ComplaintsforKiwi.com, Inc.

• Initial Complaint

  07/23/2024

  Complaint Type:

  Product Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  I booked a flight with kiwi.com for July 17th, 2024 Thursday. Got to the airport, checked in. The flight was cancelled on the spot with no advance notice and neither a solution was provided for an alternate. A new flight was rescheduled next day on july18th. The reschedule was 23 hours and some minutes. That itinerary was no longer of use to me so I called kiwi to ask for a refund. I spoke to their agent on July 18th morning and I was told that because the flight was not cancelled but rescheduled, I was not eligible for a refund. After back and forth for a while, the solution I was given by kiwi was if I could get a confirmation of cancellation from the airline- they would give me a refund. July 23rd I got a hold of the airline and got confirmation that the flight was cancelled and not rescheduled directly from *******. I called kiwi back and the agent changed their story. At first she tried convincing me that I was asked to get confirmation of cancelled for the returning flight which was scheduled on July 21st. How am I suppose to get confirmation on July 18th of a flight cancellation that doesnt take off for 3 days? When she was caught in her own lie, she then says that I have to contact the airline directly and ask them for a refund on behalf of kiwi. And whatever money kiwi gets back they can send a portion of that to me. I never dealt with the airline directly so they wont entertain my calls because I have no booking numbers with them. **** is now refusing to refund my flights. Im not looking for extra compensation but a refund for the services that were not provided.My booking number with them is #********* for 2 passengers for flight WS236

  Business response

  07/26/2024

  Dear Passenger,
  
  We regret to hear that your recent experience with Kiwi.com did not meet your expectations.
  
  To begin with, the outbound flight was canceled and was rescheduled for the next day where the change was of 23 hours. However, the refund option of an alternate flight was not offered on the Manage My Booking page of Kiwi.com. Here the change was less than 24 hours and was not affecting the itinerary, hence it was considered minor and a refund option was not provided.
  
  Furthermore, the change was initiated by the airline and we being a brokerage agency have no control over them. Also, when the agent asked for proof of cancelation, they followed the incorrect process. These are exception that can be made by supervisors or us. However, when the proof of cancelation was provided another agent created confusion as to which flight needed that proof. Feedback will be shared with both the agents.
  
  As of now, refund is already applied for the outbound flight and each carrier has its own unique refund policy. Therefore, we are bound by the policies of the operating carriers and the refundable amount is always determined by their rules. Unfortunately, we cannot influence it in any way. We can only refund whatever the carrier sends us without any deductions.
  
  Also, all these carriers operate independently and hence, cancellation on one of your flights has no effect on the other flight. Hence the return flight is non-refundable as per the airline policy as there was no change or cancelation initiated.
  
  We hope this detailed explanation might have helped you to understand the scenario better.
  
  Yours Sincerely,
  
  Complaints Team

  Customer response

  07/26/2024

   
  Complaint: 22033965
  
  I am rejecting this response because: not only did kiwis agents not mention anything about the refund policy. They outright denied the flight was cancelled. I was told that I needed proof of cancellation from west jet which I provided. Which would allow me a refund on my trip. That was communicated to me by your employees - hence I expect your company to honour that instead of yet again penalizing me for their lack of training. 
  

  furthermore, when I called on the 18th of July to mention that I will no longer need the entire trip as Im physically on my way to the destination by road- should have been the responsibility of your employees to inform me about the returning flight. That was a 3 day advance notice. Its your agents responsibility to tell me the accurate and best way to go about the situation. 
  

  first I was asked to get a cancellation confirmation. When I provided that- the second agent asked me to call Westjet and ask them to return the funds to kiwi so I can get reimbursed. Why would I call Westjet on behalf of kiwi to get the money back. This company is a scam. What is the benefit of booking through kiwi for a customer? At a bare minimum you guys can give me credit for the flights. 
  

  Your employee said that a cancellation confirmation from Westjet is sufficient to start the return process. Now that I have provided that- honour it. 

  
  Sincerely,
  
  *********************************

  Business response

  07/30/2024

  Dear passenger,

   

  We do honor that you have sent the proof of cancelation. Also, a feedback was shared with the agents who shared incorrect details on the refund process and proof of cancelation.

  As informed we have already requested for a refund with the airline and once we receive the refund it will be forwarded to you without any deductions.

   

  Kind Regards,

  Complaints Team.

