UNAUTHORISED CREDIT CARD CHARGE from QANTAS!!!

[casp]

I have made two award bookings on 5th Oct and 6th Oct on Qantas' website.

12 OCT QF127 SYD->HKG
27 OCT QF130 PVG->SYD

By 7th Oct, I didn't receive any e-ticket from Qantas, thus I made a phone call to 131313, enquired about the tickets. On the phone I was told: The SYD/HKG ticket is ready, however, there was some problems on tax charges for the PVG/SYD sector, therefore the ticket for that sector wasn't issued yet, but nothing need to be worried, it will be fixed soon.

On 11th Oct, the day before I left Australia, I still haven't got the PVG/SYD ticket, so I made a phone call to 131313 in the morning. The operator checked my itinerary, then told me that Shanghai office could not issue my ticket because they don't have the credit card facility, so she will arrange the sydney office charge my credit card and E-mail me the ticket in the afternoon, otherwise I can collect my ticket at the airport ticket counter when I check in the SYD/HKG sector.

Later that day, I received the e-ticket from Qantas. Soon I found the problem, the tax charges displayed on the ticket was $117.81. However, when I made the booking, the tax was CNY348, which could be converted to A$57. I was overcharged by $70. I contacted Qantas immediately. Roxanne from Hobert office investigated the case and gave me this explain: Tax charges are different when ticket issued in different country. Shanghai office could not charge my credit card without my present. They Q-ed Qantas Aus head office regarding this matter, ask me pay the tax at the airport office on the departure day. However, this message didn't reach me before I made my contact to Qantas. Therefore the ticket was diverted to Sydney office. She contacted several department, then said she could not do anything for me. She could cancel my tax charges, however, the whole ticket would be cancelled at same time and the seat would be released. That means I could not fly back to Sydney on time.

Here are my points:
1. When I made the booking, Qantas website didn't display any warning or information regarding the difficulty of issueing that ticket. Instead, the website asked me input my credit card for tax charges. Once I inputed my credit card, it returned as a successful booking.

2. Qantas asked my credt card detail for CNY348 tax charges, I provided Qantas my credit card detials as Qantas' requirement, agreed the CNY348 tax charges. If Qantas could not charge it. That's Qantas' problem, not my fault.

3. Qantas never contacted me regarding the problem. Even when I made contact to Qantas, I was told there's a little problems with tax charges, but I don't need to worry anything, Qantas will fix it soon.

4. When Qantas has problem with credit card charges, Qantas neither offer me any options, nor inform me the tax difference. Qantas even didn't ask me if I wish the ticket to be issued in Sydney, but just told me the ticket would be issued in Sydney.

In conclusion, I authroised Qantas charge CNY348 to my credit card. However, Qantas charged A$117.81 to my credit card without asking my permission. And the $70 difference is due to Qantas' fault.

THIS IS AN UNAUTHORISED CREDIT CARD CHARGE!

131313 told me they couldn't do anything but provide me the contact details of the customer care department. I have wrote this complaint to Qantas via Email twice on 17th Oct and 21st Oct. Each time I got this automatic reply:

Thank you for writing to us about your experience with Qantas. One of our
Customer Care Executives will contact you within the next 20 business days.

We appreciate your patience while we get back to you.

This is an automated message from Qantas Customer Care. It is an 'outgoing
only' address, so please do not reply to this email as we will not receive
your message.


Kind regards

Qantas Customer Care

Until today, I haven't got any contact or reply from Qantas.

I want the refund of $70 from Qantas, as this is an unauthorised credit card charge!

Any comment or suggestion?

Thanks!



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Today is 23rd Nov. More than one month after I sent my complaint to Qantas Customer Care. I still have no answer from Qantas. Thus I made a phone call to 131313 again in the morning.

131313 transfered my call to the customer care department. It only took 20 seconds to locate my Email. The customer care said they got my email, they will call me back. I asked why no body contacted me regarding my complaint? The answer is: They were very busy!
It's unbelievable that the customer care department was too busy to reply a customer complaint!?

10 minutes later I got their phone call, said they can't refund any tax charges. All they can do is provide me a $100 Qantas voucher toward my next travel.

$70 cash ... $100 voucher with 12 month validity... I'm not happy with this answer, but NO OTHER CHOICES!

I'm very disappoint with Qantas' service.

 

[aus_flyer]

Generally I have found customer care good in relation to dealing with complaints.

Although, the e-mail used to be 7 days - not 20 !! This has only changed in the last month - or maybe the length is based on status?? Not sure..

Anyway, I think you will get the right result in the end. Good luck!

