Submit a chargeback request to the card provider today using its official dispute process, and send the travel company’s administrator a short written claim for the same amount. If nothing is done, the claim usually drifts until the deadline passes and the remaining money becomes much harder to recover. Keep the request narrow and evidence-led, focused on what was paid and what was not provided. Escalate promptly if the card provider rejects the dispute without properly considering the collapse.
What the problem is
A travel company collapse mid-claim is the awkward moment when a refund, compensation, or service complaint is already underway and the business suddenly stops trading, enters administration, or its customer service channels go quiet. In UK cases this often hits after a partial response, after being asked for more documents, or after a promised “final decision” date that never arrives. It affects package holiday customers, flight-only bookings, hotel bookings, and extras such as transfers or excursions, especially where payment was made by debit or credit card and the travel date is close. The practical difficulty is that the original complaint route becomes unreliable at the exact point the customer needs a clear decision and a payment route.
This stage commonly appears after the customer has already chased at least once, has a reference number, and has been told to wait for a team to “review” the claim. It can also appear after a goodwill offer has been made but not paid, or where a refund was “approved” in writing but never processed. When the collapse happens, the customer is left with a moving target: the company may still have a website, but the people who could authorise payment are no longer operating in the usual way.
Why this happens
Once a travel company is insolvent, the incentive changes from resolving individual complaints to preserving what is left for all creditors, and that slows or stops discretionary refunds. Payment systems can also be frozen, staff may be made redundant, and the remaining team may be instructed to direct everyone to an administrator rather than handle case-by-case outcomes. Where bookings were fulfilled by third parties, the collapsed company may not have the cash to reimburse even when the complaint is valid, so the claim becomes a debt rather than a customer service issue.
In practice, communications often switch to generic inbox replies and standard wording that asks customers to “register a claim” without confirming timescales or likelihood of payment. This is why a claim that was progressing can suddenly stall: the business no longer has the operational capacity or authority to settle it, even if the complaint team previously agreed the customer was owed money.
A typical organisational response pattern is that messages are acknowledged but no one takes ownership of the file, and the customer is repeatedly redirected to a different channel.
Your UK position
The strongest practical leverage usually comes from the payment route rather than continuing to argue with a collapsed trader. If payment was made by card, the card provider can sometimes reverse the transaction or reimburse where goods or services were not provided, and this can be faster than waiting for an insolvency process. Where only part of the trip was delivered, the claim is normally framed around the undelivered portion and any clear, evidenced losses tied to that non-delivery.
Written records matter more than long explanations. Card providers and administrators tend to respond to a clean timeline: what was bought, what was paid, what was promised, what was actually received, and what the trader said before going silent. A calm, consistent position also helps; changing the story, adding new heads of claim late, or mixing multiple bookings into one dispute often triggers delays.
If the travel company has entered administration, the customer is usually treated as an unsecured creditor for any unpaid refund, which means recovery can be uncertain and slow. That is why the practical approach is often to pursue the card route in parallel while also registering the claim with the administrator so the customer is not relying on a single outcome.
Official basis in UK
Chargeback through the card scheme rules is the most common official route used in UK day-to-day disputes when a trader collapses and a service is not provided. It works by asking the card provider to raise a dispute against the merchant’s bank, using evidence that the contracted service was not delivered or a refund was due but not paid. In practice, the card provider will ask for proof of purchase, proof of non-delivery or cancellation, and proof that the customer tried to resolve it with the trader (or that the trader is insolvent and cannot respond). The key is to submit the dispute quickly and keep it tightly tied to the failed service rather than wider dissatisfaction.
For a plain-English overview of how chargeback is handled in the UK and what evidence is typically expected, use GOV.UK guidance as the reference point for the process and consumer-facing routes.
Evidence that matters
Evidence needs to show three things: payment, what was agreed, and what did not happen. Where the company collapses mid-claim, it also helps to show the claim was already raised and that the trader stopped responding or could not pay. Screenshots are acceptable if they show dates and the URL, but PDFs or emails are usually easier for a card provider to review.
Collect the booking confirmation, the terms shown at purchase, and any cancellation or change notices. Add proof of payment (card statement line, receipt, or bank app screenshot) and a short timeline of contact attempts. If a partial service was delivered, keep documents that separate what was used from what was not, such as check-in/out dates, flight status, or hotel invoices showing nights stayed.
One thing not to do yet is to accept a reduced settlement from a third-party “claims handler” that requires signing away rights before the card provider has made a decision.
