In the case of vouchers issued in accordance with the “Lex Voucher” law adopted last year, the travel agent is obliged to redeem the unused voucher within 14 days of the end of the protection period. It will end on 31 August, but in individual cases it may end earlier – for example, if the voucher is rejected by a customer who belongs to a protected group (over 65, disabled, single people).
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“If the travel agency fails to comply with this obligation, the procedure is the same as for the enforcement of any other civil law obligations. Customers can therefore claim their rights in court, “Vilém Frček, a spokesman for the Ministry of Regional Development, told Práva.
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Read the terms and conditions, the ministry advises
But it is not a voucher like a voucher. In discussions on the Internet, people complain about the procedure of CK Blue Style, which offered them their own vouchers with different rules. “In April, the operator forced us a voucher for which the money is not refunded. When I asked her at least three times if she would refund our money if we didn’t use the voucher, she said yes. In a few months, I found out that CK Blue Style issued two types of vouchers and we were only offered one that is not covered by the refund. What now? ”Wrote one writer at www.recenzecestovek.cz.
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Blue Style spokeswoman Ilona Topolová assures that clients will not lose money. Travel vouchers, referred to as TravelSafe +, can be used by people until the end of October, even for tours in 2022.
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According to Topolovová, the Blue Style vouchers themselves comply with EU law and their use is always the client’s free choice. “As for the travel agencies’ own vouchers, it is necessary to take into account how they were issued,” Frček explained.
According to him, the procedure under the “Lex Voucher” law is one-sided.
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“The travel agency could therefore issue the voucher without the customer’s consent and the voucher had to comply with legal requirements. In the case of unilaterally issued vouchers, conditions that would be to the detriment of the customer would not be taken into account. It is therefore not possible to unilaterally impose a non-refundable voucher on the customer, “the spokesman added.
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Agree or disagree
It is different for other vouchers. “On the other hand, the vouchers addressed are typically issued with the consent of the customer, not unilaterally,” Frček remarked.
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If the voucher was issued with the customer’s consent, it was possible to agree on the conditions for its use, such as the period of validity, conditions in case of non-use, etc. The “Lex Voucher” law does not apply to vouchers issued under the agreement.
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“For a long time, our customers have been advised to get acquainted in detail with the conditions of vouchers that they voluntarily accept outside the regime of the” Lex Voucher “law,” the spokesman concluded.
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On the other hand, CK Fischer or Exim Tours announced that in the second half of June they will start contacting clients themselves who have not used the vouchers, whether they intend to use them or want to return the money. They want to avoid customer concerns.
According to travel agents, people are currently most interested in trips to Greece, Spain or Mallorca, Egypt and Tunisia, but also to Bulgaria, Turkey and the United Arab Emirates.
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