Opodo

I booked a flight which was cancelled due to the pandemic. It took days to get through to them (all they have is a useless chat bot or phone line). After 4 days I finally got through to a real person, and then a few more hours to get through on the phone, and they said I'd be refunded within 30 days (though not the full amount I paid!). I t was bout £70 short what I paid, but that was better than losing the whole amount.

Three months later I still have no money back, no updates (the only thing I could find in the app said the refund was requested... not processing, or complete). No way to get in contact with them. Their chat bot either says the English customer service is not available. Or sticks you in a queue for an hour, kicks you off for timing out, and makes you restart all over again. No luck with phones either. Just look at their twitter comments - NOBODY can get through to them. Or if they do, they're spending 7+ hours on the phone to them. Some spending £100's just on the phone (tip - use Skype to call as it's free or cheaper).

I understand it's a difficult and busy time. But going months without being able to contact them, get any updates or get my money refunded is not acceptable. They are literally ignoring their customers who they owe lots of money to. I had 2 other flights cancelled (not booked through Opodo) and those were automatically refunded within a few days after requesting it. So why is it taking them months?

Gave up on getting my refund from them and put a claim in with my bank to reverse the charge. That was done within a few days after providing the evidence they requested, and refunded me the full amount that I'd paid (and was entitled to - even according to Opodo's terms).

Avoid at all costs. I will never use them ever again, and will go out my way to make sure others don't either.

Opodo confirmed our flights and then cancelled them without informing us, denying responsibility and hanging up on me 10 mins before check in after being on the phone with their call centre for an hour at the airport.

We arrived at the airport and the airline (Aer Lingus/British airways) said that our booking was voided by opodo although I was still receiving emails from Opodo and the airline insinuating that we were still on the flight (including an email stating check in was open), and the airline app still had us on the flight.

Called Opodo for an hour at the airport who said there was nothing they could do and that we would need to pay an extra £250 each one way ontop of the initial £220 for a flight to Dublin. I said that they need to contact the airline to resolve the situation, as we still had seats on the flights per the airline, which just needed to be confirmed by Opodo (as they had confirmed with us) to which they said they would do, put me on hold and then hung up with only 10 minutes remaining until the gate closed.

This is completely unacceptable and the airline informed us this has happened numerous times and I have since found many others who have had similar situations with Opodo. DO NOT USE OPODO.

FIVE MONTHS waiting for the refund! 30+ calls! Lies and useless agents

I have NEVER experienced such a poor customer service as at this company! I had my flights cancelled and a refund APPROVED on the 7th of FEBRUARY. Until this day I received NOTHING!

I keep calling them constantly (approx. Every 5 days) since the Opodo's policy advices to reach out if the refund hasn't been processed within the 90 days. To just hear the same thing over and over "Wait 72 hours".
I am literally sick of this sentence by now. As I know it means nothing, cause nothing has ever happened after those 72 hours!. Until I call again to just hear the same empty promises.
Its unacceptable! I even had to call the airlines myself (as at first they were trying to lie and blame in on the airline). The airline though confirmed they processed the refund from their side between 1st and 7th of March!
So OPODO is holding the money and refusing to refund. And they keep trying to LIE to me every time, until I mention that I have an email confirmation about my refund being processed by the airline via BSP. Only after I mention this, they admit they received it, but its being held.

WHY! OPODO, CAN YOU REACT?!

And put me in touch with someone COMPETENT? Not the call centre agent who would just tell me to wait 72hours! I am gonna lose it if I hear it one more time!
I have been waiting for almost FIVE MONTHS! And called you 20+ times since the 90 days limit expired!

DO SOMETHING! Please!

You can't treat your customers with such disrespect!

Hello,
I have booked a flight from Brussels Airport Zaventem to Tunis Enfida.
A booking for 2 persons. Very simple 2:30 hours flight, direct.
We made a reservation only with hand luggage and we want to add an extra luggage of 25 kg. Again very simple request. All companies and airline booking websites offers that. But apparently not OPODO.
I called them, first they said I have to call directly the airline company. The airline company told me that we have to get back to them.
So I was talking to the OPODO operator on phone and asked her to send me an email saying that opodo cannot deliver this service and she was telling me that she sent the email and I didn't want to hang up until I see the email in my box and I waited for 15min on the phone, and no email received. After a while she hang up, and I figured out that she wanted me to hang up the first to escape the report at the end of the call where they get your opinion.
Until now, no news how to add an extra luggage.
Thanks OPODO.
First time and last time.

Worst seats for highest money, or cynical/cheating Opodo.
We were flying from Vancouver to London, 5th February just gone. We bought tickets via Opodo for Premium Economy, very early in June 2018. There was a reason for this one of us has a health condition that needs specific seats. And here is our story with Opodo:
Opodo wrote two very different e-mails: one to us and a second to the operator, British Airways. Opodo confirmed to us seats 14A and 14B, the most expensive in the given class. It was a window and isle seat. To BA Opodo wrote a very different e-mail confirming that we had two middle seats booked in one of the rows of four seats! Worst seats for highest price! Difference in these two e-mails is cynical and highly cheating.
The same happened on our way to Montreal from London three weeks earlier. Obviously, Opodo is consistent in their cheating customer care and behaviour.
We would not have had this information if we hadnt met a very helpful person at the BA check-in desk in Vancouver. She saw copy of Opodo's e-mail to us, went to check it from the BA side and told us an unbelievable thing; that they (BA) had from Opodo an e-mail with very different seats booked for us. Paraphrasing her expression: who would buy the worst seats for the highest money?! That is the perfect expression for the situation Opodo created.
Sheila Haugh and Vlado Hlavenka

