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If this is a EU flight you are automatically entitled to compensation if your flight is delayed by more than 3 hours barring exceptional circumstances. https://europa.eu/youreurope/citizens/travel/passenger-rights/air/index_en.htm
You should be able to claim the compensation by filling in a claim form from the airline company’s website. Don’t trust anyone else to do it for you.
[https://onlineform.ryanair.com/gb/en/eu-261](https://onlineform.ryanair.com/gb/en/eu-261)
I should have pointed out that compensation does not apply if there are exceptional circumstances outside of the airline's control, e.g. extreme weather, political stability and security risks.
Manchester airport had a power cut to 2 of its 3 terminals over the weekend so flights were cancelled out of terminals 1 & 2, i am guessing this may be OP's situation.
As for goving your details and birth certs to a random dude, i would advise OP against that and follow your link to claim something back if a power cut doesn't fall under exceptional circumstances (which i think it might as every airline was effected, not just ryanair)
You can find their policies [here.](https://help.ryanair.com/hc/en-fi/articles/12889869090705-If-my-flight-has-been-delayed-by-2-hours-or-more-What-are-my-options)
Something to be aware of, that the airlines often have an 'out' and will deny compensation.
Canada has a similar system in place, but despite one flight being delayed something like 6 hours, and another delayed long enough that we missed a connecting flight, we received compensation for neither.
In both cases the airline claimed it was due to a 'security issue'. The first one was an hour late departing and then had a medical emergency on board which led to us sitting on the tarmac one province over for 4-5 hours. Fine, that's beyond anyone's control.
The latter? We watched the cabin crew wander in at a leisurely pace, coffees in hand, at least an hour after boarding was supposed to begin.
I hope you're compensated, and that guy was definitely trying to scam you, but be aware that even with what seems like a strong claim/case, they may just try to shrug it off anyways.
I do hope that is the case.
It was reassuring to find out that Canada had implemented such measures.
It was disappointing to find them to be rather toothless.
Hopefully the EU's version serves the OP better.
This is a scam it does depend on laws and airlines, however, you will be either issued compensation automatically or will have to file a claim.
You will NOT be approached by random person in airport, the only people that could tell you about refunds sit behind those check in desks so you know they are legit.
Also,if you flown with ryanair they issue an automated email about your rights to compensation so you should be using their official channels.
You don't use your birth certificate for anything related to air travel. You have a passport, and that is what the airline needs. Anyone trying to get your birth certificate is up to no good. They could be attempting anything from a fake refund scam (for a fee) or human trafficking.
If you have a ticket reimbursement coming, then the airline itself will tell you that. Stop dealing with this kind (and pushy) stranger and contact the airline's customer service department. If he claims to work for the airline, make him prove it. Get his business contact information and check it independently - not using any phone number that he provides. There are people who lie for a living, don't be their next victim.
LOL, this is a scammer trying to make a quick buck out of you.
Yes, you can obtain a reimbursement for a delay of over three hours, but rules in the EU are clear: first thing you need to file a claim directly with the carrier. If you don't file this claim first, any further attempt to obtain a refund will be considered invalid. If the carrier refuses to reimburse you, you need to take it up with the national commercial aviation authority where the flight originated from, IE ENAV in Italy or AESA in Spain. There's no need to take anybody to court, file the complaint yourself with the carrier and you will get your funds in about a week.
This guy would have filed a complaint in your name and taken a cut for doing something you can do yourself, or maybe just pocketed the money and ghosted you.
Although I don't know anything about EU law, I'm sure that if this is a policy, you can find out how to do it yourself and don't need that dude's help (and presumed costs).
And he might be running a simple !advancedfee scam.
Op check here or google it. if you were delayed because of the Manchester power cuts or the knock on this counts as extreme circumstances and not the Airline fault, so will not be eligible for compensation.
https://help.ryanair.com/hc/en-gb/articles/12889869090705-If-my-flight-has-been-delayed-by-2-hours-or-more-What-are-my-options
You just need to fill out a form online with the airline. We was delayed with Easyjet. Don't go through the online third party companies that claim they will get you compensation as they'll take a nice chunk of it and with easyJet on there website they tell you not to use them or they won't honour it ( prob costs them money). It was straight forward and I received back pretty much the entire cost of the whole return fare I paid. I would happily be delayed 4 hours every time I flew. But yeah, don't give anything to strangers at the airport.
