I purchased a Lufthansa ticket from ASAP Tickets in June 2020. Because of COVID, my flight was cancelled. I had until January 31, 2021 to request a refund or rebook my flight. On January 31, 2021, I requested a refund from ASAP. The ASAP agent informed me that it would take several weeks to receive the money from Lufthansa because of the backlog of refund requests, so I needed to be patient, but I called ASAP every other week to check on the status. Each time I was informed that Lufthansa had not paid them. Then, on April 30, I called Lufthansa directly and they informed me that they had reimbursed ASAP Tickets on 5 February, 5 days after my refund request was submitted. When I confronted ASAP Tickets, they denied receiving the money and then refused to return any of my calls. I filed a dispute with my credit card company and then an agent from ASAP began to call me to negotiate a settlement, offering a future booking credit if I agreed to pay ASAP a $250 processing fee. Then I learned that ASAP told my credit card company that I was not entitled to a refund since I bought a nonrefundable ticket (and not telling my credit card company that, in fact, Lufthansa had reimbursed me for the ticket, but paid it to ASAP and not to me). Sensing that I was dealing with a company that could not be trusted, I relented and agreed they could skim a $250 processing fee from the amount Lufthansa paid them with the future booking credit, if they paid me the rest. ASAP agreed, but told me that it would take 30-40 days to process payment of my refunds. That was 60 days ago. Now, they refuse to pay me anything, claiming Lufthansa never paid them and demanding that I provide them proof that Lufthansa paid ASAP Tickets (something that is impossible for me to prove). So, Lufthansa does the right thing and refunds my ticket, ASAP Tickets keeps all the money for a flight that was cancelled due to COVID, and I realize a loss of the entire ticket price. I have filed a complaint with the Better Business Bureau and the Federal Trade Commission and feel the need to inform other travelers to avoid doing business with ASAP Tickets.
Posted by
Chicago
8158 posts
How cheap was the ticket? This is the first I have ever heard here on the forum of ASAP tickets.
Posted by
OP
8 posts
$1140. They skimmed $310 as profit, and paid Lufthansa $830. So, they gladly assist me with requesting the refunding from Lufthansa, Lufthansa paid them back the full $830, they lie about not receiving it, and then tell my credit card company I am not entitled to a refund. I can't fly because the flight was cancelled for COVID and they pocket $1140.
Posted by
OP
8 posts
An interesting question, although my purpose of buying the ticket is irrelevant to my point about this travel agency. But, I bought the ticket because I had urgent business to do in Italy. Did in twice, in fact, in 2020 without incident or concern.
Posted by
Tresana, Highlands Ranch, CO, USA
23600 posts
That is one of the big problems when dealing with a third party vendor. I would try for an email statement or something from Luthansa indicating payment. Did you have any email statements from ASAP? If you have statements supporting your story, then I would file a fraud claim with the credit card company. That is a different claim than simply disputing the charge as you have previously done. Now you do need to be able to provide that it was a refundable tickets. You need to hurry because their is a time limit on file a fraud claim with your credit card company.
Posted by
OP
8 posts
Larry,
Your rebuke is received. Yes, I have learned my lesson.
Posted by
OP
8 posts
Frank,
I have been all over my credit card company who is still treating this as a payment dispute. I have 3 separate emails from Lufthansa confirming payment to ASAP, and describing the means for how they paid ASAP (the BSY payment portal).
Posted by
OP
8 posts
And Frank, the refundability of the ticket has already been determined. Lufthansa has already paid the money back. Unfortunately, they had to pay ASAP, not me.
Posted by
Eastern Iowa, USA
7988 posts
While knowing what Lufthansa did and when is good information; they are not part of the equation, your dealings are with ASAP only (never heard of them).
ASAP is probably technically in the right (though yes, morally shaky) to claim that you purchased a non-refundable ticket, so you are not entitled to a refund (you would need to review their T&C's to determine what you are entitled to). The fact that Lufthansa and other Airlines changed their policies, some under Government Order, and allowed liberal cancellation, is besides the point, maybe good for ASAP, but unless they promised the same in their T&C's, they have standing. Same situation others have run into with Air BNB, Expedia, Cheap Flights, or any third party that acts as the middle man, as opposed to having you work directly with the end company.
