This was my first online reservation/shopping site experience, where a 'Promo Code' displayed on the main webpage "does not have any value" (The phrase in quotes is what I was told finally by a customer care supervisor, when I called the customer service #); I would categorize this as 'deceptive advertising'.
This is what happenned:
1) I was referred to 1800travelbooking.com by an independent marketing portal. When I went to the main webpage "1800travelbooking.com" and click on "Flights" tab, I see a phrase that says "Book Online or by Phone" & There are some phone numbers & and then it displays a 'Promo Code: xxxxx' within brackets.
2) I assume that there should be a promotion where I would be given a discount if I reserve my booking 'online' through the site. I go ahead and start the reservation process - select my flights, confirm my itinerary, enter the credit card information - Nowhere during the reservation process, am I asked to enter the 'Promo Code' that was displayed on the main page where I started the reservation process.
3) I call the Customer Service # to inquire about the discrepancy; After 5 minutes of hold, I give up and go ahead and confirm my reservation, thinking that I would be able to claim the 'Promotion' after my reservation.
4) I receive a reservation confirmation email with all the trip details and the amount at full, with no discount. My credit card statement reflects the same complete amount, with no discount. However, the reservation confirmation email still shows a 'Promo Code' - the same number that shows on the main website but now with a prefix of 100; So the 'Promo Code' is displayed in the email as '100xxxxx', with no discount whatsoever, or no instructions as to how to use the 'Promo Code' for any future travel with 1800travelbooking.com
5) I call the customer service; I talk to 2 different agents and they do not have a clue of what the 'Promo Code' is all about; They do not even know that the website displays a 'Promo Code'.
6) One of the customer service agents transfers me to a supervisor. He does not have a clue of this discrepancy either. So, he goes to the website and checks on the site; At first, the supervisor tells me that the 'Promo Code' is only for 'By Phone' bookings and is not applicable for 'Online' Bookings; I tell him that the website specifically displays the Phrase 'Book Online Or By Phone' above the 'Promo Code' information. Then he says that the 'Promo Code' that is displayed on the website 'xxxxx' or the one that is included within my email '100xxxxx' "does not have any value" (the exact words of the supervisor); He goes on to say that the 'Promo Code = 100xxxxx' is used by the customer service agents to open up my profile for future reservations.
Well, I think, either the company needs to re-define the term 'Promo Code' for the whole online community OR they need to remove the term 'Promo Code' from their main web-page. The way, I see it - it is 'deceptive advertising' to lure customers to buying a product - whether it is done intentionally or not by 1800travelbooking.com, is an open question.
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