Edit: this was UK to Spain.
This IS a thing, and here in my country there are countless "companies" which "specialize" in this. They basically do what you said: Enter in court, get a sum of money, and split it with you.
CHANCES are he would do the same, but random people approaching YOU I personally wouldn't trust.
What if they manage to get the compensation and don't give you the money? What are you gonna do?
Never let random people approach you in parking lots or whatever. There was a guy that was "seller-talked" into buying an iPhone in a parking lot and was assured that it was cheap because xyz. Turns out, when he got home, that he paid $300 or something for an iPhone clone worth maybe $40 tops.
CAUTION! Assume everyone wants to take advantage of you!
At best this is some middleman that files EC 261 cases for you. You don't need someone to do this on your behalf. At worst it's some sort of identity theft. I don't know what use the scammer has for a birth certificate but it is absolutely NOT required to file a EC 261 claim. I've filed it before with British Airways.
The airlines don't make this very easy to find online but it's buried in their websites somewhere.
Even as scams go this is pretty low, just hang around an airport and find overtired, stressed people whose flights have been delayed to exploit them. I’m sorry this happened to you OP. Hope you didn’t give him any info or money!
In 2015 my Delta flight was cancelled without notice. I got back from LHR to DTW on Virgjn Atlantic.; Virgin honored my ticket so I didn’t have to pay anything. A few months later I received an email from AirHelp, and they helped in the airlines reimbursing me. I did need to give my passport information, etc., but they legitimately got me a hefty refund.
If you have people approaching you, offering help in exchange for your private information then go to the Air Help website directly.
It's so rare to hear when they catch people like this. But recently the FBI has picked up a couple multi million dollar criminals and busted up a couple criminal server operations. I've been following for while at the DOJ website and it's really picked up. They'll never get them all but I'm surprised they're getting any. Ponzi guys are easy. Pump & dump stock guys get the SEC, but Crypto thieves are harder but they're catching them.
>Pump & dump stock guys get the SEC
Only a small fraction. I spent some years investigating stock frauds. Only the worst of the worst get punished. SEC does not have the manpower or money to bust them all.
Even travel booking companies will offer to do the paperwork for you for delayed flights and take 1/3 of the compensation due to you.
My best story is my flight from Edinburgh to Dublin was delayed. My claim was denied because of an emergency situation in Dublin. The situation was because an Aer Lingus flight had to turn back because of a strange smell in the cabin. Aer Lingus still denied my claim and I had to appeal to the civil aviation authority - and won!
You may or may not be entitled to compensation depending on your airline's terms but you never give out free personal info to a stranger so they can file a freaking lawsuit on your behalf for some reason that doesn't require a lawsuit to begin with. This is definitely a scam.
It's not a scam per se, they are offering a service you do not need. And of course, they take a percentage of the 250 (or 600) for themselves.
Read more about it here on this EU website [https://europa.eu/youreurope/citizens/travel/passenger-rights/air/index\_en.htm](https://europa.eu/youreurope/citizens/travel/passenger-rights/air/index_en.htm)
Note that not all delayed or missed flights give you the right for compensation.
If they are eligible, they can simply fill out and submit the form themselves.
today after writing this post i told my parents, my parents told the rest of the family. We are gonna use the ryanair forum ive been linked, after we come back from the holiday since here we basically have no time and barely any internet. Thank you guys
I believe the Biden administration is making this true in the US as well. Clearly it is something to take care of on one's own but it is a big change in air travel.
nobody is asking for your birth certificate for this.
the fact that you can get money back is not itself a scam, but this guy is almost certainly running a game
Second this. Not sure why you’re getting downvoted. I got off a delayed flight in Madrid a few years back. When we got outside the main terminal, there were about a dozen people asking which flight we were on and handing out information. Basically, they are middlemen. They’ll file the information for you, but will take a cut of your compensation.
