Get Transfer - Scam?

[MikeG]

I booked airport transfers through a cute app called GetTransfer that is an airbnb style peer to peer transfer consolidator.

Unfortunately as I've found through this whole COVID-19 business, they are a scam who find excuses to never refund you.

Here's one email in a host with the provider arguing as to why they cannot refund my credit card. Obviously the paragraph they are quoting was added to their Ts and Cs AFTER I actually booked and paid for the transfer... Be this a warning to others who consider using GetTransfer:

Ekaterina Kozyreva <[email protected]>	Thu, Apr 16, 10:57 AM (5 days ago)
to me

Dear Customer,

my name is Ekaterina, I am a GetTransfer.com customer support manager.

This is to confirm that transfers were canceled, the driver notified. Please be informed that regarding the refund, we act according to paragraph 4.2 of our User Agreement. This measure had to be implemented due to the world epidemic situation.

4.2 Until the end of COVID-19 pandemic as well as in all other cases specified in sec. 8.1.(G) hereunder the amounts received as payment for the Transfers shall be returned by means of indicating the amount due in the User's Personal Account. Such amount may be used for payment for other Transfers or returned to the User's bank account when the force-majeure ends.

We do understand your position and frustration in this situation, and hope that the process takes less time than it is estimated due to the current global situation. Please accept our apologies for the inconvenience it has caused. Although we indeed act in accordance with the terms of use of our User Agreement. We sincerely hope that the current situation stabilizes soon.

 

[Kerrodt]

Did you pay by credit card issued by an Australian Financial institution? If so, contact them and commence a charge back with them, along with the evidence of this email and the fraudulent clause added post booking. You are more likely to get your money back that way.

 

[MikeG]

I'm all over that - I also have an insurance claim for the trip cancellation due to COVID-19 so either way, I'll get my money back

Just warning people off these guys...

 

[Scarlett]

I've used Get Transfer twice, both without problems, but then I never had to cancel a trip. First was last year to get from Chon Buri to BKK and then last month between Abu Dhabi and Dubai. I think both payments were in USD and processed in Larnaca (Cyprus).
Both time I had multiple options to select from, with price and vehicle type clearly indicated. Responses were very fast.

So it's definitely not a scam, but maybe they have a cashflow crunch like many COVID-19 affected businesses. Assuming your booking was supposed to be fully refundable if cancelled before the trip, then it sounds like chargeback time.

 

[MikeG]

Sadly HSBC doesn't do chargebacks except for fraud. So that leaves me stuck with claiming through travel insurance. Time to get rid of my HSBC credit card.

 

[Kerrodt]

Sadly HSBC doesn't do chargebacks except for fraud. So that leaves me stuck with claiming through travel insurance. Time to get rid of my HSBC credit card.

Really? Where did this advice come from?

The T&C's for any Amex, Visa or MasterCard issued card in Australia have chargeback terms that extend well beyond only fraud, and this is a requirement of the scheme. Any financial institution that attempts to limit these requirements is in breach of their obligations with Amex, Visa or MasterCard.

If you look at this section of the HSBC website: Common Questions on Transaction Disputes | FAQs - HSBC AU

You will find the following:

What type of transactions can I dispute?

• Transactions you believe are incorrect (amount or merchant),
• Transactions you believe you did not authorise,
• Transactions that you may suspect are fradulent,
• Duplicated transactions,
• ATMs that dispensed and incorrect amount,
• Goods or services that you did not receive or that were faulty (in these cases we may ask you to contact the merchant in the first instance), or
• Reocurring direct debits and regular repayment authorities that you have previously cancelled or you do not recognise (for example, Gym membership or Health insurance)

HSBC may not be able to assist you with disputes about:

• Quality of service provided by a merchant
• Contract related disputes
• Billing disputes
• Buyer's remorse

I have bolded and underlined what I think is your relevant section.

And, if you look at this additional section of the HSBC website: Contact Us about Query Transaction | Help - HSBC AU

You will find the following:

Chargebacks

A chargeback is where a bank reverses all (or part of) the amount of a disputed transaction back to a Merchant's bank in accordance with the applicable card scheme rules set by Visa, MasterCard or American Express.

You can ask for a chargeback when you make a purchase using a credit card and:

• Item not received: you don't receive the goods you ordered
• Item significantly different: you paid for an item but received an item significantly different than expected.
• Unauthorised use: your credit card number is stolen and used fraudulently.

If you made this transaction using an HSBC credit card, you can request us to try and get your money back from the merchant/shop where you bought the goods from. It is important that you ask for a chargeback as soon as you realise something has gone wrong, because there are time limits.

For more information and to find out if you are eligible to claim a chargeback, visit our Frequently Asked Questions page.

Again, I have bolded and underlined what I think is your relevant section.


I would suggest that you go back to HSBC and ask them about this and press that matter quite firmly with them.

 

[MikeG]

Maybe I need to get into an HSBC branch. I spoke to someone who had their dog yipping in the background, so their calls centre is evidently working from home.

 

[Kerrodt]

Email of something in writing would be better than phone calls. Get it all in writing.