EE
Elzaan E

1 reviews | Active since Feb 2020

17 Feb 2020, 12:02

Faulty online system

I have never experience such bad service ever in my life. On Friday, the 14th of February 2020 I booked flights for me and my family from JHB OR Tambo to Cape Town. This will be my sons first ever flight. Upon booking our tickets I filled in the necessary files as required. My husband and son have the exact same name(different birthdates) and when filling the detail in Travelstart's online system throws out a message that I cannot capture two people with the same name. After a few attempts of filling the detail in in different ways I captured my husbands initials in and then proceeded with the online booking and payment. After I had finalized that I sent a email with the query. I received an email after 12 that evening giving me instruction on what to do, I then phone travel start the morning of 15th to inquire as to what i need to do. The agent informed me that i would have to cancel the flight for my husband and then book a new flight as I neglected to contact Travelstart while i was making the booking. I then told the Agent that it is now a terrible matter as we would all like to travel together as a family. I then decide to cancel the whole flight and book a new flight for all of us in order for all of us to be together on one flight. When i phone to confirm if i would be refunded for the cancellation I spoke to an Amanda and she ensured me that I would get a full refund of my cancellation of my flights. I then phone this morning, 17 Feb 2020, to confirm that i would receive the full refund and then was inform to my disgust that I would not be receiving the full amount but only an amount of R133.00 per flight ticket. Which i feel is totally unacceptable due to it being a system error and not an error from my side. I feel that this is totally unacceptable as it was an system error on Travelstart's side. There are millions of sons and fathers that sure the same name. You cannot tell me that Travelstart's online system is not equipped for that. I am very disappointed in Travelstart and wont recommended it to anybody.

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Replies (7)
Travelstart
Travelstart's reply17 Feb 2020, 15:11
Official
Good afternoon Elzaan

Thank you for your feedback and I am sorry to hear you were not pleased with the service received.

Please be advised that we will be in contact before close of business today to discuss your query.

We do apologize for the inconvenience caused.

Kind regards,
The Travelstart Team 
Travelstart
Travelstart's reply17 Feb 2020, 17:48
Official
Good day Elzaan

I trust you are well. Your complaint and booking has been investigated by our team and below are our findings.

Booking was created on the 14th February and booking confirmation email was sent to  elzaande(at)gmail.com and the booking confirmation sms was sent to ***, both at 19:38. The e-tickets were issued and sent to the same email address at 19:45.

As per booking confirmation and e-ticket emails:

Please take a minute to verify all your details, especially the passenger names and travel dates. Once your ticket has been issued airline penalties may apply to make any changes or process any cancellations. For certain Low Cost Carriers (LCCs), tickets are non-refundable in case of cancellation. If any of the information you have supp**** is incorrect please contact us immediately.

Please take a minute to verify all your details, especially the passenger names and travel dates as once your ticket has been issued airline penalties may apply to make changes. If any of the information you have supp**** is incorrect please contact us immediately at 
urgent(at)travelstart.com or *** .

We had only received an email at 19:49 advising that one of the passengers name/ middle names are incorrect and our agent responded at 21:14 advising what actions need to be taken before midnight. As we had not received a response by midnight, no action was taken from our side.

We only received a call the morning of the 15th February, advising that one of the passenger need to be cancelled and when the Refunds Department sent the cancellation quote, they noticed the entire booking had been cancelled by South African Airways. As per an earlier conversation you had with a team manager you advised your husband had called South African Airways to cancel the entire booking, as he wanted all passengers booked on the same reservation.

Please note, you would have received the following error message online, where you would have needed to contact us to get assistance in making this booking.

We had not received any call or email before the tickets were issued, and therefore the cancellation will be processed according to the airline fare conditions of the ticket and we would not be able to authorize a full refund.

Please let us know if there is anything else we can assist with.

Kind regards,
Melony at Travelstart
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Elzaan E's update17 Feb 2020, 23:24
Reviewer Update
Good evening Melony,

I would just like to bring to your attention that yes am well aware of the time lapse that it took for me to send an email to travelstart but in the 10 minutes that i was typing the email my daughter of 18 months cried for milk, which i then had to make, my son of 4 wanted a
sandwich to eat which I also tried to assist with. If you are a mother I am sure you are well aware of the factors that play a role while trying to do 5 things a once. And to give you a little bit more of an insight to motherhood, while I am typing this my son wants something to eat, which causes me to stop and start the whole time.
And the reason why i did not reply to the email that was sent to me about the voiding of the ticket is because i was too, busy with my kids. Getting them to bed and then seeing to the one and then the others needs. Which too if you are a parent will also understand that. And that is why I contacted Travelstart the following morning with my query.

