Originally Posted by
mgcsinc
As you've described it, multiple agents of United told you otherwise. You should file a DOT complaint.
I 100% agree, when multiple agents make an oral representation, UAL loses the ability to point at its written policies, especially if they are not in the paperwork they gave you. Unless they stapled a piece of paper or circled a clear note in the records they provided you with your claim saying 45 days or go pound sand, they don't have a leg to stand on.
More importantly, the 45 days would not have any impact, unless,
which I seriously doubt, a
45 day limit is in the contract of carriage with the ticket (your contract with UAL). Unless it is they can't impose limits on their own unless they are incorporated in the agreement you made with them for the ticket. Any such limit is not enforceable and frankly laughable. That a company puts something on their website give it as much impact legally to bind you as my typing up a $1,000,000,000 bill and demanding the treasury redeem it for gold. The applicable rule is the statute of limitation in the state where you file, which has certainly not passed.
I would definitely file a DOT complaint, tell them UAL repeatedly told you to hold off they might find and is now denying a claim, never told you to file in 45 days. My guess is you get a call from UAL offering to fix the issue shortly thereafter.
DOT is here:
http://www.dot.gov/airconsumer/file-consumer-complaint Takes 2 minutes to file by e-mail.
If you don't get what you want via DOT, write say you will sue in small claims court unless they pay up....