Argos and Debenhams selling hand luggage for flights that won’t actually fit – you’ll be charged £25 to take bags on
ARGOS and Debenhams are among a string of retailers selling hand luggage that claims to fit Ryanair's standards even though you'll have to pay to take them on board.
An investigation by MoneySavingExpert found that six retailers were flogging bags bigger than the budget airline's strict hand luggage rules - despite saying cases would fit.
Ryanair introduced tougher hand luggage rules in November last year, meaning that non-priority passengers can only take one small bag measuring 40cm x 20cm x 25cm onto the flight.
Only travellers who pay an extra £6 to £8 to be a priority passenger or who have a connecting flight ticket are allowed to bring a bigger bag as well, as long as it weighs less than 10kg and is smaller than 55cm x 40cm x 20cm.
Passengers face a £25 fee at the boarding gate to put their luggage in the hold if it turns out their bag doesn't meet regulation.
A "cabin suitcase" listed on the Debenhams website claimed that it "fits all major airlines, including Easyjet, British Airways and Ryanair" despite being too big to be free on the Irish carrier.
The department store said that the third party seller, Tripp Luggage, hadn't changed the description to reflect Ryanair's changes although this will be updated as of August 29.
Argos listed several bags under a section called "cabin luggage size guidelines" dedicated to items on sale that are appropriate for Ryanair - but the dimensions it based the search didn't reflect the correct sizes.
It means that anyone who'd bought one of the bags would be slapped with an unexpected bill at the boarding gate.
DIY and homeware store, Robert Dyas, and stationary store Rymans - which are both owned by Dragon Den's Theo Paphitis - each listed a bag online measuring 55cm x 35.5cm x 20cm and the description incorrectly said it "fits the Easyjet and Ryanair cabin size restrictions".
A spokesperson for both retailers told The Sun they have now updated their online product descriptions to reflect this.
MoneySavingExpert also found several third-party sellers listing bags on eBay and Amazon that were "Ryanair approved" despite being too big to be free.
Amazon has since taken down the three listings, while eBay has promised to investigate the three highlighted to them.
If you've bought a bag that you now realise is too big, you may be able to return it and get a full refund.
Under the Consumer Rights Act, shoppers who bought goods online have 14 days after they've received their order to send it back to the seller if it doesn't meet expectations.
Some retailers have extended this returns policy as a goodwill gesture so you may actually have longer to get your money back.
For example, Argos offers a 30-day returns guarantee on most products.
Auction site eBay told The Sun that customers will be able to get a refund under its "Money Back Guarantee".
Alternatively, you can check-in bags up to 20kg into the hold of a Ryanair flight for £25 at the time of booking or £40 if you decide to add it later.
If you're heading away in the coming weeks, you can check out our guide to every UK airline's baggage policy to avoid getting caught out.
Yesterday, we revealed how airport security queues are set to be slashed thanks to new 3D scanners that could lead to the 100ml limit on liquids and the ban on water being scrapped.
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