I received the refund of over $3000 a few days back. After keeping up incessant pressure on BudgetAir through Etihad, the refund finally found its way back. I can’t tell you what a relief it was. Also, it was a culmination of tireless efforts on social media.
After my last post, I reached out to IATA through email. Strangely, their response was very cold. I also lodged official complaints on both Etihad websites – international and Indian. I also sent an email to the Etihad Nodal Officer at Bangalore Airport. Etihad twitter and Facebook teams were the most useless. I would suggest that anyone facing a similar problem should reach out to Etihad through direct complaint on their portals. I had also emailed to Etihad CEO and India Head. Though, I did not receive any direct responses from them, I think it set the wheels in motion somewhere.
My story was also picked up by NewsMobile.in which helped in creating more pressure. As I had mentioned earlier, the refund process really got moving once Etihad took the grievance seriously after this post about their Atrocious Customer Service.
I was aware all along that BudgetAir were crooks. Left to their own machinations, they would have never sent the refund back. All their emails about refund were blatant lies. Why do I say so? Because, when I received an email from Etihad’s Customer Service saying that they were following up with the travel agency, we magically get an email from Travix, BudgetAir’s holding company, who now ask for our bank account details. So you see how they were just lying for weeks saying the refund was on our way.
For those of you who felt that Etihad had no direct liability in my case, here is an experience of a person who booked directly with Etihad who was made to run pillar to post to get his refund.
I was lucky to have my blog and support of so many of my virtual friends to see this through. And yet it took the time it took for the refund to come back. We were actually planning a twitter hashtag trend when the refund came back.
Anyhow, this is a lesson for all of us. I still get emails from people who are having bad experiences with BudgetAir. Please, whatever you do, do not ever book with them or any of their sister concerns like cheap tickets, Vayama etc. They are running a con shop and in the past two months I have read sorry tales by the hundreds, of people being cheated out of their money. I know I never will.
I hope the detailing of my experience will help those of you suffering a similar fate. Don’t hesitate to reach out to me on email, my FB page or twitter handle for any guidance.
Once again, thank you to each one of you who helped and supported me.
Our fabulous European cruise was lost, hopefully it will materialize some time in the future. For now, we are going to Goa.
Its surely your tireless, persistent efforts Rachna. I dont know what I would have done. But I surely respect the blogger space more now.
Thank you, Lata. Yes, it does make you respect social media that much more.
What a relief to have finally got the refund na Rachna…But if you had not put the pressure like you did, I din’t think they would have done it in this amount of time as well…And it’s scary when something like this happens, it’s our hard earned money and these people think it’s okay to dupe us…I hope nothing like this happens to anyone and everyone learns something from your experience, and that we remain extremely cautious while booking tickets.
Yes, the persistence paid off but it was one harrowing experience I wouldn’t even wish on my enemies. Thanks you for all your support throughout. It means a lot.
Finally the refund.. What a relief after such harassment..
Indeed. Thanks for reading.
I had read your earlier post.It is a huge relief that you were able to get the refund after so many hassles.It is pretty unfortunate that you had to go through all this.Have a nice trip to Goa 🙂
Thank you, Tinipy. It was a sweet triumph after so much of hassle.
What an ordeal…but good learning for all of us to know what to do in such cases. I only wonder if this is the global way of Etihad functioning or only in the Indian market.
But glad that finally the money came back….
Indeed, Prasad. I would have never thought that a portal could be that brazenly cheating people. And then the airline’s role was very questionable as well. I wonder if there is anything like service left in the hospitality industry anymore.
Thanks for all your support!
Goa for now, but you’ll definitely visit Europe soon, right?
This is the problem with most big businesses Rachna. They don’t want to be held liable for any trouble their customers face. And the biggest reason they think this way is because they can get away with it. We need more stringent laws in our country to tackle businesses who take their customers for granted.
Glad you got your refund back.
Yes, we will. It was too late to plan something right now. Hopefully next year. 🙂
Yes, I am getting to realize that too. They hardly care and they know that no one would actually go through the trouble of law suits. Only online reputation makes them take some action. We need stringent laws and a speedy justice system in India. What shocked me is how BudgetAir is running a con shop from the Netherlands which is a developed country with such strict laws?
You are a gem of a person, Vishal. Thank you for being such a great help and moral support. It means a lot.
Awww… Thanks Rachna 😀
yayyyyyyyyyyyyyy 🙂 that calls for a party 🙂
have fun in GOA.. Iam sure you will enjoy more in Goa 🙂
next time instead of europe come to uk .. ( i know uk is in europe ) 🙂 he he he he
Take care
Yay! Pucca party. Goa is a place my family loves. I have been there multiple times yet the place has an amazing appeal to me.
