**********, *******, violation of customer rights!!!!!

<p>I bought a return ticket to Vancouver from South Africa for the 30th August, and made sure to use the flexible ticket option as my visa had not arrived yet (at an additional R2500). A week before leaving, I called gotogate to postpone my flight by a week as it did not seem likely my visa would arrive in time.</p> <p>I spoke to "Paul" at 16:45 on the 26 of August and after a very long and misleading conversation, he told me it was best to call back and reschedule on the 29 August, as long as it was more than 24 hours before the flight. So I called back about 27 hours before my flight-as I was told- and started the rebooking process with somebody called "Ahmed", which ended with an "ok, that will be an extra R26 000."</p> <p>The terms and conditions of a flexiticket are incredibly vague. Apparently, with a flexiticket, when you rebook a flight, the flight details must be IDENTICAL with regards to airlines, stop overs and travel times. Therefore, instead of just booking me onto one of the MANY flights which were in the R19 000 price range, the only flights that matched my current booking cost over R40 000, and I was liable for the fare difference!!</p> <p>FURTHERMORE, after much arguing and swearing on my part, and being put on hold for AGES, Ahmed picked up the phone again and told me that technically in 24 hours I would be boarding, and according to Gotogate policy it is now out of their hands.</p> <p>THEN he told me that it was my fault for leaving it so late, and when I insisted he pulled up the recorded conversation between Paul and I, Ahmed said Paul was not there and the conversation would not make any difference, I still had to pay the 26 000 or miss my flight!!! He said these were my two final options.</p> <p>I decided to call Air Canada-the Canadian branch- and was advised that it was my right to be able to cancel my flight and- aside from any penalties- get a refund. Gotogate failed to mention that this was still an option, so I called them back and told them!</p> <p>It cost me less to cancel my flight, get a PARTIAL refund (which has still not happened), and buy a completely new set of tickets (NOT THROUGH GOTOGATE).</p> <p>Thanks to Paul, Ahmed and Gotogate's incredibly vague and misleading terms and conditions for teaching me this valuable life lesson! -AND I am still trying to understand what the point or benefits of a flexiticket are!</p>