But the point that i would like to highlight is that the Travelstart website was equipped well enough for 2 different people with the same name to be entered and used to book the same flight then this would never have happened.

And the reason for us cancelling the entire flight and booking then directly with the airline itself is because as you said yourself we want to all be together on one flight as it is my sons first flight.

I was also informed that Travelstart only transfers the money of the airline on the next business day which would be today Monday the 17th of February, which means that I cannot be penalized on the terms and conditions of the airline if the airline had not received the money as yet.

I would also like to find out that if the flight booking payment amount is then still paid over to the airline if the flights were cancelled? And if not, what is then done to the money? Where does that money then end up?

If I am not meant to get that money refunded back, I hope that the money is then given to a charity or to someone that needs the money more than Travelstart, because if I were to be refunded that money I would definitely donate it to a charity and in return thank Travelstart for the part donation to the charity.

With this all being said, I will not be leaving this here, I will be taking it further. I have also noticed that I am not the only person that has had a problem like this with Travelstart.


EE
Elzaan E's update18 Feb 2020, 23:38
Reviewer Update
I have still not received an answer to my question in my last comment. Is it because Travelstart has no answers or is it because Travelstart is thieving people out of their money?

My question to you Travelstart is once again...
I would like to find out that if the flight booking payment amount is then still to be paid over to the airline even if the flights were cancelled? And if not, what is then done with that money? Where does that money then end up?
I can then assume it is then stuffed into Travelstart's back pocket. Travelstart is a *******ed company. Taking money from people without delivering a proper service or shall i say rather no service at all.

I will never recommend Travelstart to any body. This company is the worst travel agency I have every dealt with and I make a lot of booking for people and this i have never come across.

Please people don't use Travelstart, their website doesn't allow for changes, people with the same names to be entered and if they make a mistake or their system doesn't work they don' refund any of your money. They ***** it from you.

Travelstart are *******.
Travelstart
Travelstart's reply19 Feb 2020, 09:01
Official
Good day Elzaan
 
We do apologize for the delayed response to your previous comment.

As per our quote sent to you on Saturday by our refunds department:

Dear Elzaan,

We have received your inquiry about cancellation for your booking from JNB to CPT (ONE_WAY), regarding the following passenger:

ERASMUS/SJ MR

Please find the refund quote below:

Fare and Taxes :R1134.11
Airline Penalty :R1000.50
Refundable amount :R133.61


The amounts quoted were for the airline fare and taxes and also what the airline is charging to do the cancellation, per passenger. There has been no charge by Travelstart to process the refund. 

When the tickets were issued on Friday the 14th February, this is when the process started for the money to be banked by the airline's bank. When you/ your husband called the airline on Saturday morning and they advised they had not received the funds on their side yet, is likely because it had been less than 24 hours when the tickets were issued or because it was over the weekend.

Please be assured Travelstart is not " thieving people out of their money". The process once a ticket has been issued, is for the money to be sent to the specific airline. Whether a client cancels the booking with us or with the airline directly, we still need to send the money to the airline as the ticket belongs to them and not the travel agency. Like any other travel agency we abide by strict laws and adhere to all rules set by each specific airline.

I would also like to reiterate that our website had given you an error message, prompting you to call us for assistance before completing the booking online, as we do understand once tickets are issued, airline rules are applicable.

Please advise if I can give you a call at 10:00 today to discuss any concerns you might have about your booking and payment.

I trust this explanation has been helpful.

Kind regards,
Melony at Travelstart
EE
Elzaan E's update19 Feb 2020, 11:48
Reviewer Update
Yes please do phone me
Travelstart
Travelstart's reply19 Feb 2020, 12:18
Official
Hello again Elzaan

Thank you so much for taking the time to speak to me this morning.

As advised, feel free to pop me an email to feedback(at)travelstart.com and I will gladly assist where I can.

I hope you have a wonderful day further.

Kind regards,
Melony at Travelstart