I hate TAM airlines

[beetree]

I had 2 flights booked with TAM from Ba to London for me and my partner this coming July. Now due to serious family illness we have to cancel our trip. According to TAM you first have to cancel your flights and then 'can' apply to get your full refund minus 100 dollars [ according to the web site].
I have now spend over a month trying to get our refund having called their offices in Argentina, London, Brazil and am told I can only apply by sending an e mail to the refund 'office' . I have sent 5 but no one ever replies ;[ I now have no flights and no refund.
Am at the end of my mind here, any advice ?
Mine to you -never book with TAM

 

[ndcj]

Did you pay by credit card or a Visa/Mastercard branded debit card? If so, call your card issuer and dispute the transaction.

 

[beetree]

yes I paid by visa, will give my bank a call and see if they can help.
thanks

 

[sam3g]

Call VISA, not your bank.
http://usa.visa.com/merchants/operations/chargebacks_dispute_resolution/index.html

 

[rrptownley]

TAM have been very good to me, I have used them many times and had disputes with them that have always been solved. One I remember involved a conference call between the UK, Germany, Uruguay and Argentina between 3 different companies. The booking companies were all pawning off the blame for messing up my reservation but in the end the TAM representative accepted the responsibility (when it wasn't their fault) and sorted out everything for me.

Keep in mind that down here Email doesn't hold sway like it does in Europe or the States. Here I try to conduct business by email but if you need something done it is the telephone or face to face that you need to do.

 

[BankNote]

I have had excellent experience with TAM PAraguay.

Once recently, I had cancelled a ticket and was eligible for just a 50% refund as per my ticket class.

TAM said they will refund within 30 days. And they did not.

I send them a reminder email. Within 5 business days, they refunded me 100% of the amount ( though i was eligible only for 50%) . They did it to show their apology.

Loved it!!

 

[ndcj]

Call VISA, not your bank.
http://usa.visa.com/merchants/operations/chargebacks_dispute_resolution/index.html

It's your card issuer who initiates the chargeback, not Visa or Mastercard. You definitely need to call your card issuer, Visa will just transfer you to them anyway (but you can use this to save on international phone calls )

 

[fred mertz]

Assuming that you are in BA, why don´t you go to their office on Cerrito, near Paraguay and speak with someone with authority? It´s almost always better to negotiate in person, than to communicate by phone of email. I wouldn´t deal with an agent, make an appointment if necessary to speak with a manager.

 

[beetree]

sorted ! I made a serious complaint via their Argentine representative who contacted the Brazil office and am now am being refunded 100% of our tickets. This is good but it should not have taken countless phone calls, tears and threats.