Money spinning travel sites

Makemytrip fiasco

A bit spurned by a last minute change of itinerary of a planned vacation, was anxiously looking for cheaper tickets that night (in an effort to reduce the damage caused by cancellations and resulting losses). Tried different airlines sites and the known travel sites to hit upon a 40k ticket at Makemytrip (MMT). Merrily went ahead for booking 8 tickets (to & fro).

What was disturbing was that the booking failed in spite showing the availability - this does not happen with other sites like Yatra and GoIbibo.com - they give you a good 15-20 min to complete the passenger details and payment forms and the ticket is blocked till then. The excuse given by the MMT executive was the seats disappeared while I was booking the tickets (2-3 min to fill the forms online). This is unfair, since they lured the customer with a low fare and "available" status and did not honour the booking. By this time seats may go down (or fares up) in other sites ! So by the lure of MMT you neither get any tickets here - you also lose the opportunity in other sites. Who pays for the difference of fares?

But even worse was waiting. Ticket not booked but payment transaction was "Successful" !! (for whom?certainly not for me !)
Who told them to book 2 of 4 tickets - that too for the adults and not the kids ! Do MMT personnel leave their babies home while on vacation? The person who created this logic in their software must be an avid fan of 'Home Alone' !




Booking failed - however full amount deducted

Promptly I put a complaint on their website asking for full refund. Next day they had not called after the stipulated 6 hrs and more. So a phone call from my side and they confirmed the 'error' and promised a full refund. But the mail in response to the telephone call talked about 7k refund !

Full refund sought

These guys should work in horror films - I felt stoned ! 33k lost for their mistake?

Refund 1 - 'peanuts'

The Email battle began. Took days before the refund started trickling in ! Literally in droplets. First they gave 7k, then another 7k. Then a few more phone call and email complaints (sample below). Then another 20k. Fortunately I'd paid by card, else your money gets stuck. And you may not have more left to plan the vacation till they refund. Unfair is probably a subtle word.

Refund 2 - still incomplete & partial

In spite of their acceptance the full refund was not happening. The excuse was for Rs.5000 they had escalated to the 'concerned' team ! So we are supposed to wait for our money to be refunded to us for an erroneous transaction on their part while their various teams interact with each other ! By their description it could take even a month to get back the amount.

Acceptance of error by MMT

On 31st Mar, finally there was a mail formally acknowledging the error and notifying the processing of the full refund.

The actual refund took another few days of waiting and finally on April 3rd 2013 the levied cancellation charge of 5k was returned.

Finally !!

In all there are about 20 Emails to & fro. How many people facing such problems have the connectivity, knack, time and interest to pressurize these guys for refunds. I am sure if there was any slack shown from my side, part of the amount would never have been credited back. Is this one way of earning ?

Finally got tickets through GoIbibo. No hassles this time. Got GoAir tickets although GoAir site was not showing availability. No seat droputs etc. (how did they manage the same situation?)

Guess next time I shall avoid Makemytrip. You decide for yourself !

Seems lot of others have faced similar situation with them !

The Telecom sector mischief-mongers - don't wait for Anna

The ad by Docomo about "no fine prints" in their tariff plans is sarcastic about the competition. But if biggies like Airtel resort to the "tricks of the trade" I guess they are justified. Hope the ads and articles like these on the net would bring about some awareness and perk up the telco bosses.

Living in a housing-society which has a Airtel hub and being offered a Combo plan giving both broadband (@2.1mbps) and a phone line with Rs 200 worth free calls to any phone made the choice obvious - I had opted for this bill plan way back in 2008. Having had billing issues in the past, it was very comfortable when neither the speed nor the bills were upsetting. Alas ! peace was to last only 3 years !!

One fine evening in Aug 2011 the bill came in and the TV channels were boring. So I found time to scrutinize the bill - an act I am sure nobody finds time for these days. How much on STDs, how much on Internet, and lo ... the discount on phone calls was not there? How come, take out an older bill - yes, it's there, why not in this bill, call customer care, register a complaint - again many customers wouldn't go this far - after all it's only hundred and something rupees - kiske paas time hai?

And that's exactly what these companies bank upon ! Kiske paas time hai - noone will notice! even if they do nobody would complain ! We need a lokpal to rid our society of all evil. Us ? we don't have time !

What followed was emails and counter-emails. What will probably shock you is the number - I diligently kept on reminding - 24 times in 4 months to Nodal officers, Appellate authority and the Ombudsman!! What kept me going were two email acceptances of error in Sept and Oct 2011 and 4 reversals till Nov. So it was working, right?

Wrong ! Come 2012, they stopped responding and the reversals stopped too. Then the phone went dead. But the erroneous billing continued (over a dead phone ;), funny na?).
No internet, and worse... one day when we needed to call the Hospital (and another day the Electric office) the mobiles would not connect the Toll-free numbers. We missed the landline badly.

A Consumer forum complaint and the officials became tight -lipped. "Our legal team is working on it, I am not authorized to respond anymore". Again nothing for a month in spite of reminders. Then the case was closed based upon an Airtel response - "All is well !" - what a farce if the authorities only listen to the mischief-mongers and not the complainant.

Somebody mentioned a DoT complaint.

And Yessss!! After 10 months, Airtel accepted that they changed the FCV calculation to a "new process" (A2A). Rather stealthily, no notification on the bills or mail - noone noticed - kiske paas time time hai? And those who complained were "educated" (read 'bribed' with reversals). Rather clandestine for a market leader, don't you think?

They say "TRAI guideline gives them the right to change tariff plans at their will after 6M" ! Should I feel elated that they took 3 yrs to change? Attitude !!
When asked whether the TRAI guideline talks of PRIOR notification to customers - lips sealed again ! Cat-and-mouse !! Then came the "Apologies for the inconvenience...blah...blah ". Offer for alternate plan. Sending the official home for reactivation. etc..etc

So now I must migrate to another plan with no free call option to all phone, policies changed .... some offer for discounted STDs.

OK, but only if you are a little wary can these surreptitious acts be brought to light. And only if you spare a little of your time to spread the word (even if its Internet activism like the threats from Airtel incident) will these betrayals stop !! Alone Anna cannot help !!!