Broken First Seat
Mar 31, 2017, 5:54 am
#137
Original Poster
Join Date: Mar 2017
Programs: BA Exec Silver
Posts: 64
I after my second complaint to BA about this issue, I was told I would not be given another offer and the matter was final.
During the same weekend Victoria Cohen Mitchell wrote an article in the Observer that painted BA as a declining brand, it received a battering online also: https://www.theguardian.com/commenti...ritish-airways
The Monday after this was published I contacted my credit card company and disputed 100% of the charge - within a week, it was confirmed that my complaint was upheld and I was credited the entire return ticket costs for the flights. In addition, as this dispute was upheld, I was able to keep all of my Avios points and tier points. (A small caveat - the CC company have said that BA have a period in which to prove that the chair was not broken, but as BA confirmed to me in writing that the chair WAS broken, this is very unlikely to be turned over)
A positive result for me, however, I wonder if this is at the consideration of BA from the mauling it received earlier in the week. Call me a skeptic, but as my story has been shared over twitter, Facebook and here, I do wonder if this is potential PR tool for BA of benefit from my news of the refund. This is also timely as BA's First Wing is hitting the forums and being announced.
In short, refund via significant chasing. Could this have been managed better BA? Yes, certainly. If they had have communicated with me a little more positively, I would have been talking to everyone about how positive my experience was and how the First brand existing gloriously in spite of the Guardian article above. Would I fly BA long haul again, doubtful.
Mar 31, 2017, 6:02 am
#139
Join Date: Oct 2003
Location: London
Posts: 3,500
Quite a difference to BA's final offer of Ł100 off a future flight. Glad you got it sorted. ^
Mar 31, 2017, 6:43 am
#142
Original Poster
Join Date: Mar 2017
Programs: BA Exec Silver
Posts: 64
Mar 31, 2017, 6:43 am
#143
Original Poster
Join Date: Mar 2017
Programs: BA Exec Silver
Posts: 64
Mar 31, 2017, 7:03 am
#144
Join Date: Oct 2015
Location: Vale of Glamorgan
Programs: BAEC Gold
Posts: 2,989
I contacted my credit card company and disputed 100% of the charge - within a week, it was confirmed that my complaint was upheld and I was credited the entire return ticket costs for the flights. In addition, as this dispute was upheld, I was able to keep all of my Avios points and tier points.
Mar 31, 2017, 7:05 am
#145
Moderator, Iberia Airlines, Airport Lounges, and Ambassador, British Airways Executive Club
Join Date: Feb 2010
Programs: BA Lifetime Gold; Flying Blue Life Platinum; LH Sen.; Hilton Diamond; Kemal Kebabs Prized Customer
Posts: 63,726
Congratulations beetlebum, can you confirm whether this was a Section 75 claim (for which BA is legally jointly responsible) or a Chargeback (for which it's a contractural not legal process)? It would also be good if you could disclose the credit card company too, but for privacy reasons I can imagine why you may not wish to be open on that one.
Thank you for letting us know the outcome. I doubt the other publicity had anything to do with it, from what I know about how these things work. Small cogs, large wheel.
Thank you for letting us know the outcome. I doubt the other publicity had anything to do with it, from what I know about how these things work. Small cogs, large wheel.
Mar 31, 2017, 7:09 am
#146
Original Poster
Join Date: Mar 2017
Programs: BA Exec Silver
Posts: 64
Congratulations beetlebum, can you confirm whether this was a Section 75 claim (for which BA is legally jointly responsible) or a Chargeback (for which it's a contractual not legal process)? It would also be good if you could disclose the credit card company too, but for privacy reasons I can imagine why you may not wish to be open on that one.
Thank you for letting us know the outcome. I doubt the other publicity had anything to do with it, from what I know about how these things work. Small cogs, large wheel.
Thank you for letting us know the outcome. I doubt the other publicity had anything to do with it, from what I know about how these things work. Small cogs, large wheel.
