So I was reading this blog from Down Under called The Earnest Addiction the other day, and came across a post that gave me an idea that I want to share with y’all. Specifically, the blogger was talking about some money successes and failures she had recently; one of the failures was that the blogger had tried to book some plane tickets but came across a glitch in the airline’s booking system that did not allow her to complete the transaction.
She tried several times to no avail, and therefore had to wait for another day. But when she finally did book them, it cost her $80 extra, per person. That sucks, especially when it wasn’t her fault. It got me thinking about what one can do to get that extra money back, in that kind of situation.
A Glitch in The Matrix
In particular, I’m talking about what happens when a computer error that you did not cause does not allow you to complete an online transaction, with some sort of monetary consequence. The typical scenario is like the one in The Earnest Addiction: you try to buy something but can’t. When you are finally able to, it has gone up in price.
So what can you do?
Get Your Evidence Before Writing A Complaint Letter
First, get your evidence. By this I mean take a screenshot of the glitch, bug, or error screen. Either do it with your smartphone, or press the key on your keyboard that says “PrtScn SysRq”:
Next, make sure to write down the time and date. Also, take a screenshot of the price that the product was being offered at.
So, three things:
- A screenshot of the error screen
- The time and date
- A screenshot of the screen showing the price
Make sure that you save everything.
The Squeaky Wheel Gets the Grease
As hockey legend Wayne Gretzky said, “you miss a hundred percent of the shots you don’t take”. So complain to the company! Write them an e-mail or use their online communication system to send them a diplomatic and polite-but-firm complaint letter explaining that you tried to use their website but that it was not working, on X day and at Y time. Attach or upload the screenshots.
Pick Your Battles
Obviously, I’m not going to waste my time gathering evidence and writing a complaint letter if the price difference is a dollar or two. But if it’s a few hundred bucks, I will absolutely gripe about it. Although the complaint may be denied, there’s also a decent chance it will be granted.
Finally, if we’re talking about a lot of money, I would consider escalating to the Better Business Bureau if the company absolutely refuses to refund you.
Church says
Great post. Killing customer service with kindness is almost, always, a sure way to get what you want.
Sometimes you have to pull that Better Business Bureau card in order to make things right.
The Rich Miser says
Thanks, I agree!