Patience is a virtue - until it costs you money

I'm preparing for a trip to Oxford in December to see my significant other. Planning in advance is awesome and usually saves you a lot of money, so as early as before the 10th of September, I contacted STA travel to start making enquiries.

I managed to speak to a really friendly and jovial lady who seemed like she was definitely going to ensure that I get what I am looking for.

Much to my dismay, I ended up getting a quote for flights from one of her colleagues on the 12th of September after she was unavailable, which I understood and I was pleased, because at least someone attended to me. I was really amped to take advantage of the book now pay later option as I'd have 2 paydays with which to contribute towards the flights. I looked at the quote from the gentleman and asked a few questions which I then raised directly with the initial lady I had spoken to (Taylor) once she was available again. From what I understood, all of us were collaborating towards ensuring that I get the best available flight at the best price ASAP.

Unfortunately what started as a match made in heaven, ended up being a vicious chase from my side as the Taylor kept vanishing on me. On the 04th of October, she sent me an email literally saying "I keep forgetting about you".

In a state of panic, I ended up contacting another STA travel and booking with them. Sadly, the delay of almost 3 weeks has now cost me because the cheapest available ticket is now a whopping R 14 000 odd in comparison to the initial R 10 000 or R 11 000 I was initially being quoted. Not to mention, I now only have 1 payday to use towards paying for the flight because the rest of the time was spent hunting down my travel agent :(

I know that the more time I waste, the worse the situation will get, so I've had to close my eyes and sign on the dotted line. However I am quite upset because I shouldn't have to chase someone down in order to give them my money for a service they said they offer and are good at. I also shouldn't have to pay an extra 2 or 3 grand because someone else was just not on top of things at their job.

Truly sad about this experience - Taylor is still a nice person, but I am unlikely to include STA Travel Rosebank in my future travel plans despite it being closer to where I live and way more convenient. I certainly can't say I'd refer them to anyone either :(