Ticket Refunds VS010 08Feb

It had been my intention to write my very first trip report on how well the crew on 08Feb VS010 handled a delayed technical. The pitot heater went out and the 21:25 departure became a 02:40. Everything was calm on board, no screaming (on either side), just handled exactly the right way with the flight deck keeping everyone informed. I however had a problem. I was on a quick out Friday, back Sunday trip one to finally get my Gold [:D]and secondly to go and see a Premiership game (don't ask how much Virgin collects off me each year on this). I was travelling PE.
The FSM realized that there was no way I was going to make a 15:00 kick off in the East End - and so at 2 a.m. I was being driven back to the terminal by a very pleasant mechanic.

Today the pleasant experience is not extended when calling the US Flying Club. After having me on hold for thirty minutes (first they said that they couldn't see any notes on the delay on the flight) they then told me that to issue a credit would mean that I'd incur a $200 haircut on the refund. However if I wrote in Customer Service would look at giving me a full refund.

I did ask to speak to a Supervisor but after another 15 minutes she told me that the Supervisors were still all busy and I gave up.

I have this sinking feeling in my heart that the only way to deal with this is to write in and wait. I guess the question is why? And I'm out $400 for a hotel room, $100 for the ticket and the game is on and the opposition have just equalized.[n]

And to think I started off thinking how well the crew had handled all of this (best crew I've seen in a long time and I don't get to fly with them!

Of course when I get the refund it's only going to go on another jaunt for a game...

Sorry to say but hoping for response from US VS is rather hopeless and intensely time consuming. All is outsourced. Sadly, the excellent and well intentioned operators who answer the phone have:
a. A manual
b. a quick patch to a supervisor who is juggling many other calls
c. a direct line to UK VS
d: no system to allow follow through

Choose C. Call Crawley.

Best of luck,
RR[8D]

An update. When submitting a form email was sent back saying that a response would be forthcoming in 21 Days. On the morning of the 21st day a response does indeed arrive. Apologizing for the inconvenience and saying that the correspondence will NOW be sent onto the refund department.

Mumble, mumble. Ways not to encourage your customers.

21 days to figure out that this needed to go to the refund department, even though the subject of the email was 'Request for Refund' [}:)]

Originally posted by ParadiseLost
An update. When submitting a form email was sent back saying that a response would be forthcoming in 21 Days. On the morning of the 21st day a response does indeed arrive. Apologizing for the inconvenience and saying that the correspondence will NOW be sent onto the refund department.

Mumble, mumble. Ways not to encourage your customers.

21 days to figure out that this needed to go to the refund department, even though the subject of the email was 'Request for Refund' [}:)]

Oh dear ... and my experience of the refunds department is that they'll take another month to dole out the lolly owed!

This morning, a credit appeared on my credit card so it does appear as if the refund department moved rather swiftly. Case closed I think.