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Wales Online
Wales Online
National
Rachel Pugh & Victoria Jones

What to do if you're a Thomas Cook customer and your hotel asks for money

Thomas Cook collapsed on Monday, with all bookings, including flights and holidays, cancelled.

The world's oldest tour operator folded after 178 years of trading, leaving around 150,00 Britons stranded all over the world.

More than half a million people are due refunds following the collapse of holiday company, but payouts could take at least two months to complete.

But what about those who are still abroad and face being slapped with a bill?

Money Saving Expert Martin Lewis has issued advice on hoteliers demanding payments, Manchester Evening News report.

Appearing on ITV daytime show Good Morning Britain, he explained hoteliers are able to demand money up-front from those currently staying in them, despite customers having already paid through the travel agency.

Thousands of would-be travellers could spend months waiting for a refund (Rick Findler/PA)

He said: "Well the first thing you need to do is call the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) hotline if that's happening to you.

"If they still want money out of you afterwards then it's going to be very difficult. Certainly if you feel unsafe, I would suggest you pay, keep the receipts and hope to claim back at a later date.

"More importantly you may need to get the embassy involved, but as I warned on Monday , it's usually never that smooth sailing.

"It's fine if you're in a UK and these things go wrong, but if you're somewhere outside the European Union where some of these places are, there are very different attitudes.

"People are being asked for the money back, they shouldn't pay, but if safety comes into question, pay, and keep the receipts, and hopefully claim later."

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