Beware of ZUJI! Dont have customers best interest at heart!

[macca260]

This year before traveling to Argentina for a friends wedding, I purchased a ticket via the Argentinian based travel agency, Reserve vuelos, paquetes, autos, hoteles. Sea su propio agente de viajes en Despegar.com. I waited for 2 weeks and still my e-ticket and credit card payment confirmation never arrived. I made numerous calls to despegar.com.ar but was being hand-balled from person to person, the lack of English an issue and still no confirmation.

As my departure date loomed, I purchased a ticket via ZUJI for my return trip, which was issued and confirmed within 2 days as I assumed the Reserve vuelos, paquetes, autos, hoteles. Sea su propio agente de viajes en Despegar.com ticket had been declined.

The next day, I received notice that my original ticket was confirmed and I had been charged, so I now had 2 tickets, for the exact same day, time and flight! I called ZUJI immediately and explained my dilemma, hoping for some recognition of my situation! I was a loyal client of ZUJI, spending close to $7,000 on airfares. I pleaded to numerous ZUJI staff and managers for my ticket to be cancelled or at least credited so I didnt lost the money.

After exhausting myself, I gave up disappointed and dejected, sitting on the flight to Buenos Aires admiring my spare, paid seat next to me in MY NAME. How can 1 person travel twice on the same flight?

I will do my travel bookings from now on with another agency and will encourage my jet setting friends to do the same. Stay away from ZUJI.


Sincerely,

Chris McUtchen

 

[dimgai]

Such a bummer, but I can't see why Zuji is at fault in this. Was your ticket non-refundable by the airline? If so, I can't see how or why they should be out of pocket because of your error... Next time for 'just in case' make sure you buy fully refundable tickets?

 

[samh004]

Welcome to AFF.

So you claim Zuji is responsible because another website didn't credit in time. Seems like you should be directing your blame at them.

And of course, if you're such a loyal customer, why didn't you book with them in the first place? I'm sure they were asking the same question amongst themselves.

Your anger is misdirected. Zuji booked the fare on time. Complain to the other agency.

 

[Sprucegoose]

Macca, you are not a savvy traveller.

Your story doesnt stack up. You state you purchased a ticket to Argentina and went through another agency for your return, how come you then have two seats outbound when the clear impression one get is you went to two seperate agencies for seperate outbound and inbound? Expensive business buying two one way tickets.

What was wrong with going online? I presume you took LAN?

SPRUCE

 

[ksthommo]

No sympathy here

 

[samh004]

Your story doesnt stack up. You state you purchased a ticket to Argentina and went through another agency for your return, how come you then have two seats outbound when the clear impression one get is you went to two seperate agencies for seperate outbound and inbound?

Good pickup Sprucegoose.

 

[dajop]

Welcome to AFF.

So you claim Zuji is responsible because another website didn't credit in time. Seems like you should be directing your blame at them.

And of course, if you're such a loyal customer, why didn't you book with them in the first place? I'm sure they were asking the same question amongst themselves.

Your anger is misdirected. Zuji booked the fare on time. Complain to the other agency.

My thoughts exactly.

On the upside hope you got credit for FF points for both seats, and enjoyed the comfort of the extra space ! (hope it was economy - many people pay double economy price to get the extra space of a premium economy seat)

 

[Mal]

I agree with some other posters here.

How is Zuji at fault? They are a travel agent, and sell tickets on behalf of airlines. If an airline has a rule of "no refunds", or other similar rules, then there is little Zuji can do to assist.

Here's what you ticked "I agree" to:

Ticket refunds, re-issues, and changes (where permitted by the airline) may incur airline penalties and ZUJI administrative fees. Ticket validity also depends on the conditions of the fare. Please contact our Sales and Customer Care Team. Not applicable for Package bookings, which are non-changeable and non-refundable once confirmed.

There is also a "Fare Conditions" link at the bottom of the screen, which shows detailed fare rules about the fare. For a sample LAN itinerary, it does say:

-REFUNDS-
TICKETS ARE NON-REFUNDABLE

Your beef should be against the Argentinean agency for not issuing your original ticket in a prompt manner.