Purchased a ticket from Brisbane to Melbourne flight JQ 563 of the 30/7/22
Booking DNHHWN
The flight was canceled by Jetstar which promptly refunded to their account the amount of aud220.22 the same day of the flight 30/7.
The first opodo assistant told me a lie saying that the flight company can get up to 4 months to refund them and it is not true as they have to refund within 7 to 10 days.
I have been waiting 2 months before to realize that something was wrong.
Contacted them again and they claim they haven't received the money.
Contacted jetstar that gave me the proof of the refund on their account (American Express xxxx xxxx xxxx 1007) and a cancelation/refund letter which is a legal document proving that the refund was processed on the same day of the flight departure (30/7) almost 4 months ago now.
After being cornered by this legal documentation they told me that the refund wasn't received on their end because of a balance error even if the letter proves they are wrong. I have sent several emails and called several times but no success,they keep saying the same thing or they copy paste answers that don't even match my previous email just to liquidate my email or they totally ignore the emails.
So if you don't want to find yourself in this situation do not buy from Edreams/Opodo as they are the same company.spend 20$ extra, will save you hundreds of hours of calls and emails and a lot of frustration

My glights were cancelled by the airline and I only got half the amount back! They ignore every request! Do not ever use!

Wow what shocking reviews, im absolute disgusted myself as I shafts use skyscanner but its never booked opodo up until last wk... paid 153€ for a return flight to&from Tenerife, checked my account and the cheeky $#*!s have taken a gurthur 191€ on top of my flight charges... so what was advertised as a cheap flight has turned out cisting ne double! Who wackes on extra charges that cost more than the actual flight!, ROOBING BASTARDS. I WANT MY $#*!IBG MONEY BACK!

Booked my ticket and final price showed up on the page (right before I hit purchase which means that includes everything) was different than what I got charged. So contacted them about the issue and here is their response (there was no alteration of any kind, I just did a purchase):

"Any alteration that is permitted on a booking (cancellation and/or modification) will be subject to handling fees. Opodo reserve the right to charge you a service fee of 23.17 EUR to cover the administration costs incurred by Opodo. These charges do not include any charges imposed directly by the Travel Supplier.

Details of these charges are contained within our Terms and Conditions which customers accept prior to choosing to complete their purchase therefore, regrettably, Opodo are unable to consider a refund of the handling fee you have been charged."

So replied and asked that firstly, this service/administrator charge should show up on my final payment, and secondly, send me the link to this terms and conditions of yours you are claiming, and this is their reply:

"

We would like to inform you that as we have already advised you regarding your payment in your previous email.

However, we also advise you that we are unable to provide any page for this and for this you have to check your payment page at the time of booking that what is the charge for making the booking with the Opodo website so that you will be able to see your service fee for your booking.

Moreover, in order to properly assist you regarding the subject indicated in your message, please contact us on one of the following phone numbers:

UK Telephone *******911 (toll free number) Australia: *******336 ($0.07/min) International calls: +61 29 *******
"

They just trying to put you in a loop for their sloppy business.

Horrible experience with Opodo booking
I booked with Opodo on 12/18/2012 for traveling on 12/24 between two Brazilian cities. They sent a confirmation notice and issued e-tickets details the same day as the booking. Since I later did not get any contact from them either by email or phone call. I presumed the ticketing had been made. But when the three of us went to check in early morning 12/24, the plane carrier could not found our ticket information and said our tickets were not in their system. Stunned, we spend 3-4 hours tried to contact Opodo to get an explanation and rebook the tickets at the airport. However, Opodo replied that our ticket booking was cancelled on 12/19 and had e-mailed the same day the cancellation. But I could not find any cancellation email in my Inbox or Spam.
Opodo could not book any ticket for us until after new year. We were stuck at a foreign airport without any help from Opodo. Luckily enough, we finally ourselves booked ticket to leave the airport on 12/25 Christmas day, but we have to stay 1 night in hotel, taxi transportation, and other expenses. When we got home we contacted Opodo about this miserable experience and ask for some compensation. They denied their fault and gave excuses, one by one.
First they said they had notified me about the cancellation, and the payment was refunded; they have never been able to show the original cancellation email although we requested many times. Then they said there was a system error/ technical issue. Yesterday, 1/8/2013, they said it was due to the credit card payment being declined [the card has very high, much more than enough credit limit]. Ridiculous, every email from them was a lie.
If they made a mistake and caused a customer's damage, they should admit it and compensate it, but they just lied and blamed customers.

Booked flights on 05 January for £1,287.69.

Cancelled same day but Opodo took more than six weeks to refund any money and then kept £340.17.

Having looked into this further, as far as I can tell, Opodo is just a bit of a scam really. They advertise that you can book the cheapest flight tickets with them and save with Opodo. But they just appear to sell tickets with a large mark up.

Maybe when they first started as a company they had better prices but now they appear to charge about 25% + compared to booking directly.

Just avoid scam companies like this… although it can be difficult as they pay to be top of Google searchers even if you try to search for a specific airline and at first you can think that you are dealing with the airline but actually you are dealing with Opodo.

-------------------------

Later update... on pressing and pressing them further, Opodo said the money they kept split down to:
- Easyjet's fee for cancellation of 49 GBP and the extra fee for booking through Opodo of 44.42 GBP (both non-refundable). Both fair enough. But there was an extra baggage fee of 246.75 GBP that Opodo added and that they won't refund.

So... if you book through Opodo and not the airline, you will be charged extra service fees (that will not be refunded if you cancel) and "additional products fees" that Opodo apply to your booking. Opodo said that any payment for hold baggage etc was a non-refundable element, even though the airline do not take the money.

Just book through the airline. Don't use Opodo. There are no up sides to using Opodo but there are plenty of reasons not to use Opodo.

Unless you really enjoy paying extra money that you may never get back and love talking to chatbots.

Now on to an irritating legal battle.