Coronavirus - Frequently Asked Questions
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During these difficult times, you may need someone to help you with your finances or for you to help them with theirs. Power of Attorney could help. It gives you the legal authority to deal with third parties such as banks or the local council on behalf of the person you’re trying to help. This is a safe way of allowing you to help someone manage their finances, or for them to help you.
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How do I tell you that someone has died? How do I tell you that someone has died? expandable section
We’re here to help make the next steps as simple as possible for you. The easiest way to let us know about a death is to use our online form.
Once you’ve told us, we’ll put a stop on the accounts. So we can understand the next steps and close the accounts we’ll need you to provide us with a copy of the death certificate. If you already have this, please call our Specialist Bereavement Team 0800 028 0691 phone lines are open Monday – Sunday 8am to 8pm. We’ll take you through everything you need to know, what will happen next and answer any questions you may have.
We have more information on our dedicated bereavement page.
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Cancelled or postponed events
If you’ve bought a ticket for a cancelled event from an official seller, you may be entitled to a refund from them. You may not get back any additional costs paid such as postage or booking fees. The same rule should apply to entry fees if you’ve paid to take part in an event or competition – such as a marathon or cycling race, but you’ll need to check with the event organiser’s terms and conditions.If you have bought tickets through a ticket reseller, you will need to check their terms and conditions to see if you will get your money back. Please consider these refunds may be taking longer than expected due to knock on impacts of coronavirus.
If the organisers are planning to move the date of the event, your tickets should be valid for the new date. If you can’t make the new date, you can request a refund from the ticket retailer, but you will need to check your booking terms and conditions. Again, you are unlikely to get back any postage costs or booking fees. Refunds from ticket-reselling websites will also depend on their own terms and conditions.
Cancelling or postponing a personal event, such as a party or wedding, will depend on what agreements you have with your suppliers. Speak to your venue, caterers, etc. about your options. You may not get your deposit or other payments refunded if you cancel completely. If your supplier cancels, you may be entitled to a refund. This will depend on the terms and conditions of your booking.
If you have wedding insurance, check your policy or speak to your insurance provider about what you can claim.
Travel and hotel costs
If your event has been cancelled but you also booked travel and accommodation to attend, get in touch with the organisations you booked with to see whether the service is still available. You may be able to get a refund or rebook for a later date.
Packages with flights, hotels and event ticket included may be covered under your travel insurance.
Credit card refunds
If you paid on a credit card, you can raise a payment dispute. You can make a claim if you believe that you have paid for an item or service that has not been delivered or was not as described. You may be able to claim for refunds not received and where merchants aren’t following their terms and conditions. Find out more about payment disputes.
You may be able to make a claim from your credit card provider for the loss you have suffered. However it only covers goods and services valued over £100 and below £30,000. You can find out more about Section 75 and how to make a claim if you have a credit card with us.
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We understand that your travel plans and booked trips could have been affected by coronavirus. As a result you may have cancelled flights and package holidays that you would like to get a refund for. We always recommend getting in touch with your travel provider directly first, we have listed the main travel providers used by our customers.
If you’ve contacted or attempted to contact the retailer and have been unable to resolve the issue, we may be able to support you. Please see below guidance dependent on your situation:
I decided to cancel – If you chose to cancel your booking and the service was still available, then we may be able to help provided you followed the cancellation policy set out by the merchant. If you have followed the cancellation policy (including paying any cancellation fees) and have not got a refund that you are entitled to, then you can visit our payment disputes page to understand your options.
The retailer/business cancelled – If the trip was cancelled by the merchant we may be able to help you, depending on why they cancelled your trip. In most cases you are entitled to a refund, however the merchant may offer you an alternative e.g. different dates or a credit voucher. If you are not happy with their response, or have cancelled within your terms & conditions, then you can visit our payment disputes page to understand your options.
Please be aware refunds may take longer than expected due to knock on impacts of coronavirus.
For more information, including how you can raise a payment dispute (chargeback) visit our credit card payment disputes page.
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You may be able to benefit from either chargeback (payment dispute) or Section 75.
Chargeback
A chargeback is a scheme put in place to protect customers, also known as a payment dispute. It allows cardholders the ability to request a refund through their card issuer in a number of different scenarios. This includes where you have not received what you have paid for. We as your card issuer will refund you and will then seek to claim the payment back from the original merchant. However, merchants can dispute the chargeback request and this may result in your account having the payment taken again.
