KLM mandatory Animal Hotel SCAM
Jun 30th, 2016, 11:06 PM
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KLM mandatory Animal Hotel SCAM
When we flew from Shanghai to Lisbon via Amsterdam (3hr layover) with our dog, KLM informed us about the Animal Hotel Service. Here they take your dog out of the cage, clean the cage, take the dog for a walk, feed it some water, etc.
Basically give the animal a little bit much needed attention.
At least, that is how they advertise this mandatory "service".
When we picked up our Laila from Lisbon airport, her cage was smelly and we immediately noticed that it never had been opened since we left 17 hours earlier from Shanghai! Several faeces were scattered around the cage and the entire "mattress" of Chinese newspapers I used for the bottom was soaked in urine.
So much for the little pampering and attention in KLM's mandatory Animal Hotel!
After arrival on our final destination, Faial, we decided to send KLM a complaint letter (June 4) read it here: http://piethfbos8.wix.com/klmscam#!O...f249bc2455b391.
After 4 days (June 8) we received a reply where "J. Davies (Mrs)" said that she was "investigating this matter further" and we would very shortly receive a full response: http://piethfbos8.wix.com/klmscam#!S...f2c8c6f2c8c7f2
The term "very shortly" means something different for KLM Customer Care Europe than it usually means.
On June 21 we got tired of waiting around and we wrote a paragraph on Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/miapiao/pos...54269786744441) and miraculously received a real reply the same day: http://piethfbos8.wix.com/klmscam#!R...f2bcae6e4493c6
On June 25 we replied: http://piethfbos8.wix.com/klmscam#!O...f2bcae6e449460
Today is June 30 and of course we still had not heard back from KLM.
As the only form of communication KLM offers is via their webform and as we already know that "system" is hardly functioning, it is no more than logic that people resort to social media to "hit them up". By that time though, usually people are already pretty fed up with the experience.
So today I sent a tweet asking for some kind of a response and they told me to be patient and later that they did not receive our bank details.
Is that one of the reasons they use that unfriendly webform system? They can always say they didn't receive it. How will I ever be able to prove that I in fact did send it?!
It is safe to say that by now "our lasting impression of KLM" is very much "a negative one".
KLM messed up royally, offered to refund the costs related to the transport of our pet, but then says they have not received the bank details. Nothing about the part of their offer we don't accept, no creative input, no spin, no nothing.
So my opinion on this remains the same: pet travel with KLM is a simple money grab. KLM cannot care less about your pet and just collects the steep fees of their mandatory Animal Hotel, which most likely is just an empty facade of a container where they stack the crates of pets and dogs in.
Most people will be happy their pet survived the trip and will not complain about it. After all, how many times do you really go through an ordeal like this?
Some of the tweets today:
KLM: We regret to hear about your disappointment with the process, Piet. We can see you have been offered 7,000 miles each but your bank details are missing. Have you go any email with these details? Only send us via Direct Message and we will assist you.
Me: I am not going to use a medium as Twitter to send bank details which I ALREADY SENT TO YOU via your insane unfriendly webticket system. give me a direct email address of J. Davies (Mrs) and I can send them AGAIN. so what is missing then? All our details were placed under the signature and before the PS.
KLM: We regret that this is how you feel, Piet. Given that a refund is what you seek as an end-result, the bank details are of utmost importance. And apologies but without these, it would nullify your request for a refund. Be that as it may, our Customer Care colleagues do not have a direct line for our passengers to call or reach. We regret this irregularity but we are here to help.
"Irregularity"??? WHAT?!?!?!
I did not ask for a direct line to call, I asked for an email address. I already have sent my bank details, KLM simply lost them and due to the bizar way KLM choses to communicate with its customers I cannot proof that I have in fact sent them. Now they want me to send them again, but how can we check they receive them? We cannot. And this cat and mouse game can go on forever...
And now they are actually threatening me to nullify my request for a refund? Because they simply deny that we actually sent our bank details already. This only shows (among many other things) how incredibly broken their system is!