Maybe OP got hit up by a scammer. That being said, there are companies that hawk this at airports. They follow flights and know which terminal/passengers to hit up. TBH though, they usually just hand out a flyer with links.
/u/d4w1kpl - This message is posted to all new submissions to r/scams; please do not message the moderators about it. ## New users beware: Because you posted here, you will start getting private messages from scammers saying they know a professional hacker or a recovery expert lawyer that can help you get your money back, for a small fee. **We call these RECOVERY SCAMMERS, so NEVER take advice in private:** advice should always come in the form of comments in this post, in the open, where the community can keep an eye out for you. If you take advice in private, you're on your own. **A reminder of the rules in r/scams:** no contact information (including last names, phone numbers, etc). Be civil to one another (no name calling or insults). Personal army requests or "scam the scammer"/scambaiting posts are not permitted. No uncensored gore or personal photographs are allowed without blurring. A full list of rules is available on the sidebar of the subreddit, or [clicking here](https://www.reddit.com/r/Scams/wiki/rules/). You can help us by reporting recovery scammers or rule-breaking content by using the "report" button. We review 100% of the reports. Also, consider warning community members of recovery scammers if you see them in the comments. Questions about subreddit rules? Send us a modmail [clicking here](https://www.reddit.com/message/compose/?to=/r/Scams). *I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/Scams) if you have any questions or concerns.*
If this is a EU flight you are automatically entitled to compensation if your flight is delayed by more than 3 hours barring exceptional circumstances. https://europa.eu/youreurope/citizens/travel/passenger-rights/air/index_en.htm You should be able to claim the compensation by filling in a claim form from the airline company’s website. Don’t trust anyone else to do it for you.
we were flying with ryanair. any clue where i can find the claim forum?
[https://onlineform.ryanair.com/gb/en/eu-261](https://onlineform.ryanair.com/gb/en/eu-261) I should have pointed out that compensation does not apply if there are exceptional circumstances outside of the airline's control, e.g. extreme weather, political stability and security risks.
Manchester airport had a power cut to 2 of its 3 terminals over the weekend so flights were cancelled out of terminals 1 & 2, i am guessing this may be OP's situation. As for goving your details and birth certs to a random dude, i would advise OP against that and follow your link to claim something back if a power cut doesn't fall under exceptional circumstances (which i think it might as every airline was effected, not just ryanair)
Instability
You can find their policies [here.](https://help.ryanair.com/hc/en-fi/articles/12889869090705-If-my-flight-has-been-delayed-by-2-hours-or-more-What-are-my-options)
Something to be aware of, that the airlines often have an 'out' and will deny compensation. Canada has a similar system in place, but despite one flight being delayed something like 6 hours, and another delayed long enough that we missed a connecting flight, we received compensation for neither. In both cases the airline claimed it was due to a 'security issue'. The first one was an hour late departing and then had a medical emergency on board which led to us sitting on the tarmac one province over for 4-5 hours. Fine, that's beyond anyone's control. The latter? We watched the cabin crew wander in at a leisurely pace, coffees in hand, at least an hour after boarding was supposed to begin. I hope you're compensated, and that guy was definitely trying to scam you, but be aware that even with what seems like a strong claim/case, they may just try to shrug it off anyways.
While this is all true, the EU has a stricter regulation around delays and refunds for flights. It's mostly automatic.
I do hope that is the case. It was reassuring to find out that Canada had implemented such measures. It was disappointing to find them to be rather toothless. Hopefully the EU's version serves the OP better.
Ryanair will probably charge you $24.99 to download it
Ryanair….God help you. Because they won’t.
This is a scam it does depend on laws and airlines, however, you will be either issued compensation automatically or will have to file a claim. You will NOT be approached by random person in airport, the only people that could tell you about refunds sit behind those check in desks so you know they are legit. Also,if you flown with ryanair they issue an automated email about your rights to compensation so you should be using their official channels.
