Fare Depot cancellation woes

safetymouse

HI, avid reader of MSE advice, first time posting to the forums but I am at my wits end.

I booked flights with Fare Depot on 26th August, I found a great deal through Sky Scanner and although I had read mixed reviews of Fare Depots, I was happy to go ahead with the confidence that they were a fine third party ticketing agency, the problems people faced would only start when something went wrong.

Unfortunately for us, something did go wrong. Our car broke down on the 29th August and we were without transportation so had to book flights home on the 2nd September. I have been locked in conversation with Fare Depot trying to cancel our flights and get a refund ever since.

When I spoke to them on the phone, I was told there was a $300 per person cancellation fee, I agreed to the outrageous charge and they sent me a form to fill in with my credit card details which they told me where necessary to process the refund. I filled it out and sent it back with the requested scanned images of my credit card and driver's licence.

I got an email a few hours later saying my card had been declined when they tried to process the refund, I called my card issuer (Capital One) and asked what was going on and they told me Fare Depot had attempted to take £98 from the card and no refund had been issued.

It took nearly 10 emails before it was explained to me that Fare Depot needed to take CAD200 from my card now (but were unable to because I have left my credit card maxed out so they can't take any money without my permission) and they will take a further CAD400 from the money the airline will give them in, and I quote: "34 to 5 weeks".

I know I'm being vindictive, but I really don't know how to proceed.

Should I trust them on the off chance they will give me a refund in "34 to 5 weeks"? I have no evidence to say when and how I will receive the refund

Is there anyone I can contact to report their poor practices and get a resolution? I have written to the Better Business Bureau in Delaware to repot them, told Skyscanner not to send them any more traffic, and the review I left on Trust Pilot was removed by Fare Depot because they had no record of me. Fare Depot have a list of airline "partners" on their website, would it be going to far to contact these airline partners (BA, Eva, Emirates, Canada Air, and around 20 more) and ask how they feel putting their name to Fare Depot's policies?

My most recent communication from Fare Depot said my flights were confirmed and ticketed, and asked me to let them know if there was anything else they could do for me. How can I make someone understand the hell the poor customer service is putting me through?

Alan_Bowen

I won't ask why you made reservations with an organisation 3000 miles away, assuming you are based in the UK but would I trust them now, not for a second. You do not need to take money from a credit card in order to give a refund, you know it sounds like complete nonsense and it is. Without details of the flights you booked and the terms you agreed it is impossible to say what refund you may be entitled to, but I would have run a mile when I read their booking conditions which says they can chose which legal jurisdiction applies to any transaction entirely at their own discretion

jpsartre

Don't give them any more money. Have you checked you have a refundable ticket in the first place?

Caz3121

safetymouse wrote: »

Our car broke down on the 29th August and we were without transportation so had to book flights home on the 2nd September. I have been locked in conversation with Fare Depot trying to cancel our flights and get a refund ever since.

Can you confirm whether you mean you used the outbound flight and then booked a new flight home on the 2nd September rather than changing the flight you already had booked to take you home or whether the ticket you purchased is 100% unused as you booked totally new tickets?
What were the fare rules of the ticket (a fully refundable ticket is often around 3x the cost of a restricted ticket but that can vary by route and airline) - you say you agreed to the $300 "outrageous charge" but if that is what you signed up to when you purchased the ticket then you have no gripe...likewise the agents fees should have all been detailed in the T&Cs that you agreed to on making the booking
"By checking this box you agree that you have read and accepted the Terms and Conditions, Cancellation Policies and Privacy policy".
You need to check what you actually signed up to, to confirm whether you have a valid dispute or whether you have just learnt a lesson on reading fare rules