Agency shut down after failing to refund customers almost £600,000

Felix Travels and Tours was wound-up earlier this month following a High Court liquidation ruling after customers complained of last-minute cancellations and missing refunds. 

Trading also as Felix Holidays, the firm was established in April 2020 with a call centre in Sri Lanka offering travel packages with flights, accommodation, transfers and extras such as Disneyland tickets and ski passes.

The agency was found guilty of not providing the services customers had paid for, leaving them to seek the same service again from a different agency.

The Insolvency Service said the company also misled clients into thinking that their holidays were Atol-protected when in fact they were not. The outstanding refunds totalled £592,000.

’No option’

Insolvency Service chief investigator Cheryl Lambert said the government agency “had no option” but apply to have the company wound-up “to protect customers in the future”.

“Felix Travels and Tours claimed to be a high-quality, trusted travel agency,” said Lambert. “This was sadly not the experience for holidaymakers who had packages cancelled at the last minute or were left missing accommodation or other services they had paid for in advance.

“To make matters worse, around a quarter of the company’s total customers are owed refunds approaching almost £600,000.”