Chargeback rights cover the amount of the card transaction only, other losses cannot be claimed. A chargeback claim must also be made within a set time period. This is usually 120 days from the date of purchase, or from when the goods or services were expected to be received, though longer periods may apply in certain situations. Please visit our payment disputes page to see if we may be able to help you.
Section 75
If you are struggling to get a refund that you are entitled to, and you paid using a credit card, you may be able to make a claim under Section 75 Consumer Credit Act 1974.
Section 75 covers most credit card purchases for goods or services over £100 and under £30,000. This means you may be able to make a claim through us for the loss you have suffered. Section 75 rights are only available where the seller/provider has misrepresented something or if there has been a breach of contract. Depending on the circumstances, you may be able to claim a refund and potentially some consequential losses. You can find out more about Section 75 and how to make a claim if you have a credit card with us.
Please visit our payment disputes page to see if we may be able to help you.
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If you have already accepted travel vouchers and you are not happy with that, you may be able to get a refund instead. You will need to speak to your travel provider to see if they will issue you a refund as an alternative to your vouchers.
If your provider agrees to issue you a full refund, note it may take longer to process than usual. Please therefore wait 15 days from the request being accepted.
If you struggle to come to an agreement with your provider, we may be able to help.
To contact our Disputes team, our lines are open Mon – Fri, 9am – 5pm.
Call us on 0345 607 2271 or +44 (0) 1244 757 223 if you’re calling from outside the UK.
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We aim to resolve credit card claims within 5 working days. If you’ve already raised a claim with us, we are working through these as quickly as we can.
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When the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO) or other regulatory authority advises against all but essential travel to a region or country, you may be able to claim under the cancellation or travel disruption terms of your travel insurance policy. Every policy will be different so it’s important you check what cover you have and what you can claim. Some travel insurance policies may only allow you to claim for trips booked before the coronavirus situation arose. Do check that detail.
Travel insurance advice for booking future holidays
Many insurance policies will no longer cover coronavirus for future bookings. So if you have an existing travel insurance policy, check with your provider to see if they have introduced any restrictions. If you are looking for a new policy, check to see if disruption due to coronavirus is included in the cover you are buying.It is still important to take out travel insurance when you book any trips to cover you for future events.
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If there is no Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO) or other regulatory authority warning in place for your destination when you are due to travel and your flights, accommodation, etc. are all running as normal, you are unlikely to get a refund if you don’t want to travel. Also, travel insurance is unlikely to cover ‘disinclination to travel’.
However, if you have received medical advice not to travel due to your health, or if you are in an ‘at risk’ group, you may be able to get a refund and/or claim on your travel insurance. Speak to your travel provider or insurer for more information. Otherwise check the terms and conditions to see whether you have the right to cancel and receive a refund.
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During these difficult times, we’re here to help support customers who have been affected by travel providers that have stopped trading due to coronavirus.
In the first instance, please check the website or any correspondence from the travel provider, or their administrator to understand how to get a refund.
Lots of flights and holiday purchases are covered by protection schemes, such as ATOL, who may refund you when a travel merchant ceases to trade. Most of these schemes will provide you with a certificate so please check your booking confirmation, the travel provider’s website or the administrator of your travel provider.
If your booking is protected, please follow the guidance that will be issued by your protection scheme on their website.
If you’re unable to claim a refund through a protection scheme and you paid for your travel with your MBNA credit card, you may be able to raise a claim by filling our online form.
Stay Safe
If you’re contacted about the company that has stopped trading, be aware that as MBNA, we’ll never ask you for your personal details. Sometimes there can be an increase in fraud attempts during these type of events.
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Below are links to the web pages for the main travel providers used by our customers, which may help you further. We’ve also included the links for their coronavirus web pages, however we suggest you ensure you look at information across all of their web pages to understand how they can best help you.
- British Airways webpage
- British Airways Coronavirus page
- easyJet webpage
- easyJet Coronavirus page
- Emirates webpage
- Emirates Coronavirus page
- Hays Travel webpage
- Hays Travel Coronavirus page
- Jet2.com webpage
- Jet2.com Coronavirus page
- Love Holidays webpage
- Love Holidays Coronavirus page
- Ryanair webpage
- Ryanair Coronavirus page
- Tui webpage
- Tui Coronavirus page
- Trailfinders webpage
- Trailfinders Coronavirus page
- Virgin Holiday webpage
- Virgin Holidays Coronavirus page
MBNA is not responsible for the content or function of third party websites.