• Initial Complaint

  07/19/2024

  Complaint Type:

  Product Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  Transaction date: July 12, 2024 Amount: $177.01 What did the business commit to do for you: To provide travel ticket Nature of dispute: Reschedule my trip or provide refunds. Whether or not business tried to resolve the issue: I called kiwi.com on phone *************) and they did not try to resolve the issue or provide any meaningful assistance. The business's refusal to reschedule my trip or provide refunds is particularly distressing given the widespread service disruptions with Crowdstrike. These IT disruptions for airlines are not just a local issue but a global one as of 07/19/2024. I urge you to refer to reputable news sources for proof: ************************************************************************************************** Furthermore, I am deeply frustrated by the unavailability of Spirit airline's customer support at the airport this morning. I am attaching a snapshot showing that my trip can not be found on the airline's website, and I have been unable to get any meaningful assistance. More troubling is that the business (kiwi.com) sent me an email about this incidence and chose not to provide assistance or refunds. Evidence attached in PDF:1. Proof that the trip I paid doesn't exist 2. Spirit airline advisory 3. Emails from the business (kiwi.com) about the disruptions

  Business response

  07/23/2024

  
  
  Dear Passenger,
  
  We regret to hear that your recent experience with Kiwi.com did not meet your expectations.
  
  As per the investigation, there was a global technology outage that is impacting the reservations system and flight operations. Due to the outage, there were cancellations and flight delays. In your situation it was the same issue hence you could not access the booking on the airline's website as well.
  
  Furthermore, an expected delay was detected hence we informed you via email. We apologize that the detailed information was not provided to you about the Global outage by our customer support team however the delay was less than 24 hours and it was a single flight hence no options were provided to you. 
  
  Moreover, we can see that you have raised a chargeback with your bank hence coordinate with the bank.
  
  We hope this detailed explanation might have helped you to understand the scenario better.
  
  Yours sincerely,
  Complaints Team

  Customer response

  07/23/2024

   
  Complaint: 22014081
  
  I am rejecting this response because:

  Good customer-oriented services would have assuaged my issues when I called your help/support center. Also, I have no interest in raising dust that we could mutually handle. I was able to get hold of ****** Airlines, and they tracked and adjusted my ticket. Please see the attached new adjusted itinerary from ****** Airlines for detailed information. Per the attached "****** Airline Ticket PDF," the total cost decreased from $177.01 to $137.99. ****** Airlines also refunded $39.02. In the light of this, I expect kiwi.com to refund me the $39.02.  
  
  Sincerely,
  
  *********************

  Business response

  07/26/2024

  Dear Customer,

   

  Since the chargeback is raised by your bank and its open unfortunately we cannot provide any refund information. Kindly coordinate with your bank.

   

  Yours sincerely,

  Complaints Team

• Initial Complaint

  07/19/2024

  Complaint Type:

  Service or Repair Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  I am going on a business trip to ******. I booked flights from ********** to ****** for Wednesday August 21st and returning on the 28th. I paid an extra $44 for the premium protection in case I needed to change or cancel the flight. I was notified two weeks ago that the airline changed my flights so that I was flying out on Thursday August 22 and returning on Thursday August 29th. Those dates do not work with my work schedule so I had to cancel. For over two weeks I have been messaging and calling **** to ask them for a refund, explaining I bought the premium protection which states that I can get an instant refund. At no point during these few weeks has any customer service agent given me the information to file a "claim" or how to access the premium protection department. Now they are telling me that since I didn't contact them they will only refund me a partial refund: $67 out of $338.10. I have never used Kiwi before. I thought I was doing my due diligence by buying the added protection. I contacted them immediately when I knew the new flights would not accomodate my business schedule. I kept telling them I had the premium protection plan and whenever they responded, they never told me that I needed to speak with a different department or entity and they never told me what the process was. I have tried to do everything correctly and I do not think it is fair that I paid for a service to protect my trip and now I am losing $270 for something that was out of my control. It is not my fault the airline changed my flights. You will see that I asked them to explain to me why my refund would take so long or not be 100% when I bought the protection and they never told me the process for using the protection.

  Business response

  07/23/2024

  Dear *********,
  
  We regret to hear that your recent experience with Kiwi.com did not meet your expectations.
  
  We apologize for the inconvenience caused due to the schedule change. Changes and cancellations are made by the airline and as a travel broker agency, we do not have control over it. As your reservation was affected we offer you alternative options on your Kiwi.com Manage My Booking page. Either select an alternative or a refund.
  