Key documents
- Booking confirmation and itinerary showing what was purchased
- Proof of payment showing the merchant name and amount
- Emails or messages confirming cancellation, non-delivery, or an agreed refund
- Evidence the company has entered administration or stopped trading
Common mistakes
Three common mistakes are submitting a dispute for the wrong amount when only part of the trip failed, attaching dozens of unrelated screenshots instead of a clear timeline, and waiting for the administrator to reply before starting the card process.
Steps to take next
Start the dispute
Use the card provider’s official chargeback or card dispute process only, found in the banking app, online account, or the provider’s “dispute a transaction” help pages. Prepare the booking reference, transaction date and amount, the merchant name as it appears on the statement, and a short summary of what was not provided. Upload the clearest evidence first: booking confirmation, proof of cancellation or non-delivery, and the last written response from the trader (or proof the company is insolvent).
Register the debt
Separately, submit a written claim to the administrator or liquidator using the contact details published in the insolvency notice or on the administrator’s site. Keep it factual and limited to the amount owed, with the same core attachments, and ask for confirmation that the claim has been recorded. This does not replace the card dispute; it protects the position if the card route fails.
Keep it consistent
Use the same figures and the same description across both routes. If the claim is for a refund already agreed, quote the wording where the trader confirmed approval and include the date. If the claim is for non-delivery, focus on the service not provided and avoid adding new complaints about inconvenience unless there is a clear, evidenced financial loss directly tied to the non-delivery.
Normal timeframes
Card providers normally acknowledge quickly and then take several weeks to investigate, depending on the scheme and the evidence quality. Administrators often take longer and may only confirm registration rather than provide a decision for some time. One neutral, typical UK outcome is that the card dispute is resolved before the insolvency claim produces any payment.
Escalate if refused
If the card provider rejects the dispute without addressing the collapse or the non-delivery evidence, ask for the decision in writing and request a review through the provider’s formal complaints route. Where the purchase was made on a credit card and the value and circumstances fit, switching strategy to a credit card route can be appropriate; the decision point is whether the provider is treating the matter as a simple service failure rather than a non-provision after insolvency, and Section 75 claim explained helps clarify when that alternative is the better lever. If there is no response to the dispute within the provider’s stated timeframe, chase once in writing and then escalate via the provider’s complaint process, attaching the original submission and the evidence list so the file can be picked up without restarting.
What usually resolves
In many UK cases the issue is resolved when the card provider accepts the non-delivery evidence and processes a refund for the disputed amount, even if the administrator later confirms only that the debt has been logged.
Ready-to-send checklist
- Transaction details exactly as shown on the statement
- Booking confirmation and proof of what was not provided
- Any written refund approval or cancellation notice
- Proof the trader has collapsed or is in administration
Related issues on this site
If the travel company is still trading but is simply refusing to process a refund, the approach is different because there is still a functioning complaints route and escalation can be timed around their responses; that situation is covered under Refund refused by company. If a card provider or scheme closes a dispute without properly reviewing the evidence, that becomes a process problem rather than a travel problem, and it can help to compare the closure wording with what is normally required in a dispute review. These related issues are most relevant when there is a written refusal, a partial offer, or a “case closed” message that does not match the evidence already submitted.
FAQ and quick checks
Debit card route
For a debit card chargeback after travel company collapse, the bank normally needs proof of non-delivery and the date the service should have been provided. Keep the claim limited to the undelivered part and submit it through the bank’s dispute channel.
Credit card option
For a credit card claim when a travel firm goes into administration, the provider may treat it differently from a standard dispute if the purchase meets the usual criteria. Use the provider’s formal complaints route if the first decision ignores the insolvency evidence.
Partial trip delivered
For a partial holiday refund after supplier insolvency, the cleanest approach is to separate what was used from what was not and claim only the undelivered value. Provide dates, invoices, and any confirmation that the remaining service was cancelled.
Administrator contact
For registering a creditor claim with the travel company administrator, send a short statement of what is owed with the booking and payment proof attached. Ask for written confirmation that the claim has been recorded.
Before you move on
Gather the core documents, submit the card dispute through the official channel, and register the claim with the administrator using the published insolvency contact details, keeping the amounts consistent across both. Time pressure can show up as being pushed to accept quickly by a third party offering a fast settlement in exchange for signing away options.
Get help with the next step
Contact UKFixGuide — Share the payment method, booking type, and the date the service failed so the next escalation step can be chosen without restarting the claim.
