Refund of course registration fee | Legal Aid Office

Questioner

No refund after cancelled course. In July 2017 I registered for a course and paid a deposit of approximately €330.00 by credit card. The course was organised by a company from Cardiff and would take place in the Netherlands. Five days before the start of the course I received an email that the course was cancelled and that I would be kept informed about new dates. In response to that email I asked for my registration fee to be refunded. The answer from the lady in administration was that this would undoubtedly happen soon. We are now 7 months and dozens of emails with promises further, but I still haven't got my money back. Time and time again an excuse why it still hasn't been dealt with. Because I registered for the course under my company name, I cannot go to my legal expenses insurer. I also only found out after 120 days that you can have an amount refunded to your credit card within 120 days. What can I do to get my money back?

Lawyer

If you are entitled to a refund of the registration fee, I advise you to make this known in writing by registered mail. First check the general terms and conditions to be sure. You can then engage a debt collection agency to collect your claim. If you are still unable to reach an agreement, I would be happy to look at your case.

Questioner

Thank you very much for your answer! The website has a 'workshop cancellation and refund policy'. Is that a general condition? The online refund policy states among other things '[company name] upon cancellation of a workshop for any reason, will reschedule the workshop to the next most available date. All registrants will be notified of the cancellation and given the option to receive a refund or rollover their deposit and attend the rescheduled workshop.' So they are entitled to a refund of the registration fee. By the way, I did not receive a separate copy of the general terms and conditions when I registered.

Lawyer

The refund policy shows that you are entitled to a refund of the registration fee and you can also claim this. If there is a complaints procedure, you can follow it and otherwise call in a debt collection agency. Weigh the costs and benefits and check which law applies. If you cannot figure it out, please contact me directly.