A Queensland couple have been slapped with a $15,000 credit card bill and have no flights to show for it after an airline worker overcharged their payment method.
Dennis and Pat Amor, from Bundaberg, were eager to book return flights from Hervey Bay to Melbourne – which usually cost $400 – to visit family after two years of separation.
The pair called Qantas on Saturday when the normally straightforward process turned into a nightmare after an employee repeatedly told them their booking was rejected.
In a shock twist of events, the staff member had processed the booking 15 times, racking up a grim debt that is yet to be refunded.
“She wanted the credit card, we gave her the number, and she said it had declined,” Mrs Amor said.
“It‘s never declined and she apparently tried to push it over and over again.”
Concerned about the continuously rejected card, the couple contacted their credit provider MasterCard to discover a hefty $15,000 bill.
“They just said there was a bill of $15,000 on the card, being 15 transactions had gone through, so we were really flummoxed,” Mrs Amor said.
The airline failed to respond to the couple despite multiple calls to amend the payments.
“I eventually got a support member,” Mrs Amor said
“He assured me that he was going to sort it out with their finance team and he would ring me back the same afternoon, or the following day, but he hasn‘t.”
Since the back-and-forth calls, MasterCard has refunded the couple $11,000, but the pair are still owed $4000.
A Qantas spokesperson told A Current Affairthat the airline wasn’t withholding any money from the Amors.
“We are looking into why the customer was charged more than once, but it appears to be an issue with their credit card,” they said.
A MasterCard spokesperson said the credit provider only facilitated payments that were safe and secure.
“Banks are solely responsible for holding customer funds and authorising payments. As a result, any remediation required is the responsibility of Qantas and the issuing bank,” they said.
Since the events, the pair have been told they cannot fly with the airline until the incident is resolved.
“We feel as though we are the only people in Australia that aren‘t allowed to make a Qantas flight,” Mrs Amor said.
“It doesn‘t seem fair to us. We are frustrated. We are angry.”
Determined to see their family, the Amors have had to book alternative flights with Jetstar, lengthening their journey from home.
The couple will now have to travel from their home in Gin Gin to the Sunshine Coast Airport – which takes more than three hours by car – in order to board their flight.
“It‘s about a four-hour journey instead of about 1½ hours,” Mrs Amor said.
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