TRAVELCHECK EXCESSIVE SERVICE FEE FOR REFUND!!!!

Between January and February 2020, I purchased 2 airline tickets from Travelcheck. I was planning on travelling to Europe in mid 2020. In March 2020, Covid19 hit us. With the uncer*****y of travel restrictions, I requested that my 2 airline tickets become travel vouchers as I was keen to use them once the travel bans were lifted. Unforeseen to all globally, travel bans continued into 2021. Towards the end of 2021, I made the hard decision to request a refund as there was continued uncer*****y.

I contacted Travelcheck, insurmountable times from the end of 2021 into present- April 2022. Back and forth email communication with different Travelcheck employees brought the following result: On 15 April 2022, Customer Service Manager, Lisa and I were in email communication. She informed me that I will receive the refund for my 2 flights, but I will need to pay a 25% service fee for the refund.

I queried the reasoning behind the excessive 25% service fee as my third airline ticket, which I purchased through Vodacom Travel did not charge a service fee for their full refund.

Lisa responded by saying: “Dear Gretchen This is the policy that is being offered due to the global pandemic so the accounts department are only able to offer these terms on our website. Extra staff are employed to do refunds due to the high volumes received so we are unable to offer our services free of charge.”

A customer should not be forced to carry the burden/ consequences of a pandemic that affected everyone. The employment of more staff should be catered for by Travelcheck themselves and not by the customer.

I am highly disappointed and find it ******** that Travelcheck would charge an exorbitant 25% service fee on flight refunds, which were taken during a pandemic. This is not representative of best practice within the travel industry. I shall join the long thread of customer complainants who are wanting to take legal action against Travelcheck.