The HfP chat thread – Sunday 22nd August

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• Reney says:

  22 Aug22 August 12:07

  Has anyone tried contacting Chronomics? I ordered a fit to fly test, when they asked for departure date I put in the day I was departing Paris to return to the UK NOT the date departing the UK! The estimated dispatch date means my test will arrive after I left.

  I have emailed them and via the online form. Wondering if they respond in time to send the test earlier? I should have paid more attention to the content of the email!

  • Ls says:

    22 Aug22 August 12:52

    I just changed my dates to ensure it was dispatched a few days later. I don’t think they hold you to this date

    • Reney says:

      22 Aug22 August 12:59

      Thanks, knew this was the right place to ask. Unfortunately, they won’t let me change it to my actual departure date, as it is less than 5 days away. I have put it as the day after, but will contact them.

      Can anyone tell me which delivery service do they use? It is being dispatched on Tuesday, any chance it will arrive on Thursday?

      • fw says:

        22 Aug22 August 17:34

        They used DPD local when mine came. Once they said they were dispatched, they came next day with a 1 hour slot allocated.

        • Reney says:

          22 Aug22 August 18:49

          thanks 🤞

  • OP says:

    22 Aug22 August 12:56

    I had the same thing, it’s not very clear. I emailed them but adjusting the dates earlier in the order details meant they dispatched earlier before they got back to my reply.

    • meta says:

      22 Aug22 August 13:12

      I got a refund. Their online ordering system is flawed. I put in BA reservation code and it recognised only the return not the departure from UK date. I ordered Prenetics one instead. Arrived the next day.

      • Reney says:

        22 Aug22 August 13:38

        @meta, not sure mine is the same situation, not not sure I want to end up with 2 tests.

    • Reney says:

      22 Aug22 August 13:37

      Thanks OP, how many days after dispatch did the test arrive?

• Rory says:

  22 Aug22 August 12:19

  Need some help with a downgrade claim…
  My return flight in F (£3500 total) had the return downgraded to CW due to an equipment change. BA said at the time I would be be able to claim under EU regs.

  It’s now been 7 weeks since my flight, and BA have refunded me a total of £320. They said the 75% does not apply when the cabin is closed, and only when it was an “involuntary downgrade” (Which I would think this was since I didn’t have the choice).

  Anyone got any ideas about this? BA said on the phone before I flew that I’d be able to claim, and now they’re saying I can’t. Any opinions would be great. Cheers!

  • Sean says:

    22 Aug22 August 12:27

    Definitely an involuntary downgrade, HUACA. If still the same answer then ask them to confirm in writing their Final decision and then take them through MCOL.

    • Matt says:

      22 Aug22 August 12:53

      BA are lying (deliberately trying to mislead you). You are definitely due 75% back. As if that’s their final answer, and then MCOL or CEDR

      • Lady London says:

        22 Aug22 August 18:19

        Ask them to confirm that’s their final answer as you are going to court on this and want to give them one final chance. You could just wait till the 8week after your request and do a moneyclaimonline dot gov dot UK straight away. But no harm looking ultra-reasonable. While you’re on the phone with them ask for the email address of BA Legal Dept as, as a courtesy, your next task today will be to send them a Letter Before Action to recover the 75% refund due to you as compensation for your involuntary downgrade. BTW the 75% will be of the money paid except for APD and some other minor airport charges of around £20 – the 75% is 75% of the rest.

        Assuming no, send Letter Before Action to BA Legal giving 14 days to pay your involuntary downgrade compensation in full.

        On day 15 submit your money claim online. Normally I’d say wait 21. But BA has actually made a promise to you that they are now trying (and will fail) to deny so you don’t owe them more time.

        Also because they did promise and are now trying to deny and abuse your rights in what’s basically an open and shut case, also add 8%pa pro rata daily interest to your claim from 7 days after your first request having flown (put that date in with that explanation) “interest accruing daily until the monies reach your account”.

        Any BA lawyer seeing the LBA (if time) or responding to the court will know with time for the case to be “heard” BA will be paying a chunk more than they could have.

        BTW mostly these seem to be judged by post these days and the small fee will also be repaid to you when you win.

        Please let us know what happens

        • Rory says:

          22 Aug22 August 19:55

          Amazing. Thanks for your help!

  • Anna says:

    22 Aug22 August 14:14

    They just make it up as they go along! Use the many threads on this site to pursue what you’re entitled to. It beggars belief that they think this is a satisfactory outcome for not travelling in F.

• Mco says:

  22 Aug22 August 12:23

  In regards to the current BA promotion for 2p per Avios. Is anyone else cautious about an audit down the line. I am thinking of doing around 200k worth.

