Ready to Charge Back
Aug 6, 2019, 8:38 pm
#1
Original Poster
Join Date: Oct 2003
Location: Seattle
Programs: AS MVP100K, Hilton Diamond, IHG Gold
Posts: 3,215
Ready to Charge Back
I spent 14 hours today (yes you read that right) trying to straighten out an itinerary I bought an itinerary with lifemiles. Then I cancelled my original booking because an ANA F seat opened which I was then gonna use to snag. It took them 12 hours to get my miles back. Of course by then some other aviation nerd had come and taken the ANA F seat and it was gone.
Ok ok that’s lifemiles.... so I settled on a polaris flight. NRT-IAH-SFO-PDX. But there was a NRT-SFO flight opened with I class with the new polaris seats. I called today to switch to that and was told several things in a series of 2 hours. First the old “it’s not available.” Then I said can you search NRT-SFO and she saw it WAS available. Then I had to write in to them which I gladly did. When the got back to me despite my ticket only being 8 hours old I had to pay $150. I said fine. No response. Keep in mind there is one seat of this left. Then it could be done. Then it wasn’t available. But I was told it doesn’t work like that I. I had someone from the support@lifemiles call me and this was like talking to a wall (and these are the people we send our passports to?) She claimed that it’s available if you redeem it, but not to change it? What????
So I said fine just give me my miles back and I’ll book it. That’ll be $200 even though it’s within 24 hours. They don’t go by 24 hours, they go by midnight she said. And I had booked the ticket at 11:47pm their time, so I had only 13 minutes by their rules to cancel without a penalty.
This is when I really started to get annoyed. Getting angry won’t help because well... it’s Avianca. So I paid the $200 and am hoping to get my $200 to the flights I want. This would never happen at any other airline. I spent thousands canceling and buying, even when I was not suppose to! I just wanted the miles back and am kinda pissed. They did not hold up their end of the terms of 24 hours, and had they done their job and credited the miles back in a timely manner this would be fine.
Instead I’m filled with fines, unnecessary fines, bureaucracy that doesn’t make sense, and a lot of a wasted day that’s gotten me angry. I feel like charging back wouldn’t be bad considering they’ve at the very least broken the 24 hour rule. I’m feeling very alone and very angry.
Don’t get me wrong, I know it’s Avianca and I know what you sign up for when you buy these supposed “miles.” But this has come down to just thievery at this point. Especially the last fee of $200.
Ok ok that’s lifemiles.... so I settled on a polaris flight. NRT-IAH-SFO-PDX. But there was a NRT-SFO flight opened with I class with the new polaris seats. I called today to switch to that and was told several things in a series of 2 hours. First the old “it’s not available.” Then I said can you search NRT-SFO and she saw it WAS available. Then I had to write in to them which I gladly did. When the got back to me despite my ticket only being 8 hours old I had to pay $150. I said fine. No response. Keep in mind there is one seat of this left. Then it could be done. Then it wasn’t available. But I was told it doesn’t work like that I. I had someone from the support@lifemiles call me and this was like talking to a wall (and these are the people we send our passports to?) She claimed that it’s available if you redeem it, but not to change it? What????
So I said fine just give me my miles back and I’ll book it. That’ll be $200 even though it’s within 24 hours. They don’t go by 24 hours, they go by midnight she said. And I had booked the ticket at 11:47pm their time, so I had only 13 minutes by their rules to cancel without a penalty.
This is when I really started to get annoyed. Getting angry won’t help because well... it’s Avianca. So I paid the $200 and am hoping to get my $200 to the flights I want. This would never happen at any other airline. I spent thousands canceling and buying, even when I was not suppose to! I just wanted the miles back and am kinda pissed. They did not hold up their end of the terms of 24 hours, and had they done their job and credited the miles back in a timely manner this would be fine.
Instead I’m filled with fines, unnecessary fines, bureaucracy that doesn’t make sense, and a lot of a wasted day that’s gotten me angry. I feel like charging back wouldn’t be bad considering they’ve at the very least broken the 24 hour rule. I’m feeling very alone and very angry.
