On 2nd February 2020, I had booked flight tickets online via Make My Trip with booking ID NF[protected]. Under this single booking ID I had 2 tickets; one from Delhi to Guwahati scheduled on 9th April 2020 via Air India airlines (PNR YM9DL, Ticket no:[protected] and other from Guwahati to Delhi scheduled on 14th April 2020 via Indigo airlines (PNR & Ticket no: SNLP5K) (Refer Annexure-01 for the copy of ticket details).
During the time of booking, I had availed an option “MMT Zero Cancellation” with an additional fee of Rs 1998/-. Under MMT Zero Cancellation option, one could cancel the tickets from free of charge charges if the cancellation was made 24 hours before the departure. (Refer Annexure-02 for the copy or ticket details.
During the breakout of covid in March 2020, all the flight operations within India was cancelled. On 24th March 2020, I received a message from CEO of Indigo airlines which stated “For those who are booked to travel till 30th April they can cancel their itinerary at zero cancellation fee” (Refer Annexure-03). Also, I have got mails form airline directly which stated that I can cancel ticket at no charge (Refer Annexure-04). I had to cancel my ticket based on this information, whereas I came to know that MMT charged cancellation charges upon each booking itinerary (Rs 3150/- on PNR YM9DL and Rs 3000/- on PNR SNLP5K) (Refer Annexure-05) and furthermore MMT stated that my refund on cancelled flight was processed as per airline cancellation charges and closed my case by not providing me full refund or issuing any credit shell for the cancellation charges.
As when I contacted the airline directly, IndiGo airlines said I am entitled for credit shell (Refer Annexure-06) whereas MMT deceived me by charging cancellation charges. To avail that credit shell, MMT did not provide any assistance and thus IndiGo airlines directly processed my credit shell of Rs 3, 000/- against cancellation charges levied by MMT and further IndiGo customer care executives helped me use the credit shell months later as when the same credit shell was not reflected in MMT portal under my name for booking. This showed how inefficient was MMT to help me thus forcing me to invest hours of my time to communicate with IndiGo airlines directly. To note here, the MMT executive have accepted their inefficiency in availing credit shell for me stating reasons as technical error (Refer to Annexure-08). Here I have faced immense difficulties and mental pain due to the inefficiency of MMT and thus making me to spend additional hours of time talking to airlines for my credit shell which MMT was supposed to do but failed to do
My complaint and claim against MMT is due to the below reasons:
In order to get refund from MMT against cancellation charges of Rs 3, 150/- (Air India, PNR YM9DL, Ticket no:[protected] I tried contacting MMT again in September 2020 which is 6 months after the cancellation of tickets were made. As fate would have it, the online self-support of MMT was annoying as I lost belief on it as when I realised that it is another inefficient story of MMT where I lost my valuable time (Refer Annexure-07). Even after 6 months (i.e in September 2020) as when Govt have normalised the covid restrictions and when things were normal in India, I could not talk to MMT customer executive directly. At all times, when I tried calling the customer helpline number directly, I used to hear an automatic voice stating that due to heavy call volumes, all their customer helpline executives are busy, and I must wait. I would like to validate this information as I believe MMT don’t have enough customer helpline executives to listen to the problem of a customer and instead gives false verdict stating to covid reasons due to which they get many calls but how far this information provided to the customer is true as covid impact on airlines was in March to June 2020 and in September 2020 things were normal.
The other option I had to connect with MMT customer executive is to raise a request online (i.e webform) via supportz.makemytrip.com and the customer executive will call back to my number. During one such call from MMT executive (Ms Pooja Vats) in October 2020 and she knowing how difficult it is for me to connect with MMT customer executive directly, and since my refund issue being open since March 2020, the executive shared me 3 contact numbers assuring that I can contact to customer executives directly through this numbers whereas later I understood that the MMT customer executive deceived me by giving me false assurance as those numbers responded with an automatic recorder asking me to raise query online (Refer to Annexure-08). Feeling deceived as a result of believing the MMT customer executive who are supported to assist me, caused mental pain .