  BA have been known to carry out audits a few years ago.

  • Rob says:

    22 Aug22 August 15:59

    Remember you have limited to 4 vouchers per booking and they expire Sep 2023.

    • Mco says:

      22 Aug22 August 16:31

      4 per booking should be enough to get one business class seat. No good for family booking though I guess.

    • JSemity says:

      22 Aug22 August 20:44

      4 vouchers per booking isn’t really an issue as you could do another ‘dummy’ booking combining the 4 vouchers into a single one. Rinse and repeat until you get down to 1 voucher

• mart says:

  22 Aug22 August 12:26

  Conflicting reports online – can you refer business to personal amex?

  • Matt says:

    22 Aug22 August 13:03

    Yes, no problem

• Peggerz says:

  22 Aug22 August 12:29

  Thanks to @Mouse for the recommendation of Indian Gourmet resto in Borough High Street. We got the last table for 2 on Friday evening and had a great meal, service was good and the place was very very busy with many turned away at the door. Great Choice

  • Mouse says:

    22 Aug22 August 14:31

    Glad you enjoyed it!

• Mouse says:

  22 Aug22 August 12:36

  Does anyone know if I close my HSBC Premier account will they automatically close the Premier WE credit card at the same time?

• Doug M says:

  22 Aug22 August 12:36

  HSBC premier. I got my account a few months ago, and only after a formal complaint. This week they sent me a fraud warning, and I responded I didn’t know of the transaction. It was a debit card transaction, interestingly I’ve never used the physical debit card, and the only place it’s registered is with Netflix. They replaced the card as they said it was compromised. Last week and again yesterday a payment to my own account elsewhere, was returned. Just been on the phone to the ‘fraud dept’ and it was a masterclass in script reading and not listening, so questions made little sense. They also stated things plainly untrue. Said as they couldn’t contact me they’d returned the payment. I said they had been able to contact me but hadn’t, because I had no texts or missed calls, and they’d managed to contact me in regard of the debit card, so clearly correct phone number. They referred to a new payee despite this being a previously used payee. Then finally said they’d written to me in regard of the returned payment, making the previous remarks about trying to contact me somewhat dubious. What’s the point of written contact in regard to a payment, obviously I won’t get the letter for several days and will continue to try the payment. When I reported this in chat yesterday they said I needed to contact the regular phone banking in hours, then all they could do was put me through to the fraud team.
  They may have really good automated systems for fraud detection, but the contact and application around them is pretty substandard.

  • the_real_a says:

    22 Aug22 August 12:51

    Dealing with HSBC often feels like making enquires with a local council on Mars sometime in the 1970`s. I made the decision many years ago not to trust HSBC with anything other than small amount of assets.

  • Ls says:

    22 Aug22 August 12:54

    Yes. HSBC is poor. Put a complaint in, and you’ll get a few quid.

  • Benilyn says:

    22 Aug22 August 14:12

    Sorry to hear, yea HSBC CS script / method is odd to put it nicely. I kept getting flagged for making payments form my HSBC current account to the HSBC credit card… being asked the written down script I guess of “has someone forced you to make this payment” with my answer being “no, I need to pay down my credit card balance as you can see”

    Good luck

    • Doug M says:

      22 Aug22 August 17:00

      That’s pretty much how it went this morning. Have you been contacted to make this payment, no it’s to my own account. Have you received a text or a call from a family member asking you to make this payment, no it’s to my own account……. and so on.
      Just to round things off I can’t login anymore so suspect they’ve disabled my account.

      • Lady London says:

        22 Aug22 August 18:26

        Sounds like £150 compensation from what others have said….and that was before they disabled the account.

        Do you think everyone who’s actually competent at HSBC, has gone on holiday leaving the intern in charge?

        If you have time would it be worth going in with all guns blazing tomorrow Monday morning and making a complaint?

        • Number9 says:

          22 Aug22 August 20:08

          When my Mum died they sent me details of her accounts etc …. Only it wasn’t my Mums it was a random woman her name, address, account numbers the lot. . I phoned them up they didn’t seem all that bothered. They wanted me to drive 15 miles to my nearest hsbc branch and hand documents in. I declined that offer. They gave me £50 for my complaint. So even when your dead your information isn’t safe with them.

• Doog1000 says:

  22 Aug22 August 12:38

  Hey tapping the community here – due to fly from Athens to Ibiza via Rome on Monday and have managed to check in online on alitalia – anyone have any idea if I need to complete any forms for the Italian government as I am just transmitting there for a couple of hours in addition to the Spanish gov?
  Info limited on Italian gov website and Alitalia re transit passenger requirements if any

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