  Furthermore, we provided you with two types of refund options
  * Instant refund in Kiwi credits ( Full refund in Kiwi.com account)
  * Assisted refund.

  
  As you did not select for the credits refund hence, it was not deposited to your account. You selected an assisted refund in which we contact the carrier for a refund and whatever refund we get the same is forwarded to the customers without any deduction. This refund depends on the airline's policy and each airline has their policies. Moreover, for your outbound flight, a refund was processed to you as per your request and you may also refer to the proof of refund sent to your registered email address. For the connecting flight, we are waiting for the airline's reply. Once we receive any update we will notify you via email.
  
  Lastly, would like to inform you that 'Disruption Protection' implies if the airline cancels the booking or there is a major change caused by the carrier due to which the itinerary gets affected. As your reservation was affected possible options were already provided to you. Unfortunately, a full refund is not possible.
  
  We hope this detailed explanation might have helped you to understand the scenario better.
  
  Yours sincerely,
  Complaints Team

  Customer response

  07/23/2024

   
  Complaint: 22013558
  
  I am rejecting this response because: 

  The Kiwi website says that if an airline changes a flight 24 hours or over, you are entitled to a full refund. Both of my flights were changed 24 hours later which I could not do with my work schedule. I had no control over the airlines decision to change the flights but I dont understand why I am having to pay for any of this when I had no control over the situation. 
  I could understand if it were my actions or my decisions that caused the change in itinerary but I did not. As a consumer, I searched for flights that would work for my schedule. I purchased those flights expecting that those would be the dates and times. When the provider (seller) changes something I bought, as a consumer I should have the right to recoup my money because I did not agree to that change. It is a lot of money and now I have had to purchase new flights from another airline so my business trip is not affected. I cannot understand how I am being penalized for something I could not control. Yes I did get a partial refund, but $67 out of $338 is not a fair resolution when the airline is the entity that changed my itinerary so significantly the flights were on entirely different dates that would cause me to miss important work meetings that I cannot. 
  
  Sincerely,
  
  ***************************************

  Business response

  07/30/2024

  Dear Passenger,
  
  Would like to inform you that we do not process a full refund it is the airline that provides a full refund if there are major disruptions. Whatever refund we receive we forward it to our customers. As per your request, a refund is already requested from the carrier. 
  
  Furthermore, a refund is processed for the connecting flights and you may also refer to the proof of refund sent to your registered email address. 
  We hope this detailed explanation might have helped you to understand the scenario better.
  
  Yours sincerely,
  Complaints Team
  
  

  Customer response

  07/30/2024

   
  Complaint: 22013558
  
  I am rejecting this response because:

  This entire situation has been 100% outside of my control. I booked flights based on my work conference. The airline canceled those flights and offered me flights that were over 24 hours difference. The airlines policy is that if a flight is changed 24 hours or more the customer is entitled to a full refund. I have been trying to communicate with **** since July 1st when I was first notified of the changed. When **** refused to help me, I researched the airline. They do not even have a customer service support phone number. I had to initiate a discussion via an online chat option which was with a bot until they connected me a live agent. 
  

  Both companies are blaming the other and I, as the customer and consumer, have been stuck in the middle. 
  

  No customer should be put through this when, through no fault of their own, what that customer bought was canceled. It is very concerning that the consumer/customer should have to jump through these hoops to recoup their money when they did nothing wrong. 

  
  Sincerely,
  
  ***************************************

  Customer response

  08/02/2024

  I have since reached out to ****** Airlines Customer Support directly. Since they understood they changed the flights over 24 hours, they told me they would issue a full refund. They explained the only money I would not get back were any fees associated only with ****. They said I should receive the refund from them in 7 days. I have only received the refund for one passenger not the other. 
  

  ****** does not have a customer service number. They do have a chat function and Ive included it here so you can confirm.

  At this point, **** has received the refund but has not issued it to me.

  Customer response

  08/02/2024

  I just had another conversation with ****** directly. They confirmed that they refunded both flights to ****. **** has somehow sent the refund to someone who has the same name as my husband. They input an email and information for him that we did not provide and we do not know where it is coming from. 

  Business response

  08/07/2024

  Dear Passenger,
  
  Changes and cancellations are made by the airline and as a travel broker agency, we do not have control over it. As your reservation was affected we offer you alternative options on your Kiwi.com Manage My Booking page. Either select an alternative or a refund.
  