Don’t get me wrong, I know it’s Avianca and I know what you sign up for when you buy these supposed “miles.” But this has come down to just thievery at this point. Especially the last fee of $200.
Aug 6, 2019, 10:04 pm
#3
Original Poster
Join Date: Oct 2003
Location: Seattle
Programs: AS MVP100K, Hilton Diamond, IHG Gold
Posts: 3,215
Well we all need to get something off our chest. But every word of it happened. My business colleague asked about the hold music “are we taking Spanish classes now.” It was more of would I be justified in charging back? Yeah I get it, it’s lifemiles whatever... but I mean 24 hours turns into 13 minutes really broke the camels back.
Aug 6, 2019, 10:09 pm
#5
Join Date: Oct 2011
Posts: 3,838
Well we all need to get something off our chest. But every word of it happened. My business colleague asked about the hold music “are we taking Spanish classes now.” It was more of would I be justified in charging back? Yeah I get it, it’s lifemiles whatever... but I mean 24 hours turns into 13 minutes really broke the camels back.
Aug 6, 2019, 10:10 pm
#6
Original Poster
Join Date: Oct 2003
Location: Seattle
Programs: AS MVP100K, Hilton Diamond, IHG Gold
Posts: 3,215
My beef is with the 13 minutes turning into 24 hours.
Aug 7, 2019, 4:23 am
#9
Join Date: Oct 2012
Location: Tokyo
Programs: Marriott Plat, HH G,Hyatt E,*A Gold, OW Emerald.
Posts: 3,023
Aug 7, 2019, 4:37 am
#10
Original Poster
Join Date: Oct 2003
Location: Seattle
Programs: AS MVP100K, Hilton Diamond, IHG Gold
Posts: 3,215
I think that’s what they call bait and switch?
Aug 7, 2019, 6:25 am
#11
Join Date: Oct 2012
Location: Tokyo
Programs: Marriott Plat, HH G,Hyatt E,*A Gold, OW Emerald.
Posts: 3,023
Since Lifemiles doesn't charge YQ, and the remaining government taxes will be refunded fully upon cancellation of the ticket, what part of the purchase transaction do you plan to charge back? the $25?
You risk losing all your miles (minimum of the 90,000 miles for this F award), and your account shut down by Lifemiles if you handle this forcefully.
(As per LM T&C, they have the right to terminate your account for whatever reason, even "suspecting irregular behavior")
Just be careful what you wish for.
From T&Cs.
Membership of the LifeMiles Program is a privilege that may be revoked by LifeMiles LTD and/or the Airlines anytime at their sole discretion and without any duty to compensate the member and without acknowledging the mileage accrual summary on the termination date or suspension of the account of the member, in cases including, without limitations, fraud, default and/or any violation of the terms and conditions of the LifeMiles Program, by willful misconduct of the member, or even upon suspecting irregular behavior, fraud or willful misconduct of the member to use or obtaining the benefits of the Program, or when under the judgment of LifeMiles LTD and/or the Airlines, the member causes damaging actions to any asset of LifeMiles LTD and/or the Airlines, its affiliated or subsidiary companies, or any action of verbal abuse and/or physical to any servant, director and/or agent of such entities, whether a liability of the member is determined, civil, penal or otherwise, or any default of any applicable rule, including without limitations, carriage conditions, tariffs or others. Cancellation of such account with result in the loss of all the privileges and/or benefits, award tickets and mileage summary in the member’s account, and the cancellation of tickets issued by redeeming miles and which have not been used, as well as the future participation in the Program.
FYI on your fee breakdown. (LM doesn't charge the $132 YQ)
Aug 7, 2019, 8:10 pm
#12
Original Poster
Join Date: Oct 2003
Location: Seattle
Programs: AS MVP100K, Hilton Diamond, IHG Gold
Posts: 3,215
So, you want to charge back on the taxes and $25 for the polaris flight. NRT-IAH-SFO-PDX. ?
