(rjivani)
Sarah seems partly jubilant and partly terrified that a travel website failed to make her pay for a round trip flight to Alaska. She wants to protect herself and know whether or not she has to do anything more.
She writes:
Back in March, I used an online travel site to purchase two round-trip tickets from Boston to Anchorage. About a month before our July flights (three months after my purchase), I realized that my credit card was never actually charged for the tickets, despite what the online itinerary/bill showed.I called my bank to see if anyone might know about this delay in billing. The CSR from my bank stated that sometimes online travel sites wait and complete charges closer to the actual travel date. I’ve never seen this happen before, but if the CSR felt that was a reasonable explanation, I was willing to take it at face value. I did not call the Web site (not a conscious decision at the time, but now very much so).
We have now returned from our trip and have been home for a few weeks. Regular checks of the account show that I have still not been charged for the tickets.
Questions:
How long before I can consider that money mine and there for saving/spending? My BF and friends suggest six months from the date of the original online transaction.
Alternatively, is it incumbent on me to contact the company and let them know that, despite what their receipt says, I have not actually paid for those tickets?
Does anyone know what the rules are in this situation? What have you done if a company has let you off the hook for a credit card charge?
UPDATE: It turns out Sarah did pay for the tickets after all. She sends this follow-up:
So, I am an idiot. I called today and while talking to a CSR at the travel site, discovered that my card had been charged twice (once for each ticket), not once for the lump sum. The receipt I had only reported the lump sum, and when I failed to see that amount on my credit card transaction list, I assumed I had not been charged. This is why I am an idiot.No harm, no foul, but am glad that so many people called me out on my potentially unethical behavior. The comments were right. I should have called the travel company as soon as I thought I hadn’t been charged for the tickets. Public shaming works!
In the end, they have their money (as they should), and I have more money than I thought! It’s a double bonus.
Thank you for posting my message on Consumerist. I got a good drag through the mud and I loved every minute of it. (Although I have to admit I got a good laugh from the Dutch poster who sad, “Too bad for the gnomes.”)
Interesting. Just for investigative purposes….what is the name of the website?
Not sure why there is a conundrum here.
Q1 – How long before I can consider that money mine and there for saving/spending?
A1 – Never.
Q2 – is it incumbent on me to contact the company and let them know that, despite what their receipt says, I have not actually paid for those tickets?
A2 – Absolutely.
The honest thing to do is the call the company, tell them about their error and when they bill you properly, pay it.
its there money. they have 10 years to get it.
for the record, i disagree that the onus is on her to call. would be nice, but its not required, but that is not her money.
As far as being hesitant because of worry that she may be charged later is understandable. But if it’s simply because the company forgot to charge her and she will no longer have to worry about it, I say she just drops it. Like a customer is responsible to pay a bill at a restaurant or for utilities, the companies need to be responsible for charging them and keeping track. you walk out on a bill and you may see cops, they should just bite the bullet on their mistakes.
I am a rubber stamper/paper artist and I often go to conventions where there can be up to 300 vendors. In the last 5 years at least three vendors never charged me. The problems are-the vendors credit card machine did not list their names on the swipe thru, they had me sign the receipts and said they would enter the info by hand later via phone (wifi access is awful in these conventions) . I have held onto these receipts but nary a try from them to collect. It bothers me because I have no way to trace them either. When I make a purchase at the conventions (think Comic Con but way less geeky), I put my purchase in a back pack but the receipts in my wallet with my cards. So they were separated long before I knew something was amiss. Some of these vendors barely break even at the shows after all the travel expenses and sign up fees to sell. I would gladly hand over the several hundred dollars I spent if there was a way to find the people I owe. They at least have my credit card number and could pass that to Visa. But I dont even have a vendor name on the receipts. So it bothers me…. a lot.
“In the end, they have their money (as they should), and I have more money than I thought! It’s a double bonus.” — OP
That is as much of “double bonus” as refund of the overpaid tax is extra money.
OK, I am taken back by the original post AND the update.
1. “About a month before our July flights (three months after my purchase), I realized that my credit card was never actually charged for the tickets.” REALLY? You did not happen to look at your statements for months and notice you didn’t see a charge for airline tickets??
2. Then the OP discovers they were charged, but for each ticket seperately. UM, not any better. Again, you looked over your statements, didn’t spot any charge from the travel company, called customer service, wrote the Consumerist and then realized you were charged… way back when.
Sounds like the OP does not have a very firm grasp of their finances AND had a credit card statement of charges so long each month that it is too exhausting to find two airlines charges on the bill.
There is SO much said by what is not said here.
Wow. After reading the update, I gotta say, Sarah, you’re a classy broad. Takes a real measure of courage to stand up and take your licks so gracefully on a public forum. May you have many happy vacations in the future!
I would have cancled the card when I got back from my trip.