  Furthermore, we provided you with two types of refund options
  
  Instant refund in Kiwi credits

  Assisted refund.
  
  As you did not select for the credits refund hence, it was not deposited to your account. You selected an assisted refund in which we contact the carrier for a refund and whatever refund we get the same is forwarded to the customers without any deduction. I would like to inform you that we do not process a full refund it is the airline that provides a full refund if there are major disruptions. Whatever refund we receive we forward it to our customers. As you requested, a refund is already requested from the carrier.
  
  Furthermore, a refund is processed for the connecting flights and you may also refer to the proof of refund sent to your registered email address.
  We hope this detailed explanation might have helped you to understand the scenario better.
  
  Yours sincerely,
  Complaints Team

  Customer response

  08/07/2024

   
  Complaint: 22013558
  
  I am rejecting this response because they did not say why they refunded the wrong person. I provided information from the airline directly that they refunded a person who has the same name as my husband. They inserted an email that is not my husbands into his itinerary and the airline confirmed that the refund for my husbands flights was sent to **** but **** refunded someone who is NOT me and NOT my husband. I do not see where **** addressed this in their response. Both my husband and I have had conversations directly with ****** Airlines and they confirmed they refunded the entire trip 100%. **** took the refund for my husbands flights and we do not know what they did with it but it did not get refunded to us. If the Airline is confirming that they refunded 100% of the trip, why we, as the consumer who paid for it, not receive those funds back?
  
  Sincerely,
  
  ***************************************

• Initial Complaint

  07/12/2024

  Complaint Type:

  Billing Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  I booked 7 passanger flights with KIWI.COM.The entire ordering process was with prices of ~2200$.I entered credit card details and confirmed 2200$ payment.However, I was billed ~2910$ with no warning!

  Business response

  07/19/2024

  Dear *********,
  
  We regret to hear that your recent experience with Kiwi.com did not meet your expectations.
  
  After briefly checking your reservation, we can see that you requested a round-trip, we broker the service with the carrier and sent you the confirmation.
  
  According to your booking invoice, we charged you ******** EUR for the booking. We also double-checked the transactional component and discovered that we never charged you any additional fees. We'd like to inform you that airline fares are dynamic and constantly changing, over which Kiwi.com has no control. Furthermore, the screenshot you sent does not confirm that you searched for the same date, therefore we cannot use it as proof. Furthermore, the screenshot you attached displays the basic fare of the flights. On the next page, you have the option to add more services. As a brokerage firm, we charge service fees when booking flights on your behalf.  
  
  Further, we also offer fare lock service for the passengers. This allows a customer to lock in current prices and finish the booking in the future also it allows users to get to the destination under current price levels and without the need for full payment at the current moment. A Farelock is an option available during the booking process. Moreover, I can see that the transaction part was smooth and later we sent you the booking confirmation. I hope you have a safe journey.
  
  We hope this detailed explanation might have helped you to understand the scenario better.
  
  Yours sincerely,
  
  Complaints Team

• Initial Complaint

  07/03/2024

  Complaint Type:

  Product Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  Nature of the Issue:On [date], I booked a flight through Kiwi.com and paid the full amount for the booking. Within hours, I received a notification from Kiwi.com stating that they could not confirm my booking due to a "technical issue." It is evident that Kiwi.com mispriced the flight, and instead of honoring the booking, they chose to cancel it and issue a refund. This cancellation occurred despite my immediate booking and payment confirmation.Complaint Summary:Booking and Payment Confirmation: I successfully booked a flight through Kiwi.com and received a payment confirmation, which constitutes a legally binding agreement between me and the travel agency.Cancellation Notification: Hours later, I received a notification from Kiwi.com indicating that my booking could not be confirmed due to a technical issue.Misleading Pricing: It appears that Kiwi.com mispriced the flight. Upon realizing the error, they chose to cancel my booking rather than honor the agreed-upon price.Unfair Treatment: Instead of fulfilling their contractual obligation, Kiwi.com opted to refund my payment, which I believe is unjust. As a consumer, I deserve the flight I booked and paid for.Poor Business Practices: Kiwi.com has a history of similar complaints, with numerous customers reporting issues related to non-refunds, mispriced bookings, and poor customer service. This pattern of behavior demonstrates a lack of integrity and fairness in their business practices.Additional Information:Request for Resolution: I am seeking the BBB's assistance to have Kiwi.com honor the original booking. The refund issued does not compensate for the inconvenience and potential additional costs incurred due to this unfair cancellation. I request that Kiwi.com provide me with the flight I booked and paid for at the originally agreed price.

