I paid STA – it should refund me
I WOULD like your assistance to put pressure on travel agencies that are sitting with money from bookings and not issuing refunds.
I had three flight tickets booked for Brazil through STA Travel in October last year, scheduled to leave on April 10. I cancelled two of them in February when Covid-19 hit, which was for my partner and my son. Till now, I’ve been given a runaround and haven’t received my money back, despite being charged a R3 000 cancellation fee on each ticket. I am owed almost R11 000 for the two tickets. STA won’t give me a straight answer.
I cancelled my third ticket in March. They told me the airline is not issuing refunds or travel credit and STA cannot tell me what happens to the money I paid.
We, as consumers, are generally understanding and accept a voucher, but now is not a time that anyone can travel, so keeping tickets open or vouchers don’t help us in a time of financial strain. I made my booking and paid STA Travel, not the airline, so I would expect it to honour my refund. Yet it seems it is skirting issues and doesn’t take customers seriously.
I know this is in violation of the Consumer Protection Act. Despite filing a complaint with the Consumer Goods Ombudsman, I’ve had no feedback or assistance from it.
ADAM DEANE
JUSTIN KABLE, STA COUNTRY MANAGER,
RESPONDS: “STA Travel has been working with airline partners and travel providers to find the best solutions for our customers who have, unfortunately, had their travel plans impacted by the coronavirus pandemic.
We have not charged STA Travel cancellation fees where the reservation has been cancelled and fees waived by the travel provider. However, if a customer has chosen to cancel their trip before it had been cancelled by their travel provider, then cancellation fees as per the terms and conditions of the booking would apply. Customers who have booked on a FlexiFare or BlueTicket, which allows them to secure their booking with a deposit, have equally flexible conditions on the terms of their credit note. In these cases, we have extended validity for 24 months, made it transferable to a friend or family member, and included increased value when they wish to rebook. The credit note can be requested for refund if after 12 months it’s unable to be utilised. In many cases refunds are available to customers, however, there are delays due to the unprecedented volume of requests being processed by our travel providers. When STA Travel does not receive a refund, and instead the customer is issued a travel voucher, STA Travel will pass the travel voucher on to the customer as per the conditions of the provider. We understand that each customer situation and itinerary is unique, and as travel provider policies continue to evolve, we are reconnecting with all customers whose plans have been impacted. If there’s anything that’s unclear, our full refund policy on coronavirus is available on our website: https://www.statravel.co.za/refund-policy-coronavirus.htm.”