More Than $20,000 Lost in Avg Travels Liquidation News
More than $20,000 is gone for one Melbourne family after avg travels liquidation news hit this week. AVG Travels entered liquidation, and the Haysoms’ final payment on May 22 now sits behind other claims. For customers, the first practical step is to push the bank or card issuer for a chargeback.
Chris Haysom’s $20,000 holiday
More than $20,000 was spent by the Haysom family on a dream holiday that included a 10 day overseas trip and a visit to Tokyo Disneyland. Chris Haysom said the loss left his family reeling after the company went into liquidation.
“It still hasn’t hit me completely. I feel physically sick,” he said. He also described the missing money as “a half year’s mortgage payments for our house that has just disappeared into the abyss.”
May 22 was the date the family made its final payment to AVG Travels. Days later, Matthew Hutton and Mark Holland of McGrathNicol were appointed as liquidators, putting the company’s remaining assets under urgent review while customers were left waiting for an answer on repayment.
McGrathNicol and WA Consumer Protection
Tuesday brought the appointment of Hutton and Holland, and McGrathNicol said it is undertaking an urgent review of the company’s financial position and operations. That process matters because customers who have already paid are now unsecured creditors, which puts them last in line if any money is left after liquidation.
WA Consumer Protection said AVG is not currently issuing refunds. Owen Kelly, the agency’s conciliation and services director, said affected customers should move fast on their card provider or bank: “Reach out to them straight away, don’t hesitate, and see if you can get a chargeback on that.”
Customers may also have a second route through insurance. Kelly said, “You may be able to recover something there,” referring to travel insurance.
Shanghai airport and ticket risk
One customer said they were stuck at Shanghai airport because AVG made the booking but did not pay for the ticket, leaving no ticket issued at all. The customer said a local guide contacted AVG and was told they should pay for the ticket first and the company would reimburse them later.
That account adds the clearest friction in the collapse: some customers were not just waiting for refunds, they were already stranded while the company still had control of the booking process. For anyone who paid by card, the immediate action is the chargeback request; for anyone with travel insurance, the policy may offer the only remaining recovery path.
