Makemytrip

I am writing a very detailed, lengthy description so that people may understand what they should not do or what they should look out for. Apologies in advance!

I recently booked tickets for Mumbai to Hyderabad using this makemytrip portal.

At first I tried to book using an SBI debit card for Mumbai-Hyderabad, 5th Februray 2009 by Indigo airlines. After submitting all the details, the browser page came up with "Internet explorer cannot find the page". The refresh button resulted in the “webpage expired” message. I went back and tried to do the same transaction again and I kept on getting the message that "Transaction failed" everytime I clicked on "continue with payment" after selecting SBI debit card.

I was puzzled (and the notification in red simply said "Transaction failed") and chose credit card (visa) and completed the transaction with Andhra Bank visa card. When I finished the transaction and chose to print the ticket, I found two bookings (identical) with same passenger names and same flight and two PNRs.

In effect, what happened is that the debit card transaction that I tried first time apparently went through but I was not notified.

Note this: On the same flight, between the same airports, on the same date and time, two sets of **identical names with same address.

*Incidentally, I have four mails sitting in my mailbox telling me that the transaction has failed and asking me to use a credit card or some other debit card. There is nothing about “you just used this card for a similar transaction.”

So I immediately sent an email to their service centre, called up the service centre, and spoke to one Ms. Kanika. I told her about what happened. What followed is ridiculous.

The reply I have been getting for the past six days has been this (at the call centre):

1. We have received your mail.

   
   




2. We at the call centre cannot do anything.

   
   




3. Our technical team is working on it.

   
   




4. Although we cannot help you, we can cancel one of the PNRs, and levy the cancellation penalty on you.

   
   




5. If our technical team eventually finds that you are not lying, then we will refund the cancellation amount to you.

   
   

Here are the questions I have for the portal managers and also some observations:

1. Would anyone, unless clinically insance, intentionally book two tickets on the same flight, between the same airports, on the same date and time, with identical names and address? I do not know of any bank that offers credit and debit cards to such people.

   
   




2. How long does it take this so called technical team to see through such a small issue when it is apparent? They have not even replied asking a few questions if need be and verify any matters if they have any doubts. **Nothing at all. Does it really take six days to quickly look through and make a few quick verifications (if needed), and make a decision? One has to be really incompetent, disorganized or both to be so slow in an online business.

   
   

*3. My own experience a year ago shows that they behave in a less-than-trustworthy manner when refunding the amount. Last year, my Air Deccan flight (booked through this portal) got cancelled by the airline, and the airline told me that makemytrip will refund my money since I booked through them. It took threee months for the refund to come through. I did not make a fuss at that time but this time I am fed up.

1. When I see the experiences of other complainants here, I know I am not alone. It is not how many comments appear here on this site, it is a matter of how many did not appear only because people are not aware of such fora.

I am of the firm view that this is a less than trustworthy operation, taking too long to refund money, and trying to keep some money by way of cancellation and future refund, citing the technical team.

This is what we call managers hiding behind the skirts of the hapless call centre operators who, in the , have to deal with angry customers.

My peeve is not about their mistake. Mistakes can happen on either side. What infuriates me is their obstinacy and unwillingness to be responsive, and I have no other conclusion than to agree with some of the observations on this site that they want to keep your money for sometime, or forever, if you give them a chance.

For what it is worth, one piece of advice: Be extremely careful while using this portal. It may not always be a bad experience but if you make one innocuous mistake, they take you for a ride as if they have just been waiting for you to do that. They are not customer oriented, and they do not know what service is.

I shall appreciate it if anyone here can advise me on (a) any governmental agency/ body with which I can formally lodge a complaint on such matters, and (b) any other action I can take. It is not the money now but just to make sure that people know about it and can avoid feeling miserable when dealing with such an unresponsive organization.