wwu123

Any advice for getting best results when calling to get refunds on failed waitlisted upgrades? Before anyone comments on quick RPU/GPU redeposit, I have talked to the Mileage Plus dept and they redeposited two RPU's from other trips fairly painlessly. However, here I'm talking about miles + copay waitlisted upgrades, and getting my actual cash back in hand.

Basically I shelled out 30K miles + $600 to waitlist for a TPAC Y to C upgrade. Actually I've made three waitlist requests since 3/3. One cleared, and I flew in C. One I had to cancel the trip before the outbound flight, everything was refunded quickly, though in a way where the original transaction disappears from all traces on my credit card activity and in my MP account.

On the third one, I made a waitlist request in April. In May on outbound, the waitlist did not clear and I flew in Y. Within a day or two, the 30K miles were back in my MP account, the activity is posted in my May statement, though it listed the transaction date as the original April request. My credit card shows the $600 charge posted in April, but no refund since.

On the phone, the Reservations, Mileage Plus, Customer Care, and Refunds departments all asked no more than one question (ticket confirmation number) before transferring me to another dept. Finally the Web Help Desk dept actually asked me three questions, found my receipt and the charge, and filled out a web refund request form for me. Though she was genuinely helpful, my only follow-up available is to go to the website and request a status of my refund - there is no dept that "owns" the problem.

I've already lodged a pending dispute with my credit card company, as it has been 2.5 months since the original charge, but ideally I'd like a United person to give a simple yes/no before I pursue final recourse through the bank.

mac7777

I am in a similar situation (30k miles, $600 copay), where miles were redeposited but no money credited to my card. Mine has only been 3 weeks, but I spent an hour on the phone with 4 people from 3 different departments, and no one could help me in the end (eventually transferred me somewhere with a 1.5 hour stated wait and I hung up).

I have filled out a refund form online, but I as well would love to know if there is something more that can be done.

mac7777

reddirt14

Sigh - I can't believe we have to request it and it's not done automatically. When you fly United these days you really are part of the company...well you are a worker, anyway. Pretty much have to do every step for them. Unbelievable!

eflyte

It took me about a month and several phone calls. My recommendations:

1) Someone will view your online request at some point, but it may be 2 months from now (I eventually got a response about 8 weeks after I forced the refund)

2) Call. If you get an agent who sounds like (s)he's in India hang up and try again later. The off-shore agents seem to not know how to (or not be empowered to) solve problems. The one I got told me I would have to be transfer to 2 different desks to separately handle the mileage and $ refunds. After being transferred to the first desk I was told to fill out the online form. I got the message and said goodbye.

3) When you do get a domestic agent, it may take 30-45 minutes but they should be able to straighten it all out for you. My reading based on the pattern and timing of my being placed on 'hold' is that the agent I was working with was calling the same MP desks that the off-shore agent had tried to transfer me to, but she was providing all the info and working to have the situation resolved in real time. 24 hours later I had my miles and $ back.

Good luck!

mlx52

Has anyone tried disputing the charge with their credit card company and have it work? AMEX is usually pretty good with these things.

Have a miles + copay situation coming up in the next few weeks for C to F and it's not looking good. If it doesn't post back thinking about just disputing the charge.

ibuyyoufly

I've got a question and for the life of me I can't remember. I don't remember ever having to take initiative to get back miles, ecerts, UG's, etc, pre-3/3 at pmUA. Didn't Apollo only take them away if you used them? In other words, not "ahead" of using them, e.g. wait lists.

UAkls

And after a reasonable amount of time (two weeks?), you should request the money be returned with interest. UA cannot keep your money as a coerced interest free loan.

After a longer period of time (four weeks?), I would classify it as theft.

This is the most outrageous policy of the new UA.

StingWest

Yes, the miles for an upgrade were taken when you wait-listed for the upgrade, but came back fairly quickly and reliably if you didn't clear. They didn't charge you the $$ for the upgrade co-pay unless it cleared.

cfischer

I'd say after 2 weeks dispute it with the credit card company and file a DOT complaint.

magendim

I applied for a miles + copay upgrade prior to 3/3 with the flight in April and had the same issue. Thought I hadn't gotten either refunded so I applied for the refund via web (nice that the chase statement has the ticket numbers on it) and also called MP. For some reason I had not seen the mileage redeposit but there is was about three weeks after the flight. I had inquired about the credit card reimbursement and she said to give it about a week and call back if I haven't gotten it. Sure enough, about 1 week later I was credited $600 on my CC.

I did do a SWU recently that didn't go through and I noticed on my statement that they immediately credited it back to my account the day after that flight was completed so it seems like they are getting a bit better at the redeposits...

bmr12

Chargeback, chargeback, chargeback. Preferably on UA's banking masters credit card issuer, Chase. Eventually Chase will get tired of the millions they have to spend dealing with UA's non-refunds and get UA to fix it.

bmr12

Following up my own reply, there's probably a juicy class action lawsuit in the making here too, since the issue is obviously systemiic. Just a thought for the UA legal department.

keisari

pmCO used to take very long to reimburse the miles and copay but usually a couple of calls and it was done.
since the merger it is taking much longer.
The last time I had to call 3 times until I got somebody who actually seemed to know how to manually do it. She was very helpful.
Next time I give miles and copay, I will call twice and then call my credit card. I have Chase Pres Plat card and customer service there is superb.
There is no excuse for this "glitch" except the fact that they want to keep your money a little longer and maybe hope you forget about it.

JFKSFOLAX_friend

This is exactly what I would do. ^

ibuyyoufly

I wonder. Do we think the customer should have to make contact with the company to get money/miles refunded (miles are money too) when the service had not been performed? I don't think they have to. Shouldn't the initiative have to come from the company? So maybe a healthy audit would show they kept money they shouldn't have therefore leading to a class action lawsuit.

Again, wondering.