Scoot Cancelled Flight SYD-SIN

[Awesom Andy]

That is what I suspect as well, if forwards bookings are very light (and if some discounting seen by QF and maybe JQ is to be believed) then maybe we are seeing overcapacity or a lack of demand/pull-back in discretionary travel between Aus and SIN?

Even SQ Y is at $788 SGD ex-SIN, and it's rarely that low over the past few years for any full-service carriers. $900 SGD is the more usual discount price-point here.

 

[bignbeefy]

OK, thanks for all the efforts guys - here is where I am at.

Scoot are refusing to refund my flights as they put a deadline of 31st March on their re-booking or refund offer.
I booked QF SYD to SIN to MEL through Expedia Brasil for about $AUS 390 all up!!!!
I am still trying to get my refund based on Australian Consumer Law. Scoot have no idea how to deal with me and my request - they keep asking for emails from me which I know they will not answer.
My dates are pretty fixed so I needed to make alternate arrangements. The QF prices through EXP BR are awesome. They showed up in the QFF website literally seconds after booking so I am not expecting any issues.

Will keep you informed of my progress.

 

[MEL_Traveller]

OK, thanks for all the efforts guys - here is where I am at.

Scoot are refusing to refund my flights as they put a deadline of 31st March on their re-booking or refund offer.
I booked QF SYD to SIN to MEL through Expedia Brasil for about $AUS 390 all up!!!!
I am still trying to get my refund based on Australian Consumer Law. Scoot have no idea how to deal with me and my request - they keep asking for emails from me which I know they will not answer.
My dates are pretty fixed so I needed to make alternate arrangements. The QF prices through EXP BR are awesome. They showed up in the QFF website literally seconds after booking so I am not expecting any issues.

Will keep you informed of my progress.

yes... stand by your course of action because you are in the right. scoot cannot sell you a product which they do not deliver, and then put an unreasonable deadline for the recovery of the money.

 

[Blackswan]

Wouldn't it be easier to contact your bank and ask them for a charge-back on your credit card?

 

[eastwest101]

OK, thanks for all the efforts guys - here is where I am at.

Scoot are refusing to refund my flights as they put a deadline of 31st March on their re-booking or refund offer.
I booked QF SYD to SIN to MEL through Expedia Brasil for about $AUS 390 all up!!!!
I am still trying to get my refund based on Australian Consumer Law. Scoot have no idea how to deal with me and my request - they keep asking for emails from me which I know they will not answer.

Several things here, as others have posted already you are entitled to a full refund. Scoot cannot put a deadline on obeying Australian consumer law, others have posted that according to the details you have described you are entitled to a refund, are there other pertinent facts that I am not aware of? What steps have you taken (other than talking on the phone to Scoot) to get a refund? I assume that you didn't pay by credit card or its too late for your credit card provider to dispute the transaction? Have you got something in writing, recorded or email saying you are not entitled to a refund? If so - its off to your State Dept of Fair Trading/Consumer Affairs with that evidence in hand, that is what they will need to take action. i.e. you will need to provide evidence that you have tried and failed to get a refund from Scoot, by refusing to email them you are making that proof harder to obtain. I assume you have evidence of unanswered emails from yourself asking for a refund?

My dates are pretty fixed so I needed to make alternate arrangements. The QF prices through EXP BR are awesome. They showed up in the QFF website literally seconds after booking so I am not expecting any issues.

Will keep you informed of my progress.

Please do keep us informed - good to hear you were able to book alternative QF flights. Thanks for getting back to us and please let us know how this is eventually sorted out.

 

[bignbeefy]

Scoot are now going to get one of their "management" to call me on Monday as they are sticking to their "airline rules" of the strict deadline and are saying as the fare is non-refundable I am not eligible for a refund. It will be interesting to see what their stance is regarding this.

WIll update on Monday.

 

[markis10]

Several things here, as others have posted already you are entitled to a full refund. Scoot cannot put a deadline on obeying Australian consumer law, others have posted that according to the details you have described you are entitled to a refund, are there other pertinent facts that I am not aware of? What steps have you taken (other than talking on the phone to Scoot) to get a refund? I assume that you didn't pay by credit card or its too late for your credit card provider to dispute the transaction? Have you got something in writing, recorded or email saying you are not entitled to a refund? If so - its off to your State Dept of Fair Trading/Consumer Affairs with that evidence in hand, that is what they will need to take action. i.e. you will need to provide evidence that you have tried and failed to get a refund from Scoot, by refusing to email them you are making that proof harder to obtain. I assume you have evidence of unanswered emails from yourself asking for a refund?




Please do keep us informed - good to hear you were able to book alternative QF flights. Thanks for getting back to us and please let us know how this is eventually sorted out.

Sorry but for fares bought overseas Australian laws have no coverage, you cannot expect the protection of Brazilian laws when it comes to fuel surcharges and at the same time have Australian laws also protecting you. For such laws to be applicable the transaction needs to be done in Australia.

 

[eastwest101]

Scoot are now going to get one of their "management" to call me on Monday as they are sticking to their "airline rules" of the strict deadline and are saying as the fare is non-refundable I am not eligible for a refund. It will be interesting to see what their stance is regarding this.

WIll update on Monday.

It was never clear in the thread but was your original booking on Scoot SYD-SIN on the 29th May? And then they tried to push you onto the 30th May? Note that from this screen capture that Scoot are still selling tickets for SYD-SIN services on the 30th May, but have no flights on the 29th May.



You should get a definite timeframe for that phone call, and exact time, not a promise of sometime on Monday. If it were me I would be conference calling that phone call with someone from the State Dept of Fair Trading participating in the call as well, you will have to inform Scoot about this but you may find that Scoot's attitude may become more flexible/reasonable if this were to happen.

