Qantas short changing refunds?

[MikeG]

I've been noticing a $3.30 shortfall on all refunds from Qantas for taxes.

According to my bank statements, for two international flights to NZ for November, I was charged as follows for taxes:

13 Jul 2020 $323.33

2 Jul 2020 $322.93

I was refunded this week (finally) after cancelling over a month ago. and each refund is precisely $3.30 short of what was paid.

2 Dec 2020 -$319.63 ($3.30 short)

2 Dec 2020 -$320.03 ($3.30 short)

Is this a COVID Tax? Or just Qantas trying to remain profitable at all costs?

M

 

[Pushka]

I've been noticing a $3.30 shortfall on all refunds from Qantas for taxes.

According to my bank statements, for two international flights to NZ for November, I was charged as follows for taxes:

13 Jul 2020 $323.33

2 Jul 2020 $322.93

I was refunded this week (finally) after cancelling over a month ago. and each refund is precisely $3.30 short of what was paid.

2 Dec 2020 -$319.63 ($3.30 short)

2 Dec 2020 -$320.03 ($3.30 short)

Is this a COVID Tax? Or just Qantas trying to remain profitable at all costs?

M

The only time I got taxes back for my many refunds was the last time where the process had taken over 12 weeks despite phone calls so I lodged a dispute through Amex. They got every last cent back.

I lost the will to fight further.

 

[sudoer]

This would probably be the card payment fee - $3.30 is very close to 1.05% of both those amounts, assuming you paid with a credit card.




If you check your original itinerary, does it list the card payment fee at $3.30?

I noticed earlier on Monday that a refund I received for a SYD-LHR booking earlier this year was $3213.74, short the $33.10 card payment fee.



I called and spoke to someone who put me on hold for 15 minutes, then the call cut. A few minutes later I received an email saying my refund was being processed. I haven't yet received it.

Qantas Agency Connect suggests:

Card Payment Fee Refund​

All OB fees are consumed at the time of ticket purchase and therefore are not refundable via the automated GDS refund process.

The card payment fee can only be refunded if the ticket is totally unused, is being fully refunded and no cancellation fee applies. You should follow your usual GDS process to refund the fare and ticket taxes. Once submitted, the request for refund of the OB fee and any applicable taxes can be submitted through BSPlink. The reason for the refund should be ‘OB fee’. The administrative charge associated with BSPlink refunds does not apply.

At least 2 business days are required to process the OB fee refund request from the time of the initial refund submission through BSPlink. The timing of the refund of the funds back to the customer's card will vary, depending on your customer’s card issuing institution.

The refund of the OB fee will appear as a separate item to the fare refund on your customer's card statement.

 

[Captain Halliday]

I think at @sudoer is on the money (pun intended)

One other possibility. Was it an AUD purchase?

If bought in NZD it could also be currency conversion.

I had tickets in JPY where I lost ~$40. It was 3 pax in J so as a percentage of the total is was not much.

 

[MikeG]

I think at @sudoer is on the money (pun intended)

One other possibility. Was it an AUD purchase?

If bought in NZD it could also be currency conversion.

I had tickets in JPY where I lost ~$40. It was 3 pax in J so as a percentage of the total is was not much.

It was an AUD purchase. Sounds like its the CC fee. Qantas really need to consider the message they're sending when a "full refund" is not a "full refund"...

 

[sudoer]

Qantas really need to consider the message they're sending when a "full refund" is not a "full refund"...

Agree. This wasn't made clear to me either. I think most customers wouldn't notice a 1% difference on the refund amount so Qantas are just cutting corners where they can.

 

[zig]

Agree. This wasn't made clear to me either. I think most customers wouldn't notice a 1% difference on the refund amount so Qantas are just cutting corners where they can.

I noticed the difference in the refund, but after waiting 14 weeks for a refund I couldn't find the energy to pursue it. I assume QF is counting on us being grateful for finally getting most of our money refunded that we won't both following up.

 

[MikeG]

I waited two hours on hold to get the CC charges refunded. It was taking a stand and I could wait on hold while I was doing other work. Qantas has to make ownership of their decision to short charge their customers...

 

[Peter D]

We received a refund (after 6 weeks) earlier this year when a flight to London was canceled. The shortfall was exactly the amount of the credit card fee.

I believe the fee relates to the credit card transaction which did actually occur and was therfore funded by the CC Company. Refunding the fare does not (and logically cannot) undo the now historic CC transaction.

I don’t think mastercard/visa give the fee back to Qantas.

Someone else may be more knowledgeable then me on the intricacies of CC charging.

 

[MikeG]

It should have nothing to do with CC charging. It is the merchants decision to charge an extra fee (my companies do) and if we refund we refund the whole damned lot and cop the hit. Although technically a CC surcharge is a separate service fee, not part of the goods or services and should not have to be refundable for non delivery of goods or services imho. Assuming you have a choice of non surcharge methods of payments which some merchants don’t offer...

 

[sudoer]

I believe the fee relates to the credit card transaction which did actually occur and was therfore funded by the CC Company. Refunding the fare does not (and logically cannot) undo the now historic CC transaction.

I don’t think mastercard/visa give the fee back to Qantas.

Someone else may be more knowledgeable then me on the intricacies of CC charging.

Regardless of whether the fee is refundable to Qantas from their supplier, I linked up thread to their own Agency Connect page which shows this fee is refundable to customers on unused tickets cancelled without penalty (i.e. by the airline)

If this is their policy, the right thing to do is refund it by default rather than put the onus on consumers to ask for their missing 1%.

 

[MikeG]

Qantas has integrity issues and really needs to deal with that.

 

[Dr Ralph]

It's likely the credit card fee. Qantas tried this on with me. I used Fair Trading to resolve the ongoing dispute. Wish I'd acted sooner on this rather than giving Qantas chance after chance and wasting hours of my time.

 

[Brissy1]

My understanding, from a previous cancellation I had with virgin, is that the ACCC allows airlines to NOT include cc fees in a refund (In my case I did get a refund because better USA consumer protection applied to the international flights, just took 1 email to virgin to get back $hundreds). With qfa, cc refunds MIGHT depend upon the reason/initiator of the refund... I mean surely if it is initiated by qfa it would be a FULL refund

 

[albatross710]

They definitely retain the credit card fee on covid refunds. In my case I had done the refund request and negotiation via the SMS customer service. The original amount suggested by text was for the tix - ccard fee, We had more banter and it was agreed the full amount would be refunded. I retained a screenshot of the amount. When the refund arrived 2-3 phone calls later it was short the credit card fee.

Like others here I ran out of energy as at the time I was also battling a few other refunds.

I'll collect in QC goodies next time i travel.

 

[Vic]

I've considered the card fee on my refunds to be a donation to keep someone employed.
Unfortunately, it's mostly the execs that are staying employed.