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Virgin Ticket Insurance Scam
Virgin Ticket Insurance Scam
As of last night, Virgin Blue was pre-selecting travel insurance as an
extra for ticket orders on their web site. If you did not explicitly
de-select it you are deemed to have ordered travel insurance and you get
charged for it.
You have a 14-day colling off period. However the process to cancel your
travel insurance is confused (I have been told 4 different stories about
how to get a refund) and slow (I was told 21 days to get a credit back on
my card.
I notified the ACCC this morning about this and they will be taking the
matter up with Virgin in the context of the laws prohibiting misleading
and deceptive conduct.
As of last night, Virgin Blue was pre-selecting travel insurance as an
extra for ticket orders on their web site. If you did not explicitly
de-select it you are deemed to have ordered travel insurance and you get
charged for it.
You have a 14-day colling off period. However the process to cancel your
travel insurance is confused (I have been told 4 different stories about
how to get a refund) and slow (I was told 21 days to get a credit back on
my card.
I notified the ACCC this morning about this and they will be taking the
matter up with Virgin in the context of the laws prohibiting misleading
and deceptive conduct.
Re: Virgin Ticket Insurance Scam
"Tim Josling" <tej@melbpc.org.au> wrote in message
news:CfGdnfy55vjf8GTanZ2dnUVZ_q2hnZ2d@westnet . com .au...
> As of last night, Virgin Blue was pre-selecting travel insurance as an
> extra for ticket orders on their web site. If you did not explicitly
> de-select it you are deemed to have ordered travel insurance and you get
> charged for it.
>
> You have a 14-day colling off period. However the process to cancel your
> travel insurance is confused (I have been told 4 different stories about
> how to get a refund) and slow (I was told 21 days to get a credit back on
> my card.
>
> I notified the ACCC this morning about this and they will be taking the
> matter up with Virgin in the context of the laws prohibiting misleading
> and deceptive conduct.
I can't see what is misleading and deceptive about it. It's clearly headed
up as optional insurance when I tried a dummy booking Yes it is
pre-selected, but is extremely easy to deselect.
It's worthwhile no doubt for the airline to encourage their customers to
consider insurance, particularly for the non-refundable fares. I don't know
how many passengers complain when they miss their flights (or don't turn up
on time) and forfeit their fare, but it must be a considerable volume.
Regards
David Bennetts
"Tim Josling" <tej@melbpc.org.au> wrote in message
news:CfGdnfy55vjf8GTanZ2dnUVZ_q2hnZ2d@westnet . com .au...
> As of last night, Virgin Blue was pre-selecting travel insurance as an
> extra for ticket orders on their web site. If you did not explicitly
> de-select it you are deemed to have ordered travel insurance and you get
> charged for it.
>
> You have a 14-day colling off period. However the process to cancel your
> travel insurance is confused (I have been told 4 different stories about
> how to get a refund) and slow (I was told 21 days to get a credit back on
> my card.
>
> I notified the ACCC this morning about this and they will be taking the
> matter up with Virgin in the context of the laws prohibiting misleading
> and deceptive conduct.
I can't see what is misleading and deceptive about it. It's clearly headed
up as optional insurance when I tried a dummy booking Yes it is
pre-selected, but is extremely easy to deselect.
It's worthwhile no doubt for the airline to encourage their customers to
consider insurance, particularly for the non-refundable fares. I don't know
how many passengers complain when they miss their flights (or don't turn up
on time) and forfeit their fare, but it must be a considerable volume.
Regards
David Bennetts
Re: Virgin Ticket Insurance Scam
On Mon, 07 Apr 2008 11:18:46 +1000, David Bennetts wrote:
> "Tim Josling" <tej@melbpc.org.au> wrote in message
> news:CfGdnfy55vjf8GTanZ2dnUVZ_q2hnZ2d@westnet . com .au...
>> As of last night, Virgin Blue was pre-selecting travel insurance as an
>> extra for ticket orders on their web site. If you did not explicitly
>> de-select it you are deemed to have ordered travel insurance and you get
>> charged for it.