 

[NM]

If you really believe this is an unauthorised charge, then you can always dispute the charge with your credit card provider. Make sure you have all the facts and documentation. And I would be waiting until I returned to Australia just to be sure the disputed charge results in the ticket being cancelled.

 

[casp]

If you really believe this is an unauthorised charge, then you can always dispute the charge with your credit card provider. Make sure you have all the facts and documentation. And I would be waiting until I returned to Australia just to be sure the disputed charge results in the ticket being cancelled.

I have thought this before. However, I'm afraid Qantas will cancel my QFF membership and all my remain points if I ask my bank reject the payment. I just want get the overcharge refunded, but not any further trouble.

Thanks for your advice!!!

 

[aus_flyer]

Just be careful with "unauthorised charge" terminology. The charge isn't actually "unauthorised", rather there is a contractual dispute over the amount.

(that's my understanding of it)

 

[Guest]

I deal with this every day and adoherty is right you do need to be very very careful with how you word it. Claim it as unauthorized or fraud and YOU better be prepared to pay a whole lot more (legal problems!)


Contact Qantas and talk to a manager, or someone in disputes.....chances are if you are right they will give you the refund difference. This is what I would do, and spend days/weeks on before talking to your bank.

Companies do not look kindly on those who attempt to chargeback transactions.... and yes you would lose your FF# account.

 

[dajop]

Do you have a receipt/print out or other documented evidence for the amount you claim that you should have been charged? Alternatively can it be replicated on their website, and shown up as a flaw in the system? If you do I think you have a good case to make, if not, could be more difficult. BTW, to me it sounds like that extra ~$70 sounds like a missing fuel surcharge, unless QF can't charge for fuel surcharges for tix issued in China.

 

[casp]

Thanks to everyone who replied!

From my point of view, CNY348 and AUD$117 are two different transections. I've authorised the first one, but not the second one. I've even not heard about the A$117 before they charge my credit card. That's why I claim it as an Unauthorised credit card charge of $117

Yes I did contact Qantas several times, via different way, phone, office, manager... All of them said they couldn't do anything except provide me the contact details of customer care department.

For the tax difference, there's nothing missing. Just because tax are different when the ticket issued in different countries. This is what Qantas told me.

I didn't print out the screen showed "CNY348", because i know it will printed on my ticket. After the ticket being issued, now everywhere shows the tax charge is "AUD$117". That means unfortunately I don't have any evidence on my hand. However, Qantas admit the whole thing. They said they admit that the tax charge should be CNY348, and it's there fault to charge me AUD$117, but they just can't do anything except apologise. That's what I'm not happy with. I want my $70 back!

I know $70 is not really a big amount. However, I feel very unfair to be overcharged.

 

[casp]

Today is 23rd Nov. More than one month after I sent my complaint to Qantas Customer Care. I still have no answer from Qantas. Thus I made a phone call to 131313 again in the morning.

131313 transfered my call to the customer care department. It only took 20 seconds to locate my Email. The customer care said they got my email, they will call me back. I asked why no body contacted me regarding my complaint? The answer is: They were very busy!
It's unbelievable that the customer care department was too busy to reply a customer complaint!?

10 minutes later I got their phone call, said they can't refund any tax charges. All they can do is provide me a $100 Qantas voucher toward my next travel.

$70 cash ... $100 voucher with 12 month validity... I'm not happy with this answer, but NO OTHER CHOICES!

I'm very disappoint with Qantas' service.

 

[arun]

Hi
If you want you can stretch it by making a formal complaint by a letter saying that:
1. The price quoted is different to what is charged
2. At no time that you were told the differences in taxes

However, If I were in your place, I will take the $100.00 voucher and move on. As long as it can be used for ANY flights (not just on full-fare flights), it should be okay (unless you have no plans of booking the flight in the next 12 months).

Recently I read this saying which meant a lot to me:
"Ignore the pebbles and remove the boulders"
Sometimes it is better to move on that correcting every little wrong.

Do not mistake me, I really can not stand being wronged. But here they are ready to rectify by the voucher.

 

[casp]

Hi Arun,

Thanks for your suggestion.

I've already to made a complaint to the customer care. If made another formal complaint, complaint to whom?

I know the $100 voucher is a reimburse from Qantas(though I still haven't received it after one week). But I'm still upset with their attitude and service. Especially when customer care said:"We are too busy to read your complaint".....

 

[cpl]

Companies do not look kindly on those who attempt to chargeback transactions.... and yes you would lose your FF# account.

