Problems with Garuda Indonesia Online Bookings
I'm having a problem with Garuda if anyone has any advice for me. Otherwise, I hope just to warn others that Garuda is having major problems with its new online booking system - beware!
On 31 March 2011 I bought an airfare online with Garuda Indonesia. The payment system kept telling me my payment was rejected, please try again. I tried 8 times in all, without any apparent success. But I discovered a week later while routinely checking my bank account that the Garuda booking system had actually debited my account twice for the US$833.08 ticket ($A814.76 from my bank account). They probably would have debited me 8 times except they had sucked my bank account dry after only 2! They didn't even contact me to tell me I had a ticket - no E-ticket, no email - it was just lucky that I happened to check my account!. I had actually been trying to book one ticket for me and one for my partner, but their system put both tickets (on the same flight) in my name (obviously their mistake).
Contacting Garuda was a nightmare involving numerous phone calls and visits to the office. Finally, after 2 weeks of wrangling, they refused to simply change the name on the ticket but offered to refund one of the tickets, saying " I can then buy a new ticket for my partner at the same price as the first ticket". That sounded reasonable, so I agreed to it. On 27 April 2011 they refunded one ticket US$833.08 but due to the exchange rate difference I only received A$774.98 into my account (a penalty to me of $40). Obviously I am not happy with this, as the error was not mine in the first place. I'm pretty much through with dealing with Garuda - they may have the cheapest unrestricted tickets but its just not worth the time and hassle of dealing with their hopelessly faulty systems.
I have asked my bank whether they can just reverse both entries, as the airline has failed to deliver the product I ordered, and am waiting for a response from them, but I suspect they will tell me that I have to sort it out with the airline. Any advice anyone?