XL Airline -- status of plastic payments?

No, it comes with the "Visa" symbol, the issuing bank is irrelevant

tim

These two statements are not connected.

Just because there are UK/EU consumer credit laws does not mean that there cannot be a common set of Visa rules, because in fact, there is (a common set of Visa rules). And they do require the Bank to provide a chargeback in these circumstances

tim

Thanks for all the responses -- an interesting debate.

I'll go with the BBC, as per the link given by Joe Lee. For those who didn't follow it up, the relevant passages are these:

A Visa debit card offers significantly better protection for shoppers [than a Maestro card]. Their scheme is called Visa Debit Chargeback and any bank that issues a Visa debit card has to comply with the scheme.

You can claim money back if the goods you buy are damaged, or the product or services are not delivered.

But the Visa Debit chargeback scheme is not legally binding, so you don't have any legal redress if you are unhappy.

There is no limit on what you can claim. But you have to claim within

120 days of the date you expected the goods to be delivered or the firm going bust.

You get better protection if you use your credit card.

The key difference is that when you claim on a credit card under Section 75 of the Consumer Credit Act, the credit card company is legally liable.

But the Visa Debit chargeback scheme is not legally binding, so you don't have any legal redress if you are unhappy.

...But a spokesperson for Visa Europe stressed that all legitimate claims [for Debit Chargeback] that abide by the terms and conditions should be dealt with.

He told us that all banks who are members of the scheme should comply with the rules. The members include Nationwide, Barclays, Halifax, and Lloyds TSB.

It is (or was) to visit some countries. But that's not a condition of the airline, it's a condition of the country you want to visit. It used to be the case for Russia but I'm pretty sure it isn't now (for UK citizens) although they still ask about your travel insurance on the visa application form.

Tim.