I booked a holiday but had to cancel it, having paid a £140 deposit by credit card. The firm said they didn’t need it in writing but advised me I would lose the deposit. Then a month after the date of the holiday the £440 balance appeared on my credit card statement. Are they allowed to do this?
No. They can’t debit your account without your permission. Contact your credit card company immediately and ask for a refund. I think you were entitled to rely on the travel firm’s assurance that you stood to lose nothing more than your deposit. Assuming you get your money back on the credit card, the travel firm will have to take you to court to get the balance. In the absence of evidence either way it may come down to who the judge believes.