🌟🗞️ Hāpai! United Still Owe Us $8,370 Cash, But Only Giving Credit. No Can, Bra! 🏦🌴🔒
Dis one couple had fo’ cancel dey South America trip, an’ dey wen buy tickets dat was supposed to be refundable. But when dey wen try fo’ get dey money back, United no give um cash, only credit. Dey wen feel like dey wen crash into da brick wall of bureaucracy, until our columnist wen step in an’ help dem out. 😱✈️💰
Eh, Dear Tripped Up, On June 3, 2022, me an’ my hubby wen book one-way tickets from San Diego to Buenos Aires. Dis ting wen cost us $8,370. Den we wen book anodda reservation fo’ come back from Santiago, Chile, fo’ $4,500 fo’ me, plus miles fo’ my hubby’s ticket, all on top of United. Cuz we get health problems, we wen try fo’ book tickets dat we can get our money back. But we wen notice right away from da email confirmations dat da flights goin’ down was nonrefundable. We wen call United right away, an’ one agent wen change dem tickets to refundable, but we gotta pay $300 fo’ da change. So far, so good. But wen we wen finally cancel da trip, dey wen “refund” us wit’ electronic travel certificates, an’ dat make no sense at all. We wen pay wit’ one credit card! We wen try two times fo’ appeal, but dey wen turn us down. Can you help? Ellen, La Jolla, Calif. 💌💳🌴
Eh, Dear Ellen, Dis roadblock dat stay keepin’ you away from yo’ money, dat stay one perfect example of da red tape dat stay annoyin’. Everybody goin’ need fo’ sit down dey keiki in front of da screen or da newspaper an’ listen to dis story ’bout bureaucracy. You know, da kine stuff da grown-ups always complain ’bout. 🙄📜💼
Wen airlines give refunds, dey usually give um back in da “original form of payment.” You wen pay wit’ miles? Dey give you back yo’ miles. You wen pay wit’ one credit card? Dey reverse da charge. An’ I bet if you wen pay wit’ one big pile of gold bullion, one Brink’s truck would show up at yo’ house real quick. 💸🚛🏦
But if you wen pay wit’ one electronic travel certificate, dey goin’ give you one new certificate fo’ use in da future. But wait, you wen pay wit’ one credit card, right? Kinda. When you wen call United fo’ switch to one refundable ticket, da agent wen give you one electronic travel certificate fo’ yo’ wrong tickets, den use dat certificate fo’ buy da refundable tickets. So, da “original form of payment” technically was da electronic travel certificate, even if da real original form of payment was one credit card. 😕💳🎫
Even dough dey wen say no two times, wen I wen contact United, dey wen quick fo’ admit dey make mistake. Charlie Hobart, one United spokesman, wen tell me ova da phone, “Dis kinda complicated, little bit Byzantine situation, dat no happen too often.” He had fo’ ask Erin Jankowski, one spokeswoman dat wen join da call, fo’ use her experience in customer service fo’ explain all da complicated stuff dat went wrong. 📞💼🤷
Now, United wen finally refund you da $8,370 da right way. “We wen screw up, an’ we wen try fo’ make um right, so da customer can get dey refundable ticket,” Mr. Hobart wen say. But United shoulda fix da problem wen you wen ask um, long time ‘fore you wen write to me. 😤💰✈️
You wen tell me you stay one retired attorney, but I no need you fo’ tell me dat. I wen know already wen I wen read yo’ 20-page PDF you wen send me by email. You stay very clear, no get any frustration, and you wen send me all da proof. Da original documents you wen send through United’s online refunds form, dey stay polite, complete, an’ convincing. (United no handle issues afta one flight happen ova da phone.) But it look like nobody wen read um, o’ at least nobody wen read um good. Da follow-up email you wen send no do too good eida. United wen tell you fo’ talk to da bank dat issued yo’ credit card, an’ you wen do wat dey say, but dat no help you. Dis no problem only wit’ United. How da big companies goin’ train da customer service agents fo’ handle plenny complaints, but still make sure dey read dem good an’ catch da ones where da complex chain of events clear as day an’ da customer stay get da advantage? I stay happy I no gotta do dat job. 😬📝📞
My usual advice wen get stuck like dis, you gotta complain wit’ reason, respect, an’ make ’em short an’ sweet through one customer service channel, like one phone call o’ one online form. Den try anodda channel, like email, an’ if dat no work, try social media. You hope one time, somebody wit’ da time an’ da skills goin’ step in an’ understand you. Ms. Jankowski, da United spokeswoman, she get one specific suggestion. “Dis time, I tink our social care team on Twitter an’ Facebook, dey woulda help plenny in dis situation,” she say. “Dey get da knowledge an’ da power fo’ take dis up wit’ da refund specialist.” Mr. Hobart wen add dat da customers no need fo’ go through all dis trouble. “Da customer wen do everything da right way fo’ get da problem solved,” he say. “We like fo’ address um early, on da first try, an’ make sure we do um right.” 📱👍🤝