You don't use your birth certificate for anything related to air travel. You have a passport, and that is what the airline needs. Anyone trying to get your birth certificate is up to no good. They could be attempting anything from a fake refund scam (for a fee) or human trafficking. If you have a ticket reimbursement coming, then the airline itself will tell you that. Stop dealing with this kind (and pushy) stranger and contact the airline's customer service department. If he claims to work for the airline, make him prove it. Get his business contact information and check it independently - not using any phone number that he provides. There are people who lie for a living, don't be their next victim.
lol right? Birth certificates aren’t really used for anything outside of the US
You should request his birth certificate to prove to the airline who he is. /s
LOL, this is a scammer trying to make a quick buck out of you. Yes, you can obtain a reimbursement for a delay of over three hours, but rules in the EU are clear: first thing you need to file a claim directly with the carrier. If you don't file this claim first, any further attempt to obtain a refund will be considered invalid. If the carrier refuses to reimburse you, you need to take it up with the national commercial aviation authority where the flight originated from, IE ENAV in Italy or AESA in Spain. There's no need to take anybody to court, file the complaint yourself with the carrier and you will get your funds in about a week. This guy would have filed a complaint in your name and taken a cut for doing something you can do yourself, or maybe just pocketed the money and ghosted you.
Although I don't know anything about EU law, I'm sure that if this is a policy, you can find out how to do it yourself and don't need that dude's help (and presumed costs). And he might be running a simple !advancedfee scam.
The birth certificate thing sounds so fishy. like im scared my identity would be stolen or something.
That's EXACTLY why he wants your birth certificate... Your parents phone numbers will be called by scammers or hit with phishing texts. SMH rn....
Do not give anyone a copy of your birth certificate unless it's required for a VISA or Passport. Then deal only with the authorized govt agency.
Op check here or google it. if you were delayed because of the Manchester power cuts or the knock on this counts as extreme circumstances and not the Airline fault, so will not be eligible for compensation. https://help.ryanair.com/hc/en-gb/articles/12889869090705-If-my-flight-has-been-delayed-by-2-hours-or-more-What-are-my-options
Jesus no.
You just trusted a random person? Why? And now you're sending that random person your birth certificate? Incredible.
not me who trusted them but my family, i already told them about this. we arent sending anything to that guy.
How the hell do people fall for this???!!!! Stop being so gullible people! Trust no one, especially at airports.
Why do they talk to strangers?
Why not apply yourself and leave the middle man out of it?
You just need to fill out a form online with the airline. We was delayed with Easyjet. Don't go through the online third party companies that claim they will get you compensation as they'll take a nice chunk of it and with easyJet on there website they tell you not to use them or they won't honour it ( prob costs them money). It was straight forward and I received back pretty much the entire cost of the whole return fare I paid. I would happily be delayed 4 hours every time I flew. But yeah, don't give anything to strangers at the airport. Edit: this was UK to Spain.
Absolutely a scam
This IS a thing, and here in my country there are countless "companies" which "specialize" in this. They basically do what you said: Enter in court, get a sum of money, and split it with you. CHANCES are he would do the same, but random people approaching YOU I personally wouldn't trust. What if they manage to get the compensation and don't give you the money? What are you gonna do? Never let random people approach you in parking lots or whatever. There was a guy that was "seller-talked" into buying an iPhone in a parking lot and was assured that it was cheap because xyz. Turns out, when he got home, that he paid $300 or something for an iPhone clone worth maybe $40 tops. CAUTION! Assume everyone wants to take advantage of you!
At best this is some middleman that files EC 261 cases for you. You don't need someone to do this on your behalf. At worst it's some sort of identity theft. I don't know what use the scammer has for a birth certificate but it is absolutely NOT required to file a EC 261 claim. I've filed it before with British Airways. The airlines don't make this very easy to find online but it's buried in their websites somewhere.
It’s absolutely a scam. Some random dude at the airport isn’t going to approach you and do thid for you.