>>
>> You have a 14-day colling off period. However the process to cancel your
>> travel insurance is confused (I have been told 4 different stories about
>> how to get a refund) and slow (I was told 21 days to get a credit back on
>> my card.
>>
>> I notified the ACCC this morning about this and they will be taking the
>> matter up with Virgin in the context of the laws prohibiting misleading
>> and deceptive conduct.
>
> I can't see what is misleading and deceptive about it. It's clearly headed
> up as optional insurance when I tried a dummy booking Yes it is
> pre-selected, but is extremely easy to deselect.
>
> It's worthwhile no doubt for the airline to encourage their customers to
> consider insurance, particularly for the non-refundable fares. I don't know
> how many passengers complain when they miss their flights (or don't turn up
> on time) and forfeit their fare, but it must be a considerable volume.
>
> Regards
>
> David Bennetts
You were already aware of the situation from my posting. Just making a
booking, you are not expecting them to add something on without asking so
it is more likely to split through. Particularly when it says OPTIONAL is
large type, and the button to deselect it is hidden in the middle of a
whole lot of fine print.
Ands particularly as this is a recent change - they did not do this before.
Just below the insurance, they have the option for greenhouse offsets.
Here they do *not* pre-select any option so there was no risk of getting
charged for something you didn't want.
A person at the b-secure (insurance) call centre told me they have had a
lot of calls from people in exactly the same situation as me since Virgin
Blue made the change. And presumably a lot of people did not call because
they could not be bothered.
Or because it is it harder to cancel than it should be. Why is that? Still
no response to my email asking for cancellation almost 24 hours later.
You shouldn't charge people for something they didn't explicitly ask for.
When you rent a car you have to initial each and every extra for this
reason.
On Mon, 07 Apr 2008 11:18:46 +1000, David Bennetts wrote:
> "Tim Josling" <tej@melbpc.org.au> wrote in message
> news:CfGdnfy55vjf8GTanZ2dnUVZ_q2hnZ2d@westnet . com .au...
>> As of last night, Virgin Blue was pre-selecting travel insurance as an
>> extra for ticket orders on their web site. If you did not explicitly
>> de-select it you are deemed to have ordered travel insurance and you get
>> charged for it.
>>
>> You have a 14-day colling off period. However the process to cancel your
>> travel insurance is confused (I have been told 4 different stories about
>> how to get a refund) and slow (I was told 21 days to get a credit back on
>> my card.
>>
>> I notified the ACCC this morning about this and they will be taking the
>> matter up with Virgin in the context of the laws prohibiting misleading
>> and deceptive conduct.
>
> I can't see what is misleading and deceptive about it. It's clearly headed
> up as optional insurance when I tried a dummy booking Yes it is
> pre-selected, but is extremely easy to deselect.
>
> It's worthwhile no doubt for the airline to encourage their customers to
> consider insurance, particularly for the non-refundable fares. I don't know
> how many passengers complain when they miss their flights (or don't turn up
> on time) and forfeit their fare, but it must be a considerable volume.
>
> Regards
>
> David Bennetts
You were already aware of the situation from my posting. Just making a
booking, you are not expecting them to add something on without asking so
it is more likely to split through. Particularly when it says OPTIONAL is
large type, and the button to deselect it is hidden in the middle of a
whole lot of fine print.
Ands particularly as this is a recent change - they did not do this before.
Just below the insurance, they have the option for greenhouse offsets.
Here they do *not* pre-select any option so there was no risk of getting
charged for something you didn't want.
A person at the b-secure (insurance) call centre told me they have had a
lot of calls from people in exactly the same situation as me since Virgin
Blue made the change. And presumably a lot of people did not call because
they could not be bothered.
Or because it is it harder to cancel than it should be. Why is that? Still
no response to my email asking for cancellation almost 24 hours later.
You shouldn't charge people for something they didn't explicitly ask for.
When you rent a car you have to initial each and every extra for this
reason.
