My complaint:
31st august 15.34pm 13mins
I phone to ask for help booking seats which allows me to take a 10kg cabin bag on the plane. A woman gave me a price different to online, although she explained prices can differ it was quite a difference and I felt she was very abrupt and unhelpful. She made me very frustrated in the way she spoke to me, I made it very clear I just wanted to get the information and was not actually booking right this second. After ever word I said she kept repeating “so do you want to book this” or to words of that effect. She was very pushy and made me feel uncomfortable. Once she realised I was not booking right this moment due to the price increase she she hung up the phone on me while I was speaking.
31st august 15.49pm 19mins
I phoned back customer services and was met with an equally as rude man. He gave me completely different prices to the first woman and couldn’t give a reason why this would be. I felt I had been lied to. I asked to speak to a supervisor and he immediately said no one will speak to me, he didn’t even try. He said they don’t speak to customers and if I want to complain I will have to do this online. I asked what would you do if I was elderly or unable to use the internet and he couldn’t answer this. I said I don’t have access to the internet at the moment and he said then I cannot help you. At this point I was fuming and said It’s discrimination and unacceptable. He refused to let me speak to anyone else and then hung up on me.
31st august 16.10pm 9mins
I then decided I will try to complain online. I went to fill out the form and found the only way you can complain is if you have a code, which I didn’t have, as I hadn’t bought a ticket yet. Again this makes it difficult for anyone to complain!
31st august 18.07pm 8mins
I then phoned back yet again and spoke to a lady who agreed that although it’s not reasonable I will need a code to complain online. How ridiculous and unfair! At this point I purchased a ticket just to get my complaint through, which cost me £121.62. Disgusting! I submitted my complaint
1st September 17.31pm 10mins
I phoned back to complain about what I had been through as a result of vueling and the way I had been spoken to by staff and I wanted to chase up on my complaint. I was told a supervisor would call me straight back. Which baffled me as I was told previously I can’t complain on the phone and supervisors do not talk to customers.
1st September 18.55pm 12mins
I phoned back as no one had called me and was assured I would be called as soon as I hang up from this call.
1st September 19.10pm 12mins
I received a call from a male supervisor and I explained everything that happened. He said he would escalate my complaint and I would be emailed a response within a few days.
3rd September 20.37pm 4mins
I called to chase this because again I hadn’t been contacted. I was told someone will call that evening. No one ever called me.
4th September 17.21pm 10mins
I called back yet again because I hadn’t been called back. I had to explain the whole situation again and was assured a supervisor would call me
4th September 17.32pm 32mins
A supervisor (Yolanda) called me, I explained the entire situation again and she was very apologetic. Unfortunately at this point I had gone through so much stress an apology just wasn’t enough. She assured me she would escalate it and check in with me via email the following day just as a courtesy although she said she probably wouldn’t have an answer until Thursday.
7th September 17.37pm 13 mins
I hadn’t received any email or correspondence from Yolanda, so I called again to ask why she didn’t get back to me and if there was an update as today was supposed to be when she would get a response as she stated. They explained that she had emailed me and read this out to me word for word what was said. I don’t know why I didn’t receive this email it was not in my junk box and I checked my email address with her. I asked if there was any
other information and was told not that she could see. Supervisors can see more. I asked if she could ask yolanda to phone me and she said yes she will leave her a note on her desk. She is off today but they usually get one day off so I should hear from her on the 9th.
12th September 18.09pm 11mins
I called because again I had no response via email or telephone. The person I spoke to said there was an email but I hadn’t received this. I asked if she could kindly read this out to me but she point blank refused. I asked why the previous colleague I spoke to read it out to me but she can’t. She was very abrupt and unhelpful. I was so upset and she had no compassion. She then hung up on me while I was still speaking!
12th September 18.21pm 19mins
I phoned again to complain about the previous colleague to my delight Yolanda answered. I asked if she had gotten the note left on her desk and she said no, and that she had the weekend off because it was her birthday. I asked if there was any update and she said no but she will keep an eye on this for me. I explained that I hadn’t gotten her email and she said it may have been mistyped. She emailed me while on the phone and I did receive this. I asked if there can be a note put onto the system for staff to allow me to speak to yolanda as she is dealing with my case and I was not getting consistent information from staff. She was happy to do this.