  Business response

  07/12/2024

  Dear *********,
  
  We regret to hear that your recent experience with Kiwi.com did not meet your expectations.
  
  We feel sorry for the inconvenience caused to you. You requested the booking and as soon as we received your request our team tried to book the tickets. However, due to a technical issue tickets were not booked and a full refund was processed. Once the booking is refunded it is not possible to rebook it again.
  
  We hope this detailed explanation might have helped you to understand the scenario better.
  
  Yours sincerely,
  Complaints Team

• Initial Complaint

  07/01/2024

  Complaint Type:

  Order Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  This is not a complaint. I need to speak to costumer service please because I put my email wrong and I cant get the tickets but kiwi texted the booking number in my phone. My name is **** ******************************** my home number is ********** please call me or text. My email is ************************ Hurry please my flight is leaving in 36 hours

  Business response

  07/04/2024

  Dear *********,
  
  We regret to hear that your recent experience with Kiwi.com did not meet your expectations.
  
  After briefly checking your reservation, we can see that you requested a round-trip, we brokered the service with the carrier and tried to send you the confirmation.
  
  To begin with, we see that you entered an incorrect email address during the booking. Due to this, the booking confirmation email was not delivered. Hence we sent you the booking number on your registered contact number. We are sorry to hear that this caused you stress since your flights were departing soon.
  
  As soon as we received your concern, we updated the correct email address and sent you the e-ticket before the flight departure. We hope you have the details and you managed to board your outbound flights. Unfortunately, we were not able to contact you due to the source of your complaint.
  
  
  We hope this detailed explanation might have helped you to understand the scenario better.
  
  Yours sincerely,
  
  Complaints Team

• Initial Complaint

  07/01/2024

  Complaint Type:

  Product Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  Kiwi.com booked me for the following trip from ********* to ********:Westjet confirmation: GBKSXJ (June 29 morning)***** Airlines confirmation: LCQSO5 (June 30 evening)The morning of June 29 I was notified that the Westjet flight had been cancelled and re-booked for mid-day June 30th, so of course it became necessary to cancel the trip. The Kiwi.com app had a notification that I should call their customer service line, which I did. The agent agreed to cancel the trip on my behalf and they would request a refund from both airlines. It was made clear that BOTH flights would be cancelled, aka the "entire trip".Kiwi.com notified me mid-day June 30th that the ***** Airlines flight was non-refundable; this was well before the scheduled flight. July 1st I called *****'s customer service line and discovered that ********************** had never cancelled the flight, and I had been marked as a "No-Show", so there was nothing they could do.Calling back to Kiwi.com, the new agent explained that they didn't cancel this flight because their policy is not to cancel a flight if the cancellation won't result in a refund based on that airline's refund policy. After some back-and-forth about why they have this policy, the agent suggested I could call ***** and ask for a refund, which of course I can't do, because ***** thinks I'm a no-show! The Kiwi agent would do nothing to have this status changed.Whether or not ***** might have hypothetically declined to provide a refund, I can't even inquire with them because Kiwi.com never cancelled the flight, even after assuring me that they would.I expect Westjet will provide a refund as they were the ones to cancel the departing flight, but this too is meant to be received and forwarded to me via Kiwi.com. Therefore, I request a refund of this entire booking.Thanks!

  Business response

  07/06/2024

  Dear *********,
  
  We regret to hear that your recent experience with Kiwi.com did not meet your expectations.
  
  As per the investigation, there was a major schedule change for the flight booked with ******* Airlines. As suitable alternatives were not available we asked you to contact us.
  
  Furthermore, as you selected the assisted refund option our team checked and applied for a refund. For the flight booked with ***** Airlines, there was no disruption or change hence we checked, and as per the airlines no refund was possible hence we did not request the refund. Since the flight was not used you were marked as No-Show. 
  
  Moreover for the flight booked with ******* Airlines, we have recived a refund and the same is been forwarded to you in the original payment method. The amount may be reflected in your account for up to 3-10 working days. We must emphasize that Kiwi.com is a brokerage company. All these carriers operate independently, so a disruption on one of your flights does not affect the other flights. Each carrier has its own unique refund policy Therefore, we are bound by the policies of the operating carrier, and the refundable amount is always determined by their rules. Unfortunately, we cannot influence it in any way. We can only refund you what we will receive from the carrier.
  
