2023-09-29 15:15:32
The Belgian branch of the tour operator Vacansoleil, which has just been declared bankrupt, is not insured against financial insolvency, Testachats reported in a press release on Friday. However, Belgian legislation requires tour operators to take out insurance.
If the Dutch company is insured with the Stichting Garantiefonds Reisgelden, this is not the case for the Belgian branch, according to the consumer defense organization. Customers of the Belgian subsidiary must, in this case, “submit a request for compensation to the trustees and find themselves at the end of the creditors’ queue”, continued Testachats. “Their chances of getting their money back are pretty slim,” she added.
Furthermore, according to Testachats, “the fact that the Belgian subsidiary of Vacansoleil has been able to operate for all this time without being insured against financial insolvency such as bankruptcy is a shame.” The organization immediately contacted the Minister of the Economy, Pierre-Yves Dermagne, and the Secretary of State for Consumer Protection, Alexia Bertrand, so that measures could be taken to find a solution for customers and “avoid this kind of situation in the future.”
“Although we do not know how many customers are affected, it is unacceptable that these people are victims of Vacansoleil’s practices. The fact that they were not insured is a blatant violation of Belgian law,” he said. outraged Jean-Philippe Ducart, spokesperson for Testachats.
Secretary of State Alexia Bertrand confirmed on Friday that she had asked the economic inspectorate to examine the Vacansoleil file. She calls on duped customers of the Belgian branch of Vacansoleil to contact the trustees to try to recover their money. Customers can also contact the FPS Economy contact point for any complaints.
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