Travelstart A Major Disappointment!

I booked an international trip from JHB - Berlin on the 7 April 2018 on the Travelstart website for June 2018. I have a booking confirmation and an invoice from Travelstart and the ticket fare (not a small amount, this is Europe in summer prices!) had been taken off my bank account. I've traveled internationally many times and this time round I decided to book online and not go through a travel agent because the price was better and my trip is in two months. As far as I was concerned, I was going to Berlin and I was planning to do my visa next week, which will take 2 weeks to process. I have a job, so to find time is also of the essence.

This morning the 19th April I received an email from Travelstart to say my booking was cancelled! I did not receive any courtesy. No one called me about the cancellation or the nature of the refund. So obviously I think it's probably a ****, so I should call them. I mean who cancels a booking without a phone call to the client? Surely, this is normal business etiquette?? So I call. According to the Travelstart consultant I called, at 08h35am this morning, the cancellation happened on the 7 April 2018 after I made the booking because Travelstart was unable to issue this airline's document. Again no one called me to confirm this. So this morning, the consultant told me that the refund would only be processed today 19 April 2018 and I would need to wait 7-10 working days! There was nothing she could do as the tickets sales team will only get to it today. I was so angry but knew that shouting at this young woman would not solve anything so in order to collect my emotions I put the phone down. After I gathered myself, I called back TWICE as I was not happy with this response and wanted management to assist me but I was left on hold for 10 minutes every time until I was cut off. No one picked up my calls. So I went to Twitter.

I tweeted Travelstart and they responded. Now I am told the usual *** that my issue has been escalated. So while international ticket prices hike every minute, visa applications are on hold and my accommodation is already paid for in Berlin, I wait on Travelstart to call me back!

This is unacceptable as I was planning to apply for my visa next week. The longer I wait the higher the prices and the higher the uncer*****y of my trip even happening.

This was my first experience using Travelstart for an international trip and they have made this very difficult and now expensive for me and I want an immediate refund today. If I get it, it is yet to be seen. I've already read so many complaints online about this cancellation without notice or calls and then waiting on refunds from other consumers. Is this a trend Travelstart?

Travelstart supply chain and consumer relations is pathetic and they need management consultants to help them rectify these processes.

So my question is, even if they cancelled my flight on the 7th of April, why is my refund only getting processed on the 19th? Where was my money all this time and if there are 100 of us with this issue what is Travelstart doing with our money? I won't accuse them of anything, but if you're smart I think we know what is going on here.

I am disappointed and so angry. Travelstart has cost me more money, time and emotional stress. This is my first and last use of this service. If you want to buy tickets, go direct!