Warning about cebupacificair.com online booking failure/abuse with payments by credit card !
For latest update in this case Nr GSAS0000458022-09 and final resolution, see bottom of this page!
In recent several years Cebu Pacific had repeated online payment problems with credit cards. Some people were lucky, others had failed payments by default. That also happened to me for many years. This year I gave Cebu Pacific another try and credit card / debit card payment worked for domestic flights a few times around summer time 2009.
Later in summer 2009 however I had again multiple bookings failed. One online booking/payment failed for payment but reservation of seat was maintained with cash payment to be made upon departure. Another booking - my last departure from Clark airport - however totally failed. Online procedure for payment resulted in a failed payment and failed reservation of seats ...
NO ticket issued, NO reference number issued. Simply booking and payment failed!.
Hence what you do if you need to fly? I booked Air Asia ASAP also leaving Clark airport. Air Asia is my most common usual airline from Clark since many years for all departures from Clark airport. Online booking and payments were always instantly and correctly processed - using exact same debit card as for Cebu Pacific!.
On my recent Air Asia departure day, I incidently checked again my debit card account and noticed that Cebu Pacific has fully charged for the failed booking/failed payment/failed reservation!! Hence NO reference number issued, NO ticket issued and while online processing "payment failed" - but later for whatever reason a full charge for a never received ticket and thus never used flight! That means I ended up with a real ticket issued correctly by Air Asia and a paid but never issued (inexisting) ticket by Cebu Pacific - some 240+ US$ lost/wasted ...
Cebu Pacific may be a friendly airline and cheap also - if and as long as you book and pay cash at a counter. Such online payment mess however is utmost unpleasant and frustrating. That few hundred or more US$ may be missing in your travel or family budget and who knows if ever you get the money back. I am waiting for a formal reply to my formal complaint. Until now no reply and no refund for fraudulent charge for ticket never issued and booking never confirmed.
And yes - Cebu has a "call center" you dial and wait and get redirected and redirected and no real person in charge is available. And no direct email available as well to directly communicate with a human person in charge. If you receive an email from Cebu Pacific - it is sent from a NO-reply senders address.
For the first failed online payment my debit card bank called Cebu Pacific - without any result because NO one available in charge at Cebu Pacific ...
Beware of Cebu Pacific online payments. Pay cash or choose another airline to be safe with your proper and honest credit card online use. There are other air lines serving same or comparable destinations from Clark airport. But if ever you really need Cebu Pacific - then only book at a counter and pay cash unless you can afford to lose hundreds of dollars or wait weeks or longer for refund if ever refund is made at all! Clark has many OTHER airlines to neighboring countries, international destinations and domestic destinations.
Cebu Pacific Air refund of fraudulent online credit card charge
After a second formal complaint and THIS publishing - finally there was a response from Cebu Pacific:
From: CEB Customer Service
Subject: GSAS0000458022-09 - Letter from Cebu Pacific
Date: 12/17/09 15:10:01
First of all, we would like to apologize for the inconvenience that you have experienced. Upon checking our record, the booking was successful but no itinerary receipt was sent to your email due to system failure. We have already coordinated with our accounting department for immediate processing of your refund. Again, our sincerest apologies for what happened. We shall send you an email again once the refund has already been processed.
Despite the fact that Cebu Pacific now admitted to have made this fraudulent charge and promised to refund the illegally charged amount, it took Cebu Pacific until January 12 2010 to actually refund the amount.
From: CEB Customer Service
Subject: GSAS0000458022-09 - Letter from Cebu Pacific
Date: 01/13/10 16:25:31
We would like to inform you that your refund was already reversed as follows:
...
Record Locator: T7MF9J
Date of Reversal: January 08, 2010
Total Amount Reversed: USD 272.85
Again, we sincerely apologize for whatever inconvenience this has caused you.
...
The amount was received on January 12 2010. After more than 2 months waiting time, repeated emails, waste of time as well as some non-refunded processing expenses on the debit card account, the case is settled.
However - how are other people solving such issues if they have no powerful web site to support their issue ? In times of tight budgets among millions across the planet, only a few may be lucky enough to have sufficient funds to wait months until refund is received.
A Google search for: cebu pacific credit card problems will show you that many other Cebu Pacific customers had same or similar problems. Hence once again the initial warning: NO credit card booking unless you can afford to loose your money or wait months until an eventual refund is made.
Cebu Pacific Air is a friendly and nice airline, if you pay cash you may be happy and lucky with their service. For online booking it is better to chose a serious and quality minded airline. The quality an airline reflects in web design and online payment procedure may reflect the overall quality consciousness of the airline in general. Never expect Cebu Pacific Air to invest more care into their aircraft maintenance than they do into their business procedures and customer relationship!