 

[markis10]

We do have a complaint here by someone that has posted what i can only presume is their mobile number on an internet forum, I am thinking we are not getting info from a mensa candidate! I have never known a company to refund somebody on the basis they were impatient!

 

[ejb]

Why use an overseas TA when there are plenty in Australia who speak English?

ejb

 

[jsd]

+ 1

But also could we have some explination as to how ZUJI is at fault here, sounds a bit more like user error, did you think to maybe call the operating carrier before you tried to book another ticket?

Something somewhere in your story is not adding up

Josh

 

[auriga]

They are a business. You really cannot expect them to have your "best interest at heart"! It is not their problem or their fault after all.

 

[mannej]

I would imagine that zuji would clearly label the above-mentioned issue (i.e change fees/refunds etc). Zuji are completely in the clear in this case.

The cheaper the ticket, the less flexible they are. What the OP should have done is purchased a fully flexible refundable ticket incase the original ticket did come through.

I guess all that can be done is chalk this one up to experience, as I don't see any way of a refund from either website.

Oh and he could also enjoy the extra room if he was in the back of the bus

 

[Sprucegoose]

And guess what, one post wonder MACCA didnt reply!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[macca260]

And guess what, one post wonder MACCA didnt reply!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Thanks all for your replies, some helpful while others are just taking the opportunity to shout their apparent travel wisdom across the internet.

The lessons I have learned:

Lan Chile will avoid cancelling a ticket at all costs!

TA's will hand ball the blame back to the airline when a client wishes to cancel.

While ZUJI offers cheap tickets, they are often O or PROMO class that have no adjustments or changes allowed.

Although travel forums are a great way to get ideas and opinions out there, I don't wish to be a part of a collection of bloggers who find it appropriate to poke fun at unfortunate travel stories.

Thanks for your help, but consider it my last thanks to Sprucegoose.

 

[mannej]

Atleast there is a lesson to be learned from the whole drama that you have had macca.

Unfortunately the cheaper tickets do not have much flexibility, and that is something that comes with price.

 

[macca260]

Inevitability, lessons learned are often at the sake of your bank account! No harm I did enjoy the extra room on my return flight.

Has anyone else had trouble with Iberia? I dont understand how or why they wouldve been granted ONE WORLD alliance partnership? After all my years of travel, they would be the most disappointing!

On a trip from Madrid to Buenos Aires, the passenger next to me vomited on himself and also my left arm, get this, while he was asleep! Lucky he was alright and didnt choke but an unpleasant situation.

While I could see vacant clean and fresh smelling seat in Business Class just ahead of me, I was denied from moving seats and had to sit the remaining 4 hours with the smell of vomit up my nose and on my clothes. It was disgusting..

Iberia would go down in my book as the worst! Maybe ZUJI shouldnt offer me a refund but Iberia, what do you think??

C.

 

[munitalP]

Thanks all for your replies, some helpful while others are just taking the opportunity to shout their apparent travel wisdom across the internet.

The lessons I have learned:

Lan Chile will avoid cancelling a ticket at all costs!

TA's will hand ball the blame back to the airline when a client wishes to cancel.

While ZUJI offers cheap tickets, they are often O or PROMO class that have no adjustments or changes allowed.

Although travel forums are a great way to get ideas and opinions out there, I don't wish to be a part of a collection of bloggers who find it appropriate to poke fun at unfortunate travel stories.

Thanks for your help, but consider it my last thanks to Sprucegoose.

Welcome to AFF Macca

There are a lot of very knowledgeable members on this site who have been around for quite some time, flying for business or pleasure.

Some people get quite fragile over some subjects (I'm no different when QF gets bagged) and their responses come across quite harsh. Please dont take them that way, posters like sprusegoose have massive amounts of knowledge to be sponged from, he's just getting quite tired of the OPM's (one post moaners) who frequent the site.

With no reply, and first post being quite a story, I too threw you in that bucket, so seeing your reply is great.

Again, welcome onboard

munitalP

 

[markis10]

I dont think Iberia should be refunding you, however since their refusal to move you would have caused some discomfort I would be making a complaint with an expectation of some sort of redress?