Duty free failed to arrive
#1
Original Poster
Join Date: Jun 2008
Location: LHR/BHX
Programs: UA Gold
Posts: 85
Duty free failed to arrive
My daughter boarded a UA 744 yesterday (SFO-LHR) but the duty free hadn't turned up at the jetway. She checked back twice during the boarding and was reassured by the FA's - "Oh, sometimes they're running late and they bring it to you on board". Doors closed for an on-time departaure and still no sign of the cigs and booze. Daughter was NOT happy, but nothing compared to the fellow-passenger who'd spent 500 bucks! FA said that the guy from Dfs had been paged but never showed up.
Apparently Dfs credit your card - hope that's so!
Is this sort of thing a regular occurence at US international terminals? I know if I was the Dfs Sales Director I'd be less than happy with the minimum-wage trolley pusher who caused us to have to put 1,000's of $$ worth of goods back on the shelves and credit the cards.
Note to self - NEVER pay cash. How're you ever gonna get that back!! ???
Apparently Dfs credit your card - hope that's so!
Is this sort of thing a regular occurence at US international terminals? I know if I was the Dfs Sales Director I'd be less than happy with the minimum-wage trolley pusher who caused us to have to put 1,000's of $$ worth of goods back on the shelves and credit the cards.
Note to self - NEVER pay cash. How're you ever gonna get that back!! ???
#2
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Jul 1999
Location: ORD/MDW
Programs: BA/AA/AS/B6/WN/ UA/HH/MR and more like 'em but most felicitously & importantly MUCCI
Posts: 19,725
Your daughter shouldn't wait for DFS to fess up but call her credit card and contest the charge ASAP. Technically DFS has stolen her money here. Was it the whole plane that missed its duty-free bags, or just a couple of pax?
#3
Original Poster
Join Date: Jun 2008
Location: LHR/BHX
Programs: UA Gold
Posts: 85
Nobody got their duty-free, because the muppet never turned up. Maybe he's still stood on the jetway now? - at the wrong gate!!
#5
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Join Date: Aug 2010
Location: DCA
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Posts: 50,262
OP - Don't be silly. Call the store, ask for the credit. DF hasn't "stolen" anything as others suggest, DF just missed the flight, that's all. Needless to say, if they don't issue the credit, you can contest. But, CC's track # of chargebacks because they are expensive for the CC companies. So, silly to chargeback when it's easily fixed.
Life is too short to spin up about every little mess.
Life is too short to spin up about every little mess.
#6
Original Poster
Join Date: Jun 2008
Location: LHR/BHX
Programs: UA Gold
Posts: 85
Thanks Often1. Daughter's in UK and store's in US - which will often be the case in this scenario - so an international call is needed, which is expensive and inconvenient. However, the purpose of my post was to enquire if this is a regular occurence in the US and to caution against using cash. You're hardly going to fly back there to ask for your money back!
#7
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Jul 1999
Location: ORD/MDW
Programs: BA/AA/AS/B6/WN/ UA/HH/MR and more like 'em but most felicitously & importantly MUCCI
Posts: 19,725
It's also too short to expect big companies to self-correct when they commit grievous errors. Why should the OP have to place an overseas call at his/her own expense to fix this? Dispute the charge via a quick local call and let others sort it out.
#8
Join Date: Jan 2005
Location: Vancouver, Canada
Programs: United MileagePlus Silver, Nexus, Global Entry
Posts: 8,803
Not showing up is rare, but showing up late or very late, is common. On my last trip out of SFO they were already boarding zone 3 before the cart showed up. Part of the issue is the duty free store (or kiosk) is staffed with one person and they have to close their kiosk and head to the flight, which they can't do if they're serving other customers. I remember last year at LAS running back to the kiosk demanding my stuff telling them my flight was boarding. The flustered staffer had to close her kiosk while several puzzled customers continued to try to ask her dozens of detailed questions about scotch, none of which she could answer.
Adding to the problem is the fact that many US airports don't have "International Terminals" so you can't just take your purchases with you. As there are both domestic and int'l flights departing from a given terminal you're dependent on a clerk pushing up a cart.
It's pretty much to the point where I don't buy duty free departing the USA any more - Not worth the stress.
#9
Join Date: Apr 2007
Location: BOS
Programs: UA, Hertz Gold, AA Gold, DL Silver
Posts: 825
Thanks Often1. Daughter's in UK and store's in US - which will often be the case in this scenario - so an international call is needed, which is expensive and inconvenient. However, the purpose of my post was to enquire if this is a regular occurence in the US and to caution against using cash. You're hardly going to fly back there to ask for your money back!
Perhaps I'm dreaming here, but is it possible the store reversed all the charges when they didn't make the flight?
#10
Original Poster
Join Date: Jun 2008
Location: LHR/BHX
Programs: UA Gold
Posts: 85
....is it possible the store reversed all the charges when they didn't make the flight?
#12
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I know SFO doesn't think so.
#15
Join Date: Jan 2005
Location: Vancouver, Canada
Programs: United MileagePlus Silver, Nexus, Global Entry
Posts: 8,803
This happens all over the place though - at ORD you'll have a flight to Frankfurt parked next to a flight to Des Moines. Ditto DEN.