Easyjet & useless responses

pinkshoes

I recently took an Easyjet flight to France, and upon arrival for the return flight, we were told there was a 3 hour delay.

So we waited and waited... They gave us no further information, no food, no drink, no updates, and 13 hours later we finally took off at about 4.15am!!! (not particularly fun being stuck in a tiny airport, with a snackbar and a small shop, with only uncomfortable seats!!).

I've been trying to claim back the money we had to spend on food at water (no hot food available - just sandwiches), but I just keep getting a dumb reply saying "please send receipts", despite me telling them that the only food snack bar didn't issue receipts!!

They obviously don't read the emails, as one reply told me to send them the receipts and they'd reimburse us for the hotel, except we didn't get offered a hotel, and I certainly didn't mention it in my email.

So, does anyone have an address I can actually write to, as I'm fed up with thoughtless and pointless responses?!

omelette451

Did you ask for a receipt at the snack bar? Asking for one and being told they can't physically issue one is different from simply not getting one. I don't see how you can expect a refund of expenses without being able to prove how much you spent, though if you can prove there was no physical possibility of getting such proof it may be different. I'm sorry if it's not what you want to hear but in my experience almost any retail outlet will give receipts, if only for business people whose companies have a rule of never accepting only verbal proof.

pinkshoes

omelette451 wrote: »

Did you ask for a receipt at the snack bar? Asking for one and being told they can't physically issue one is different from simply not getting one. I don't see how you can expect a refund of expenses without being able to prove how much you spent, though if you can prove there was no physical possibility of getting such proof it may be different. I'm sorry if it's not what you want to hear but in my experience almost any retail outlet will give receipts, if only for business people whose companies have a rule of never accepting only verbal proof.

Thanks for the reply

As there was only 1 snack bar in the airport, (and LOTS of people - probably 5x what they'd normally expect), the queue for the snackbar was snaking round the airport (full of people who did get refreshment vouchers from other airlines)!

Asking for a receipt was not an option, as the staff were rushed off their feet, trying to serve drinks and make sandwiches for 1000s of people. I did try and ask for a receipt, but was ignored as they were too busy trying to serve people as fast as possible.

The airport issued a letter to all the passengers on our plane stating that Easyjet did not give permission for refreshment vouchers to be issued, so although I have no receipts, they can't expect me not to eat or drink in 13 hours, and they can't deny the prices as there was only 1 food/drink outlet!

So, if anyone has an address to write to...

apt

Did you have travel insurance? Some (but not all) will pay £20 or £30 for a 12 hour delay. You would need the letter provided by the airport (or by Easyjet)as proof.

pinkshoes

apt wrote: »

Did you have travel insurance? Some (but not all) will pay £20 or £30 for a 12 hour delay. You would need the letter provided by the airport (or by Easyjet)as proof.

Yeah, I had insurance, but I don't think it pays out for bad weather!

If Easyjet had just supplied refreshments as legally required, then I wouldn't have had to spend money in the first place.

The sandwiches were disgusting too!! :rolleyes:

conradmum

How much are you trying to claim for?

Is it really worth the hassle of sending emails, writing letters and making phone calls? Life is short!

pinkshoes

conradmum wrote: »

How much are you trying to claim for?

Is it really worth the hassle of sending emails, writing letters and making phone calls? Life is short!

It's €30 (so nearly £30), & the equivalent of 10 pints of lager, or a nice meal out!

This is a moneySAVINGexpert web page, so I'm confused as to why you'd bother posting for 4 years if you're advising someone to just give up rather than send a letter over £30!?

I know very well that life is short, but I think 2 minutes of my life to write a letter is worth it if I get my €30 back It's not like I'm devoting my entire life to this cause...

omelette451

pinkshoes wrote: »

If Easyjet had just supplied refreshments as legally required, then I wouldn't have had to spend money in the first place.

Very true, which is why I wish you luck in your quest.

However, without proof of how much you spent I do think easyJet is right to question the claim. What's to stop everyone on that flight saying they spent £30 and demanding the money back? Very few companies even consider paying out expenses claims with no proof of how much was spent. You say that the prices can easily be verified, but how can they verify what you actually bought? I understand you may not be familiar with expenses-claiming procedures but I am, and for obvious reasons no sane company would ever accept a claim with no proof of expenditure. I've done it many times and have always managed to get a receipt, which is why I'm convinced this place would have given one too.

However, in acknowledgement of the fact that the airline should have given you vouchers in the first place, I'm going to offer a suggestion of how I think you should proceed. The airline's voucher policy is £3 for every two hours that you're delayed (see the bottom of http://www.easyjet.com/EN/News/delayed_flights_25feb09.html). Work out how much you should have been given according to this rule, then write to them (at 'Easyland', Luton Airport) asking for precisely this amount in compensation. Enclose a copy of the email they sent offering reimbursement of expenses but explain (politely) that you don't have a receipt so can't claim directly for the stuff you bought. I think that's the best option you've got: asking for a refund for something you have no way of proving you bought is, in my opinion, hopeless.

pinkshoes

omelette451 wrote: »

What's to stop everyone on that flight saying they spent £30 and demanding the money back? Very few companies even consider paying out expenses claims with no proof of how much was spent. You say that the prices can easily be verified, but how can they verify what you actually bought?

Very good point... but I have thought about this: :rolleyes:

There was only 1 place to buy food, and a limited choice. Sandwiches €5, bottles of water €2, cups of coffee €2.50.

There were two of us, and we had to wait 13 hours, in which time we ate 3 sandwiches (would have been 4, but I didn't have any more money, no cash point available, so we had to share a second one later on!), 5 bottles of water, and 2 cups of coffee, totalling €30.

Given that 1.5 sandwiches and a litre of water per person isn't much in 13 hours (! - ran out of money!!), then I hardly think that Easyjet can deny we're taking them for a ride! It's not like I'm claiming €100, which I could quite easily have spent if I had it!

If it wasn't for having some Euros left, then we actually would have had to beg someone for cash!!

I did intend my money to be spent on a book to read or something, but had to stare at a wall for 13 hours instead!

omelette451 wrote: »

The airline's voucher policy is £3 for every two hours that you're delayed (see the bottom of http://www.easyjet.com/EN/News/delayed_flights_25feb09.html). Work out how much you should have been given according to this rule, then write to them (at 'Easyland', Luton Airport) asking for precisely this amount in compensation.

13 hours delay would be 6 x £3 vouchers, and there were 2 of us, so I shall up my claim to £36!!

Thanks for this!

RichyRich

Seeing as nobody has actually given you a postal address yet:

easyJet Airline Company Limited
easyLand
London (Luton) Airport
LUTON
Beds LU2 9AS

Expect them to reply via email though (like they did with me).

If no luck, try writing to easyGroup HO:-

easyGroup
The Rotunda
LONDON NW1 7DL

conradmum

pinkshoes wrote: »

It's €30 (so nearly £30), & the equivalent of 10 pints of lager, or a nice meal out!

This is a moneySAVINGexpert web page, so I'm confused as to why you'd bother posting for 4 years if you're advising someone to just give up rather than send a letter over £30!?

I know very well that life is short, but I think 2 minutes of my life to write a letter is worth it if I get my €30 back It's not like I'm devoting my entire life to this cause...

Fair enough. I was just trying to give another perspective. By your own admission you've already emailed them at least twice, now you're going to spend more time on a letter, envelope, stamp, posting. Probably more frustration and annoyance I think because you haven't got the receipts.
I'm all for moneysaving, but money isn't everything.
Good luck.