Mar 31, 2017, 7:14 am
#147
Moderator, Iberia Airlines, Airport Lounges, and Ambassador, British Airways Executive Club
Join Date: Feb 2010
Programs: BA Lifetime Gold; Flying Blue Life Platinum; LH Sen.; Hilton Diamond; Kemal Kebabs Prized Customer
Posts: 63,726
Mar 31, 2017, 7:50 am
#148
Ambassador, British Airways Executive Club, easyJet and Ryanair
Join Date: Sep 2011
Location: UK/Las Vegas
Programs: BA Gold (GGL/CCR)
Posts: 15,913
Some news.
I after my second complaint to BA about this issue, I was told I would not be given another offer and the matter was final.
During the same weekend Victoria Cohen Mitchell wrote an article in the Observer that painted BA as a declining brand, it received a battering online also: https://www.theguardian.com/commenti...ritish-airways
The Monday after this was published I contacted my credit card company and disputed 100% of the charge - within a week, it was confirmed that my complaint was upheld and I was credited the entire return ticket costs for the flights. In addition, as this dispute was upheld, I was able to keep all of my Avios points and tier points. (A small caveat - the CC company have said that BA have a period in which to prove that the chair was not broken, but as BA confirmed to me in writing that the chair WAS broken, this is very unlikely to be turned over)
A positive result for me, however, I wonder if this is at the consideration of BA from the mauling it received earlier in the week. Call me a skeptic, but as my story has been shared over twitter, Facebook and here, I do wonder if this is potential PR tool for BA of benefit from my news of the refund. This is also timely as BA's First Wing is hitting the forums and being announced.
In short, refund via significant chasing. Could this have been managed better BA? Yes, certainly. If they had have communicated with me a little more positively, I would have been talking to everyone about how positive my experience was and how the First brand existing gloriously in spite of the Guardian article above. Would I fly BA long haul again, doubtful.
I after my second complaint to BA about this issue, I was told I would not be given another offer and the matter was final.
During the same weekend Victoria Cohen Mitchell wrote an article in the Observer that painted BA as a declining brand, it received a battering online also: https://www.theguardian.com/commenti...ritish-airways
The Monday after this was published I contacted my credit card company and disputed 100% of the charge - within a week, it was confirmed that my complaint was upheld and I was credited the entire return ticket costs for the flights. In addition, as this dispute was upheld, I was able to keep all of my Avios points and tier points. (A small caveat - the CC company have said that BA have a period in which to prove that the chair was not broken, but as BA confirmed to me in writing that the chair WAS broken, this is very unlikely to be turned over)
A positive result for me, however, I wonder if this is at the consideration of BA from the mauling it received earlier in the week. Call me a skeptic, but as my story has been shared over twitter, Facebook and here, I do wonder if this is potential PR tool for BA of benefit from my news of the refund. This is also timely as BA's First Wing is hitting the forums and being announced.
In short, refund via significant chasing. Could this have been managed better BA? Yes, certainly. If they had have communicated with me a little more positively, I would have been talking to everyone about how positive my experience was and how the First brand existing gloriously in spite of the Guardian article above. Would I fly BA long haul again, doubtful.
The credit card company cannot arbitrarily decide a supplier is liable and to what extent, it cannot simply charge back and think that is the end of it. This charge may well reappear in your account in the future. It depends on what the supplier thinks of the chargeback, and how it wishes to deal with it.
Mar 31, 2017, 8:08 am
#149
Join Date: Feb 2017
Posts: 70
I could very well be wrong but in my (rather limited) experience with chargebacks, the decision once made is final. When I've had to chargeback a purchase, the CC company would usually offer a provision credit that saves you from needing to immediately pay for the charge after the usual statement grace period. The provision credit is then either finalised or overturned when the final decision for the dispute has been made (usually within 90 days). Once it has been finalised, then the dispute is considered closed with no further appeals possible by either side.
So, if the OP's decision was the final decision, then I would imagine that the chances of this matter coming up again in any form is essential non-existent.
So, if the OP's decision was the final decision, then I would imagine that the chances of this matter coming up again in any form is essential non-existent.