Justified how? Providing a credit card number does not imply that companies can do whatever they want (even though they often behave like that). And FF is not a courtesy it's part of the business model (it's service the customer paid for).

 

[Dave Noble]

Hi Arun,

Thanks for your suggestion.

I've already to made a complaint to the customer care. If made another formal complaint, complaint to whom?

I know the $100 voucher is a reimburse from Qantas(though I still haven't received it after one week). But I'm still upset with their attitude and service. Especially when customer care said:"We are too busy to read your complaint".....

Well, I would phone and speak to customer relations rather than use email; that way you can deal with a person directly; always good

Dave

 

[casp]

Well, I would phone and speak to customer relations rather than use email; that way you can deal with a person directly; always good

Thanks, Dave

I'll take your advice. Haven't got the $100 voucher after one week. I'll call them tomorrow.

 

[Platy]

I can understand your frustration - personally I would advise taking the $100 and using the experience to temper my future expectations of QF and make my airline choices as appropriate in the future.

However, since you MAY have to redeem the $100 voucher at a QF travel outlet or phone line watch out for them stinging you the BOOKING FEE!!!!

Happened to me two weeks ago - had a compensatory $200 voucher and had to go to the airport ticket desk to make use of it plus an outstanding credit from a cancelled J flight - welcome to a booking fee AND a so-called customer service person who didn't want to serve me because the ticket sector I was ticketing was the return sector two days later and he wasn't supposed to serve anyone who wasn't travelling on that day (despite the fact the airport was virtually empty and the only other person to serve was a STAFF member trying to get $20 for a taxi)- a pretty stupid attitude towards a Platinum custiomer trying to part with $1,500 for a one way trip!!!

I have had the customer "care" area of QF fumble around for months on issues -they really are appalling - ignore emails, not return calls, not reply with info when they said they would. I now deal with somone fairly senior directly who is excellent and I happily pass on feedback good and bad.

I have been told by the anti fraud dept of a credit card company that strictly speaking no credit card transaction is fully authorised without a signature and much business is done on "trust".

If you still feel aggrieved then you could write to senior management - group general manager of customer service Lesley Grant - however, your letter will be handled by a team of those customer care folk once again and she is unlikely to read it or even reply - I did get a letter from her once when I kicked up a stink but the letter was a real dousey and actually made the situation worse!!!

Personally I think it is appalling that they sting you a fuel surcharge on an award flight....

 

[Dave Noble]

Happened to me two weeks ago - had a compensatory $200 voucher and had to go to the airport ticket desk to make use of it plus an outstanding credit from a cancelled J flight - welcome to a booking fee AND a so-called customer service person who didn't want to serve me because the ticket sector I was ticketing was the return sector two days later and he wasn't supposed to serve anyone who wasn't travelling on that day

That isn't true. They *are* supposed to serve people with tickets for another day , however, same day issues are supposed to taek priority. If you turned up at a quiet time, the agent should have served you

Based on this, the $20 for a cab now would take priority over a $1500 future booking an I do agree with this tbh. the QF travel centres are better for advance bookings and , iirc, should be able to do the same as the airport staff

Dave

 

[casp]

Voucher still not arrived. Haven't got time to call them. I'll try next week.

 

[arun]

Sorry, I did not come to this board for a while.
What I meant as a formal complaint is a fax followed with a letter by registered post. I do not who you can address that to, but you can ask the Qantas call centre people. Tell them that you have a complaint to make and who should you send that to.
Unfortunately, emails (unless you send it to a specific individual) go unattended as the people who handle these generic mail boxes do not have the power to make decisions like that and (by human nature), if they can not handle they tend to ignore.
When I had issues with Citibank Credit Assessment , I was told to write to the Quality Director. I think they have a complaint system of some sort, after I wrote to the Director Of Quality, the manager of Credit Assessment was all over me persuading to agree to close the complaint (though the solution was not good!).
Qantas may have similar escalation process. Ex QF staffers in this board may enlighten more.

 

[Travel Guru]

The best advice I can offer is to book through an agent next time.

I know its great booking online, but a good agent is worth their weight in gold and wont only prevent and problems like you've faced but will ensure your time is spent more productively.

Why would I book online to save $50 and spend 30 mins doing so when I could be making 5 times that in the same amount of time?

Too many people undervalue their time in my opinion...I know i'd rather have my agent batting for me against Qantas than to have to waste my own time doing so.

In the end its all a learning experience....

Travel Guru

 

[albatross710]

Did you receive an email itinery of your booking? Perhaps you could forward that to Qantas, clearly demonstrating with their own PDF document how the amount is different.