0 Cancellation Fee is NOT 0
I am writing to lodge a formal complaint regarding my recent booking experience with Trip.com. I fully understand that your customer service representatives have explained the airline’s policy and that a voucher has already been issued by Vueling. My complaint is therefore not about the existence of the voucher itself, but about how the fare conditions were presented on Trip.com’s booking platform and the level of support provided afterwards. Firstly, I deliberately selected the fare labelled “0 Cancellation Fee” because I believed it offered the flexibility I needed. However, the crucial condition that any refund would only be provided as an airline voucher, rather than a refund to the original payment method, was only available by opening the detailed fare rules. This important restriction was not clearly displayed alongside the fare option itself. As an ordinary consumer, I believe the presentation is misleading. A reasonable customer could easily understand “0 Cancellation Fee” to mean a refundable booking, without realising that the refund would only be issued as an airline voucher. Such a significant limitation should be displayed prominently before purchase, rather than hidden within a separate link. Secondly, when I experienced technical problems using the Vueling voucher, Trip.com repeatedly advised me to contact the airline directly. While I understand the voucher was issued by the airline, my booking, payment and cancellation were all made through Trip.com. As the merchant with whom I entered into the contract, I expected Trip.com to take greater ownership in assisting customers instead of simply redirecting them to the airline. I hope Trip.com will review the way fare conditions are displayed, particularly where major restrictions such as voucher-only refunds apply. Presenting this information more clearly would help customers make informed decisions and avoid unnecessary disputes.