Pommy and the Cockroaches!: September 2012

Waited 15 working days for a reply from this awful excuse of an airline after lodging an issue with them on their website

This is a long issue (15 days, about 6 or 7 phone calls, a lot of lying) so the cliff notes are at the bottom of the complaint

- Tried to change booking 10 minutes after initial booking

- Told on phone I had many weeks in which to change the booking without incurring a changing fee and that I should do it online, not over the phone, which I originally tried to do

- Tried to change on the same day of the initial booking, the website failed to process the payment four times, on two different computers

- Tried to change the following day and website told me to pay $120 changing fee

- Told to write a complaint explaining issue and that agents could listen to recording of initial misleading call. Reply within 3-5 working days

- After 5 working days, told to wait a few days

- After 9 working days, told it would be done within 24 hours

- After 10 working days, told there was no ETA for a resolution

- After 14 working days, told I would get the reply within 24 hours

- After 15 working days, told it would be there at the end of the day

- Given pointless 100 word email reply saying they do not waive the change fee for any reason. Do not allow me access to the phone recording that would incriminate them - only they are allowed to listen to it

- Constant lying and misleading about issue throughout the issue

- Each phone call spending roughly 20 minutes on hold

- Wasting time and money

Phoned up Scoot to change the date of my booking about ten minutes after my original booking and was told on the phone that I could change my booking without incurring a changing fee anytime up to two weeks before the flight (of course at the time I thought this was unlikely but she assured me I could do it). I was also told that I had to change the booking online rather than on the phone and all I would have to pay is the fare difference. I thought - fantastic!

So I tried to change my booking online using my card, with the fee difference asked for being about $10. At the payment screen the website crashed - three times on my computer, once on my flatmates. I just left it, thinking I was absolutely fine to change it the following day once they sorted out the website. When I tried to do it the following day, the website was telling me to pay a $120 changing fee. I was quite surprised to say the least! I phoned them up to ask them to explain to me what was going on and I was told that actually, you have a 12 hour period of grace whereby you can change the flight without incurring a fee. I was then told I could change it over the phone rather than having to do it online. I responded with the simple point:

- If I knew I had to do it within 12 hours, after the website failed when trying to change it surely I would call you and try to change things, try to sort things out on the day knowing otherwise I would be in trouble

I am still looking for the information about a '12 hour period of grace' on the website and I can't find it. I mean if you're trying to say 'well, you agreed to the 12 hour grace via our terms and conditions/conditions of carriage and if we give you bad advice on the phone that's just your bad luck and you still have to pay the changing fee that you originally agreed to' then at least from a legal point of view you're probably going to be OK but I still can't find where I would have got this vital information. EVEN IF it is written on the website somewhere the fact you TOLD me the wrong information on the phone is bad enough. I was then told to lodge a complaint online with you guys - where you said you would listen to the recording of the original call for me - and you would reply within 3-5 working days. You also told me I would not be able to access the recording of the call myself... so you get to be both defendant AND judge in the issue? SURELY THERE IS A CONFLICT OF INTEREST?

After 5 working days I heard nothing. I phoned up to check on the status of the complaint. You said it would be done very soon, just taking some time to deal with. I accepted this. I was told that I wouldn't be able to speak to the complaints department, the people who I sent the emailed complaint to, at any point, because they don't have phones maybe or something.

I phoned again after 3 working days and was told that I didn't need to worry and that I would have a reply within 24 hours, by email, from the department.

After 24 hours I phoned again and was told that actually, there is no expected time frame for the dealing of my complaint. That they didn't know how long it would take. At this point I expressed my anger about the lying about the time frame - first that it would take 3-5 days to solve, now that it would take 24 hours, now that it has no time frame.

I thought to give it 3 or 4 days. I have to say that I was very scared that the longer I take, the more likely it is the price of the fare I wished to change to will increase or even the ticket will become less available.

I phoned them up again and asked them if they could kindly hurry up because I need to change it before the fare increases. Although at this point I said I would only speak to a supervisor. The supervisor assured me 24 hours (I phoned at 10am) to get an email response.

The following day at 5pm I hadn't received anything so i called them again. They told me I'd receive something by the end of the day! Which I did! A 100 word email that just said basically 'we don't waive the change fee for any reason. We listened to the phone call and decided you were not misinformed.' Call me arrogant but I put my own English in higher regard than that of Singaporean call centre workers. I want to hear this recording myself! So I can see where I went wrong! The money isn't the point, at all, it's the fact that I tried to change it within the time frame I was told I could (lied to about time frame) and then when I lodged a complaint I waited 15 working days (21 days fully) for a resolution (was lied to about duration of resolution many, many times). It was obvious to me that by delaying the response, they expected me to just change the flight out of fear for the availability of fares or the cost of the fare difference. This in itself is disgusting conduct and in my opinion would warrant a waiving of the fee.

I will pay the fee and change my flight today (I have no choice in case the tickets become unavailable) but that does not change the sick feeling in my gut about being deceived as badly as I have been. If I was told in the very first place that ANY change would have to incur a fee, I would merely blame myself for idiocy and move on. As it is, you guys have provided the worst customer service I have ever received. I want to make people aware of this. You guys are lying, thieving scum.

Cliff Notes