Charges when using a Qantas voucher - is their online procedure legal?

[Caversham04]

I've just used a voucher from a previously-cancelled Qantas flight.

On the Payments Page (Step 5), the Qantas site states "Total Amount Due: $20", but on the subsequent Confirmation page (Step 6), my credit card has been charged $108, equivalent to the total amount quoted on the previous page PLUS the $88 change fee. I understand that a change fee is payable, but to quote a "Total Amount Due" that excludes this fee, and then charge your credit card for a larger amount that includes the fee is, at best, misleading and, I suspect, potentially illegal. Can anyone comment on the rules / laws in Oz?

I've tried to insert the screengrabs of the two web-pages below

 

[opusman]

Agreed, it is misleading.

 

[Abdul_A350]

I also had this happen after canceling a flight and rebooking. It could certainly be expressed better.

 

[Caversham04]

I also had this happen after canceling a flight and rebooking. It could certainly be expressed better.

I agree fully with you and Opusman

I saw (but didn't screen-grab) a similar table that included the change fee on a page prior to the Payments Page, and I was expecting the change fee ....... my question really is; is it legal for Qantas to state one price on the Payments Page where you enter your credit card details but to charge your credit card for a different (and higher) amount, even if the change fee has been (inadequately) mentioned at a prior stage in the process? You can and should have a reasonable expectation that the "Total Amount Due" stated on the page where you actually make the payment is the amount that your credit card will be charged......... A shop wouldn't be able to get away with charging you a different price unless there was a clear indication on entry / on the ticket / sign above the counter (e.g. all prices exclude GST) , so can anyone give a legal position on whether Qantas can do so?

 

[medhead]

I had exactly this issue with a recent booking. I paid with a credit card, the payment page said there was a $7 card fee. But the total amount due did not include that fee, it was the fare only. At no stage did the $7 get added in to the total due. Hit pay to get a message that I've been charge the total due +$7.

I don't believe that is legal.

I expected to pay the fee, knew it would be charged.The problem is the failure to update the total due. I think this has been caused by recent changes to the website.
Not sure how to raise this with Qantas without sounding like I want a refund of $7.

 

[Caversham04]

I had exactly this issue with a recent booking <snip> Not sure how to raise this with Qantas without sounding like I want a refund of $7.

I'll send them an e-mail as 2 sets of $88 change fees are worth chasing if their website is set up incorrectly. I'll post updates onto this thread.........

 

[Caversham04]

I'll send them an e-mail as 2 sets of $88 change fees are worth chasing if their website is set up incorrectly. I'll post updates onto this thread.........

SUCCESS

Sent QF a message via their website yesterday (mentioning that charging my credit card for a larger amount than the "Total amount Due" on the Payment Page was misleading and against ACCC rules), and received an e-mail today:

"We apologise for the miscommunication on qantas.com. While the correct amount was charged, we are aware that our website has been giving false totals at the payment page. This fault is known and we hope it is fixed soon. Due to this error we have organised AUD88.00 per booking to be refunded to your card. Please allow up to 2 weeks for processing"

As mentioned earlier in the thread, the errors were during the booking of 2 flights using vouchers from previously-cancelled trips (hence the $88 change fees) but I would expect the principle of a refund being required may also apply to other scenarios above where the CC fee wasn't included in the "Total Payment Due"?

 

[Abdul_A350]

Well done!!

 

[Milefest]

SUCCESS

Sent QF a message via their website yesterday (mentioning that charging my credit card for a larger amount than the "Total amount Due" on the Payment Page was misleading and against ACCC rules), and received an e-mail today:

"We apologise for the miscommunication on qantas.com. While the correct amount was charged, we are aware that our website has been giving false totals at the payment page. This fault is known and we hope it is fixed soon. Due to this error we have organised AUD88.00 per booking to be refunded to your card. Please allow up to 2 weeks for processing"

As mentioned earlier in the thread, the errors were during the booking of 2 flights using vouchers from previously-cancelled trips (hence the $88 change fees) but I would expect the principle of a refund being required may also apply to other scenarios above where the CC fee wasn't included in the "Total Payment Due"?

They know the issue exists and continue to charge customers, without issuing refunds, unless they request?

Surely the reason they haven't set up a dialogue box letting customers know that an incorrect total may be displayed while they fix the issue is because a reasonable amount of customers won't notice...

 

[Caversham04]

They know the issue exists and continue to charge customers, without issuing refunds, unless they request?

It seems that way! I wonder whether the ACCC would be interested - the fact that I got an immediate no-quibble refund rather than a pro-forma brush-off suggests that QF know they're on dodgy ground :shock:

Surely the reason they haven't set up a dialogue box letting customers know that an incorrect total may be displayed while they fix the issue is because a reasonable amount of customers won't notice...

That would be one possible conclusion, for sure. I'm not a web designer, but surely it can't be a difficult fix - not sure whether an interim pop-up be considered sufficient in law?

I assume that the work experience kid in IT who set up the new web-pages is getting a rocket from management.

 

[opusman]

I assume that the work experience kid in IT who set up the new web-pages is getting a rocket from management.

Nah it's just that school has gone back now, they need to wait until the next round of work experience to get any IT changes done.

 

[Deleted member 29185]

unless there was a clear indication on entry / on the ticket / sign above the counter (e.g. all prices exclude GST)

Unless it's a wholesale sale, I don't believe that is legal either. A retailer must display the total price inclusive of GST.

 

[trixydoza]

This post has saved me $528. Thank you so much.

 

[Caversham04]

This post has saved me $528. Thank you so much.

You're welcome

Sometime this week, I might start a new thread to highlight it a bit more.....