Dear Mr Hafner, CEO of Kayak - Please explain.
On Nov 21 I purchased a ticket from the Kayak web site and was issued this reference BAU-1312538. Email is below. My credit card was charged and I received an email saying Vayama was processing my order and will send me my ticket details.
I then received an email from BudgetAir with Airline reference: VHM87O for my flight on Nov 26. Later that day I received another email from BudgetAir saying my booking had been cancelled. Since I had not booked or paid for anything with BudgetAir, I ignored this email under the belief that this email was probably the result of an alternate search via Expedia.
On Nov 25, I attempted to check into my flight online only to discover that I was not on the flight. I called the number provided in the Kayak email and got a Vayama rep after 15 mins on hold. She said, in a very irritated and rude manner, that I need to call BudgetAir. I asked why, and she said my booking was with them.
BudgetAir told me that although my credit card had been charged, they cancelled the booking because when they tried to purchase my ticket it was more expensive than the price I was quoted via Kayak!
What? Sorry, but isn't the price you pay your suppliers your business? Your customers don't really care. Shouldn't you be taking steps to manage your risk and ensure that your quotes can be honoured? If you make a mistake, shouldn't you pay for it, not your customer? Call me crazy! Everyone I've told so far had the same response. I doubt they will be booking anything via Kayak.
Your service desk had no manager available to explain to me what on earth was going on. I had to immediately book another ticket directly with the airline in the last minute. Fortunately I got a seat and at the same price quoted by Kayak.
So I'm really confused. What exactly is the value you add? What business are you running?
Please explain:
- How can I purchase a ticket through Kayak and have another company cancel my booking
- How can I have my credit card charged and be told that the transaction was not valid because the rate quoted to the me was not valid
- How can Kayak quote a price and then not honour it's quote after charging its customer and taking all their personal details
- What value is Kayak adding if customers can get the same deal directly from the airline
- How can Kayak claim to be making it easier for customers by putting them through the above experience and not caring whether their customers were left stranded at the last minute - shouldn't Kayak have called their customer to ensure an alternative was provided
- Isn't it against the law to advertise and sell a product that can't be delivered - I believe it's called false advertising
- How is this different from an Internet scam where money is taken and nothing is provided but a lot of pain
- How do you expect customers to be able to trust you when they are left stranded and unable to get help or an explanation from your team
I offer you the opportunity to answer my questions above and find a way to make this situation right. If I don't hear from you within 5 working days, I will start informing the appropriate authorities and posting my experience as widely as possible. If this is some type of scam, I will ensure my trusted network does not fall into it.
Completely baffled at your company and the experience it has provided…
Neshan Dias
