive. Firstly the card issuer will ask you what the airline has proposed, to which you would say it has offered a refund. If you lie, then Amex will contact Swiss who will tell them that they have offered a refund. Only when the refund doesn't arrive and the story changes is a chargeback sensible.

DanLondon

Agree that this is not advisable. After waiting 2 months I requested a chargeback via Amex (who have been very helpful). Unfortunately Swiss declined the chargeback.

I contact Swiss again to get the refund directly from them they say they can’t now as I’ve requested a chargeback. So annoying and I can’t get anyone at Swiss to understand the situation.

warakorn

And? Then you just have to initiate the representment chargeback. In the end it's not up to the merchant (here Swiss), whether you receive the money or not.

SK AAR

Warakorn, the point is that most likely the chargeback will lead nowhere (you will not get your refund because the card issuer will deny it) and it will also mess up the refund procedure with LX as LX will use the initiated chargeback as an excuse not to process the refund.

warakorn

As I understood it, Swiss denied the chargeback (basically, Swiss initiated a representment charge). The card issuer has not denied it. Why not try the representment chargeback route?

Do you really believe that it makes any difference to Swiss whether a chargeback process is in place or not? Swiss is simply refunding - it refuses all refunds.

snape73

Hello. Not sure if this has been answered elsewhere already...
I was booked BUD-ZRH-SFO in Business/First. Paid ticket. The flight BUD-ZRH was canceled by Swiss, and the alternative that they offered me gave me the opportunity to cancel the whole booking for 'free'( I had been hoping for this to happen, as I can not travel to the US right now of course, yet I didn't want to pay the €410 cancelation fee that would have been due had I myself canceled)
I called Swiss, and a very friendly agent happily confirmed that he would go ahead and cancel the entire booking and that I would receive a full refund. He also said I would receive an email as confirmation of this. I didn't receive an email, but the booking has disappeared from my 'Bookings list' so I trust that it will go ahead as he said.
First question: should I demand a confirmation email?
Second question: when I booked the flight back in February it was ticketed in HUF, as the flight originated in Hungary. The amount was charged to my card in EUR. Now, 5 months later, the exchange rate HUF EUR has changed significantly, and I expect to lose €300/400 when the amount is returned to my credit card. I understand that the amount will be refunded in the currency that the ticket was issued in, and that there isn't much I can do about it... So my question is: if Swiss doesn't refund the amount within 2 weeks, could/should I initiate a chargeback, quoting the amount that was actually deducted from my account back in February in Euro? Or would I need to claim for the original amount in HUF?
Hope this makes sense. I would rather not lose the €300 due to the poor exchange rate, but am at least relieved that I managed to save the €410 cancelation fee
Thank you for any tips!

warakorn

Such a chargeback (wrong currency) is possible, however, as this charge happened in February, I am afraid the chargeback period for such kind of case has expired already.

During the past months the EUR has become stronger, the HUF weaker. I don't see where you loose money.
You receive back the same EUR amount. That EUR amount buys you many more HUFs today as it did in February.

snape73

Thank you for such a quick answer.
Do you know what the time limit is for such a chargeback? I booked a different (Lufthansa) flight in December, and initiated a chargeback at the end of April. This was successful.

snape73

I understood that Swiss will refund me in HUF. This will give me significantly less EUR refunded to my card. I live in Austria and have no need/desire to 'buy' more HUFs. I booked the flight from Budapest as it was significantly (= more than €1000) cheaper than flying from VIE and only a few hours away on the train...

capedreamer

I'm a similar boat. Very frustrating.

1) Swiss cancels my flight and takes away the ability to request a refund (this in late March for an early April flight).
2) Not satisfied with any of the rebooking options and not interested in a voucher from a potentially insolvent merchant, I initiated a chrageback through my credit card.
3) In late April, I'm given a temporary credit by the credit card company,
4) In early June, temporary credit is reversed because Swiss provided some sort of documentation (which I was never shown) to the credit card company.
5) A week later, Swiss later acknowledges my right to a refund. I now have verbal confirmation from Swiss by phone and written confirmation from Expedia (the OTA I booked through) by e-mail that I'm due a refund. Meanwhile, I had already initiated the representment process, but not sure where that'll lead.

So 2.5 months my flight was supposed to take off, I'm still waiting for my $1,900 back.

warakorn

Did Swiss hit your credit card with a charge in HUF or EUR?

warakorn

The deadline for chargebacks are different depending on the chargeback reason (shorter for wring currency transaction; much longer for service not delivered).

snape73

In EUR.
Interesting, because the ticket was issued in Hungary in HUF, but there is no mention of the HUF total or exchange rate on my credit card bill. Just the total in €. I recently booked the same route for 2021, and there the amount in HUF and conversion rate is displayed on my credit card bill. I wonder if this will make a difference to which sum will be refunded. According to the research I did, the refund will be made in the currency that the ticket was issued in. And on the flight receipt for the canceled flight the price is listed in HUF
Thank You again for your replies!

SK AAR

If LX charged your credit card in EUR you will get the same EUR amount back. If your credit card issuer converted the charge from HUF to EUR, obviously you will get a smaller amount back in EUR now.

Anyway, this is one of the risks of buying cheaper tickets from other countries in other currencies to save on the fare. The pax who bought cheap J/F tickets ex OSL or KBP are in the same boat when their tickets are refunded. C'est la vie /this is the rules of the game - you can't always win.