  We hope this detailed explanation might have helped you to understand the scenario better.
  
  Yours sincerely,
  Complaints Team
  
  

  Customer response

  07/08/2024

   
  Complaint: 21928882
  
  Hi there, I understand the situation. However, I was told by the Kiwi.com agent that the entire trip would be CANCELLED on my behalf. Because this was not done, flair has me as a No-Show. Again, this should not be the case, because my trip should have been cancelled. I now have no leverage to appeal to Flair for anything, because you didn't do what you said you would.

  Sincerely,
  ***********************

  Business response

  07/11/2024

  Dear Passenger,

  As informed earlier there was no disruption or change hence we checked, and as per the airlines no refund was possible hence we did not request the refund with the airlines. 

   

  Yours sincerely,
  Complaints Team

  Customer response

  07/11/2024

   
  Complaint: 21928882
  
  I am rejecting this response. It ignores my actual complaint. Please re-read my original complaint. The flight was not cancelled, when I was explicitly told it would be cancelled, thus precluding any recourse I could seek directly with ***** airlines (which your second agent suggested I do!).
  
  Sincerely,
  
  ***********************

• Initial Complaint

  06/27/2024

  Complaint Type:

  Product Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  At approximately 1:00 a.m. on Thursday, June, 27th I booked a one way reservation from *****, ******* to **********, ** IAD international airport in the amount of $917.I was then later contacted and advised the price has increased by approximately $100 in the app despite already making a booking.I paid the difference despite already making a previous booking and was fraudulently charged charged $988.42.I contacted Kiwi.com to cancel for a refund as I am within 24 hours of the booking and the airline has not even confirmed the reservation. Kiwi.com did offer a refund but only in the amount of 10.The company refused to issue a refund or transfer me to a supervisor.

  Business response

  07/05/2024

  Dear *********,
  
  We regret to hear that your recent experience with Kiwi.com did not meet your expectations and supervisor call was not provided.
  
  To begin with, you initially paid ****** USD however, you were asked to pay another ****** USD. Please understand that we have no influence on the airlines pricing. We are collecting a huge amount of real-time data that we are advertising on our website. When the airline changes the price of their tickets, it takes a few moments for our system to recognize the change and adjust the current pricing accordingly.
  
  Unfortunately, in very rare situations it can happen that the customer has already paid for the reservation before we have detected the price change. In such situations, we have no other option than to offer a full refund or ask the customer to cover the price difference. We did provide you both the options which were refund or to pay the difference amount. If the passenger does not agree with the difference amount, we provide a full refund.
  
  The original amount you paid, the new amount, and the difference amount were informed to you via email correctly which you agreed to and paid as well. We proceeded with confirming the booking once we received the difference amount. Also, there was no email sent from our end informing you that the difference amount is 100$.
  
  Furthermore, the flights were partially booked and hence cancelation was not possible. Also, your booking did not qualify for a grace ****** (24 hours) cancelation due to which a full refund was denied. In such cases, voluntary cancelation is applied and a refund is provided as per the ticket fare purchased while booking flights.
  
  Also, Kiwi does offer 3 types of fares (saver, standard, and flexi) at the time of booking, and passengers are made aware of the cancellation policy and refund amount at the time of booking. With a saver or standard fare, the passenger is eligible for a 10 EUR refund, and with a flexi fare passenger is eligible for 80% of the booking value of the original booking. Also, cancelation can be made up to 48 hours prior to the departure of the first flight for a refund as per ticket fare.
  
  Moreover, we can offer you with airline refund as an exception, however, as per the airline full refund is not possible. Each carrier has its own unique refund policy. Therefore, we are bound by the policies of the operating carriers and the refundable amount is always determined by their rules. Unfortunately, we cannot influence it in any way. We can only refund whatever the carrier sends us without any deductions.
  
  We hope this detailed explanation might have helped you to understand the scenario better.
  
  Yours Sincerely,
  Complaints Team

  Customer response

  07/10/2024

   
  Complaint: 21909540
  
  I am rejecting this response because:

  1)  The additional amount requested to be paid was not 988.42 USD.  Kiwi.com was immediately contacted and advised of the discrepancy.  

  2)  Kiwi.com was contacted well within the *** airlines 24 hour cancellation policy.

