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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

False advertising - Scam

46 replies

Amisillyornot · 21/02/2023 10:05

Just after some advice re booking flights please. I booked some flights online which came to £3000.The money was taken from my account. 4 hours later, I get a call from the website stating that the airline is not honouring the flight at this price and I need to pay around £800 more to confirm this booking. I refused stating that the price I booked and paid for is what I am willing to pay and if it is no longer available, I want a refund. They said that they will charge me £200cancellation fee.
AIBU - they cannot charge me cancellation fee when I am not the one cancelling it?
Thanks and any advice on how to deal with this is much appreciated.

OP posts:
SherlockStones · 21/02/2023 10:09

Have you tried contacting your bank and filing a chargeback?

Original poster
Amisillyornot · 21/02/2023 10:10

@SherlockStones I have contacted the bank and waiting to hear. It would have been easier if I had paid by credit card.
Anyway I can report/complain about the company?

OP posts:
KimberleyClark · 21/02/2023 10:15

Sorry this has happened. Does it say anything in the Ts and Cs about this?

Original poster
Amisillyornot · 21/02/2023 10:18

@KimberleyClark - I received an email that the money has been successfully taken from the account but no conformation email for tickets - which I did find was weird but I thought may be it takes a bit of time for them to issue the e-tickets

OP posts:
KimberleyClark · 21/02/2023 10:22

That’s odd @Amisillyornot, usually when a booking goes through you get a confirmation of the booking straightaway. I hope the bank can help.

Original poster
Amisillyornot · 21/02/2023 10:24

Yes I think it i s a scam that they do - they advertise the tickets cheaper and then contact to say he price has changed. And if you do not want to lose the cancellation fee, you just pay the extra money they are asking. Very deceitful

OP posts:
dontputitthere · 21/02/2023 10:30

Who is this with?

It does sound like a scam. But be very interested to read their t and cs

Name and shame them. They sound reprehensible anyway

theemmadilemma · 21/02/2023 10:35

Sounds like you booked via a 3rd party rather than direct with the airline.

I imagine their T&C's cover this shit act.

Buffypaws · 21/02/2023 10:44

They are not honouring the terms of the contract you entered into. I do not think they can charge you a cancellation fee.

Prettypaisleyslippers · 21/02/2023 10:45

Which company was it and how do their prices stack up against someone like Expedia?

BreviloquentBastard · 21/02/2023 10:48

Buffypaws · 21/02/2023 10:44

They are not honouring the terms of the contract you entered into. I do not think they can charge you a cancellation fee.

They might absolutely be honouring the terms of the contract. Stuff like this is almost always in the fine print, if it's there in the T&C's then they are following the terms of the contract no matter how scummy it seems.

FeinCuroxiVooz · 21/02/2023 10:51

is the company a member of any endorsement programme eg ATOL?

Original poster
Amisillyornot · 21/02/2023 11:39

Thanks everyone for the responses.
Yes it is a third party - I cannot see any T&Cs.
Yes the website say it is a member of ATOl
the website is called Airwaay and after doing some research - I can now see that they use different names such as Travel expert, Travel Crew etc but it is all the same company.

OP posts:
Original poster
Amisillyornot · 21/02/2023 11:40

My point is how can they charge a cancellation fee when I am not cancelling anything?

OP posts:
BreviloquentBastard · 21/02/2023 12:50

I'm betting it's going to depend on the contract they have with the airline as each one will be different. Have you tried their live webchat just to query it? It might just be an automatically added charge, they can probably waive it since nothing has actually been booked.

Original poster
Amisillyornot · 21/02/2023 12:52

@BreviloquentBastard I spoke to someone - and he was extremely rude and said 'you are not getting a full refund'. And he kept saying 'we didn't take your money' I explained I booked through them and not he airline but he was not helpful at all.

OP posts:
ThreeLittleDots · 21/02/2023 12:56

www.airwaay.co.uk/terms-conditions

Original poster
Amisillyornot · 21/02/2023 13:02

Thank you @ThreeLittleDots ..But I was trying to explain that I haven't cancelled anything - how can they charge me cancellation fee? If the airline has changed the fees, that is fine, I do not want pay £800 more,therefore give me my full refund and I will book elsewhere.
They are cancelling it, not me....why am I being penalised?

OP posts:
ThreeLittleDots · 21/02/2023 13:03

Their terms state that they're not liable for price inaccuracies and that they can withold a deposit if you cancel.

Original poster
Amisillyornot · 21/02/2023 13:05

But it was not a deposit - i paid the full price and I do not want to cancel. This is stressing me out. Waiting to see what bank will do.

OP posts:
ThreeLittleDots · 21/02/2023 13:08

Yes it's shit of them, but your contract was with an agency, not the airline. If you read the Ts&Cs in full they've probably covered themselves.

Though I would definitely complain to ATOL.

Hope your bank can do a chargeback.

ThreeLittleDots · 21/02/2023 13:11

Buyer beware: uk.trustpilot.com/review/airwaay.co.uk

DogDaysNeverEnd · 21/02/2023 13:12

I'm pretty sure that when they take payment that is the contract you have entered into and they can't amend that after without your consent. They can cancel the booking and give you a refund. Whatever terms and conditions say they still have to be fair. You could challenge it in small claims court. First I'd ask for written confirmation of the additional charge with the reason it's come about and in what basis they are refusing a refund. Then you can take it from there...

Quveas · 21/02/2023 13:13

I know hindsight is a wonderful thing, so I am not blaming you at all. But.... it took me ten minutes to trace the "connected" companies, and to find over a decades worth of insolvencies and bad reviews describing exactly what you have said here. In some cases people went to airports for flights to discover that the company was insolvent and there was no flight. If there is an unbelievable bargain to be had, there's usually a reason for it being unbelievable. I hope you get your money back, but even more so, that it has taught you to always look gift horses in the mouth!

Original poster
Amisillyornot · 21/02/2023 13:14

@DogDaysNeverEnd - That is exactly what I was trying to explain to the guy. The fact that the money has been taken from my account means that they have accepted the ticket at that price at that time

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