Complaint Review: Cheaptickets.com

It took more than an hour to make an online Hilo-Phoenix flght reservation because the first several dozen packages offered were 'not available.' So, trying one flight after another, I ascended the price ladder until finally, for $687, tickets were supposedly available. But after filling out all the information and finally clicking the 'Purchase' button, a screen advised me that the airlines were unable to take the reservation. Another dud.

Having wasted two hours already, I gave up on Cheaptickets and purchased from another source. The following day, however, I received an email from Cheaptickets requesting that I call them at a given number immediately, so I did. At that number I found myself speaking to a woman who finally admitted that she was on the Marianna Islands (I could barely understand her, and she could barely understand me). After a lot of going around in circles, it became apparent that, though I had received nothing from Cheaptickets (i.e., no confirmation, order acknowledgment, itinerary, etc) except this request to call them, I seemed to have been charged for the denied reservation.

A call to my credit card company revealed that I had been billed not once, but twice, for the Cheaptickets reservation -- once by each airline involved, for a total of $1,325.00 (one of which, putting me over my limit, was declined). So I called back to the same woman at the Cheaptickets number and found myself on hold for most a nearly two hour period, during which I was led around in circles, as follows:

1. The woman, claiming to have called my credit card company, said that they refused to reverse the charge. But in the next sentence she was asking me for the name and phone number of my credit card company.

2. I asked to speak to her supervisor, but was denied an opportunity.

3. I asked for the phone number of Cheaptickets' USA office, but was told it couldn't be given to me.

4. Apparently realising that I wasn't going to kiss off my money so easily, after leaving me on hold for another 20 minutes she advised me that she had FAXed my credit card company a charge reversal order.

An hour after speaking to her, I called my credit card company: they never heard anything from anybody concerning the charges.

I then went to cheaptickets.com where, due to there being no phone numbers or compaint options offered, I messaged them under their FAQ category, 'changing or cancelling reservations.' I immediately received an automated acknowledgment, but have yet to receive a reply, now some seven hours later.

So, my credit card has been over-limited, I've got one charge against it for a non-reservation, and another similar charge possibly soon being returned for another attempt. I got that card for this trip, and until cheaptickets does something to rectify this, my travel plans are ruined, as I won't have the anticipated expense funds available.

Gil
hilo, Hawaii
U.S.A.