Airline took our £670 twice

We are seeking your help in claiming £670 after being charged twice for our flights for our holiday this year. We thought the dispute had been resolved but then found that it hadn’t been.

We have complained and liaised with the airline and contacted Halifax, our bank, by phone on six separate occasions, visited the branch twice and written to it.

This has created a dark cloud over what should have been an amazing holiday. We are now in debt because of what has happened. CM, EAST YORKS

Halifax had originally proceeded down the “chargeback” route to retrieve the money from the merchant.

However, it was challenged and the money was taken back from your account. Halifax said that, when raising a chargeback, it provided a temporary refund and did not in fact debit any money from the merchant’s account at this stage. It does that only if the chargeback is successful.

Halifax then, after going through the correspondence I had sent it, noticed that, rather than contacting its own bank directly to investigate the matter further, the airline had directed you to go back to Halifax, your bank.

The airline also claimed that the disputed payment had not been made when, in fact, Halifax could see that it had.

Neither Halifax nor I have managed to speak to the airline. Following my involvement, though, Halifax initiated a further chargeback.

After you had waited in limbo for more than 45 days wondering if the refund was there to stay, I established that, this time, it had not been challenged. The money is now yours.

The bank told me that it didn’t inform customers automatically when this point was reached, and you had not asked.

Many readers complain that the financial institutions that are keen to take their money are less willing to answer legitimate questions.