skyscanner and fly.co.uk scam

Popsie1191

I have also just cancelled my debit card with my bank tonight for the same reason - £40 of "fees" added AFTER I had input my card details and accepted, grudgingly to pay £4.50 for using my Visa (debit) card - there's no option to pay by debit card, only by Visa - of any sort. So, I put in my details, press the button "Complete Booking", then as soon as I go to the full booking page which it recommends printing, I see they've added this fee!! Horrendous!

I then went back to do another dummy run, with the same flight, same airline, just to make sure I hadn't been careless, and sure enough, there is NO MENTION of this fee at the booking point.

In their terms and conditions, it says there MAY be fees charged, but doesn't say at what level, and more importantly, it says DURING the booking process. This was most definitely AFTER the booking process. I am so fed up. Hopefully my bank's actions will stop this payment going through and if not, they will dispute any charges taken on my behalf.

Sidog_2

The problems with debit cards and banks is that if you authorise a transaction the company legally have upto 6 months to claim that money. This can be claimed even on a cancelled card.

But you want to go to your banks down this unauthorised transaction route and challenge it.

tapyeno

tapyeno wrote: »

Having bought tickets to Inverness, I was horrified, as others have been, at the excessive charges added on after booking. Two emails to the firm's 'Customer Services' were unanswered.

I felt I should make a complaint about this company, but have found there is no one to complain to!

I contacted the IATA who referred me to Civil Aviation Authority who referred me to Citizens Advice who referred me to UK European Consumer Centre. Eventually got a reply from them and they are passing it on to the European Consumer Centre! They asked me for lots of documentation relevant to my complaint which I have provided for them.



However, they stated in their email: "Please be aware that as an advice service we do not have any enforcement or investigative powers. We are therefore unable to compel the trader to accept our views or suggestions and the trader may even choose not to respond to our letters. Our mediation may however, encourage the trader to trader to re-assess your case."

Will be interested to see if the fore mentioned company, fly.co, does re-assess my case - I won't hold my breath!

Following this post in June last year, I eventually, after numerous emails to European Consumer Centre and Fly.Co.uk and 2 recent phone calls to the latter, received a payment from them of £86.

Brettc

Wish I'd seen this thread before. My own fault for not researching first.
Just got caught by the "adjusting the price after confirming the booking" scam, then start googling and realise the nature of the company.
I'm surprised there doesn't seem to be fairly widespread laws about changing the price after a contract has been agreed - I would have thought that should be easily challengable.

tamiami

No one can sell a flight cheaper than the airline, they have to get their profit somehow, so the dodgy companies do it by adding charges. If you booked direct or with a reputable agent, overall you would still have paid the same price but without the hassle.

Heliflyguy

tamiami wrote: »

No one can sell a flight cheaper than the airline

Well if by that statement you mean that the airline always sets the price then your right.

On the other hand if you mean that if you go direct to the airline to get a price then your wrong as some agents will have cheaper net or consolidator fares that will only be sold through those channels.

hpuse

Brettc wrote: »

Wish I'd seen this thread before. My own fault for not researching first.
Just got caught by the "adjusting the price after confirming the booking" scam, then start googling and realise the nature of the company.
I'm surprised there doesn't seem to be fairly widespread laws about changing the price after a contract has been agreed - I would have thought that should be easily challengable.

I would suggest the following:

Make another booking with fly.co.uk, if possible for the same flight and same fare but on a different date. Take 'screen shots' of the entire booking process, till the point before you click pay now.

Compare the charge they are displaying on the final order confirmation page.
If you think the credit card charges are not clear, then write to the company stating that the charges shows are misleading and unclear and demand a full refund.

Hope that helps.

hpuse

tamiami wrote: »

No one can sell a flight cheaper than the airline, they have to get their profit somehow, so the dodgy companies do it by adding charges. If you booked direct or with a reputable agent, overall you would still have paid the same price but without the hassle.

Not entirely applicable for all flight in all sectors..

Bulk agents and GDS consolidators do exists - buying direct from the airline is not always cheaper especially flights to the far east.

colchesterguide

This Terms and Conditions thing seems like a good scam to be into - think I'll set-up a website with 20 pages of T&Cs which include a clause saying the user agrees to pay me £10000 for using the site.....

colchesterguide

1. Part of the charges were added after the booking had been completed and I have screen shots to prove this.
2. The charges for credit card use are excessive and illegal and in no way reflect the cost to yourselves - again I have screen shots to prove this.
3. Your service is in violation of Ryanair's own terms and conditions forbidding third party sites from booking flights with them and I have an email from them confirming this.
4. The flights you advertise on your site and deliberately misleading and many services do not actually exist - again I have screen shots proving this.