  3)  Kiwi.com did not have a reservation with *** Airlines at the time they were contacted.  The company chooses not to refund or honor the original booking price inclusive of the additional approximate $100 I agreed to pay.

  4)  Kiwi.com advertised the price at $917 and failed to adhere to this price until after the booking was made.

  5)  Originally kiwi.com would not accept my Discover Card for booking.  However, when the additional funds of approximately $100 was requested had no issue accepting the form of payment.

  6)  The total price of $1,905.42 was charged of a one way from SPU to IAD, which is highly inflated and price gauged.  Kiwi.com has reported this as a saver fare.

  7)  Kiwi.com did not book solely a one way reservation as requested, which was confirmed with *** Airlines.  Kiwi.com did this to fraudulently collect extra funds.

  8)  After a further review of consumer complaints, the company continues to participate in deceptive and fraudulent business practices.

  9)  As acknowledged, a supervisor never contacted me as promised and I would be very much interested in resolving this matter with kiwi.com directly in lieu of a legal recourse.

  Sincerely,
  
  ***************************

  Business response

  07/18/2024

  Dear Passenger,

   

  Please note we did not ask difference amount of only 100$ and it was 988.42 USD. Also, the extra amount was as per the airline as we do not any control over the price change initiated by the airline.

  Also as informed earlier, you booking did not qualify for 24 hourd cancelation. There are few terms and condition for 24 hours grace ****** cancelation and one of it did not match. Hence it was denied.

  Furthermore, our technology searches thousands of databases and hundreds of airlines to find the cheapest flights. Sometimes a return fare is actually cheaper than a single fare - it's the way how airlines price certain routes. The hidden segment where return flights were also booked are shown while booking flights as well.

  Lastly, you have already reached to complaints department and we are the last point of contact.

   

  Yours Sincerely,

  Complaints Team

  Customer response

  07/23/2024

   
  Complaint: 21909540
  
  I am rejecting this response because:

  Kiwi.com was advised promptly when the additional charge of approximately $1,000 was made and requested to cancel.  ********** refused and promised a supervisor would contact me within four hours, which also did not happen. 

  Per SAS policy, the airline vendor does allow for a 24-hour cancellation period; also required by the US ********** of ********************* In the previous response, kiwi.com stated as an exception they would allow for a cancellation per airline policy.  Kiwi.com has continually not allowed and will not allow me to cancel for a refund.

  The billing invoice and receipt summary does not display a round-trip reservation to be booked.  Regardless, if this is cheaper; it is not the airfare I booked and is unethical as it takes a seat away from another passenger who may require the seat for travel.  This further evidences kiwi.com did not make an authorized transition on my Discover Card for the additional funds for the second booking.

  As a resolution, I am seeking to be allowed a refund of the second booking which was an unauthorized charge to my Discover Card.  If we can not reach an amicable resolution, I plan to seek a further recourse of action.  I look forward to them contacting me directly, as promised.

  It is sad, when a travel agency takes advantage of consumers with deceptive and fraudulent business practices.  I urge fellow consumers to read this complaint and made an educated decision NOT to conduct business with Kiwi.com.   

  
  Sincerely,
  
  ***************************

  Business response

  08/07/2024

  Dear Passenger,

   

  Please be informed there are few terms to be eligible for US grace ****** cancelation. One of the term did not qualify and hence cancelation was deniend. Also, hidden segments are mentioned while booking flights and are also infromed on the Manage My Booking page of Kiwi.com. It depends on the passenger of accept the itinerary or to look for a new one. We do not force any itinerary to a passenger and customers are free to select as per their choise.

  As informed earlier, the second payment amount was mentioned correctly and refund option was also provided. As the new price was accepted and paid, the flights were booked. Hence the requested refund will not be possible.

   

  Yours Sincerely,
  Complaints Team

  Customer response

  08/07/2024

   
  Complaint: 21909540
  
  I am rejecting this response because:
  

  U.S. ********** of ************** rule mandates that airlines flying to, from, or within the ************* must allow passengers to cancel a flight within twenty-four hours of booking and receive a full refund, as long as the reservation was made at least seven days in advance of departure.  The US ********** of ************** has confirmed this rule without exception was in effect at the time of booking without any exceptions to the terms.  Kiwi.com is stating there is a few terms and has failed to operationalize what term(s) if any there are to this rule. 