19th September 11.16am 15mins
I had an incoming call from a supervisor called Ivan. He asked what resolution I wanted and I explained that although I appreciate the apology it wasn’t good enough. I have been through so much stress and been lied to and hung up on so many times not to mention how difficult the process is of complaining and the fact that I felt almost bullied into buying a ticket. Also the amount of money I have spent trying to contact vueling has probably cost me a fortune. I would like compensation because sorry just doesn’t cut it. He assured me he would make me a priority and listen to all the phone calls. I asked when he will respond by because I keep being lied to about waiting for people to contact me and he clearly stated he will try by tomorrow but if not it will be Thursday (21st September. I asked if he can email and call me just incase I don’t receive the email as this happened before. He said yes and we left it at that.
27th September 18.22 19mins
I phoned to chase any response from Ivan as I had not received anything yet. I had left it over a week when he told me he would contact me within 2 days. Again I had to explain the whole story and was told a supervisor isn’t available and one would call me back within 4 hours. I said 4 hours isn’t really good enough as I’ll be asleep by then and I keep being told people will call me back and they don’t. She then said one will call me back within the hour.
27th September 21.21pm
I phoned as no one had called me after 3 hours when I was told it would be within 1 hour. The automated message said your phone lines are open until 22.00pm and then hung up on me. It was 21.21pm!
28th September 12.22 12mins
I phoned to firstly chase the supervisor who had not called me back and secondly to make a further complaint about the phone lines being closed at 21.21pm when clearly it stated they are open until 10pm and I was told this by the staff member too. I asked to speak to a supervisor and was told they are not available at the moment and one will call me back as soon as I hang up. I didn’t trust anyone at this point because this had been said to me so many times before so I broke down in tears because I was so stressed out at people not getting back to me. I made her aware I was recording the call and I wanted a guarantee that they will call me within 10 minutes and she said yes.
28th September 13.02 23mins
40 minutes since my last phone call I called AGAIN because I hadn’t been called back as I expected! I was told there isn’t an English speaking supervisor available so tough luck basically. I broke down again and said it’s not good enough because I’m having to chase everyone. My physical and mental health have suffered as a result of vueling. I begged her to translate for me if only a Spanish supervisor is available. She put me on hold and came back to the phone and said she relayed the message to them (I never got to speak to them) and that they can see the complaint is raised and there is nothing more she can do. I asked how long am I supposed to wait when I was told last Thursday I would hear by and I still haven’t. She couldn’t answer this. I said I cannot just wait and wait on the phone I am supposed to be flying on Monday October 2nd and she said I just have to wait to be contacted by vueling. It has been a month since my first complaint and if it was handled correctly on the first day I wouldn’t have ended up feeling this low in mood and having such high blood pressure. I have cried several times over the stress it has caused me because instead of de-escalating the situation the staff have made it worse.
I have made at least 19 phone calls to vueling totalling 241 minutes which is over 4 hours wasting my time and still had no resolution. This isn’t good enough. And I should have had a response within 30 days. Which I haven’t. I am seeking not only a refund on my ticket but compensation for the unbelievable amount of stress this has caused me as a result. I have been genuinely considering suing vueling for emotional distress, all supported in the phone calls which are on record and my medical record which shows my blood pressure has gone through the roof. Vueling should be ashamed of their complaints procedure which is discriminatory and inaccessible to a large amount of the population. Staff lie and deceive customers and that’s because they are not being trained correctly and consistently. Supervisors rarely call back and customers end up frustrated and angry because they never get answers. I am 28 years old and in my entire life I have never had a company treat me this way, or cause me to feel so stressed, anxious and mentally very low. I don’t deserve this. Rest assured I will never use vueling again and I will be sharing my experience with others to warn them of the horror they might encounter like I have.
Suggested solution:
I would like compensation for the mental and physical stress the company has caused me. I have been in tears and shaking over this, anxious every day and my blood pressure has now gone through the roof. I also believe I should be reimbursed for my ticket as I felt bullied into buying it at this price as explained in my complaint. I have made 19 phone calls totally 241minutes as well which I am waiting for the bill for. The staff need much more training and they all need to be on the same page and giving the same information. My complaint should have been dealt with during my second phone call and I would have accepted just an apology, but due to the way Ive been treated since and still having no contact or resolution after this long when promised, an apology just isn’t good enough. I fully deserve compensation. You also need to sort your complaint procedure out. It is very difficult to complain and is discrimination against those who are unable to use a computer, and forces you to buy a ticket to complain as you can’t complain without a code. This is appalling and must be changed.