Yes, yes, if we come to Europe, aapse toh milna pucca hai. Thanks for being such a good friend, Bik.
finally a refund!! Whew!
it was your tireless efforts that worked… its so sad that such a huge airlines should behave so terribly…
Thanks, Pix. Yep, opened my eyes about large players and their callous attitudes.
At last you got it back! Enjoy Goa now! congratulations!
Thanks, Sandhya. Yes, finally!
Very glad that you got the money back. I am sure it was a tiring experience. Enjoy in Goa! 😉
Very exhausting but at least the ordeal is over. Thanks, Vinitha.
So very glad that this got sorted finally. What a nightmare they put you through! Enjoy Goa and yes, that long holiday in Europe beckons. Perhaps next time it will be a hassle-free process. Kudos on using your voice and the blog in getting justice. Yay to you! 🙂
Indeed, Shy. It was terrible and all that we lost can never be compensated. Yeah, I am also pretty proud of at least getting justice. Thanks for all your help.
First of all – Goa is the best!! 🙂
We always book directly on the airline website. We check sites for different airlines, but never book through them. For hotels also, we always use booking.com and have complete faith on their service. We are extremely hesitant giving our credit card details on any website and only trust reliable ones. You learn with experiences. Sometimes you learn from someone else’s experience! I am sure your posts will save a lot of people from many moments of misery.
Yes, Goa I love. I keep going again and again. 🙂
Even when you book on the website, the refunds take months. That is why I shared the case of direct booking on Etihad of the person who was charged twice. I came across many such cases online. It just shows a lack of caring for their fare-paying passengers by the airline.
I do hope that many will stop before they buy through rogues like BudgetAir and yet others struggling in a similar situation will be helped by this experience. Thanks for reading, Nisha, and for your support.
I am very very happy and relieved that you got your money back. What a torture it had been. Scares me to ever book through Ethihad. May be you have a more wonderful holiday Cruise awaiting you somewhere. 🙂 Have lots of fun in Goa.
Thanks, Latha. I know you are. Thank you for worrying so much about me. It was a horrible nightmare. Yep, the Cruise will happen some other time I guess.
Yay! Happy you got a refund at least – after so much ado… Wow… Enjoy Goa – and do hope you get to come over here to Europe- let me know:-) Hugs
Thanks, Eli. Yes, it feels like a major battle won. 🙂 I will certainly let you know when I plan the next European outing. Hugs back.
Glad it got sorted out for you.
Your experience has been a lesson to me and many other travelers too.
Have fun in Goa!
Thanks, Indrani. I hope that a few others are saved from making the same mistake.
Happy that you got your money back and finally receipt. I have observed that as long as you don’t put pressure on them, they will make you beg for money. I faced the same in the job that I left since we were like begging for salary. For the past six months, we were getting salary two months late, giving us advance. Had to do the running around. Yesterday, got the July check and need to pressurize them for August salary in another 2 weeks. Finally, got fed up of working with unprofessional people and didn’t give one month notice, asking them to keep September and 2 weeks October I worked.
That’s awful, Vishal. Really feel bad for you. Oh well, I am not taking down my posts and I hope that every time people search for BudgetAir or Etihad, they read my review. But the larger point is that even the large airlines don’t care for their customers. Everything is chalta hai these days. Such blatant fraud and no one cares. :/
Congratulations again Rachna. I have to admire your persistence.
Thanks, Tulika. I am glad it all worked out in the end.
yaayyy … that’s great news… congratulations 🙂 Now they would know not to mess with a customer. I hope others too pressurise the company and get their refund.
Thanks, Rajlakshmi. I wonder if one case actually makes much of a difference to them. But, hopefully some others will be prevented from making the same mistake.
Great. Now put this behind you and enjoy Goa
Thanks, Suresh.
Congrats Rachana! What a fighter you are!- braving all the difficulties…
Thanks, Rajeev.
Good that you kept up the fight.
I’m sure that was so stressful.
Enjoy some peace of mind, now. You deserve that.
Happy to hear that finally there is some justice.
Finally an end to the nightmare ! Have a great trip to Goa.
At least all’s well that ends well, but I have alerted all my friends and family back in India never to use any of their services. I am so glad that you got your refund and it was entirely due to your tireless efforts! So, kudos to you, my friend!!
I’m here after a 4 – 6 weeks gap and the first news to greet me is ur refund..
Feeling relieved after knowing your struggle to earn this hard earned money back ..
Hope its is an eye opener for all of us…
and let me tell u GOA is no less than Europe………
Thanks, Udayashankar. Oh yes, Goad was great fun. 🙂