Wen I wen ask United how dey goin’ make sure dis no happen again, dey neva give me concrete answer. Dey say da “customer leadership group” goin’ take care of it an’ dey “keenly interested in dis particular scenario.” 🏦🔍
Maybe. But let’s finish wit’ wat you, Ellen, wen do right here, an’ let’s compare um to someting I wen do wrong on my own travels lately. You wen realize you might get health issues o’ someting dat goin’ mess up yo’ plans, so you wen book refundable tickets. Plenny people, like me, goin’ try save money an’ no pay extra fo’ dat. Den, you wen read da email confirmation you wen get right away, an’ you wen notice da problem, so you wen call wit’ 24 hours, da time wen airlines gotta refund o’ rebook you. You wen try fo’ fix um. In dis case, da airline still wen screw up wit’ yo’ refund, but you neva give up. 🌟💼✈️
Earlier dis week, I wen find one cheap one-way flight from New York to São Paulo, Brazil, through Mexico City on Aeromexico ($407!). I wen book um, even dough Aeromexico wen offer me fo’ change da reservation fo’ one fee, o’ change um without one fee, o’ even make um refundable if I pay little bit more. I wen say no to all dat. But da next day, I wen realize it would be betta fo’ me fo’ travel on one different date. Was just unda 24 hours since I wen get da email confirmation, so I wen call Aeromexico fo’ reschedule. 📅📞✈️
I had fo’ wait on da line long time, an’ wen da agent wen answer, she wen shut me down politely ‘fore I could even start. Even dough I wen call wit’ 24 hours of da email confirmation, da actual booking wen happen half hour earlier, so no can do nottin’. I wen tink fo’ make fuss an’ blame dem fo’ not send da confirmation right away, but I wen realize I wen screw up twice — first fo’ book one ticket dat no can change o’ get refund, an’ den fo’ not pay attention to exactly wen I wen make da reservation. I wen say thank you an’ hang up. We all gotta choose our battles. 😔💼💔
So, Ellen, you stay da real MVP fo’ stickin’ up fo’ yo’ rights an’ make sure United wen give you back yo’ cash. No matta da red tape an’ da bureaucracy, you wen prevail. But remember, all of us gotta learn from our mistakes an’ choose wisely when we book our tickets. Mahalo fo’ sharin’ yo’ story, an’ let’s hope da airlines take dis lesson to heart an’ do betta in da future. ✊💵🌺
NOW IN ENGLISH
🌟🗞️ Update! United Still Owes Us $8,370 Cash, But Only Offering Credit. Not Acceptable! 🏦🌴🔒
This couple had to cancel their South America trip and had purchased supposedly refundable tickets. However, when they tried to get their money back, United only provided them with travel credits instead of cash. They felt like they crashed into a wall of bureaucracy until our columnist stepped in to assist them. 😱✈️💰
Dear Tripped Up, On June 3, 2022, my husband and I booked one-way tickets from San Diego to Buenos Aires, costing us $8,370. We also booked another reservation to return from Santiago, Chile, for $4,500 for me, and my husband’s ticket was covered with miles, all through United. Due to health problems, we aimed to book refundable tickets. However, from the email confirmations, we immediately noticed that the flights we had booked were nonrefundable. We promptly called United, and an agent changed the tickets to refundable ones, but we had to pay a $300 fee for the change. So far, so good. But when we finally canceled the trip, they “refunded” us with electronic travel certificates, which made no sense at all since we paid with a credit card. We tried to appeal twice, but they rejected our requests. Can you help? Ellen, La Jolla, Calif. 💌💳🌴
Dear Ellen, The obstacle preventing you from receiving your money back is a perfect example of the frustrating red tape. Everyone needs to gather around their screens or newspapers and listen to this story about bureaucracy. You know, the kind of stuff grown-ups always complain about. 🙄📜💼
When airlines issue refunds, they usually provide them in the “original form of payment.” Did you pay with miles? They’ll refund your miles. Did you pay with a credit card? They’ll reverse the charge. And I bet if you paid with a big pile of gold bullion, a Brink’s truck would show up at your doorstep real quick. 💸🚛🏦
However, if you paid with an electronic travel certificate, they will issue you a new certificate for future use. But hold on, you paid with a credit card, right? Kind of. When you called United to switch to a refundable ticket, the agent gave you an electronic travel certificate for your incorrect tickets, and then you used that certificate to purchase the refundable tickets. So, technically, the “original form of payment” was the electronic travel certificate, even though the real original form of payment was a credit card. 😕💳🎫