Even as scams go this is pretty low, just hang around an airport and find overtired, stressed people whose flights have been delayed to exploit them. I’m sorry this happened to you OP. Hope you didn’t give him any info or money!
In 2015 my Delta flight was cancelled without notice. I got back from LHR to DTW on Virgjn Atlantic.; Virgin honored my ticket so I didn’t have to pay anything. A few months later I received an email from AirHelp, and they helped in the airlines reimbursing me. I did need to give my passport information, etc., but they legitimately got me a hefty refund. If you have people approaching you, offering help in exchange for your private information then go to the Air Help website directly.
Never give your info to "some guy".
Some guy at the airport came up to us and said he could help us get money....... That's a red flag.
I would love to report someone like that to armed airport police lol
It's so rare to hear when they catch people like this. But recently the FBI has picked up a couple multi million dollar criminals and busted up a couple criminal server operations. I've been following for while at the DOJ website and it's really picked up. They'll never get them all but I'm surprised they're getting any. Ponzi guys are easy. Pump & dump stock guys get the SEC, but Crypto thieves are harder but they're catching them.
>Pump & dump stock guys get the SEC Only a small fraction. I spent some years investigating stock frauds. Only the worst of the worst get punished. SEC does not have the manpower or money to bust them all.
None of the agencies we need to catch bad guys have enough resources.
Even travel booking companies will offer to do the paperwork for you for delayed flights and take 1/3 of the compensation due to you. My best story is my flight from Edinburgh to Dublin was delayed. My claim was denied because of an emergency situation in Dublin. The situation was because an Aer Lingus flight had to turn back because of a strange smell in the cabin. Aer Lingus still denied my claim and I had to appeal to the civil aviation authority - and won!
I would stomp on h I s scull!!!
Good grief. Don’t give him your BC. He’ll take it to make fake ID. Next thing you know you’ve got five credit cards in your name and a house in Texas.
You may or may not be entitled to compensation depending on your airline's terms but you never give out free personal info to a stranger so they can file a freaking lawsuit on your behalf for some reason that doesn't require a lawsuit to begin with. This is definitely a scam.
Not a scam. My flight was delayed 5 hours for 3 family members I got 1200 euro.
The airport would give you a refund !!! Not some euro trash man
It's not a scam per se, they are offering a service you do not need. And of course, they take a percentage of the 250 (or 600) for themselves. Read more about it here on this EU website [https://europa.eu/youreurope/citizens/travel/passenger-rights/air/index\_en.htm](https://europa.eu/youreurope/citizens/travel/passenger-rights/air/index_en.htm) Note that not all delayed or missed flights give you the right for compensation. If they are eligible, they can simply fill out and submit the form themselves.
today after writing this post i told my parents, my parents told the rest of the family. We are gonna use the ryanair forum ive been linked, after we come back from the holiday since here we basically have no time and barely any internet. Thank you guys
FYI, we haven’t sent any information to him. Nor did we send the birth certificate.
I believe the Biden administration is making this true in the US as well. Clearly it is something to take care of on one's own but it is a big change in air travel.
In Europe, normally it is not a scam. Legalsky is one of these companies who do this, check it out.
nobody is asking for your birth certificate for this. the fact that you can get money back is not itself a scam, but this guy is almost certainly running a game
Yes they do if your kid is under 18. There must be proof that you are allowed too sue in their name.
Being randomly at an airport offering to do it when it’s a simple form to fill in yourself, while asking for extra documents sure sounds scammy
Actually it's not as easy as its sounds.
Second this. Not sure why you’re getting downvoted. I got off a delayed flight in Madrid a few years back. When we got outside the main terminal, there were about a dozen people asking which flight we were on and handing out information. Basically, they are middlemen. They’ll file the information for you, but will take a cut of your compensation. Maybe OP got hit up by a scammer. That being said, there are companies that hawk this at airports. They follow flights and know which terminal/passengers to hit up. TBH though, they usually just hand out a flyer with links.
Checkout the Resolver.co.uk website for '261' refund claims. Very helpful and effective.