  In the previous response Kiwi.com acknowledged that as an exception and per airline policy; Kiwi.com would allow for a refund.  SAS was contacted and advised the airline is in compliance with the US ********** of ************** rule above and their airline policy; the refund is possible and is continually being unlawfully denied by kiwi.com.  Kiwi.com was promptly contacted once the additional unauthorized amount was charged refused to refund me.  Additionally, I was promised to be allowed the opportunity to speak with a supervisor and to date, no one has contacted me directly. 

  The hidden segment was NOT mentioned at the time of booking and is unethical.  The airline has been contacted and agrees with me.  This evidences that kiwi.com made an unauthorized charge in an additional $988.42 to book the one-way flight; but nevertheless, did not even disclose in the booking confirmation that the reservation was made for a round-trip.  Additionally, Kiwi.com deceptively originally advertised a price of $917 only to fraudulently acquire additional funds in the amount of $988.42. 

  I would appreciate it if Kiwi.com contacts me directly to mediate this in lieu of civil litigation.  It will be much more costly and time consuming if we must resolve this matter though civil litigation.  If Kiwi.com continues to deny the refund as promised as "an exception", I plan to continue to pursue this matter via civil litigation and share this dispute with the media, social media and online platforms across the world.

  I thank the Better Business Bureau for reviewing this matter fairly and impartially and would be more than happy to participate in mediation if offered. 

  Sincerely,
  
  ***************************

• Initial Complaint

  06/23/2024

  Complaint Type:

  Product Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  My flight was cancelled and they didnt let me know, so I didnt find out until I reached the airport, and then was forced to buy a last-minute ticket with another airline to be able to make my connection. They refused to refund anything.

  Business response

  06/26/2024

  Dear *********,
  
  We regret to hear that your recent experience with Kiwi.com did not meet your expectations.
  
  As per the investigation, there was a major schedule change to your flight due to which your next connecting flight was affected. However, we received a late update and realized that the passenger may have been marked as a no-show. As a result, we promptly requested a refund from the airline to ensure we receive the maximum refund amount.
  
  Furthermore, we would like to inform you that not all the bookings are purchased through the airline directly, sometimes Kiwi.com involves a booking partner as well. In your case, our partner informed us that the passenger contacted the airline and requested for refund and the same was processed for the passenger. 
  
  Therefore, kindly confirm which flights you used and did you recived a refund from Alaska Airlines since the airline mentioned a refund was requested by the passenger. Kindly provide us with the above details by replying to the email that we have sent you at the registered email adress.
  
  Looking forward to your response. We hope this detailed explanation might have helped you to understand the scenario better.
  
  Yours sincerely,
  
  Complaints Team

• Initial Complaint

  06/23/2024

  Complaint Type:

  Product Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  I used kiwi to book a flight. They changed the flight last night without any reasons and sent another email this morning confirming the new time. I traveled to the airport just to find out my flight leaves at its original time and was never informed. I asked for a new flight and was told how I couldnt be helped because it was my fault and the airlines fault. I wasnt given a refund or new client, Im writing this from the airport trying to figure out what to do. When asked why my flight time kept changing she refused to answer. I asked for a manager and she said one would call me back in a couple hours and still nothing.

  Business response

  06/25/2024

  Dear *********,
  
  We regret to hear that your recent experience with Kiwi.com did not meet your expectations.
  
  After briefly checking your reservation, we can see that you requested a round-trip, we broker the service with the carrier and sent you the confirmation.
  
  To begin with, both return flights were rescheduled by the carrier due to operational reasons, and we notified you via email. Please understand that these changes are done by the carrier, and we do not have control over their decision. On the very same day, the carrier again made the schedule change and the flight was rescheduled for the original time. The notification was sent to you 6 hours before the departure of the flight.
  
  We are sorry to hear that you went to the airport as per the disrupted schedule time and missed the flight to ********. We never want our passengers to experience something like this. Further, we see that you contacted customer support from the airport for help. Since the schedule change was informed prior, the team could only offer you the paid alternatives. The supervisor callback was also scheduled as per your request, but it was diverted to voicemail.  
  
  Furthermore, we tried to get a refund from the airline but as per the carrier's cancelation and refund policy, the flights are not eligible for a refund.
  
  
  We hope this detailed explanation might have helped you to understand the scenario better.
  
  Yours Sincerely,
  
  Complaints Team

*Some consumers may elect to not publish the details of their complaints, some complaints may not meet BBB's standards for publication, or BBB may display a portion of complaints when a high volume is received for a particular business. ↩