As when I was getting deceived by MMT’s false promises over many times, I began to experience mental agony every time MMT’s customer helpline executives fooled me with false promises as they don’t bother to call me back to update me further. Since there is no option provided to me by MMT to talk to the same MMT customer executive with whom I communicated before, therefore each time when I call the customer helpline number a new customer executive answers the call and asks me to explain the issue. Here is where I would like to emphasise the pain I experienced as I have to narrate the entire story of same refund issue to different customer executive and after listening to issue the customer executive will ask for some time to validate the request and promised me to get back to me within 48-72 hours. I would wait for 48-72 hours and when the customer helpline executive does not call me, I would then dial again to customer helpline number where a new customer executive answers the call again and I have to explain the entire story of same refund issue to which the executive asks for some time to validate the request and promises me to get back to me within 48-72 hours. This has repeated more than 20 times (until May 2022, nearly more than 2 years since this refund issue). One could understand how many hours of time I had to invest in this refund issue, in explaining the same story to every new customer helpline executive answer the call and in the end they cheat and fool me with wrong assurance over and over. Until May 2022, nearly more than 2 years since this refund issue, I have invested nearly about 30+ hours talking to various executives after MMT continuously proved themselves deceiving my on every occasion they communicated with me thus eating my mind and killing my time (30 + hours altogether). On 2nd October 2020, I addressed my issue to MMT about the mental agony I am experiencing (Refer Annexure- 10). It is understood from the same that an executive named Debjani disconnected the call purposefully and closed the query. I later understood that MMT customer helpline executives are not MMT’s inhouse employees whereas they are external party and each individual strives to close the query under their name irrespective of whether customers issue is resolved. Under these circumstances of call getting disconnected nor a customer not getting a call back from MMT with promised time of 48-72 hours, the customer has to call again and start explaining the issue to the new helpline executive who eventually end up getting deceived by the new customer helpline executives (Refer Annexure-11). Here the customer helpline executive who had the mentions of “help” in their role are using their same role to deceive the customer who seeks help. To note that on 2nd October 2020, I was provided an alternate number stating that MMT helpline executive is available round the clock to answer direct calls instead of calling via normal calling number which ends up in a long wait before an executive answer the call. Unfortunately, the number provided was not a direct calling number to the executive. Here again I was deceived by the MMT (Refer Annexure- 10)
MMT confirmed on 5th October 2020 that they are awaiting confirmation form Air India regarding full refund. As when I contacted Air India airline, it was said to me that they don’t have any options for credit shell but I am entitled for full refund for my ticket (PNR YM9DL, Ticket no:[protected] and any charges levied by MMT under cancellation charges are to be refunded directly by MMT as my booking is made through MMT. I shared this Air India airline email confirmation to MMT on 14th October 2020 via mail to help MMT expedite my refund process (Refer to Annexure-09). In regard to the same email confirmation of Air India, and on 28th October 2020, an executive name Paromita stated that MMT have already opened an ticket with airline (Refer to Annexure-12) and are still chasing the airline for my refund (Refer to Annexure-13). On 2nd November 2020 (i.e. 15 days since I shared email confirmation note from AirIndia to MMT) I pushed a remainder mail to Paromita to hear back from MMT regarding the refund confirmation (Refer to Annexure-13) whereas MMT purposefully decided to not reply to my email. Furthermore, on 9th January 2021, (i.e. 90 days since I shared email confirmation note from AirIndia to MMT) I pushed another remainder mail to Paromita to stating that I have not got the refund back (Refer to Annexure-13).
