CMA MUST TAKE ACTION TO PREVENT CUSTOMERS BEING RIPPED OFF AS CLAIMS CHASERS TAKE 50% OF EU261 COMPENSATION
Ryanair today (13 Dec) urged customers with valid compensation claims to claim directly from Ryanair and avoid “claims chasing” firms who are ripping off consumers by charging up to 50% of the compensation they are entitled to.
As Europe’s most reliable airline, Ryanair has the most on-time flights and fewest cancellations, and in the rare event of delays or cancellations, Ryanair complies with EU261 legislation. Customers with valid claims for compensation can simply process their claim via the Ryanair.com website, free of charge.
Customers with valid claims who claim directly from Ryanair will receive 100% of their EU261 compensation entitlement without the deduction of claims chaser fees, which can amount to 50% of the compensation payable to the customer. Ryanair warned customers to avoid claims chasers and revealed:
Claims chasing firm FlightDelays charges 29% of the compensation amount, plus a £25 admin fee, plus VAT, amounting to almost €125, or 50% of a €250 compensation claim, simply for submitting the claim to Ryanair.
Claims chasing firm Bott & Co charges 25% of the compensation amount, plus a £25 admin fee, plus VAT amounting to €105, or 42% of a €250 compensation claim.
Cases involving UK claims chasers will be heard in the Irish courts under a jurisdiction clause (which has been part of Ryanair’s Terms & Conditions of travel since 2010) in order to protect consumers and force UK claims chasers to discountinue their abusive practices.
Ryanair called on the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) to enforce greater regulation of claims chasing firms to prevent more customers being ripped off by these self-serving firms.
Ryanair’s Kenny Jacobs said:
In the rare event of the delay or cancellation of a Ryanair flight, under EU261 legislation, customers can process valid claims quickly and easily on the Ryanair.com website. “Claims chasers” such as FlightDelays and Bott & Co are ripping customers off, charging up to 50% of the compensation due for simply submitting a claim that can be made free of charge on the Ryanair.com website.
We wish to ensure that all Ryanair customers can receive 100% of their EU261 flight disruption compensation without the deduction of claims chaser fees. Since Ryanair customers can claim this compensation directly from us, with no fees, these claims chasers provide no useful service whatsoever. Claims chasers don’t like our terms and conditions, because they are designed solely to protect our customers, and ensure they receive 100% of the compensation they are due.
We call on the CMA to enforce greater regulation and we urge all customers with valid claims to avoid being ripped off by the ambulance chasers of the aviation industry and process their claims directly on the Ryanair.com website.
13 Dec 2016
Our comment: customers often find it very difficult to obtain a compensation directly from Ryanair. They often have a better chance of getting a compensation by using the power of legal firms, even if that means abandoning part of the compensation.