Me: I think it is better that your Mrs J Davies sends us an official reply to our response. ASAP that is!
It seems that in fact KLM is not at all worried about our lasting impression of them and the service they cannot seem to provide!
Hopeful we are now awaiting the official response from KLM per email.
Later in the evening of June 30, KLM decided to respond via Facebook. Perhaps because I posted a link to this site on their page.
In case it gets deleted (or lost), this is what KLM sent us: http://piethfbos8.wix.com/klmscam#!K...f2f8d6d1114e3c
On the page they give a new twist where they're saying that I think that they never responded. O...K...
And via the chat our Laila is now all of a sudden more than one dog...
It's all in the details and KLM (Customer Care Europe) doesn't seem to pay too much attention to those.
We have again filled in the form on their site and have now received a new reference number (whatever good that may do): 9028101001.
Read the message we sent, it includes a screenshot of the original form: http://piethfbos8.wix.com/klmscam#!M...f231749dcbfa6b
The KLM auto-reply followed quickly of course: http://piethfbos8.wix.com/klmscam#!K...f2c8c6f2c91c88.
A new reference number??? And now they're telling me that "due to exceptional circumstances" they may not be able to answer me within their usual 10 day period?!
Which special circumstances? The fact that I already had a reference number (8946799001) and now they're giving me a new one (9028101001)?!
And now you're pushing this whole matter another 10 days (minimum) further?
And what happened to J. Davies (Mrs)?
Overnight KLM has removed part of my comments on their Facebook page, lovely, will have to take screenshots of those then from now on.
The saga continues via Messaging on Facebook: http://piethfbos8.wix.com/klmscam#!K...f2f8d6d11185ff
TBC...
Basically give the animal a little bit much needed attention.
At least, that is how they advertise this mandatory "service".
When we picked up our Laila from Lisbon airport, her cage was smelly and we immediately noticed that it never had been opened since we left 17 hours earlier from Shanghai! Several faeces were scattered around the cage and the entire "mattress" of Chinese newspapers I used for the bottom was soaked in urine.
So much for the little pampering and attention in KLM's mandatory Animal Hotel!
After arrival on our final destination, Faial, we decided to send KLM a complaint letter (June 4) read it here: http://piethfbos8.wix.com/klmscam#!O...f249bc2455b391.
After 4 days (June 8) we received a reply where "J. Davies (Mrs)" said that she was "investigating this matter further" and we would very shortly receive a full response: http://piethfbos8.wix.com/klmscam#!S...f2c8c6f2c8c7f2
The term "very shortly" means something different for KLM Customer Care Europe than it usually means.
On June 21 we got tired of waiting around and we wrote a paragraph on Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/miapiao/pos...54269786744441) and miraculously received a real reply the same day: http://piethfbos8.wix.com/klmscam#!R...f2bcae6e4493c6
On June 25 we replied: http://piethfbos8.wix.com/klmscam#!O...f2bcae6e449460
Today is June 30 and of course we still had not heard back from KLM.
As the only form of communication KLM offers is via their webform and as we already know that "system" is hardly functioning, it is no more than logic that people resort to social media to "hit them up". By that time though, usually people are already pretty fed up with the experience.
So today I sent a tweet asking for some kind of a response and they told me to be patient and later that they did not receive our bank details.
Is that one of the reasons they use that unfriendly webform system? They can always say they didn't receive it. How will I ever be able to prove that I in fact did send it?!
It is safe to say that by now "our lasting impression of KLM" is very much "a negative one".
KLM messed up royally, offered to refund the costs related to the transport of our pet, but then says they have not received the bank details. Nothing about the part of their offer we don't accept, no creative input, no spin, no nothing.
So my opinion on this remains the same: pet travel with KLM is a simple money grab. KLM cannot care less about your pet and just collects the steep fees of their mandatory Animal Hotel, which most likely is just an empty facade of a container where they stack the crates of pets and dogs in.
