LATAM Baggage Claim Process

[smiliemonster]

On a recent flight from AEP to IGR one of our bags was damaged. A report was lodged at the airport and we heard back from the LATAM team quite quickly. We were offered an amount as compensation in USD cash (as a cheque) or twice as much if we took a LATAM travel voucher. Since the bag can be repaired we opted for the former.

Now we are home and trying to finalise the claim. Unfortunately we've run into an issue. I suspect the problem is due to language/translation and us not understanding the process.

We've received an indemnity in English which said we would accept the lesser amount as a "travel voucher cash". We crossed out and initialed the "travel voucher" part assuming it was an either/or inclusion. LATAM have come back several times to say we can't change the indemnity, but they have changed it themselves and now it just says we agree to the lesser amount as a travel voucher.

We have asked several times by email (in English and Spanish via Google Translate - not ideal I know, but the best we have available) if they could explain the change. So far the requests have been ignored and we keep getting asked to sign the indemnity and provide passport information so they can process the claim. We have also called the contact centre number which didn't really help.

Does anyone know how this process works? Is it normal to sign a LATAM indemnity saying you will accept a travel voucher with the expectation you'll actually get a cheque or cash? It doesn't sound sensible, but maybe there's another step in the process which we're not aware?

 

[RooFlyer]

Welcome to AFF, @smiliemonster . I can't help with your query, sorry. One of our resident LATAM experts I think is 'off the air' at the moment, so I'll put an alert for @juddles who might be able to help later, if no-one else does.

But from what i know of LATAM, its exclusively a pro-forma approach - so, if not better advice is received, I think you'll need to just do what they want, else it will never resolve.

 

[smiliemonster]

Welcome to AFF, @smiliemonster . I can't help with your query, sorry. One of our resident LATAM experts I think is 'off the air' at the moment, so I'll put an alert for @juddles who might be able to help later, if no-one else does.

But from what i know of LATAM, its exclusively a pro-forma approach - so, if not better advice is received, I think you'll need to just do what they want, else it will never resolve.

Thanks RooFlyer. Appreciate the advice.

 

[smiliemonster]

I can now answer my own question in case anyone is looking for the same information.

1. You have to sign the indemnity saying you will accept the "travel voucher cash"
2. Within a few days we received an email with the voucher number and instructions on how to redeem it. It included a link to the Latam website
3. On the website you enter the voucher code, and if a cash redemption has been agreed, you input your account details
4. Oddly enough they have no Australian banks listed, but inputting your Australian BSB and account number works. You just need to ignore the Todos Los Bancos De Australia default that comes up
5. It took 2-3 weeks to receive the money. From what I can tell there were no fees - the USD amount was converted into AUD pre-transfer at the prevailing money market rate