May 7, 2015, 2:48 pm
Last edit by: J.Edward
Appears post-15 April 2015 (related to 2015 MileagePlus Change-No more inherited benefits from higher status accounts ?) award itineraries booked from elite accounts are being charged the passenger's status level fee for redeposit. This is contrary to
Update 7 May 2015
December 2015 - it appears the bug is back. 1Ks/GSs report being charged award redeposit fees and close in ticketing fees. Call into UA to request a refund if you are incorrectly charged a fee.
Fee level is based on the MileagePlus status of the member whose miles were used to book the award.
Update 7 May 2015
Hi everyone, please see an update below on this topic:
A relatively small number of our Premier members have been incorrectly charged redeposit fees for award tickets they've elected to cancel. Any number of members charged in error is unacceptable to us and we are working on a fix that will include automatic refunding of those charged in error. In the meantime, we encourage members who were incorrectly charged to visit united.com to request a refund.
-UA Insider
A relatively small number of our Premier members have been incorrectly charged redeposit fees for award tickets they've elected to cancel. Any number of members charged in error is unacceptable to us and we are working on a fix that will include automatic refunding of those charged in error. In the meantime, we encourage members who were incorrectly charged to visit united.com to request a refund.
-UA Insider
1K/GS Incorrectly Charged Award Redeposit Fee? - Yes [New Glitch as of DEC 2015]
Apr 21, 2015, 1:06 am
#1
Original Poster
Join Date: May 2006
Location: MYF/CMA/SAN/YYZ/YKF
Programs: COdbaUA 1K MM, AA EXP, Bonbon Gold, GHA Titanium, Hertz PC, NEXUS and GE
Posts: 5,839
1K/GS Incorrectly Charged Award Redeposit Fee? - Yes [New Glitch as of DEC 2015]
All,
I was looking at my recent CC charges and noticed a random $200 charge from UA from 2 days ago, which made no sense. I hadn't changed a ticket and certainly hadn't authorized a $200 charge of any kind on UA on 4/18.
So, I called up. The agent said it was a mileage redeposit fee, for a ticket I had redeposited and then replaced for my fiancee. I found this strange, seeing that 1K accounts don't have redeposit fees, including for redemptions for other people, and that the website didn't ever suggest a redeposit fee (something that was a problem a couple years ago, but hasn't been since), and I certainly didn't authorize one. Further, the agent went and looked up the rules and nothing has changed, so she sent out the refund and said she would issue a bug report to IT.
So, if you have any redeposits for people other than yourself, watch them like a hawk for a while. It seems like whatever they did to get rid of inherited status had the unintended consequence of doing this.
I was looking at my recent CC charges and noticed a random $200 charge from UA from 2 days ago, which made no sense. I hadn't changed a ticket and certainly hadn't authorized a $200 charge of any kind on UA on 4/18.
So, I called up. The agent said it was a mileage redeposit fee, for a ticket I had redeposited and then replaced for my fiancee. I found this strange, seeing that 1K accounts don't have redeposit fees, including for redemptions for other people, and that the website didn't ever suggest a redeposit fee (something that was a problem a couple years ago, but hasn't been since), and I certainly didn't authorize one. Further, the agent went and looked up the rules and nothing has changed, so she sent out the refund and said she would issue a bug report to IT.
So, if you have any redeposits for people other than yourself, watch them like a hawk for a while. It seems like whatever they did to get rid of inherited status had the unintended consequence of doing this.
Last edited by J.Edward; Dec 14, 2015 at 6:12 am Reason: Update title
Apr 21, 2015, 1:34 am
#2
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Jul 2003
Location: BOS, PVG
Programs: United 1K and 1MM, Marriott Ambassador
Posts: 10,000
This has been going on since system integrated.
As recently as last week, I saw this happened:
1) Miles never got redeposited after 14 days. Had to call MPSC.
2) When tried to cancel an award online, the system tried to charge me $200 fee as 1K.
3) Tried to cancel an award ticket, but got an error message instead.
As recently as last week, I saw this happened:
1) Miles never got redeposited after 14 days. Had to call MPSC.
2) When tried to cancel an award online, the system tried to charge me $200 fee as 1K.
3) Tried to cancel an award ticket, but got an error message instead.
Apr 21, 2015, 4:34 am
#3
Join Date: Jan 2000
Location: SMF
Programs: UA 1K MM, AA EXP
Posts: 1,537
Happened to Mrs Lurker (1K) today too.
She and I have been redepositing mileage awards (many times a year) for over 15 years and this is a first for either of us. Maybe old news for you but maybe there is a recent "surge"?
