Why Lastminute.com is called Last minute: scam of inflating prices 50%

nwilson101

I would like to detail a scam I was almost ripped off by lastminute.com...

I had ordered a weekend package to Paris for me and my 2 children from Lastminute.com and was just paying for it when it refused to accept the payment details and told me to ring Lastminute.com on a toll number. After repeated attempts at tryinfg to resubmit and then 20 mins on the phone a person from them said he would 'investigate and ring me back'. Over an hour later he had not rung back to explain, so I rang their toll number again...i.e. another £5 wasted.

Suddenly the guy said that even though I had input the correct birth dates of my 2 young daughters and my order still showed up as £1100 for 3 days, he said it was in fact 'an error' and the cost was in fact £1900! I complained and said they should stick to the price in the order but he said this was an error and he would not process the order despite my repeated request that he should do so.

By the time I thus found another agent, the 6-8 rail slots available had all gone except one.

As this is all automated I wonder how long this scam has been going on by Lastminute.com and how many thousands have been ripped off by lastminuite.com?

I have NEVER heard before of ANY company allowing you to get to the payment stage and then they insist you call them and then inflate the agreed price by over 50%!

As it has been an "ongoing error for a long long time" he said, obviously the scam lastminute.com has been operating has been going on I suspect since it was founded well over a decade ago.

I know know why they are called lastminute.com as they think it acceptable to inflate prices AT THE LAST MINUTE by over 50% as you are paying for your order!!!

NB I managed to get an alternative booking (at the same hotel) but as the rail slots had almost all gone due to lastminute's scam and wasting time, we could only go for 2 days and it still cost £1200. For a room like the poor one we had and no food or any facilities provided (I had to sleep on a sofa), I reckon the price shouldn't have cost more than £150-200 a night and certainly not £600 a night.

I wonder if anyone knows of any other similar scams by internet travel companies?

I have retained hard copy evidence of my order and details of the person spoken to, so I wonder what action I can take?

Incapuppy

Do the website T&C's state something along the lines of 'errors and omissions excepted'

I'm not sure why you think it is a scam as opposed to an error which was spotted before any payment was taken from you.

sturll

Incapuppy wrote: »

Do the website T&C's state something along the lines of 'errors and omissions excepted'

I'm not sure why you think it is a scam as opposed to an error which was spotted before any payment was taken from you.

Its a rip off Terri, end of

Nordictat2

I seldom use lastminute.com as I usually find better deals elsewhere for hotels and such.

dmg24

nwilson101 wrote: »

I have NEVER heard before of ANY company allowing you to get to the payment stage and then they insist you call them and then inflate the agreed price by over 50%!

You clearly don't book many holidays then (supported by the fact that you would pay £1200 for two nights in Paris :eek: )!

nico26

I used Lastminute last week fo a few days in Singapore and found them the cheapest Gave me a night free where others didnt. I knew the hotel had had this offer on but the offer expired on the 30th of June. Lastminute were still offering it and was a bit wary that I would get charged at the last minute but so far ok.

PolishBigSpender

dmg24 wrote: »

You clearly don't book many holidays then (supported by the fact that you would pay £1200 for two nights in Paris :eek: )!

Sounds like someone is merely trying to give Lastminute.com a bad name. The usage of the word 'toll' rather than 'premium' suggests so.

alanrowell

They used "scam" in the title - everyone knows that unjustified complaints by the British have "Rip off" in them

nwilson101

Somewhat silly and pedantic replies by several posters. The incident happened and calling it a scam is what I would use as its evidently something lastminute try frequently on customers in an organised fashion. A rip off is similar but means something slightly different.

delwynshd

Why bring this thread up again nearly two years later????

Del

nwilson101

dmg24, the holiday was a last minute thing for 2 daughters from Australia and as you ought to know last minute prices to Paris are often inflated in order to sap the business marketn in particular who tend to make bookings at the last minute. I cldn't make the booking earlier as the Passport Office kept my new passport for far longer than usual, OK?

A little sympathy for your fellow consumers might go a long way!