Travel bag: They haven’t approved my payment from last night. Can I cancel my booking?

cleanslateguy

To my horror for the first time somehow the date was incorrect when booking. After searching for flights next year in March, on the Travelbag site online, my confirmation received stated March 26th and return April 9th.

The first payment was rejected and second one approved. Their system still takes the payment even if rejected. When I called up they stated there would have to be an £18 fee to process manually at their end. They told me on the phone that it may take 3 days for the merchant to accept the payment.

I now realised 2 hours post booking that the date is wrong and need to amend or cancel.

Does distance selling regulation apply to flights now?
Can Etihad flights be amended without charges?
Can the travel firm be draconian and simply not accept a change without a very high premium and quote me something like £200 more when it could even be LESS money?

London50

https://www.travelbag.co.uk/booking-conditions#

cleanslateguy

Thank you.
I have read the booking conditions as of this morning prior to posting.

My question is more over a recorded phone call and a placed order where you are told that your payment has failed on the telephone. That both requests for payment have failed.
Therefore if you are told this then wish to amend or cancel then how can you get away from this and then change your mind?

Alan_Bowen

Have they issued a confirmation by email? That is usually the point at which they say a contract exists, and in answer to your question, the Distance Selling Regulations do not apply to travel contracts, and changing dates normally incurs unreasonable levels of fees, sorry

The_Fat_Controller

First post said one payment failed but another was successful.

You then said that BOTH requests for payment have failed.

Very confusing !

It is highly likely that as you have booked through a third party and possibly a special fare only available to them, it will be non-refundable and any changes could incur fees both from the agent and the airline.

joncombe

Update: Sorry the below explicitly excludes transport. Maybe worth checking if they do have some kind of cooling off period though?


---- old message below



I thought there was always a "cooling off period" for online purchases. See https://www.citizensadvice.org.uk/consumer/changed-your-mind/cancelling-a-service-youve-arranged/


This suggests you should be able to cancel within 14 days.

jpsartre

Yet another problem that likely could have been easily solved if booked direct from the airline rather than a 3rd party.



There's no cooling off period for booking airline tickets (aside from whatever cooling off period is offered by the airline which typically ranges from none to 24 hours).

cleanslateguy

4th December 12:37
Dear Mr XXX
As per our telephone conversation this email is to advise that the payment attempts made on the above booking request on the 3rd of December failed and Travelbag can not access the funds being held from your card.
Kind regards
Eleanor

4th December 12:49 to Travelbag

Hi Eleanor.

Thank you for your help.
I am on the phone with HSBC while typing this email.

Instructions from HSBC:

Please contact CardPay to release the transaction so that funds become available to pay for the new reservation as agreed today.

What timeframe will this take?

Kind regards

4th December from Travelbag Accounts

Hi Mr. XXX
I've had the reply from the Accounts team and they have said the payment attempts failed as the bank did not authorise them and the requests were already declined and reversed from our side.

Response DECLINED
Bank response NOT AUTHORISED
Acquirer Response 05
Acquirer Message NOT AUTHORISED

ResponseCV2AVS DECLINED, REVERSED

We have done everything ourside we can and it is now up to your bank to put the funds back.
Kind regards
Eleanor




—— so now they can’t turn around after this acceptance of an action of not taking payment and then change to a full on booking?

The_Fat_Controller

Sounds like your bank is at fault here.

Why did they decline the payments ?

cleanslateguy

Because the address was not written correctly in the online form.

I wrote the flat number and house number

On my bank registration is only the house number

cleanslateguy

When I called also to speak to someone else they mentioned that my reservation now shows a different date and that £200 has been allocated towards it and that I owe a larger amount now.

Online with the company shows £745 but they are quoting me on phone £777 for he flights so it seems to me as though they want me to pay £64 extra without declaring it a fee.

It feels like underhand retention is going on here rather and taking advantage of a mistake made that was acknowledged prior to booking being confirmed. Only a request made. I don’t feel good about this at all. I feel myself going to small claims with all emails and recorded phone calls. All my calls with Travelbag are recorded.