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Why do they make things so difficult?

By sven (Wed Feb 04, 2004 at 09:27:28 PM EST) (all tags)

It shouldn't be difficult to get a refund for a tour that gets cancelled. And it shouldn't be difficult to find a fair price for a scanner or rail pass without looking overseas.

The Contiki refund saga

Since Contiki are bastards, I need to get a refund from them. It should be a simple matter of getting back all them money we paid to go on their tour. But now the travel agent is telling me that they will only refund the wholesale rate that they pay to Contiki, but won't be refunding their profit margin. To get that back, we have to claim it off our travel insurance. That's not right at all.

The currency conversion rip-off

If a scanner costs US$99, it should cost around A$130 in Australia. Not $363, $389, or $353. Since nobody in the US delivers scanners overseas, the only solution is to get people from work to buy one for me while they're in the US next week.

If a Eurail pass costs US$276, it should cost around A$363 in Australia. Not $435. Luckily eurorailways.com is quite happily to take my US$276 and deliver to Australia. Hooray for international commerce!

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Why do they make things so difficult? | 13 comments (13 topical, 0 hidden) | Trackback

Scanner prices by Herring (6.00 / 4) #1 Wed Feb 04, 2004 at 09:46:53 PM EST

The US doesn't want to export dangerous technologies. It's that simple. Terrorists in other countries could use them to scan pictures of breasts and send them to the US causing their whole society to collapse.

Something about cheese

When I lived in Perth... by Metatone (5.00 / 1) #2 Wed Feb 04, 2004 at 09:52:01 PM EST

I found AUian prices for IT gear to be tremendously distressing. Especially for stuff that was readily available in Singapore/Malaysia. Cameras on the other hand were closer to Asian prices, but I guess they are a bit more portable...

That's outrageous! by Rogerborg (5.00 / 1) #3 Wed Feb 04, 2004 at 10:45:12 PM EST

Don't support that kind of gouging. You should buy an Australian-made scanner instead.

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Metus amatores matrum compescit, non clementia.

: Excellent plan! by sven (3.00 / 0) #10 Thu Feb 05, 2004 at 03:36:57 PM EST

You should buy an Australian-made scanner instead.
Yes. Sadly there aren't many to choose from. None, in fact.

--
harshbutfair // you know it makes sense
[ Parent ]

Take the Fuckers to Small Claims by creo (6.00 / 1) #4 Thu Feb 05, 2004 at 12:12:31 AM EST

After all they cancelled on you, not the other way around.

Why should you get a black mark on your insurance because of those wankers cancelling on you.

First write them a letter to the Contiki head office explaining what you are going to do. Make it polite but firm. Then if they do not respond by your date hit them with the small claims.

Document all your time you have spent on this and add this at your standard billing rate and tell them you are adding that to the value of the claim, due to their being complete fucksticks (or words to that effect) and the redoing of your arrangements costing you valuable billing time.

Option 2 is: rent a truck, build a huge fertiliser bomb and park it outside their offices. Ensure that you are a long way away before pushing the button. You might consider it a bit extreme, but they have fucked you around, and thus probably have it coming...

Cheers
Creo.

"I shall do what I believe to be right and honourable" - Guderian

Can you speak up a bit? by Echelon (5.00 / 1) #5 Thu Feb 05, 2004 at 12:28:05 AM EST

Sorry, I wasn't listening very carefully - what did you say?

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"Working for your protection in a post 9/11 world"
[ Parent ]

: I'm OK, I'm not a muslim ;-) (NT) by creo (5.00 / 1) #8 Thu Feb 05, 2004 at 12:56:46 AM EST

"I shall do what I believe to be right and honourable" - Guderian
[ Parent ]

Won't work. by Breaker (5.00 / 1) #6 Thu Feb 05, 2004 at 12:33:40 AM EST

They always have some weasel clause in the contract you sign that basically means "we can fuck you royally and unlubricated and you have no means of recourse".

They'll point that out straight off the bat.

You've then got to argue that the contract is unfair , in court. It's unlikely that any judge is going to rip up hundreds of years tradition of contracts being binding just for you.

Of course, the logical answer is to take your business to a competitor that doesn't have a weasel clause on their contracts, but good luck finding them. Yet another way da man gets to stick it to you. And you can also blame the sheeple that consider price as the only factor when handing over their dole cheques, which in turn forces the companies to be so thin on margins and hence having to have bastard policies.

Phew, think I'll go and have a little lie down now.

: Unless things have changed by creo (5.00 / 1) #7 Thu Feb 05, 2004 at 12:55:31 AM EST

The whole point of small claims was exactly for situations like this. There are no lawyers, just a judge who listens to both sides put their stories forward, and then makes a ruling.
It used to cost $20 to get a hearing. If the other party doesn't show they are generally found against. Most smart guys in this situation just refund the money, as its not worth the hassle.
Had a mate score in this when some part time shed crooks tried similar shit. He got to keep the shed and won a monetary judgement.
Mind you this was about 10 years ago, and the tribunal might no longer exist as it used to.
Cheers
Creo.
"I shall do what I believe to be right and honourable" - Guderian
[ Parent ]

Interesting by sven (3.00 / 0) #12 Thu Feb 05, 2004 at 03:49:46 PM EST

I think it's the travel agent (Flight Centre) that's at fault rather than Contiki. As I understand it, Contiki have agreed to refund the full amount that was paid to them. Flight Centre don't want to refund their profit margin, but want us to claim it off travel insurance instead. Dodgy.

You are completely correct that we shouldn't be forced to take a hit on the insurance. I will discuss this further with the travel agent, and if necessary take it further up the Flight Centre chain of command. I might talk to Fair Trading about it as well.

--
harshbutfair // you know it makes sense
[ Parent ]

Eurail pass. by Evil Cloaked User (5.00 / 1) #9 Thu Feb 05, 2004 at 01:00:06 AM EST

Heh. You know that EU residents can get an iter-rail pass, which is similar to a Eurail pass, but more flexible and a lot cheaper? Fun.

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Still, I think most of the problem is just a mental hurdle to overcome, - Cloaked User

I was not aware of that by sven (3.00 / 0) #11 Thu Feb 05, 2004 at 03:41:20 PM EST

Yet another example of how people are paying different prices for the same product. It should be illegal.

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harshbutfair // you know it makes sense
[ Parent ]

: To be fair, by Evil Cloaked User (5.00 / 1) #13 Fri Feb 06, 2004 at 12:09:09 AM EST

European taxes pay for european railways, so I think it's reasonable enough. That is, until you realise that it's all filthy students who've never paid taxes anyway.

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Still, I think most of the problem is just a mental hurdle to overcome, - Cloaked User
[ Parent ]

Why do they make things so difficult? | 13 comments (13 topical, 0 hidden) | Trackback