ma91pmh

Does anyone have any experience of how long CX takes to process refunds?

I book a refundable flight for just over $5k and had to cancel. I went through the rather elaborate refund procedure and was told it would take 7 business days. It is now the 11th business day and still no refund showing and now my CC is due. Trying to get hold of anyone at CX who can assist is proving challenging so I am tempted to just dispute the original transaction on my CC and let CX deal with Amex instead. Thoughts?

Guy Betsy

Why is it that everyone wants to dispute everything when they can't wait?

A refund takes around 7-14 business days to process. Afterwards, it then can take another 7-14 days for it to turn up on your credit card.

I guess you can do whatever you think its necessary.

CuiDawei

It took about three weeks when I did a refund.

Is it really worth getting Amex involved?

Psychiatrist

i think by the 11th day the refund has already been processed by CX - nothing they can do for you now on CX's side.

i've done a few cancellations lately, they take about a month to show up on my credit card statement.

sxc

I'm surprised they told you 7 working days unless it was for an itinerary involoving US sectors. The FAQ on the CX website have the below timeframes. In my experience, I've been told a refund could take up to 2 months, but usually gets processed in about 2-3 weeks.

http://www.cathaypacific.com/cx/en_H...on-refund.html

ma91pmh

I'm surprised y'all consider this acceptable practice. After all, it does not take 1 month for them to process the original payment right?

I managed to get through to someone actually helpful and hope to hear back tomorrow. But yes, if it does not get resolved more quickly I will dispute. Maybe if others did the same, they'd actually take refunds as seriously as they do the initial intake of money

CrazyJ82

Well c'mon, in this case I think OP has a legitimate gripe. If the charge doesn't get credited back in short order, it sounds like OP will have to either shell out cash to avoid interest charges/late fees on his/her card bill or...incur interest charges or late fees on his/her card bill. And before we all go accusing OP of not planning ahead to avoid this situation, I find it quite easy to imagine a situation where one might end up cancelling on such a time frame. The problem from the consumer standpoint is that CX's delay in processing the refund causes a cash-flow problem on the consumer's side.

OP, I've never been in this situation myself, but perhaps a call to Amex to explain the situation would result in some help from their end? I've found them to be quite accommodating in other respects over the years. (Including one case where they waived a massive interest charge that had racked up because I had mistakenly paid HKD120 short of my full balance one month and then got walloped with interest on the entire monthly balance of HKD20,000.)

ma91pmh

To bring it full circle my refund posted this morning. It cannot be coincidental to my escalating with CX yesterday. I did get through to a very helpful lady in Vancouver office who said she would email the head office in Hong Kong. And the next day it shows up. Which to me just proves they could process these pretty much as quickly as they process in coming payments too.

Cathay Pacific could not raise short term interest free debt in the capital markets or from any commercial bank, so I am not sure why y'all are so willing to step in and lend them money for free. Me, not so much. I am willing to put up with some reasonable delay and 7 business days - which they quoted in writing during the cancellation process - is about the bounds of my tolerance. Thanks CrazyJ82 for the lone support ^

percysmith

Haha. I'm the opposite. My mum triggered a refund from UA and I desperately *don't* want it to credit back to my CCB accounts, at least not before 1 March 2014 (939 promo )

mayodave

This is why things cost what they do as companies have to factor in doing business with customers like the OP Its not CX its the banks who are crooks in all this.

ma91pmh

Wait I buy a refundable fare, where my credit card is debited the same day I purchase - but if I want a refund I have to way some indefinite period of time as determined by CX? And you think this is good, and the banks are crooks? What has that got to do with the price of tea in China?

In any business I'd love to have people like you as customers

APeverell

AS always refund their refundable ticket through credit card in 3 business days. I don't see why things would take longer than a full week to process.

If it is refundable, then it means that I can take my money back if I cancel, then whatever process time they need should be their burden. They have taken the money already, so they could give it back first without shelling out anything from their reserve (if there is one), and process the paperwork at their leisure. That's the right way of doing business.

This has nothing to do with cost saving, this is about efficiency.

869

CX website returned an error when I bought two J tickets so I went back through and purchased again. Sure enough, I subsequently received two confirmations for the reservation so I canceled one immediately. CX confirmed the reservation was canceled as a duplicate and that I would not be charged. Of course, my amex gets hit 2x on the several thousand dollar charge. I have received now a confirmation of the refund being processed but no indication of when I might see that hit my account. You can put me in the camp of using a quick call to amex so that I do not need to actually pay out of pocket for the erroneous charge.

ricktoronto

This is why I always use a travel agent on all refundable tickets. Refund in 24- 48 hours because they offset what they owe with what they are owed (on the passenger's behalf).

sxc

In HKG, travel agents only refund you when they get the cash from the airline