Lurker
She and I have been redepositing mileage awards (many times a year) for over 15 years and this is a first for either of us. Maybe old news for you but maybe there is a recent "surge"?
Lurker
Apr 21, 2015, 7:18 am
#5
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Aug 2002
Location: Bay Area, CA
Programs: UA Plat 2MM; AS MVP Gold 75K
Posts: 35,068
Pretty much any transaction with this carrier has to be audited. Tickets don't always ticket, refunds don't always post, WiFi gets charged in triplicate, and so on.
I had a redeposit a couple weeks ago, it was 2 pax on one PNR, and the credit ard was refunded for 1 but not the other. How that happened, who knows.
I had a redeposit a couple weeks ago, it was 2 pax on one PNR, and the credit ard was refunded for 1 but not the other. How that happened, who knows.
Apr 21, 2015, 8:47 am
#6
Moderator, Omni, Omni/PR, Omni/Games, FlyerTalk Posting Legend
Join Date: Oct 2004
Location: Between DCA and IAD
Programs: UA 1K MM; Hilton Diamond
Posts: 67,129
File a DOT complaint. If UA is charging your credit card for a charge they never presented to you and which you never authorized, that's a significant infraction.
Apr 21, 2015, 10:28 am
#8
Suspended
Join Date: Apr 2015
Programs: Hyatt Platinum, Marriott Gold
Posts: 37
They should pull this trick on 3/31, boost Q1, then refund the "accidental charge" on 4/2.
Apr 21, 2015, 10:36 am
#9
Join Date: Mar 2002
Location: Alameda, CA, USA
Posts: 799
This also happened to me just yesterday! I cancelled an awards ticket issued from my 1K account and today I reviewed my credit card charges and saw a $200 UNITED charge! When I cancelled the ticket there was nothing noting a fee for the cancellation! Strange how United can just charge for something that wasn't authorized?
Apr 21, 2015, 10:43 am
#10
Join Date: Jul 2003
Location: SFO
Programs: COdbaUA Platinum 2MM
Posts: 5,532
It happened to me a few months ago as well. One PNR with single PAX (non-status) miles were redeposited correctly. Another PNR with two PAXs (also non-status) miles were redeposited and UA charged me $200 twice even though I am platinum. CSR could not understand either. She asked me if this was done online, which was the case. Maybe I should call in to cancel in the future to avoid this error again.
Apr 21, 2015, 10:51 am
#11
Join Date: Jan 2009
Location: LHR (sometimes CLE, SFO, BOS, LAX, SEA)
Programs: UA 1K
Posts: 5,893
The guy inside at the counter got really upset when I wondered aloud how often his colleague had incorrectly charged the fee and how many people had missed it. "That would be unethical," he said. Well, yes.
Is it ethically wrong to design systems that are flaky and occasionally fail in the company's favor?
Apr 21, 2015, 11:00 am
#12
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Jul 1999
Location: Ewa Beach, Hawaii
Posts: 10,909
In a recent Budget Rent A Car experience, I was incorrectly charged a "fuel service fee" for driving under 75 miles even though I showed the guy my fuel receipt. He refused to fix it and sent me inside to get them to refund the fee, which turned a painless one-minute return into a ten-minute process.
The guy inside at the counter got really upset when I wondered aloud how often his colleague had incorrectly charged the fee and how many people had missed it. "That would be unethical," he said. Well, yes.
Is it ethically wrong to design systems that are flaky and occasionally fail in the company's favor?
The guy inside at the counter got really upset when I wondered aloud how often his colleague had incorrectly charged the fee and how many people had missed it. "That would be unethical," he said. Well, yes.
Is it ethically wrong to design systems that are flaky and occasionally fail in the company's favor?
Apr 21, 2015, 11:10 am
#13
Moderator, Omni, Omni/PR, Omni/Games, FlyerTalk Posting Legend
Join Date: Oct 2004
Location: Between DCA and IAD
Programs: UA 1K MM; Hilton Diamond
Posts: 67,129
It happened to me a few months ago as well. One PNR with single PAX (non-status) miles were redeposited correctly. Another PNR with two PAXs (also non-status) miles were redeposited and UA charged me $200 twice even though I am platinum. CSR could not understand either. She asked me if this was done online, which was the case. Maybe I should call in to cancel in the future to avoid this error again.
Apr 21, 2015, 11:34 am
#15
Join Date: Feb 2013
Location: SFO
Programs: UA GS 1MM
Posts: 117
This drives me nuts. I have to call for redeposit whenever I change/cancel a trip. When redeposited, they go back into account at the end of the queue. So RPUs and GPUs with last expiration date are used before sooner expiring ones.