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To keep your money safe, we’d advise you not to carry large sums of money. A quick way to pay for your purchases is by using your credit card. You can also use your credit card for online purchases.
If you lose your card or if it is stolen, you can cancel your card and request a new one. You can freeze your card if you’ve temporarily misplaced it, with the handy Card Freezes feature on our Card Services App. For added control, you can also choose how and where your card can be used.
You can also view your PIN for your credit card using our app. You can use our step by step guide to viewing your PIN to find out how to do this.
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If you are going to struggle to make your monthly repayments, we have online support available.
Find out about what support is available for you.
If you have Payment Protection Insurance, you may be able to claim. For more information visit our PPI page.
Additionally, MoneyHelper Money Navigator Tool also gives instant help based on what you tell it about your circumstances. You can also call MoneyHelper on 0800 138 7777. Lines are open Monday to Friday, 8am to 6pm.
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Redundancy support
Many people around the UK are facing potential job losses as companies are operating under very challenging circumstances.
Being made redundant can knock both your personal and financial plans off course. However, understanding your rights and options can help you take practical steps to get back on track. Find out everything you need to know from ACAS.
It’s worth noting that if you’ve worked for your employer for more than two years, you should be eligible for statutory redundancy pay. You can use the Government redundancy calculator to check the most current rates.
This sudden and unexpected change to your employment status could mean you need to claim benefits. The Turn to Us online benefits checker is a great tool to quickly find out which ones you’re eligible to claim.
The Department for Work and Pensions has temporarily suspended all face-to-face assessments for health and disability-related benefits. This is to reduce the potential exposure of coronavirus to those who are at most risk and to safeguard their health.
If you have Payment Protection Insurance, you may be able to claim. For more information visit our PPI page.
Reduced income support
If you’re struggling to make your monthly payments, we have support options that could help.
If you’re worried about your financial situation because of coronavirus, please contact us.
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Financial abuse can take a variety of different forms within different relationships, including partners, family members or carers. It might be financial control, exploitation or sabotage.
For anyone who is impacted by domestic or financial abuse, this period could mean you have additional worries.
If you are in immediate danger, call 999, if you cannot speak press 55, or call The National Domestic Violence Helpline a freephone 24-hour helpline 0808 200 0247 (24 hours)
Contact us for support if you, or someone else you know, are impacted by financial abuse.
Additionally, Bright Sky is a free app that provides comprehensive support to people affected by abuse. We advise you to only download the app onto a device which is safe and that only you have access to.
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We know many things can affect the way people manage their finances, so we want to offer our help and support. If you find yourself gambling more than you’re happy with, or you have concerns because of gambling there’s support and guidance available for you.
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It’s understandable that you might not feel comfortable talking about finances with your loved ones, especially during this current uncertain time. But it’s sometimes those conversations that are the most important ones to have. We are here to help you have those conversations.
You can find free and impartial money advice at MoneyHelper.
- Choose the right time and place. If you want to have a deep and meaningful conversation about money, somewhere private with no distractions is best. You may want to schedule it in so that everyone has time to think about what they want to say.
- Be open and honest. To encourage the other person to open up, talk openly and honestly about your own views, strengths and weaknesses when it comes to money. This might mean allowing yourself to be vulnerable and admitting something you struggle with such as budgeting or checking your credit card or loan statements.
- Practice ‘active listening’. During some conversations we’re busy thinking about what we’re going to say next. This might mean the other person doesn’t feel heard, and that you may miss important points. Try to really listen to everything that’s being said without interrupting. Non-verbal cues like nodding and making eye contact will show you’re listening.
- Be willing to compromise and agree to disagree. It’s unlikely you’ll always agree with everyone when you have conversations about money. Sometimes, to be able to reach a point of resolution, it’ll be necessary to compromise, agree to disagree or let something go.
- Avoid using blaming language. To ensure you don’t come across as pointing the finger, use ‘I’ statements rather than ‘you’ statements. This means you’re taking responsibility for your own feelings, and means it’s less likely to make the other person defensive.
- Seek support if you need it. If there’s an issue you just can’t seem to move past, consider speaking to somebody objective such as a counsellor.