It was evident that MMT is inefficient in chasing the refund from airline and tries to put the blame on either the airline or upon customer. From Annexure 14 it is understood that MMT submitted a false acquisition that they tried reaching me over my number but could not connect. If they took an effort to write a mail to say that they tried contacting me then why did not they mention about the refund status in the same mail or take an effort to update me about the refund therewith despite considering that I have mailed a many times over 3 months to know the status of my refund. As on 9th Jan 2021, I have spend 12-14 hours talking to MMT helpline executive without getting a confirmation of my refund from MMT (Refer to Annexure-14)
On 14th January 2021, Rahul from MMT confirmed that they have not got any refund from Airline which is more than 90 days since I got confirmation from Airline that I am eligible for refund. Here MMT proves to be inefficient in catching up with the airline (Refer to Annexure-15). On 16th January 2021, Rahul from MMT confirmed that they have not got any refund from Airline yet. In reply to the email, I asked few questions to Rahul to which Rahul did not take any courtesy to answer the same (Refer to Annexure-15). To note: Always MMT states that they value their customer and care their customer (Refer to Annexure-16) but on actual, they are deceiving the customer by giving false promises and when one question MMT about the promises laid, they become not responsive (Refer to Annexure-16). The worst deceiving act of MMT can be seen in Annexure-16 as when I pushed another mail to Rahul on 11th March 2021 as when I didn’t get any reply from Rahul to my mail sent to him until 16th January 2021 and as when I mailed Rahul asking the update of my refund and to further inform him about my new number, I got an mail back stating that my ticket is closed. I felt deeply devasted as until then I have spent 12-14 hours of time due to inefficiency and deceiving effect of MMT, talking to multiple executives, availing credit shell from Indigo directly which MMT was supposed to do, directly getting email confirmation from Air India for refund and sharing the same to MMT to expedite the refund but in the end MMT closed the ticket without giving me a reason nor providing me any refund being claimed over the period (Refer to Annexure-16).
As year later, I contacted the MMT customer helpline executive i.e in April 2022 whereas I need the explain the whole story of my pending refund and this process began to consume hours of time again and which is in addition to all the time I have spent before. Here again the intention of MMT customer helpline executive to close the ticket in their name more than helping the customer can be seen in Annexure-17.
From Annexure-18, As on 30th April 2022, it is evident that MMT is working on my refund case which means that they are working since 2020 as when the refund issue was reported initially. Here they have taken 2 years time to still work on my case. This clearly shows the inefficiency of MMT and further they have thanked me in assisting them to explore possibilities of improvement of their service in future considering their current service is not upto the satisfactory level. In the same email as in Annexure-18 it can be seen that they have assured me the best of their service despite they have stated on 18th October 2020 that MMT cares me and values my business with them (Refer- Annesure 15). Here I would like to question the service of MMY as what did MMT really do since October 2020 in regard to the refund request of mine? Did they really work on my refund issue and if so then my refund will not be due for nearly two full years?
On 1st May 2022, Ms Sonam, called me and assured me that she would help me best to expedite the refund request along with request for additional interest (interest % of SBI bank) for the delay in refund and a suitable compensation amount for all the hours I have spent since 2020 due to the inefficiency of MMT in tracking my refund issue with airline and clearing it then and there in 2020. Further she asked me to share the email confirmation I got from Air India which stated that I am eligible for full refund (Refer to Annexure-19). Also, In the telephonic call I had with MMT executive on 1st May 2022 at around 17:30 hours, MMT have accepted the fact that MMT is also equally responsible along with airline for the delay in refund. In 2020, Airline told they need 180 days to make the refund whereas after 180th day, and as when the refund was not made, the MMT had all responsibilities to track the airline and expenditure the refund whereas MMT failed to do that since 180th Day and until the completion of 2 years.
Furthermore, Supervisor named Sonam spoke to me over the call on behalf of entire MMT and she told that she is taking the sole ownership of my refund case and also taken my request for compensation and told that the same shall be submitted to high management. She requested for 24 hours’ time within which she would call me back to make further update on the refund, additional interest amount during the delayed period of refund and compensation amount for the amount of hours I had to invest in talking to MMT due to their inefficiencies. Whereas, she did not get back to me via call as promised thus deceiving me further despite she told me that she have taken the sole ownership of my case (Refer to Annexure-20).
