When $260.00 voucher is actually only worth $130

[ChrisCunard]

Let me know of you've ever heard of this before...

Had a QF flight (Per-Syd return, red-e-deal) booked by my EA and I had to cancel the evening before departure due to an illness in the family.

Understanding red e deals I knew this meant a credit voucher and about 200 fare rules on how I could spend it - understood and accepted I wouldn't get $ back and needed to cancel before day of departure to get my full credit voucher.

I did the online cancel request that evening, but the next morning the booking was still "confirmed" in my profile.

So I called QF they cancelled it for me after explaining that I'd lose some fare value, but I advised I had canceled the night before which they acknowledged thus a $260 voucher was emailed to me.

All seemed well.

Fast forward few weeks, and I tried to use the voucher on a replacement flight and I was told that actually my $260 voucher was only worth $130 as I had forfeited my cancelled outbound fight.

I explained the above issues and was told that the story sounded "very unlikely". The fact I had got a $260 voucher was even questioned and I was asked to fax the voucher to the rep to look into it / prove it existed.

This was August 2012.

I faxed and re-faxed and heard nothing, asked for help on twitter and even emailed Qantas and got no definitive answer, until today.

Today a lovely customer service person called me to advise that, the value on the voucher was wrong. Basically I was wrong and I should just suck it up. Of course she used all the right words, but the above sentiment was there.

Despite Gold status a d loyalty since 1989 Qantas doesn't care.

I tried to explain to her that I had cancelled the booking online before the day of departure. No luck.

I tried to explain that a voucher with $260 printed on it should mean there is $260 to spend - apparently not.

I even likened this to Myer giving out a $260 refund voucher and then at the time of purchase saying "no, it's actually only worth $130" - no go there either.

So I give up. Qantas don't care and until something changes, I think (for this and about 50 other things they have done to make travelling harder in the past 12 months), I will take my business to Virgin.

 

[Mal Ware]

Wow that sucks. Did they actually give you a valid reason as to why it was only worth half?

Ie xx_x amount was deducted because of this or that?

Do you have a phone record of the call to Qantas to cancel the night before?

If you believe you are 100 percent in the right, take them to the small claims/Consumer affairs tribunal.....or your State equivalent.

 

[medhead]

It would seem the reason given is that he didn't cancel the outbound leg and didn't show for it, hence forfeited.

It's becoming clear that qantas have a major issue with online cancellation of bookings actually working.

 

[MH_fan]

That is very poor form on behalf of Qantas. This voucher "scam" you're experiencing is of AirAsia proprotions, CC!!

 

[BAM1748]

Did you get the name of the person you spoke to when you called to cancel?

it can make all the difference

matt

 

[Daver6]

Take it up with them on Twitter. It seems public shaming is sadly the only way big companies listen.

 

[JohnK]

Don't give up.

Go to the next level up from customer service agent.

 

[cmon0005]

Are you sure they weren't refering to the fact that you have to pay $65 change fee per sector when you re-book which is a standard condition of red-e-deal's when using the voucher?
$65+65=$130 pretty much halving the voucher.

For example I had a red-e-deal booked in March this year @ $89 cancelled it and had a $89 voucher issued, when I went to use the voucher in May, I booked another flight for $129, the voucher of $89 minus $65 change fee, only left me with a $24 voucher...

Not trying say you're wrong, just trying to cover all bases here.

 

[albatross710]

I did the online cancel request that evening, but the next morning the booking was still "confirmed" in my profile.

I had a similar thing in January 2010. I cancelled the flight online prior to the day. One day prior I still received a 'check-in' notification to say that I could check-in. I ignored it as had too many things on my plate (which is why I cancelled it.) Then after the flight trying to obtain the voucher they insisted that I had actually travelled on the flight.

The resulting voucher ended up expiring as it was too hard to use. The condition about having to be used on a fare of higher value + rebooking fee meant that it was more expensive to use it than just buying a new red-e deal anyway.

Cheers

Alby

 

[JohnK]

Are you sure they weren't refering to the fact that you have to pay $65 change fee per sector when you re-book which is a standard condition of red-e-deal's when using the voucher?

I did not think the change fee was per sector but rather per change.

 

[yo yo ma]

Are you sure they weren't refering to the fact that you have to pay $65 change fee per sector when you re-book which is a standard condition of red-e-deal's when using the voucher?
$65+65=$130 pretty much halving the voucher.

For example I had a red-e-deal booked in March this year @ $89 cancelled it and had a $89 voucher issued, when I went to use the voucher in May, I booked another flight for $129, the voucher of $89 minus $65 change fee, only left me with a $24 voucher...

I think this is right... it happened to me when I cancelled a red-e-deal so I believe QF are correct. Maybe they should have issued a $130 voucher to the OP though?

 

[medhead]

I think this is right... it happened to me when I cancelled a red-e-deal so I believe QF are correct. Maybe they should have issued a $130 voucher to the OP though?

I'm pretty sure the fee is per change not sectors. I've never cancelled a booking but have changed both sectors in a booking and only been charged $65 to do so.