"Webjet"

[oz_mark]

I'm still a little puzzled how webjet have not been pinged on all inclusive pricing laws. Basically if you offer a good or service for a price, that price must be all inclusive of all fee taxes and charges. This is not to say they can't have a CC surcharge, but if they do, they must either include it in the upfront fare or have a method in which to pay and avoid the CC surcharge. Likewise with all other "price guarantees" et all.

Pretty straightfoward. The additional fees (except one) are all flat fees, and there is no way up front to know whether is needs to be spread across one or more flights. So if a CC fee is per person per ticket, until you have selected the actual flights you can't work out what the additional to add to each flight is. Same for the processing fees etc.

The one exception being Jetstar that look to charge per flight. so that should be included in the fare price if it can't be avoided.

 

[harvyk]

Pretty straightfoward. The additional fees (except one) are all flat fees, and there is no way up front to know whether is needs to be spread across one or more flights. So if a CC fee is per person per ticket, until you have selected the actual flights you can't work out what the additional to add to each flight is. Same for the processing fees etc.

The one exception being Jetstar that look to charge per flight. so that should be included in the fare price if it can't be avoided.

Been a flat fee does not make it legal, when a company offers something for $100, there must be a way of receiving the goods or service for $100 and not one cent more.

 

[Austashes]

Vote with your feet people, but spread the word!

 

[drron]

Have only used Webjet twice.Earlier this year when booking on the Rex site it went to Webjet for payment.As I was being reimbursed no big deal.
Then a few years ago flying HAN-BKK when they had a price for J on AF that was cheaper than TG Y.Couldn't get it anywhere else.
Certainly wouldn't use them normally though they keep sending me $30 off offers which then makes them only marginally more expensive.

 

[oz_mark]

Been a flat fee does not make it legal, when a company offers something for $100, there must be a way of receiving the goods or service for $100 and not one cent more.

No, that is not the case. They must display the minimum total price that is ascertainable at the point it is displayed.

Flat fees are perfectly legal.

 

[jj92]

No, that is not the case. They must display the minimum total price that is ascertainable at the point it is displayed.

Flat fees are perfectly legal.

I don't think they are ethical though. If there is no way of avoiding their $19.95 booking fee, why not include that in the price they quote.

I would never deal with webjet, only expedia or jetabroad for me

 

[footy99]

I have used Webjet virtually every week for the last few years, although I have never actually booked a flight from there. I go straight to the Booking Buddy pop-up, find the cheapest one, compare it with buying from the airline directly and book the cheapest option. In a few thousand searches over the years I can't recall a single occasion where the price displayed on Webjet itself was the cheapest, so I really don't get why people are booking from there to start with. Webjet is most useful as a gateway to Booking Buddy. Apart from a few regional search engines around the place, it is the most useful source I know for scouring various sites for the cheapest international fare, although I'd love to know if people have a better one!

 

[ozbeachbabe]

I have used Webjet virtually every week for the last few years, although I have never actually booked a flight from there. I go straight to the Booking Buddy pop-up, find the cheapest one, compare it with buying from the airline directly and book the cheapest option.

In a few thousand searches over the years I can't recall a single occasion where the price displayed on Webjet itself was the cheapest, so I really don't get why people are booking from there to start with. Webjet is most useful as a gateway to Booking Buddy.

Most people don't realise that it costs a lot more to book through Webjet & IMHO it's deceptive of them to initially display identical prices to what's displayed direct on the airline websites which lets consumers to believe that you pay no more.

Even when you proceed with the booking it says "Webjet fares include all airline fees, taxes & charges" which I think is very misleading because the substantial Webjet fees are not displayed unless you click on a link which is deliberately in fine print because they don't want you to see them.

You're obviously a savvy traveller but the ones who book with Webjet aren't & I imagine they would be very angry if they knew how much extra they were paying.

 

[anat0l]

So now the question is now what does Webjet do that makes it viable?

I can't see Webjet being a purely search and compare site...people must be booking and they must be making money. (Besides the point that Amex MR are a partner).

You can fool some people for some of the time; it's hard to fool some people all of the time.

What if someone were to blog "Webjet is a ripoff" or "Webjet is not worth it except for one purpose" and explain what we have here. Anyone expecting a defamation or libel claim? Because I'm surprised it hasn't been done. (Mind you, these forums are open to view, which explains how one agitated airport parking company got wind of a complaint which they later decided to take legal action on.)

People reckon shopping at Harvey Norman is a ripoff. At least I can see some value shopping at HN; more than I can see booking with Webjet vs any othet OTA (or even human TA, including the ones that surcharge credit cards).

What annoys me is Webjet have a "best price guarantee", but it is that 'guarantee' which costs (extra) money!

 

[QF1]

As mentioned before..most travellers who know the extra charges that creep in use webjet as a website to compare prices. I use it sometimes to take it to a TA to beat their own price guarantees.

