Industry Powers: Who Should I Contact First With Issues?

The industry powers for consumer law in travel are constantly changing to best accommodate your issues. But with these powers, it is still important to understand when they are and aren’t necessary. This means for any issue that you may encounter with your travel booking. So, what should you do when you have an issue? 

Get in Touch with Your PTS Travel Agent 

The first place you should always go when you have an issue is to the travel business you booked with. Most issues with a booking can and should be resolved by the agent themself. This includes refunds, reimbursements, rescheduling, cancellations, missing information, and more. In most cases, your travel business should be able to resolve the issue in a timely manner. They shouldn’t have to involve the consumer law powers unnecessarily.  

We highly recommend you book with a member of Protected Trust Services (PTS) for exactly this reason. All members of PTS are checked, compliant, and trusted businesses that we support. So you can book with a business that you know you can have confidence in.  

Plus, all PTS members use our travel trust account system, meaning your monies are separated by booking and held in the trust account. And they won’t budge until you have returned from your fabulous holiday or need a refund. So if you need your money back at any point, your PTS member can return it straight to you from the trust account without any fuss. 

What If My Issue Is Still Unresolved? 

99% of the time, an issue with a booking can be resolved by the travel business in question. But we understand that this is not always the case. If you have booked with a PTS member and they are unable to resolve your issue for some reason, this is the time to contact PTS directly so our friendly team can help.  

In the case that you need to contact PTS, there are a few things to keep in mind: 

1. We cannot help if you have not done everything you can to resolve the issue directly with the member.  
2. We cannot help if the business is not a member of PTS. 

If you are unsure whether your business is a PTS member, that is simple! You can either check their website and look for the PTS logo with their business number included, or you can visit https://wordpress-1171227-4902295.cloudwaysapps.com/consumer/ and simply search for the business’s name or PTS number to check that they are one of our trusted members.  

In the case that you are not booking with a PTS member, there are a few options to consider. This can include contacting the payment provider for a refund where the businesses cannot provide one. It could also involve contacting Action Fraud to report and investigate a case of fraud that has affected you. 

When Will Industry Powers Get Involved? 

The regulators that hold powers concerning consumer law are predominantly called upon to deal with acts of breach. If a travel business has breached consumer laws, the CMA, CAA, or Trading Standards could get involved to impose action.  

If a business is found selling flights without a valid ATOL, the CAA is most likely the power that will get involved. Which act of breach occurs can determine which power you should contact for help. 

Our PTS members are part of a community that is already providing a safe travel industry. They ensure travellers can have complete peace of mind when they book their next fantastic holiday. For travellers with PTS members, we ensure your issues can be resolved efficiently with a great business you can trust.  

So, if you’re looking forward to your next holiday, don’t wait, book now with a travel business registered with PTS for 100% financial protection through trust. Or, if you’d like assistance choosing one of the lovely PTS members to book with, you can contact PTS directly at 0207 190 9988 or check us out on Facebook, Instagram, or Twitter.       

And if you’d like to learn more about your financial protection with PTS or how the Package Travel Regulations protect your holiday booking, check out our pages and Travel Advice.