Since Lifemiles doesn't charge YQ, and the remaining government taxes will be refunded fully upon cancellation of the ticket, what part of the purchase transaction do you plan to charge back? the $25?
You risk losing all your miles (minimum of the 90,000 miles for this F award), and your account shut down by Lifemiles if you handle this forcefully.
(As per LM T&C, they have the right to terminate your account for whatever reason, even "suspecting irregular behavior")
Just be careful what you wish for.
From T&Cs.
Membership of the LifeMiles Program is a privilege that may be revoked by LifeMiles LTD and/or the Airlines anytime at their sole discretion and without any duty to compensate the member and without acknowledging the mileage accrual summary on the termination date or suspension of the account of the member, in cases including, without limitations, fraud, default and/or any violation of the terms and conditions of the LifeMiles Program, by willful misconduct of the member, or even upon suspecting irregular behavior, fraud or willful misconduct of the member to use or obtaining the benefits of the Program, or when under the judgment of LifeMiles LTD and/or the Airlines, the member causes damaging actions to any asset of LifeMiles LTD and/or the Airlines, its affiliated or subsidiary companies, or any action of verbal abuse and/or physical to any servant, director and/or agent of such entities, whether a liability of the member is determined, civil, penal or otherwise, or any default of any applicable rule, including without limitations, carriage conditions, tariffs or others. Cancellation of such account with result in the loss of all the privileges and/or benefits, award tickets and mileage summary in the member’s account, and the cancellation of tickets issued by redeeming miles and which have not been used, as well as the future participation in the Program.
FYI on your fee breakdown. (LM doesn't charge the $132 YQ)
Since Lifemiles doesn't charge YQ, and the remaining government taxes will be refunded fully upon cancellation of the ticket, what part of the purchase transaction do you plan to charge back? the $25?
You risk losing all your miles (minimum of the 90,000 miles for this F award), and your account shut down by Lifemiles if you handle this forcefully.
(As per LM T&C, they have the right to terminate your account for whatever reason, even "suspecting irregular behavior")
Just be careful what you wish for.
From T&Cs.
Membership of the LifeMiles Program is a privilege that may be revoked by LifeMiles LTD and/or the Airlines anytime at their sole discretion and without any duty to compensate the member and without acknowledging the mileage accrual summary on the termination date or suspension of the account of the member, in cases including, without limitations, fraud, default and/or any violation of the terms and conditions of the LifeMiles Program, by willful misconduct of the member, or even upon suspecting irregular behavior, fraud or willful misconduct of the member to use or obtaining the benefits of the Program, or when under the judgment of LifeMiles LTD and/or the Airlines, the member causes damaging actions to any asset of LifeMiles LTD and/or the Airlines, its affiliated or subsidiary companies, or any action of verbal abuse and/or physical to any servant, director and/or agent of such entities, whether a liability of the member is determined, civil, penal or otherwise, or any default of any applicable rule, including without limitations, carriage conditions, tariffs or others. Cancellation of such account with result in the loss of all the privileges and/or benefits, award tickets and mileage summary in the member’s account, and the cancellation of tickets issued by redeeming miles and which have not been used, as well as the future participation in the Program.
FYI on your fee breakdown. (LM doesn't charge the $132 YQ)
They can throw claims around all they want. I’m not the one who committed fraud, they are. 24 hours means 24 hours not 13 minutes last I checked.
Last edited by NWplatinum; Aug 7, 2019 at 8:22 pm
Aug 8, 2019, 3:00 am
#15
Join Date: Oct 2012
Location: Tokyo
Programs: Marriott Plat, HH G,Hyatt E,*A Gold, OW Emerald.
Posts: 3,023
You don’t know how much money I spent to buy miles and then canceling and then canceling again. And this isn’t the flight I wanted.
They can throw claims around all they want. I’m not the one who committed fraud, they are. 24 hours means 24 hours not 13 minutes last I checked.