No flight available but money taken anyway - advice please

SuzySu

I tried to book a flight online last night and got as far as entering my card details and then pressed the 'checkout' button. I then got a message saying the transaction was not successful and asked me to call the agents. They said it had failed because there were no seats available on the return flight at that price, so we looked around at another flight etc. However, when we found one and I tried to pay over the phone, my card was declined.

I found out today that the reason my card was declined last night was because the money was "authorised" to leave my account for the unsuccessful online flight booking, so it is not in my account and I still don't have a flight ticket :mad:.

The agents say the money will be refunded in 72 hours because they will not process the payment. I have also spoken to my bank who say there is nothing they can do. Meanwhile I do not have access to my money and the flights are going up in price. Is there anything I can do to speed things along, or must I just suck it up?

Thanks

sammy115

Oh suzy that is a bummer.......

Can the agents just not transfer the flight over...at the same price...

There isn't a lot you can do tbh (not from the banks point of view). Something similar happened to me at christmas. I bought my father in law a blue ray player and paid for it at the till. They then said the last one in stock was damaged, so they did the refund. I wasn't happy cos it meant the money was 'in transit' (and it was christmas eve). luckily I had the money to soak it up for a couple of days. Doesn't help I know but I would seriously ring the agents back and complain very loudly

Pooky

Grrrrrr - just tried to reply and it lost it....


Basically....can you get the agents to agree to honour the price until the money is available on your card?

Aside from that I don't think there's anything you can do.

What an utter @rse tho!!!!

Hope you get it sorted soon.

SuzySu

Thanks Sammy and Pooky. I have complained and will put it in writing too. I know these things can happen, but it's how matters are dealt with afterwards that makes a difference.

They will hold the flight until Thursday evening but if my money is not returned to my bank by then (which I doubt as they have told me it will take 72 hours) then I don't know what will happen.

It's never one individual's 'fault' so I'm not rude on the phone, but I must sound frustrated as I have to repeat myself so many times.

...... and breathe.

clairewop

aww Suzi thats awful hope things get sorted

gizmo2_2

The same thing happened to me a few weeks ago. On 1 Jan I tried to book flights through Netflights - went all the way through the process, entered card details and then was told that I had to phone them. When I did they didn't have the flights I wanted. When I then checked my online banking it seemed that the money had gone. A call to Natwest confirmed that Netflights had "called" for the money but that this would be reversed within a few days.

The money appeared back in my account on 5 Jan - bearing in mind that three of the intervening days were either a bank holiday or a weekend I guess this means that it was actually quite quick, so hopefully you should get your money back in time...