Most people will be happy their pet survived the trip and will not complain about it. After all, how many times do you really go through an ordeal like this?
Some of the tweets today:
KLM: We regret to hear about your disappointment with the process, Piet. We can see you have been offered 7,000 miles each but your bank details are missing. Have you go any email with these details? Only send us via Direct Message and we will assist you.
Me: I am not going to use a medium as Twitter to send bank details which I ALREADY SENT TO YOU via your insane unfriendly webticket system. give me a direct email address of J. Davies (Mrs) and I can send them AGAIN. so what is missing then? All our details were placed under the signature and before the PS.
KLM: We regret that this is how you feel, Piet. Given that a refund is what you seek as an end-result, the bank details are of utmost importance. And apologies but without these, it would nullify your request for a refund. Be that as it may, our Customer Care colleagues do not have a direct line for our passengers to call or reach. We regret this irregularity but we are here to help.
"Irregularity"??? WHAT?!?!?!
I did not ask for a direct line to call, I asked for an email address. I already have sent my bank details, KLM simply lost them and due to the bizar way KLM choses to communicate with its customers I cannot proof that I have in fact sent them. Now they want me to send them again, but how can we check they receive them? We cannot. And this cat and mouse game can go on forever...
And now they are actually threatening me to nullify my request for a refund? Because they simply deny that we actually sent our bank details already. This only shows (among many other things) how incredibly broken their system is!
Me: I think it is better that your Mrs J Davies sends us an official reply to our response. ASAP that is!
It seems that in fact KLM is not at all worried about our lasting impression of them and the service they cannot seem to provide!
Hopeful we are now awaiting the official response from KLM per email.
Later in the evening of June 30, KLM decided to respond via Facebook. Perhaps because I posted a link to this site on their page.
In case it gets deleted (or lost), this is what KLM sent us: http://piethfbos8.wix.com/klmscam#!K...f2f8d6d1114e3c
On the page they give a new twist where they're saying that I think that they never responded. O...K...
And via the chat our Laila is now all of a sudden more than one dog...
It's all in the details and KLM (Customer Care Europe) doesn't seem to pay too much attention to those.
We have again filled in the form on their site and have now received a new reference number (whatever good that may do): 9028101001.
Read the message we sent, it includes a screenshot of the original form: http://piethfbos8.wix.com/klmscam#!M...f231749dcbfa6b
The KLM auto-reply followed quickly of course: http://piethfbos8.wix.com/klmscam#!K...f2c8c6f2c91c88.
A new reference number??? And now they're telling me that "due to exceptional circumstances" they may not be able to answer me within their usual 10 day period?!
Which special circumstances? The fact that I already had a reference number (8946799001) and now they're giving me a new one (9028101001)?!
And now you're pushing this whole matter another 10 days (minimum) further?
And what happened to J. Davies (Mrs)?
Overnight KLM has removed part of my comments on their Facebook page, lovely, will have to take screenshots of those then from now on.
The saga continues via Messaging on Facebook: http://piethfbos8.wix.com/klmscam#!K...f2f8d6d11185ff
TBC...
Jul 1st, 2016, 01:35 AM
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Jul 1st, 2016, 01:36 AM
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Why not divert your energy into the email that contains your bank account details (yes, again if necessary), you can then get your refund and close the case. Being stubborn, fighting and putting such emotion into a complaint will only work against you IME.
Jul 1st, 2016, 01:44 AM
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You know you can send them a private message tweet, right?
Based on what you have written here (I am not clicking your external links) it sounds like KLM is ready to offer compensation but you're the one stonewalling them. Send them your banking details and be grateful that they even bothered to offer you something.
Based on what you have written here (I am not clicking your external links) it sounds like KLM is ready to offer compensation but you're the one stonewalling them. Send them your banking details and be grateful that they even bothered to offer you something.
Jul 1st, 2016, 02:37 AM
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Thanks @StCirq, worth a shot.