Despite their denial on two occasions, when I contacted United, they quickly admitted their mistake. Charlie Hobart, a United spokesman, told me over the phone, “This is a kind of complicated, somewhat Byzantine situation that doesn’t happen too often.” He had to ask Erin Jankowski, another spokeswoman who joined the call, to utilize her customer service experience to explain all the complicated issues that went wrong. 📞💼🤷
Finally, United refunded you the $8,370 in the correct manner. Mr. Hobart said, “We screwed up, and we tried to make it right so the customer can get their refundable ticket.” However, United should have fixed the problem when you initially approached them, long before you wrote to me. 😤💰✈️
You mentioned that you are a retired attorney, but I didn’t need you to tell me that. I already knew when I read your 20-page PDF that you sent me via email. Your message was clear, devoid of frustration, and you provided all the necessary evidence. The original documents you submitted through United’s online refund form were polite, comprehensive, and persuasive. (United doesn’t handle post-flight issues over the phone.) However, it seems that nobody read them or, at the very least, nobody read them thoroughly. Even the follow-up email you sent didn’t fare well. United told you to contact the bank that issued your credit card, and you did as they advised, but it didn’t help you. This problem is not unique to United. How can big companies train their customer service agents to handle numerous complaints while ensuring that they read them carefully and address the cases where the complex chain of events is clear, and the customer has the advantage? I’m glad I don’t have that job. 😬📝📞
My usual advice in such situations is to complain with reason, respect, and keep it concise when using a customer service channel like a phone call or an online form. Then, try another channel, such as email, and if that doesn’t work, turn to social media. You hope that eventually someone with the time and skills will step in and understand you. Ms. Jankowski, the United spokeswoman, offered a specific suggestion. “This time, I think our social care team on Twitter and Facebook would have been helpful in this situation,” she said. “They have the knowledge and power to escalate this to the refund specialist.” Mr. Hobart added that customers should not have to go through all this trouble. “The customer did everything the right way to get the problem solved,” he said. “We want to address it early, on the first try, and make sure we do it right.” 📱👍🤝
When I asked United how they would ensure that this doesn’t happen again, they didn’t provide a concrete answer. They mentioned that the “customer leadership group” would handle it and that they are “keenly interested in this particular scenario.” 🏦🔍
Perhaps. But let’s focus on what you, Ellen, did right here and compare it to something I did wrong on my recent travels. You realized that you might encounter health issues or something that could disrupt your plans, so you booked refundable tickets. Many people, like me, try to save money and avoid paying extra for that. Then, you read the email confirmation you received right away and noticed the problem, so you called within 24 hours, the time frame airlines have to refund or rebook you. You tried to fix it. In this case, the airline still mishandled your refund, but you didn’t give up. 🌟💼✈️
Earlier this week, I found a cheap one-way flight from New York to São Paulo, Brazil, with a layover in Mexico City on Aeromexico ($407!). I booked it, even though Aeromexico offered me options to change the reservation for a fee, change it without a fee, or even make it refundable if I paid a little more. I declined all those offers. But the next day, I realized it would be better for me to travel on a different date. It had been just under 24 hours since I received the email confirmation, so I called Aeromexico to reschedule. 📅📞✈️
I had to wait on hold for a long time, and when the agent finally answered, she politely shut me down before I could even explain. Even though I called within 24 hours of receiving the email confirmation, the actual booking had taken place half an hour earlier, so there was nothing they could do. I thought about making a fuss and blaming them for not sending the confirmation right away, but then I realized I had made two mistakes — first, booking a non-changeable and non-refundable ticket, and second, not paying attention to the exact time of the reservation. I thanked her and hung up. We all have to choose our battles. 😔💼💔
So, Ellen, you are the real MVP for standing up for your rights and ensuring that United refunded your cash. Despite the red tape and bureaucracy, you prevailed. However, let’s remember that we all need to learn from our mistakes and choose wisely when booking our tickets. Thank you for sharing your story, and let’s hope that airlines take this lesson to heart and do better in the future. ✊💵🌺
