POLi........issues and who uses it?

[Deleted member 29185]

I'm a POLi fan simply because I hate paying CC fees. I do realise that I can make up to 3 point/$ on some credit cards (I hate AMEX with a vitriolic passion, and even the benefits on offer have so far not swayed me otherwise), but the reality is many CCs are 0.5 points/$ which to me does not equal overwhelming value (yes, I do argue with myself about the value of a point).

So POLi represents good value to me (until convinced otherwise).

Recently (tonight) I was booking OOL-MEL for a family holiday and of late, I've shamed myself into buying the carbon credits. (bugger all cost and hopefully may not be squandered and actually pay for 1 or 2 trees in ground). So feeling great about myself, I check the carbon offset box and proceed with the payment (POLi) only to find POLi doesn't work with the offsets..........doesn't this seem like technology gone astray? I also note the carbon offsets come through as a separate receipt, so I deduct from those two irregularities that DJ are just a conduit for a third party carbon trading company. If so, why not nominate who they are so we can review their performance like we do DJs? I know the claim is the money goes toward NCOS CN compliant schemes (companies?) but DJ laud biogas in Thailand and fuel efficient cooking in Cambodia (both worthy ideals) but if my conclusions above are correct, a "middleman" is involved which reeks of potential rorting of well meant funds.


So without me ranting, may I ask (to roughly gauge) how many of you use POLi and how many commit funds to carbon abatement schemes through DJ? For the record, I believe we FFers can indeed make a difference, but we also need to know our miniscule individual investments aren't inadvertantly squandered.

VA, please feel free to join in with as much info (factual propaganda most welcome) as you feel helpful. I get the feeling I'm not the only businessman who has no issue with paying our ecological way, but desires feedback!

 

[777]

I never use Poli but i always use offsets when i have the choice.

I can't answer most of your question, but one of the many positive consequences of the forthcoming carbon tax and follow on emissions trading system *should* be (and one of the reasons why ETS or carbon price in various guises has been advocated by both sides of politics until comparatively recently) that it prices some degree of offsetting into the value of the fare. It will be interesting to see if VA continue to offer offsetting over and above the carbon price in the current form and i'll need to reconsider whether to pay it on top.

 

[MarkD]

Use Poli and Dont offset.

 

[Deleted member 29185]

I did miss a bit of the original spiel....that being my cabon offset for the family was goint to be $9.35 but because POLi doesn't work with it, that same goodwill would suddenly cost me $36 (with CC fees). I do realise that is not a one-4-one comparison, but it does suddenly make carbon offset almost 400% dearer. How serious is DJ with it?

 

[jneufeld]

but if my conclusions above are correct, a "middleman" is involved which reeks of potential rorting of well meant funds.

Says this deep down in the FAQ

19. Does Virgin Australia make any profit from this transaction?

No. 100% of money collected through our optional Carbon Offset Program will go towards abatement projects. The airline covers the administration costs.*Please note, a separate credit card transaction fee at the rate of 1.2% will apply, as will GST.​

Of course they would not admit to rorting would they!
Dont use POLi, I offset​

 

[Sifor]

I use POLi, don't offset.

 

[LiamR]

I use to use POLi at my old business, simple as "that's how things worked" Never had a problem with it, but I never did offset my carbon omissions (Aren't I a bad person?)

 

[Baguss]

You can book a Virgin flight with a Credit card and pay the advertised fare without the Credit Card surcharge.

Simply book using the Australian Zuji website.

You get instant Virgin confirmation number.

Downside is that you then have to login to velocity and attach your membership number to the booking. Not a major deal considering the savings.

 

[Deleted member 29185]

Of course they would not admit to rorting would they!

To clarify, I don't for one minute think DJ would do the rorting but nor do I expect them to be on the ground in Cambodia implementing a sustainable cooking programme. I'm more wondering about the "fees and charges" etc etc of the (possibly) multiple middleman companies (or should that be middleperchild )

 

[hummel]

You can book a Virgin flight with a Credit card and pay the advertised fare without the Credit Card surcharge.

Simply book using the Australian Zuji website.

You get instant Virgin confirmation number.

Downside is that you then have to login to velocity and attach your membership number to the booking. Not a major deal considering the savings.

A really good tip, thanks for sharing

 

[straitman]

You can book a Virgin flight with a Credit card and pay the advertised fare without the Credit Card surcharge.

Simply book using the Australian Zuji website.

You get instant Virgin confirmation number.

Downside is that you then have to login to velocity and attach your membership number to the booking. Not a major deal considering the savings.

A really good tip, thanks for sharing

This also applies for bookings done via American Express.

 

[moa999]

Note the downside to Zuji/ Webjet etc is that if you want to change your booking you will have to go through them (booking is agent controlled) and pay their fees on top of the airline fees.
Can make changes very expensive.

 

[LiamR]

Or you could book, pay the CC fees. Then call up Virgin Australia and say you booked on a Mac, and Poli wasen't working. They'll then refund the credit card fees.

 

[clarkkent]

Anyone tried to get a refund because their bank isn't supported by POLi? I'd like to think this falls into the same category as the Mac refund, but haven't tried it myself...

 

[MarkD]

You are presented with a list of banks when you go to pay

 

[clarkkent]

... yes, and if your bank is not listed are you entitled to a refund?

 

[MarkD]

I don't know, mine is listed, sorry thought you were unaware of how it worked

 

[bobcat]

I have a strong disdain for POLI. Being able to smoothly dodge CC surcharges is one of few pieces still missing from the Virgin puzzle. Why?

- It's incredibly hard to get to work. Need to dust off IE and even then it seems like about 1/3 of the time something will go awry.
(Some bookings I've tried & failed 3-4 times and then had to use CC. I then put it to Virgin that the system's not working and requested the surcharges be waived but nothing was forthcoming).

- I've heard of cases where POLI's finally debited the money after a few timeouts, but the booking has been cancelled (presumably because it's taken so long ... yet the transaction still went through).

- Punishing those who want to offset.

- The dangers of a 3rd party app logging onto internet banking.

Not to mention horribly user-unfriendly ... but I guess it must be significantly cheaper than BPay.

For Jetstar and other LCCs that's ok. However considering VA's revamped image, I'm really surprised they won't fork out a little bit more to make it so much easier.
As someone else on the thread noted - a strong incentive to book elsewhere

 

[bobcat]

Was v. excited to see PayPal offered by Virgin. Ready to declare it a victory for the people until .... I see the fee involved is the same as credit card surcharge....
kind of defeats the point for most of us really....

Good for those o/s I guess.

 

[Deleted member 29185]

I still use POLi and find it excellent (except I can't add the carbon offset with POLi). Why do people have an issue with it? Am I missing a security problem?