In order to connect back to Sonam for further update I tried calling to the customer care number and again a new MMT executive would pick the call to whom I need to explain the entire scenario and about Sonam taking the ownership about refund and compensations for my losses and who failed to call me back. The MMT executive who after listening to the story would ask 24 hours’ time thus assuring me that they will mail Sonam asking her to call me back in 24 hours. Unfortunately, this did not happen. After 24 hours again I would call to the customer care number and again a new MMT executive would pick the call to whom I need to explain again the entire scenario of my refund issue, about Sonam taking the ownership about refund and compensations for my losses and who failed to call me back, and about the MMT executive who previously told me that she will mail Sonam asking her to call me back. Here the new executive who listens to my concerns will ask further 24 hours’ time so that she can mail Sonam and would ask her to call me back. Unfortunately, again, this did not happen again thus forcing me to call customer care number again and continuing the same story as mentioned before. Like wise I ended up spending another 5+ hours until Ms Sonam called me on 13th May 2022 where she accepted to the fact that it is MMT’s mistake for to the delay in refund for 2 years as MMT did not follow up with Airline after 180days of time for refund. It means that any delay in refund after 180 days of time for refund is attributable to MMT and nor Airline as MMT failed to follow up with the Airline after initial 180 days. Furthermore, Sonam accepted that it is her mistake for the 5+ hours of time I had to spend since the discussion on 1st May 2022 in order to make Sonam to get back to me. This 5 hours also has to be considered for compensation. During the call I explained how MMT Support team agency acting as MMT customer helpline executives is responsible for the delay for which Airline cannot pay the compensation. This call got summed up when Sonam accepted to discuss with MMT as an internal issue for compensation and get back to me.
Further during the telephonic discussion with Ms Mansi Thappa on 18th May 2022 asking her to help me getting connected with Ms Sonam as she have taken the sole ownership of my case. Mansi then told that she can mail Sonam and ask her to call me back. It did not convince me as even earlier Mansi have pushed a mail to Sonam asking her to call me back but Sonam did not call me. Therefor, this time I told Mansi to mark me in CC as when she push a mail to Sonam to which she said she cannot do as per internal policy. This information about internal policy is bereft of any truth as on 12th May 2022 another MMT employee pushed an internal mail keeping me in CC. Here I came to know that Mansi Thappa was lying. Further she told that the request for the compensation is rejected. As when I asked for the reasons of my compensation rejection, she said she cannot help me with the reason nor mark a mail to Sonam keeping me in CC. As when I emphasised Mansi to help me with the reason for delay in compensation, delay in refund, She told that she have already told the reason and disconnected the call stating that I am asking for the reason which she told me already (Refer to telephonic call recording dated 18th May 2022; 15:01 hours). Immediately after the call got disconnected, I tried calling again and this time another MMT executive attended the call. To my question to what are the reasons for the rejection of my compensation and refund she told that Mansi have already told the reason. I was pretty sure that Mansi have not given me the reason therefore I told this MMT executive that Mansi did not give me the reason and that why I called again. She said ” Mansi have already told the reason”. Furthermore I asked her what reason did Mansi say to which again she said ” Mansi have already told the reason”. Further in this call to what all questions I asked she said the same answers that ” Mansi have already told the reason” and thus disconnecting the call. This caused immense mental agony to me. (Refer to telephonic call recording dated 18th May 2022; 15:48 hours)
As of today, I got a refund without the additional interest (interest % of SBI bank) for the delay in refund nor a suitable compensation amount for all the hours I have spent since 2020 due to the inefficiency of MMT nor considered the mental agony experienced by the customer after being deceived many times by MMT executives.
MMT stated that MMT cannot provides compensation as it is just a platform to book tickets whereas it never means that they can cheat or deceive the customer not just once but a many times further provides poor customer service by making a customer spend 35+ hours of his valuable time in following up with MMT for his refund and further experiences mental agony throughout the follow-ups actions knowing that he is deceived a multiple times.
MakeMyTrip India customer support has been notified about the posted complaint.
