Intercape negative stars

I am extremely disappointed with Intercape and their service.

I booked a Mainliner ticket on 30 January 2026 for departure on 09 February 2026. On the day of departure, we suddenly received a message informing us that the bus would be leaving 30 minutes earlier than the scheduled time. The bus ended up leaving around 16:30. This was extremely frustrating and inconsiderate.

We do not live in Pretoria — we travel many hours just to get there. We specifically chose that departure time because it suited our long-distance travel arrangements. Changing the time without properly considering customers who travel from far is unfair and disruptive.

To make matters worse, the bus was downgraded from Mainliner to Budgetliner. The Mainliner is more expensive because it offers better comfort, working charging ports, and toilet facilities. The Budgetliner had no toilet facilities and the charging ports were not working properly. It was uncomfortable and not the service we paid for.

We chose and paid for Mainliner because it is better and more comfortable. Downgrading us without proper explanation, consent, or compensation is disrespectful. If Budgetliner is cheaper, then we expect a refund of the price difference because we did not receive the service we paid for.

Customers deserve to be respected and considered, especially when travelling long distances.

Because of this experience, I would rate Intercape negative 5 stars because the were so inconsideratein their decisionmaking. Very disappointing and unprofessional service. What is wrong I used this bus before with no problems and the service was perfect I am only experiencing them now.