Are you going to maintain that you are entitled to a full cash refund under Australian Law? No matter what the Scoot T&C's may say - the law is the law.... the question now seems to be which law? Singapore Law or Australian Law? I assume booked on flyscoot.com web site?

Even if you want to fight this under Singapore law rather than Australian law its not as if there isn't any consumer laws at all in Singapore......... http://www.mti.gov.sg/legislation/Pages/Consumer Protection.aspx

But it does raise an interesting question that if you book a flight on say the Scoot.com website, or indeed any foreign airline website then I take it that the law of the host web site is the law under which you booked and will have to dispute in? Is this correct?

Here are the Scoot Conditions of Carriage T&C's :
http://www.flyscoot.com/images/COC/scoot_conditions_of_carriage_final.pdf?version=270213


I know its not a huge amount of money but what exactly are you trying to achieve? I assume that you just want a full refund?

 

[oz_mark]

Sorry but for fares bought overseas Australian laws have no coverage, you cannot expect the protection of Brazilian laws when it comes to fuel surcharges and at the same time have Australian laws also protecting you. For such laws to be applicable the transaction needs to be done in Australia.

What have Brazilian laws got to do with the Scoot booking?

 

[markis10]

What have Brazilian laws got to do with the Scoot booking?

Nevermind, read the booking as having been done through Expedia.br

 

[bignbeefy]

Interesting question - it was booked on the scoot website. Am i to assume that it is subject to Singapore law and not Australian consumer law? This of course makes a huge difference to the transaction.

I know its not a huge amount of money, but yes, I want a full refund. I also object to airlines thinking that if they make their own rules, they are above the law of the land.

As I mentioned, my dates are fixed and am unable to fly on the 28th or 30th May so have to cancel my booking.

It s a good idea to conference the call too, but I feel it might be a bit late to arrange this with Consumer Affairs.

 

[eastwest101]

Interesting question - it was booked on the scoot website. Am i to assume that it is subject to Singapore law and not Australian consumer law? This of course makes a huge difference to the transaction.

Yes - that is what I am waiting for as well, a simple answer as to which law applies here. I have tried researching it but I know that you will not be covered by the The australian Airline Customer Advocate (only Australian based airlines such as QF VA ZL JQ Oz and TT covered).

Note that Scoot does not have a ".com.au" or have a ".com/au" web booking site so that may be crucial information. Unless someone else more knowledgable comes in I guess that you may have to become an expert on Singapore consumer law! Not even knowing which legal juristiction hosts your potential dispute does make it a bit tough to prepare for.....

I know its not a huge amount of money, but yes, I want a full refund. I also object to airlines thinking that if they make their own rules, they are above the law of the land.

As per my comments - the question is "the laws of which land"?

As I mentioned, my dates are fixed and am unable to fly on the 28th or 30th May so have to cancel my booking.

I understand that the alternatives offered were not suitable, can Scoot prove that they gave you a deadline? As others have said - the deadline may or may not be legal anyway so possibly not important.

It s a good idea to conference the call too, but I feel it might be a bit late to arrange this with Consumer Affairs.

Only useful if it could have been arranged, and you know if Australian consumer law or Australian Trade Practice law even applies, and you can prove that you have already been unsucessful in getting a refund from Scoot. When someone from Scoot does call ask them which consumer laws apply to your refund situation, and then walk them through the relevant laws. Not sure about Singapore law - but as others have stated Scoot cannot simply over-ride Australian consumer law with their own T&C's.

Why didn't you immediately do a chargeback via your credit card provider?

 

[MEL_Traveller]

If the ticket was purchased in Australia, for travel ex Australia, then Australian law applies.

for an example of this (being subject to Australian law) you can simply do a dummy booking. SIN-SYD will show a base fare of SGD86, which once selected adds fees taxes and charges to arrive at a final cost of SGD155. If you book SYD-SIN however, the total cost of AUD193 is displayed - fees and charges are not added later.

This is because scoot must comply with Australian law which prohibits component pricing.

 

[bignbeefy]

thats great news - thanks MEL-T

 

[MEL_Traveller]

thats great news - thanks MEL-T

if you haven't already done so and if you need any assistance then you state's consumer affairs centre is available.

 

[markis10]

If the ticket was purchased in Australia, for travel ex Australia, then Australian law applies.

for an example of this (being subject to Australian law) you can simply do a dummy booking. SIN-SYD will show a base fare of SGD86, which once selected adds fees taxes and charges to arrive at a final cost of SGD155. If you book SYD-SIN however, the total cost of AUD193 is displayed - fees and charges are not added later.

This is because scoot must comply with Australian law which prohibits component pricing.

That does not mean Australian law may apply, advertised in Australia is different to purchased in Australia, if your purchase was listed as a foreign transaction on your CC its pretty easy to workout.

Scoot do not have an Australian registered entity per se, only a registration of a foreign company with ASIC, so it's likely Singapore law would apply.



SCOOT PTE. LTD. ARBN 155 097 322 Foreign Company Registered SYDNEY NSW 2000

 

[NFF]

Does Scoot cancel flights often ?

 

[Awesom Andy]

Does Scoot cancel flights often ?

Not really. If there is a schedule change in advance, there should be an email sent. For flights that went tech, well, that can happen with any airline. Although there was once when they chartered SQ to fly stranded pax to/from SYD - but I wouldn't think of this as a regular backup. And on a few occasions, when TPE is not available (due to typhoons, etc), they changed the SIN-TPE-NRT flight to SIN-NRT, so schedules and NRT-bound pax are not affected. They simply fly the TPE-bound pax on the next available flight when TPE is available again. The 772 is capable of doing this, and it's a fairly unique ability across most LCCs in the region.