Bravofly Took My Money Then Did Not Give Me The Flight ...grrrrrrr!!!

[dieseldick]

booked return flight to asia yesterday via skyscanner, bravo flight came up with best return flight so i booked. today i got email stating - Further to our previous communication regarding your booking request, we would like to provide you with more information about why there may still be a transaction pending on your card.

When taking payment, we use a secure standard procedure called “temporary credit limit” where the amount the customer should pay upon booking is simply 'frozen' and not withdrawn from the customer's available funds.

This system is aimed at protecting the customer's funds and whilst it affects the availability of your card, it means that technically no charge is made to your card until your booking is confirmed, it therefore doesn’t have any effect on your interest or clearing period.

Please rest assured that no money has been withdrawn from your account and the frozen credit will be returned according to your bank's timings. Unfortunately this process could take several days and we recommend you contact your card provider for further details.

Should you require any further assistance please do not hesitate to contact us on our Customer Service team*.

but they took the full / total value of the flight from me, i checked my bank today and still no refund ?

[Baldric]

Seems you're not alone

http://www.reviewcentre.com/reviews246146.html

[Sycamore3House]

Sounds a bit like your bank account has been ring fenced for this amount and it will be collected in a few days.

[Buenchico]

Booking flights through any 'aggregator' or 'screenscraper' site is always madness anyway, as:
(a) they often don't find the lowest fares ; and
(b) several airlines will cancel bookings made through such sites:
http://www.theregister.co.uk/2008/08/13/ryanair_screen_scraping_cancellations/
(Budget airlines hate those sites because, unlike bookings taken on their own sites, travellers aren't offered extras such as insurance, which is where a large part of the budget airlines' profits actually come from).

Always book direct with the airline you'll be travelling with. If you need advice about the cheapest routes, etc, simply ask here!

[Islay]

Most banks do not update overnight at weekends so transactions are pending not cleared.

[CrapAtCryptics]

I agree entirely with Chico - I fly a great deal and I`ve never even heard of that company ( one of my main criteria for placing a booking ).

[Prudie]

I've never heard of them either and would never book a 'big' flight not direct through the airline. None of that helps you though. What makes you think the flight isn't booked (so why would they refund you)?

[dieseldick]

i have booked approx 2-4 international flights per year over 10 years through www.skyscanner.com never had 1 single problem. surely i can make a complaint to skyscanner about bravo fly. they advertise live flights, take your money but really they dont even have them at all .

[Islay]

Wish I could afford so many international flights per year!

I suppose the moral of this tale is ensure you book with a reputable company as in the end skyscanner are only a platform and can't be held responsible for the carriers.

[hc4361]

From Skyscanner's terms and conditions:

Your use of the Skyscanner Services and/or Skyscanner Platforms is entirely at your own risk............. we cannot guarantee the reliability or accuracy of such content. We provide the Skyscanner Services and Platforms on an ‘as is’ basis and expressly disclaim all warranties, conditions and guarantees of any kind......

http://www.skyscanner.net/termsofservice.aspx

[dieseldick]

bravo fly told me today they " just froze " money, it was booked on friday morning and paid for, today at 4pm i was in my bank and still no refund from bravo fly.

be warned

[bednobs]

i am not clear - do you have your flight or not?

[Quizproquo]

Returns of this type can take up to 10 working days to show in your account again, depending on the bank. The funds are there, they are just ringfenced. Annoying isn't it.

[Prudie]

Diesel you seem to be skirting the most obvious question we've asked - do you have a flight booked or not?