tusphotog

It doesn't look like this has been fixed...or, I found a new problem.

I'm trying to change a reservation and I keep getting this error:

"There is a problem with your form of payment. Please verify your payment information and try again. If you continue to receive this message, you may wish to try an alternate form of payment or you may contact a Southwest Airlines Customer Representative for assistance at 1-800-I-FLY-SWA (1-800-435-9792). (SW900001)"

I've tried it now a dozen times using TTF/WUTs, the credit card in my profile and a different credit card number. This happens whenever I change a reservation, regardless if there's a new payment that needs to be applied or not. Also, I keep having to input my billing address when using TTF/WUTs to pay for a new reservation. Shouldn't this be stored in my profile? I can auto-fill so it's no big deal, but I don't remember to do this and keep getting a different error message telling me I forgot "required" data.

I still don't like the new site.

SWAVictor

Please PM me with your confirmation number and what the change you are trying to make is. I think this is a new issue that you have uncovered, but we have now heard about this same error from a couple other folks as well.

We would like to try and see if the change works on the old site (in other words is this an issue with the new site, or was it already an issue and we just didn't know about.).

We have a theory about what may be causing this, and looking at your reservation may either prove or disprove the theory.

thanks,
SWAVictor

tusphotog

You have two PMs. I forgot to tell you what the changes were!

mritty

I had a flight scheduled from PIT to ALB on Monday, 9/14. I went to the website to change it to a flight on Sunday, 9/13. The total price was $19 more. I had two sets of TTF at my disposal. One of them was for $2. I entered it and it was accepted fine. The second came from a booking for two people, one conf #, with a total amount of $26. I entered that one, and again, the website accepted it just fine, and showed a total remaining balance on that 2nd TTF of $9. And it showed "additional balance due: $0".

Now on the page, the "Enter Payment Info" had changed from a "choose your credit card" form to an "Enter purchaser contact info" form. I filled in my name and address. I assume the change is due to having a $0 balance due.

I then clicked "Purchase", and I was taken back to the same Change Itenerary Screen with the following error message:
After trying it a couple more times with the same result, I finally called the number and spoke with a reservation agent. I gave her all this info, and she was able to process the change with no issues whatsoever. I asked if she knew why it wasn't working for me, and she replied (to my extreme displeasure) "I don't know what you did wrong, because I can't see what buttons you pushed or didn't push". There is exactly *one* available button. It's "Purchase". I did not do anything wrong. There is/was obviously something wrong with the website. That kind of response from a customer service rep really leaves a sour taste in my mouth. She could have at least pretended to believe me and say something like "I'll open a trouble ticket, sorry for the inconvenience". Grumble.

lougord99

I have found that the change itinery does not work if you are paying for the difference with TTF, just as you found. If you cancel that first flight and then book the new itinery as a new booking and use the old TTF and the new TTF, then it will work. Clearly a bug in the new system. As long as we are talking about bugs, if you book a new flight while logged in and pay with a credit card on file, then you do not need to enter any additional info. However, if you pay for the entire flight with TTF, then you must enter your 'billing info'. It is a little unfair to ask the CSA about the website. They know nothing about it and cannot help you with it.

mritty

I'm not claiming they should know the intracate details of the website. I am, however, asserting that they should be able to tell me "Yes, there's a known issue" or "No, we haven't heard that before" and assure me (even if they're lying) that they'll open some sort of trouble ticket.

This is the phone number I was told to call, on southwest.com, when southwest.com produced an error message. I don't think it's at all unreasonable to expect the person on the other end of that phone to be able to tell me if they know of any existing bug on southwest.com.

SWAVictor

First let me apologize for the frustration that this caused.

Our CS&S Representatives often do have information about known issues on the website, and when they do - they are encouraged to share that information in an open and honest way. Of course, there are thousands of CS&S Reps, and depending on who you get on the phone YMMV - some are more technically inclined than others.

With the new website, we are still addressing issues one at a time as they come in, and not everything is a known issue at this point. This is still no excuse for placing the blame on the Customer for "pushing the wrong button", and I apologize if that is the impression you were given.

Late last week we learned of an issue with changing some existing tickets. The error that you received is the error that is used for that specific issue, and believe it or not it has nothing to do with the new forms of payment that you are adding - it has to do with the ticket you are attempting to change. That ticket is viewed as one of the forms of payment for your new ticket. Technology is aware of this issue, and is working on coding the fix.

Its also important to know that the same error may be used for other "payment processing" issues, so the problem you encountered may or may not be the one we are working on a fix for. When the same error can be used for multiple issues - it is difficult for our CS&S Employees to know what caused the issue. The reason their number is given to you is for assistance with the transaction you are trying to make, and hopefully to report the issue you encountered - but they are not technology Employees, and as such can't always troubleshoot an online issue and get resolution for you. In then end, they can hopefully ensure that you have the flights you need at the correct price.

We are working issues with the new website as quickly as possible, and having time do so is one of the reasons that we have "gated" the release of the new site and didn't simply flip a switch and change the whole thing overnight for 100% of Customers.

Hang in there - we'll get it right!

mritty

Thank you for the explanation and response, Victor. I appreciate it.

Paul Lalli

dc2

SWAVictor,
Today, I ran across the same problem as described by mritty above.
(OOPs! There is a problem with your form of payment. Please verify your payment information and try again. If you continue to receive this message, you may wish to try an alternate form of payment or you may contact a Southwest Airlines Customer Representative for assistance at 1-800-I-FLY-SWA (1-800-435-9792). (SW900001) )
I am assuming it is still an open trouble ticket?

SWAVictor

The original problem is "supposed to be" fixed . . . note that in my original response I mentioned that this same error verbiage could be used for multiple different payment errors.

At this point, we are trying to knock them out one at a time.

YellowDog

I ran into the bug mentioned in this thread. I was able to change my reservation on one ticket, including applying travel funds, and then I couldn't do it on another ticket, so I did the workaround where I canceled it and then rebooked. However, I ran into another bug, where if you try to apply 2 travel funds, and one has an earlier expiration than the other, no matter what order you enter them in, the website will always apply the full amount of the "fresher" travel funds, rather than the "older" travel funds. I didn't have a problem applying the full value of the "older" travel funds first and then the "fresher" travel funds on the old website.

nsx

See this recent thread.

lougord99

Yes, but the bug seems to persist that the 'change ticket tool' is not working properly when you try to apply TTF to the increase in fare. The above poster canceled the reservation and tried to start over, but then had an unused ticket fund, which caused its own problem. If the change ticket tool worked properly, then he would not have had this problem.

lothar1138

Problem still happens. I changed (1) leg of a ticket and ended up with a $26 balance. I applied travel funds for $12 and used a credit card for the remainder and got the same error message. Until I removed the travel funds it would not go through. Very annoying. I did call customer service and put in my number for a call back - but it has been over an hour so I removed the travel funds and it worked. Guess I need to find something else for my $12 of funds

Rock72

Does anyone know what causes this error?

There is a problem with your form of payment. Please verify your payment information and try again. If you continue to receive this message, you may wish to try an alternate form of payment or you may contact a Southwest Airlines Customer Representative for assistance at 1-800-I-FLY-SWA (1-800-435-9792). (SW900001)

I see this error a lot. I am generally trying to change a ticket or buy a new ticket using old funds from a cancelled ticket or unused funds remaining in a confirmation number.

This error has been driving me nuts since I keep running into it for the past few weeks. If anyone has insight, please let me know. Thanks!

Rock