Webjet is still around because there are plenty of customers who would pay for the convenience of being able to compare the best prices/timings of flights and go ahead and book. Sounds ridiculous but I have known colleagues who simply would not be bothered to check in one site and then go to another website and ticket the flight.

 

[oz_mark]

Even when you proceed with the booking it says "Webjet fares include all airline fees, taxes & charges" which I think is very misleading because the substantial Webjet fees are not displayed unless you click on a link which is deliberately in fine print because they don't want you to see them.

The reality is that the philosophy of pricing requirements in Australia is to present a fuly inclusive price, which is pretty much what Webjet does on the review page. It is that fully inclusive price that you are expected to compare against another fully inclusive price. Just because a company doesn't go out of its way to show you how it got to that price doesn't make it misleading.

 

[doctau]

Been a flat fee does not make it legal, when a company offers something for $100, there must be a way of receiving the goods or service for $100 and not one cent more.

Take an equivalent situation, where you can buy wine at $100, $150 or $200 a carton (depending on the wine) and there is a flat fee of $20 for shipping regardless of how much you buy. Would you expect it to list $110, $160 and $210 in the catalogue, despite the fact that if you buy two cheap cartons it is $210 not $220?


There is a way you could receive it for $100, by buying a second one for $110 (base plus fees)

 

[harvyk]

Rather than dance around the issue, here is a link to the ACCC website -> Displaying prices | ACCC (for business) and Price displays | ACCC (for consumers)

When you present prices to your customers, you must state the total price of the good or service as a single figure, which is the minimum total cost that is able to be calculated. This should include any tax, duty, fee, levy or other additional charges (e.g. GST or airport tax).

Now whilst it could be argued that having the fare is one part and the booking fee is another component, the fact remains that you can not purchase the advertised fare without also paying the booking fee.

Now if you argue that since the booking fee is a flat rate and thus un-calculable (which is excluded from above) until just prior to booking going to payment, to that I say that is a real fine line your treading there, and I believe the ACCC is looking at companies which have such practices.

The argument of postage and handling was also brought in an earlier post. Well there your both purchasing the goods and having them shipped to your door. I suspect the way they get around that is if you go to their warehouse with $59.95 or what ever the amount they will hand over the goods without the postage and handling charges attached. As I said it's not illegal to have fees for service beyond the advertised price. It's just illegal to advertise a good or service for a price and have no way of purchasing said good or service for the price. These inclusive pricing laws came in around 2009 from memory.

 

[oz_mark]

Now whilst it could be argued that having the fare is one part and the booking fee is another component, the fact remains that you can not purchase the advertised fare without also paying the booking fee.

Now if you argue that since the booking fee is a flat rate and thus un-calculable (which is excluded from above) until just prior to booking going to payment, to that I say that is a real fine line your treading there, and I believe the ACCC is looking at companies which have such practices.

Not sure. Look what happened in restaurants with a Sunday surcharge. If the surcharge was a percentage rate (say 5%), they had to print new menus with the uplifted amount, especially for Sunday. If the amount was a fixed dollar amount (say $10 per customer), they just need to say somewhere that the amount would be added on.

 

[harvyk]

Not sure. Look what happened in restaurants with a Sunday surcharge. If the surcharge was a percentage rate (say 5%), they had to print new menus with the uplifted amount, especially for Sunday. If the amount was a fixed dollar amount (say $10 per customer), they just need to say somewhere that the amount would be added on.

A serious number of restaurants have been done by fair trading over the public holiday surcharge thing. I know at least once a year here in CBR OFT does a sweep on a public holiday and they always catch out a large number of restaurants who are not playing by the rules

 

[sammm]

Vote with your feet people, but spread the word!

lots of people must use them, as they have been aking profits each year.

 

[oz_mark]

A serious number of restaurants have been done by fair trading over the public holiday surcharge thing. I know at least once a year here in CBR OFT does a sweep on a public holiday and they always catch out a large number of restaurants who are not playing by the rules

Although seems it's a about to change due to an exemption on restaurant surcharging that is just making its way through the system..

 

[kyle]

I must give a praise to Webjet here.

Thanks to Webjet for helping me secure a SPG BRG! Even skyscanner/hotelscombined couldn't beat the Webjet rate!

 

[Mrmaxwell]

I use Webjet as a comparison tool then book through the relevant site.

As a company with shareholders it's designed to make money - fees are no surprise.

I do see many folk at airports with their Webject itineraries so I am sure they are doing well.

 

[DXB]

I think we are thinking with our frequent flyers hat on. Most of us here have access to decent information on Miles/points etc.. there are plenty out there who travel once and not sure of how to or dont have the timet o go through different airline websites to compare etc. Webjet is their AFF.com.