@Odin - I already have, as I wrote in the Original Post:
We have again filled in the form on their site and have now received a new reference number (whatever good that may do): 9028101001.
Read the message we sent, it includes a screenshot of the original form: http://piethfbos8.wix.com/klmscam#!M...f231749dcbfa6b
@sparkchaser - it is of course your prerogative not to click on links and then leaving your reply, knowing that you only have read half the story. Anyways, thanks for your thoughts and suggestion.
@Odin - I already have, as I wrote in the Original Post:
We have again filled in the form on their site and have now received a new reference number (whatever good that may do): 9028101001.
Read the message we sent, it includes a screenshot of the original form: http://piethfbos8.wix.com/klmscam#!M...f231749dcbfa6b
@sparkchaser - it is of course your prerogative not to click on links and then leaving your reply, knowing that you only have read half the story. Anyways, thanks for your thoughts and suggestion.
Jul 1st, 2016, 02:46 AM
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Hi Piet.
Now if I were KLM I would not refund you, since the refund is not going to make you change your mind and you are already inundating the web with anti KLM posts.
You are putting yourself in the shoes of the digruntled client who will not be satisfied whatever the outcome.
Why would then KLM invest time and resource in finalizing the litigation ? They already lost you and you sound like you will not stop complaining after being refunded.
Did you go to a pet psychiatrist, why does he/she say about the state of mind of your pet ? IT will be ok ?
Now if I were KLM I would not refund you, since the refund is not going to make you change your mind and you are already inundating the web with anti KLM posts.
You are putting yourself in the shoes of the digruntled client who will not be satisfied whatever the outcome.
Why would then KLM invest time and resource in finalizing the litigation ? They already lost you and you sound like you will not stop complaining after being refunded.
Did you go to a pet psychiatrist, why does he/she say about the state of mind of your pet ? IT will be ok ?
Jul 1st, 2016, 08:40 AM
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Unfortunately, I think a lot of companies have bad customer service like this, it's more the norm than not. The best customer service I get from an airline is Southwest but I really don't have tons of complaints.
What I really resent it companies somehow being more responsive if you post on Facebook or Twitter than go through the normal channels. I think they should give good customer service by any channel.
However, you are misrepresenting some things, I think. This is KLM's pet travel rules
https://www.klm.com/travel/eu_en/pre...pets/index.htm
They do use the term animal hotel and that is just a term they use. Any airline is going to charge you something for animal transfer, I would imagine, no one is going to do it for free. They charge you that fee because you had a long layover, it's a fee if a lyaover is more than 2 hrs, apparently. Which makes perfect sense, the only real complaint you should have would be if they did not do what they are supposed to do. You have pretty good evidence that they did not, which I agree is not good as they said they would and charged you.
The whole bank details sounds ridiculous to me. They charged you this extra fee on a credit card, I presume, so they should be able to refund it the same way. They should not require "bank details" from you to do that, and in fact, they should have all the details they need if it's the CC number. Unless you didn't pay by credit card, of course.
What I really resent it companies somehow being more responsive if you post on Facebook or Twitter than go through the normal channels. I think they should give good customer service by any channel.
However, you are misrepresenting some things, I think. This is KLM's pet travel rules
https://www.klm.com/travel/eu_en/pre...pets/index.htm
They do use the term animal hotel and that is just a term they use. Any airline is going to charge you something for animal transfer, I would imagine, no one is going to do it for free. They charge you that fee because you had a long layover, it's a fee if a lyaover is more than 2 hrs, apparently. Which makes perfect sense, the only real complaint you should have would be if they did not do what they are supposed to do. You have pretty good evidence that they did not, which I agree is not good as they said they would and charged you.
The whole bank details sounds ridiculous to me. They charged you this extra fee on a credit card, I presume, so they should be able to refund it the same way. They should not require "bank details" from you to do that, and in fact, they should have all the details they need if it's the CC number. Unless you didn't pay by credit card, of course.
