A long story...would appreciate your opinion and advice.
My friend, I will call her Sue, tried to book an international flight on the Jetstar website and charged it to my credit card (with my authorisation). She tried that 3 times and each time the site came back with an error message or saying that the seats she tried to book might have already been sold (despite the website indicating availability). Sue then immediately rang Jetstar and the person answering confirmed that although the website indicated otherwise, the seats she tried to book might have already been sold. He then offered Sue a booking for a different fight departing two days later. He rang my wife to confirm the use of the credit card (my wife is the additional card holder), then confirmed the booking by issuing a booking code to Sue. So far, so good.
That was a Friday, and the following Monday, my online credit card statement showed that my credit card was charged twice--once for the online transaction that never went through, and a slightly different amount, evidently for the telephone transaction that was confirmed. Both amounts was over $3000, thus it was not a sum of money which one would like to part with for too long.
Sue then rang Jetstar Monday to request a refund of the first charge. At first the Jetstar lady refused a refund, then after some argument, said that the company could only refund half the amount, then after still more argument, suggested that Sue revert back to the original booking (which did not go through), and cancel the telephone booking, and that she would then get a refund for the 2nd booking.
This was a booking for an international flight and at this point, Sue had already booked the connecting flights, thus she refused to change the booking. The Jetstar lady then agreed to the refund as originally requested, but said that the refund process would take 7 weeks!
I obviously was not impressed with having to wait 7 weeks to get my $3000 back, for what obviously was a glitch somewhere in their computing system. Thus I rang JetStar the next day. They did not really wanted to talk to me as it was not my booking, but did murmur that the refund might only take 4 weeks.
I rang the Victorian Office of Fair Trading about this. They suggested that I send a register letter to Jetstar, give them a reasonable time to respond, and then contact them again. The bottomline is that I may have to wait for a few weeks anyway.
I spoke to the local branch of my bank and they have agreed to issue a charge back—all I need to do is to provide a signiture.
I pay off my credit card every month, thus the $3000 is not accruing any interests. I expect to get my credit card bill soon and the charge will be on there, and I will then have to come up with the money to pay it in about 3 to 4 weeks. At the same time, I only have a verbal promise from a Jetstar staff that my money will be refunded. I feel that I have the right to get a refund straightaway (it has now been one week).
My question is (1) has something similar happy to anyone before? (2) What do you suggest I should do? Should I go ahead with the charge back, or just wait?
Thanks in advance.
My friend, I will call her Sue, tried to book an international flight on the Jetstar website and charged it to my credit card (with my authorisation). She tried that 3 times and each time the site came back with an error message or saying that the seats she tried to book might have already been sold (despite the website indicating availability). Sue then immediately rang Jetstar and the person answering confirmed that although the website indicated otherwise, the seats she tried to book might have already been sold. He then offered Sue a booking for a different fight departing two days later. He rang my wife to confirm the use of the credit card (my wife is the additional card holder), then confirmed the booking by issuing a booking code to Sue. So far, so good.
That was a Friday, and the following Monday, my online credit card statement showed that my credit card was charged twice--once for the online transaction that never went through, and a slightly different amount, evidently for the telephone transaction that was confirmed. Both amounts was over $3000, thus it was not a sum of money which one would like to part with for too long.
Sue then rang Jetstar Monday to request a refund of the first charge. At first the Jetstar lady refused a refund, then after some argument, said that the company could only refund half the amount, then after still more argument, suggested that Sue revert back to the original booking (which did not go through), and cancel the telephone booking, and that she would then get a refund for the 2nd booking.
This was a booking for an international flight and at this point, Sue had already booked the connecting flights, thus she refused to change the booking. The Jetstar lady then agreed to the refund as originally requested, but said that the refund process would take 7 weeks!
I obviously was not impressed with having to wait 7 weeks to get my $3000 back, for what obviously was a glitch somewhere in their computing system. Thus I rang JetStar the next day. They did not really wanted to talk to me as it was not my booking, but did murmur that the refund might only take 4 weeks.
I rang the Victorian Office of Fair Trading about this. They suggested that I send a register letter to Jetstar, give them a reasonable time to respond, and then contact them again. The bottomline is that I may have to wait for a few weeks anyway.
I spoke to the local branch of my bank and they have agreed to issue a charge back—all I need to do is to provide a signiture.
I pay off my credit card every month, thus the $3000 is not accruing any interests. I expect to get my credit card bill soon and the charge will be on there, and I will then have to come up with the money to pay it in about 3 to 4 weeks. At the same time, I only have a verbal promise from a Jetstar staff that my money will be refunded. I feel that I have the right to get a refund straightaway (it has now been one week).
My question is (1) has something similar happy to anyone before? (2) What do you suggest I should do? Should I go ahead with the charge back, or just wait?
Thanks in advance.