ChangeYourFlight provides an alternative for these non-refundable tickets, with airlines providing a partial refund without any change fee.

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The refund-without-questions meter begins ticking the moment the machine leaves the vendor.

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Inside the dedicated app, riders can book and modify reservations easily without having to worry with a refund from an agent first.

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This was followed by a delayed refund of over one year without explanation, a second rejected e-file attempt when filing his 2011 return in October 2012, and finally notification from IRS in November 2012 that he was a victim of refund-fraud identity theft.

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Upon calling them again I was told that this was standard procedure in the event of faulty goods and no refund or exchange could go ahead without this visit, despite a previous agent telling me that the pictorial evidence was sufficient to effect this action.

BBC: Fergus Muirhead