Pricewatch

  • Ryanair Vouchers

    May 12, 2008 @ 10:16 am | by Conor Pope

    Paddy Clarke from Dublin got in touch to complain about Ryanair gift vouchers. He received two with a value of €200 each, but his experience in trying to redeem them has left him “very, very frustrated and indeed poorer.” He says there are two phoneline options to redeem vouchers but on the day he tried “and indeed several times since”, the cheaper option, which is chargeable at national rate, “was either not working or on the one occasion it was simply of no assistance as the menu options did not cover gift vouchers, nor indeed did it offer general live operator assistance”.

    So Clarke had to call a premium rate number which costs €1.75 per minute. This number was answered immediately. “Although I had established the relevant flight numbers for my three short holiday flights, the operator persisted in dragging out the call for approximately 30 minutes at a cost to me of €50 plus.” He explains that because the expiry date on the vouchers was the end of this month he was in a “catch- 22 position in that to terminate the call would result in even more expense on a necessary repeat call”.

    Part of the delay was due to the operator requesting a reference number from the gift voucher which unhelpfully was not the printed reference number on the actual voucher. To further complicate matters, “Ryanair chose to convert my two €200 vouchers into eight €50 vouchers, with a consequential phone-time delay in relaying eight alpha/numeric numbers to an already bewildered customer. I presume that this attitude is generated by company policy.” He still has some vouchers left and is dismayed that there appears to be no alternative to using the premium number again. “Ryanair will not accept complaints via e-mail yet will reply in this way, if they choose.”

  • 13 Comments »

    1.
    May 29, 2008
    12:17 pm

    My family decided to but each other these vouchers and we have experienced all of the above described problems. Ryanair deliberately withold certain numbers from you to drag out the call or tel yu to call back. They will not give you their names. They hang up when you are 10 minutes into the call. do not buy these vouchers they are too much stress!!! It’s bad business and a bad reflection on Irish businessmen.

    Comment by Rhys Livesy
    2.
    June 9, 2008
    8:50 pm

    This sounds exactly like what I’d expect from Ryanair. I have a “free bonus flight” offered to me due to my spending over a certain level on my mbna credit card, which involves calling them to get it booked….will not bother

    Comment by Sean
    3.
    July 1, 2008
    1:38 pm

    I couldnt even get through to the premium rate and now the voucher has expired. This is unbelievable treatment of customers from Ryanair. I will take it further anyway, i hope others do also

    Comment by Paudie
    4.
    July 26, 2008
    5:11 pm

    Anyone should make sure they persist and get their vouchers returned for flights. That’s what will really annoy Ryanair! Dial 7 when you get through to the recorded message to avoid extra costs and be very clear on what you are buying - have passport numbers, dates of birth, flight numbers and if possible your full flight details on the screen in front of you before and while you call! If you’re going to Span, give them the extra passport information they want during the call to avoid the annoying ‘You need to call us again to give us extra information’ email!!! Good luck!

    Comment by Rhys Livesy
    5.
    October 19, 2008
    1:52 pm

    I was given two Ryanair vouchers of £40. I was dismayed when I saw the small-print saying I was the only one who can fly with the voucher, it has to be booked within 6 months etc.

    But worst of all I have now realised that to book it I must call the £1 a minute number. From other people’s stories on the internet it seems this may end up costing me £30-40 as the operators take their time booking. I cannot understand how they can get away with not letting you book online and forcing you to pay £1 a minute on the phone!

    What a waste of £80 - but I reckon better to accept the loss and not throw more good money after bad!

    Comment by Anthony T
    6.
    October 30, 2008
    1:47 pm

    I had a bad experience with the MBNA / Ryanair combination just now; .. I called Ryanair, and after 30 minutes on hold (I wanted to inquire whether I was able to get my free flight) I was given another number.

    After dialing that number, they told me to call the MBNA number to as for my vouchers.. Guess what, after calling the MBMA number, they gave me the primary number of Ryanair line again…

    What a bastards! I feel I am tricked into getting a credit card promising free flights…. I am canceling my card and will never fly with them again, I’d rather pay 30 euro’s extra with AerLingus instead!

    Bad advertising! Now, I am trying to make a complaint, but … I am pretty sure I will be given a phone number somewhere, which again will provide me with a … you know the drill…

    Ryanair Marketing Manager: SHAME ON YOU!

    Comment by Christiaan
    7.
    January 8, 2009
    9:43 pm

    Got ryanair vouchers for xmas 2007 from kids.I could never get through on phone. The vouchers have now expired. This voucher system is a scam with ryanair.They shouldn’t be allowed get away with it. The kids are very dissappointed that we didn’t get away on a flight. They feel they got us no present at this stage.
    Attracta

    Comment by ATTRACTA B
    8.
    January 20, 2009
    12:49 pm

    We got Ryanair gift vouchers for Christmas and it appears we can’t use one of them as the gift voucher is in the name of Tony and my husband’s name on his passport is Anthony. How can you give someone a surprise gift if you have to ask them the details of the name on their passport?!
    We, too, have lost money on the other voucher due to the condition that unused value on vouchers is unrefundable.
    Is this legal?
    What about the Small Claims Court?
    Deirdre

    Comment by Deirdre Moore
    9.
    February 22, 2009
    2:35 pm

    My work friends bought me £100 worth of vouchers as a leaving present. They must really have hated me!!!! I tried to redeem them on line following instructions. When the booking went through my vouchers were ignored and they charged me the full amount. I needed to book second flights so tried again and ‘it ‘told me they have been used…which they haven’t.
    So onto the nightmare that is Ryanair. No email to send your query, £1 min lines, voucher line that is closed at weekends - and when you got an answer leaves you waiting and waiting. The East of England Trading standards organisation tell me that when I lodged my vouchers ryanair had formed a contract with me. They have advised me to contact them, (ha ha ha) asking them to honour the vouchers. I have written to them and spent £4 on a registered post letter, giving them every bit of information they could possibly want. I have given them seven days to rectify this. Failing that the Trading standards want to hear from me again. I am sure Ryanair will do the right thing but if not the Small claims court is an alternative.
    What a palava though when all you want is to redeem gift vouchers. To be fair I have used Ryanair many time aand things have been brilliant. However this is the first time I have had a problem. Let’s see.

    Comment by Chris Gill
    10.
    March 22, 2009
    11:08 pm

    Ryanair vouchers are the ideal present to give someone- if you hate them!
    How Ryanair can get away with the way they trade is a mystery to me. I’m not really sure that the argument that “you get what you pay for” even applies, as by the time you have added all the charges to the eye-catching fare, say £9.99, you still end up with a bill of £160 for 2 people return. I think that they should be investigated for being misleading and being deliberately difficult to contact. I will not fly with them again if I can help it. I look forward to the day they go bust!

    Comment by Mark
    11.
    August 11, 2009
    10:35 pm

    thanks for all your comments and warnings; was just about to buy them as a wedding gift…
    monika

    Comment by monika
    12.
    August 20, 2009
    11:37 am

    tx all for the valuable comments.
    Was about to buy them, but I went suspicious as the link to ryanair’s gift voucher Terms & Conditions appeared broken.
    I went on the web, and see: I get rewarded, no good money thrown away.

    Tx!

    Comment by rafael
    13.
    November 8, 2009
    7:44 pm

    my voucher worth 50 euros would not be accepted, and now i have to call an 1 euro per minute number to try to get some satisfaction :-(

    Comment by ottavio

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