SKI FIRM FACES LEGAL FIGHT OVER TICKET REFUND PLAN

A SKIING holiday provider faces legal action after backtracking on a promise to refund tickets for a cancelled festival.

Sunweb is said to have initially offered customers a full refund by March 31 after Tomorrowland Winter at the French resort Alpe d’Huez, pictured, was called off because of the virus. Some 25,000 people were expected to attend, with Sunweb’s package trips priced up to £4,000 ($5,000) each.

But the Zurich-based firm has since told customers that they will now be offered ‘corona vouchers’

– prompting legal threats. The scheme has been backed by the French and Belgian governments, but the European Commission said ‘travellers have the right to be reimbursed’.

SunWeb, owned by private equity firm Triton Partners, has told customers they cannot request cash refunds until November, which will be paid within three months.

Sunweb’s Tim Van den Bergh, said the scheme ensured ‘that all customers will retain the value of their payment’.

He confirmed that 110 customers had rejected vouchers.