So I made the mistake of booking airfare through a third party a few months ago instead of directly through the airline, because it was a certain amount cheaper. It's a mistake because, something I learned from the pandemic!, while airlines that cancel your flight are obligated by US Dept of Transportation regulations (for flights originating in the US) to give you a refund if you request it, if you've booked that same flight through a third party vendor and it gets cancelled, they are not obligated to provide a refund.
I knew the former, but not the latter. When my flight was cancelled, I contacted this third party (flyus.com, btw) and said I'd like my refund, thanks! They charged me $75 for doing me the great favor of cancelling my reservation on said flight (an action I didn't ask them to take! For a flight that doesn't exist! With my credit card info that I don't think I agreed to let them keep on file??) and told me refunds were not an option and I could have a voucher for a year for the exact same itinerary.
I pretty much went ballistic and they have now contacted me letting me know a refund is possible, but they will charge me $100 to obtain it. So I should let them know what I want to do.
In the meantime, I have filed disputed charges with my credit card on both the flight (which was verrrrry expensive) and the $75 charge. That was about 2+ weeks ago and I haven't heard anything yet (no surprise), but if the companies don't respond to my credit card people, the temporary credits on my card becomes permanent on July 15. The very interesting twist here is that the original charge on my card for the airfare is directly from the airline, not the third party vendor. So my credit card is waiting to hear back from the airline on that charge and the airline is, of course, obligated to give me a refund anyway, so I was sorta wondering if they would just not bother disputing it (I had also put in a claim directly with them to get a refund and have not heard back, although I was expecting them to tell me I had to go through the third party).
I am definitely going to file a BBB complaint regarding Flyus when this is done. But in the meantime, I'm a little conflicted about what to do next. I honestly don't know what my chances are with the credit card company and the disputed charge. But I also am incensed at the idea of paying this company another $100 and not sure I have enough time to let it play out and see if the airline allows my disputed charge to stand. I really want the refund, not the voucher, but I'm not sure if my chances are so good with the disputed charge/airline, that I should refuse to participate with the third party. Or if refusing to participate with them might endanger my disputed credit card charge??
Is a bird in the hand better than two in the bush? Is there another option I haven't thought of? What would you do?