Maybe we are a little spoiled living in the UK - with the mostly flexible refund policies on bought goods. Or maybe it's just a more customer-focused economy. The policies here in the Philippines don't seem to be so flexible. Or customer friendly.
In normal situations, you'd probably be a little ticked off if you *had to* go back to the same place where you purchased something to get a refund. You might expect that you can go to another store / outlet of the same brand and be able to get a refund there. What if you had to go somewhere completely different to get a refund? Somewhere that is a good hour away by taxi from where you bought the item.
This is what happened to us, to get a refund for a cancelled concert ticket.
On the reverse of the concert ticket, one of the 'Terms and conditions' states: "In the event of a show cancellation, pls. return ticket to the place of purchase." (I have transcribed that exactly as it reads on the ticket. Don't get me started about the use of abbreviations like 'pls').
So that's what I did.
When I got there I was told that I had to go to Smart Araneta. Which is in another part of the city altogether. And it's not close by. I was told that they don't have any processes in place to give me a refund. I pointed out the text on the back of the ticket. The lady serving me just looked at me as if I was from Mars. And then said 'Sorry ma'am you have to go to Smart Araneta'.
I was fuming.
At a combination of things.
The absolutely ridiculous policy that you have to go to somewhere else altogether to get your refund processed. The fact that the information printed on the ticket is plain incorrect. The gormless look on the face of the lady serving me. The fact that I would have to sit in traffic for an hour or so each way to get this refund processed.
And I suppose at the fact that we didn't get to see Two Door Cinema Club live in Manila.
In normal situations, you'd probably be a little ticked off if you *had to* go back to the same place where you purchased something to get a refund. You might expect that you can go to another store / outlet of the same brand and be able to get a refund there. What if you had to go somewhere completely different to get a refund? Somewhere that is a good hour away by taxi from where you bought the item.
This is what happened to us, to get a refund for a cancelled concert ticket.
On the reverse of the concert ticket, one of the 'Terms and conditions' states: "In the event of a show cancellation, pls. return ticket to the place of purchase." (I have transcribed that exactly as it reads on the ticket. Don't get me started about the use of abbreviations like 'pls').
So that's what I did.
When I got there I was told that I had to go to Smart Araneta. Which is in another part of the city altogether. And it's not close by. I was told that they don't have any processes in place to give me a refund. I pointed out the text on the back of the ticket. The lady serving me just looked at me as if I was from Mars. And then said 'Sorry ma'am you have to go to Smart Araneta'.
I was fuming.
At a combination of things.
The absolutely ridiculous policy that you have to go to somewhere else altogether to get your refund processed. The fact that the information printed on the ticket is plain incorrect. The gormless look on the face of the lady serving me. The fact that I would have to sit in traffic for an hour or so each way to get this refund processed.
And I suppose at the fact that we didn't get to see Two Door Cinema Club live in Manila.
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