Posted by
OP
8 posts
Paul, I appreciate your point about Lufthansa not being in the picture, and well I know it. But I am afraid that you and others are missing the point playing armchair lawyer. ASAP has always admitted, to me, that the ticket was refundable. I have it in writing. I have multiple emails from the company saying I was entitled to the refund less their $250 processing fee (which is on the ticket). The issue of refundability is only an issue in that was the lie they told my credit card company who then folded like a cheap suit and reversed my chargeback. The second guessing here by commenters dilutes the main point in that this company admitted to me I was due a refund, facilitated Lufthansa reimbursing their share of the ticket price I paid, brazenly is intending to keep all the money while lying to me that Lufthansa never paid them.
Posted by
California
325 posts
Thank you for sharing your story and I hope you have a positive resolution.
Posted by
Tresana, Highlands Ranch, CO, USA
23600 posts
....And Frank, the refundability of the ticket has already been determined. Lufthansa has already paid the money back. ......
You are missing a huge point and it is critical. You have a contract with ASAP. You do NOT have a contract with Lufthansa. Your transaction is governed by your contract with ASAP. ASAP's contract with Lufthansa is not in play and their contract with Lufthansa might have required near instant refund. Second question that has bearing --- Was ASAP acting as an agent of Lufthansa? Or an independent reseller (travel agent) for Lufthansa and other airline tickets? If it is the latter, your case is more difficult. If ASAP was agent, standing in their shoes, then the refund from Lufthansa would be significant. I think pushing the fraud issue with ASAP is your only option.
PS -- Meant to ask earlier. Who cancelled the ticket -- your or Lufthansa? THAT has bearing.
Posted by
Edmonds, WA 🌨 ☂
11832 posts
Beyond my comprehension that a business that generates 2 complaints per day can get an 'A' rating.
I would have found the sheer number of complaints alarming and looked to buy elsewhere ( i.e., the airline)
Perhaps a complaint with the Calif atty general can get you some traction
Posted by
1 posts
I have used ASAP tickets twice, the first in 2019 from chicago to Germany, no problems
the second was 8/21 and it was a disaster
they quoted me a cheap price to Egypt, I randomly checked my tickets through the airlines website, found out it was cancelled though nobody from ASAP contacted me to tell me,
they said because one of the last legs of the trips was cancelled then my whole ticket (4 people) were be forfeited if I did not pay a rebooking fee of around 400$ to reschedule that flight, so much for the "free exchange" offered on their website
and it was not my request to change. I called the airline and they could not rebook since I bought it through ASAP,
I rebooked it, but they only allotted me a 50 minute layover in Chicago ohare for an international connection to Montreal
they would not book me on an earlier flight unless I paid them more money. after three weeks of multiple call of being nice, I could not take it any more, unfortunately I did not get any movement unless I was yelling and screaming, after going through multiple agents who refused to help, one finally did and rebooked me through another city (Denver to montreal) but still not on the earlier flight time i requested for whatever reason (through Chicago) . Several weeks letter get an email that my connection time is again too short (this time from the air Canada) so asap did rebook me on the original early morning flight to Chicago that I requested earlier. . 2 months of yelling it was finally changed only thanks to air Canada posting an earlier departure time. also, when i checked into the airport, the flight to Denver was cancelled, but fortunately I was already rebooked to Chicago. I am sure my trip would have been ruined, in trying to find a flight that same day in time to arrive in Egypt to catch my organized tour.
I was also told if I missed my connection which I most certainly would have the airline would have not been able to help me in the airport, but I would have had to call ASAP tickets and get rebooked likely with additional fees
it was the worst experience, most agents are likely from overseas, they call you multiple time to sell the ticket but drop you for any customer services issues after the ticket is bought
STAY AWAY pay the extra to go through the airline directly, IT IS NOT WORTH IT
I think they false advertise if problems arise,
also somewhere along the way I notified the BBB, they sent me a letter, the rebuttal from ASAP was false but perhaps it did help as there was some positive movement eventually but with much grief and anger