AIB exposure under €100,000

Credit card refunds by AIB for the cancelled Winter Wonderland event will be less than a six-figure sum, according to a bank spokesman.

Potential ticket sales for the Christmas event for children, due to have been held at the Curragh racecourse in December, had been placed at €2.8 million, if the projected attendance level of 100,000 had been reached.

The AIB spokesman said the bank had not ascertained how many credit card bookings for the event had been made as some might not have been processed at the time of cancellation.

People booking by credit card sent the organiser, Mr Adrian Smith, an e-mail with their credit card details, rather than filling out an instant online form, so some customers applying for tickets may not have had the €28 price of a ticket debited from their account.

The AIB spokesman said the bank's exposure as the acquiring bank for the event "would not reach six figures". It is unclear how much money Mr Smith got through credit card transactions, but it must be less than €100,000.

In accordance with the rules of card payment schemes, AIB is refunding all customers who paid by credit card not just those who used an AIB-issued card. This process is known as "chargeback".

Consumers who pay for goods by credit card also have extra protection under consumer legislation.Under Section 14 of the Sales of Goods and Supply of Services Act, the finance house is deemed to be a party for the sale and is jointly responsible with the seller for breach of the contract of sale and misrepresentations made by the seller with respect to the goods.

Seeking redress from the credit card issuer for the failure of a trader to deliver pre-paid goods or services is "much more common" in the UK than it is here, according to Ms Mary Denise Fitzgerald, marketing manager for the European Consumer Centre.

People who paid by other means such as cheque, laser card or cash are not protected and will find it more difficult to secure a refund.