Allegations have been raised against the online travel platform ShareTrip for not issuing airline tickets despite a customer completing the booking and payment process with a special discount. The company halted the booking, citing that the coupon’s usage limit had been exhausted. Although ShareTrip later refunded the money, it did not resolve the issue and instead advised the customer to contact the bank. Despite multiple attempts to communicate with ShareTrip authorities regarding this matter, no specific explanation for the complaint was provided. On the other hand, Eastern Bank (EBL) has officially accepted the issue as a complaint.
It is known that a customer booked an airline ticket on the Dhaka-Kolkata route using Eastern Bank’s (EBL) SkyTrip credit card. During the booking, the customer paid the stipulated amount using the promotional coupon SKYINT1026.
However, ShareTrip did not issue the ticket even after the payment was successful. The company informed via email that the booking was put on hold because the monthly usage limit for the specific coupon had been reached.
In a subsequent explanation, ShareTrip claimed that it is not possible to verify the coupon’s usage limit before payment, according to bank policies. This can only be identified after the payment is completed.
Conversely, the complainant stated that they obtained the EBL SkyTrip credit card last month. Subsequently, they purchased an airline ticket on the Dhaka-New York-Dhaka route using the same card but did not use any promotional coupon.
The complainant also mentioned that a review of their bank’s credit card statement revealed only one transaction with ShareTrip in the previous month. They claimed that no coupon was used in that particular transaction either.
Their question is, how could the monthly usage limit for the coupon be exhausted if they had never used that specific coupon before?
When contacted regarding this matter, ShareTrip authorities advised the customer to communicate with the bank. Subsequently, the company refunded the amount paid for the booking without issuing the ticket.
However, the complainant argues that merely refunding the money is not a proper solution to the problem. This is because they had decided to purchase the ticket based on a specific discount and had completed the payment accordingly.
They stated, ‘When a customer books an airline ticket based on a specific offer and completes the payment, they naturally expect to receive the ticket. If the ticket is not issued and only the money is refunded later, the customer has to purchase a new ticket. If fares increase in the interim, there is also a risk of financial loss.’
BD24live made multiple attempts to contact ShareTrip authorities to get an official statement regarding the complaint. Specific questions were sent via email and WhatsApp concerning the coupon’s usage limit, the reason for not issuing a ticket after accepting payment, and accountability for the customer’s losses.
However, despite repeated attempts, no satisfactory or specific explanation was received for the raised questions. Particularly, no evidence was provided regarding when and on which booking the concerned customer had previously used the SKYINT1026 coupon.
Meanwhile, Eastern Bank was also contacted regarding the matter. The bank authorities have accepted the customer’s complaint. However, a final explanation regarding the reason for exceeding the coupon’s usage limit and the responsibilities of both the bank and ShareTrip in this incident is yet to be received.
This incident has raised questions about the transparency of bank card-based promotional offers and the quality of customer service on online travel platforms.
The complainant believes that the failure to receive promised benefits, even after payment completion, despite customers being encouraged to use specific bank cards through attractive discounts and special offers, raises concerns about misleading commercial promotions.
In this scenario, a clear explanation is needed for questions such as whether the responsibility for verifying the coupon’s usage limit lies with the bank or the travel platform, if eligibility can be checked before payment, and how customer interests will be protected if ticket issuance is halted due to incorrect information.
The complainant demands that instead of merely refunding the money, the actual data on coupon usage should be disclosed, and effective measures should be taken to prevent the recurrence of such incidents.
Meanwhile, the aggrieved customer has stated that they will file a formal complaint with the National Consumer Rights Protection Department. They claim that encouraging customers to book tickets with attractive discounts, accepting payment, not issuing the ticket, and then merely refunding the money is not an acceptable solution. They have demanded specific proof for the claim of exceeding the coupon’s usage limit and a full investigation into the entire incident. Concurrently, they have urged the relevant authorities to take necessary measures to ensure that other customers do not suffer similar harassment in the future.
