Travel Agent in Helsinki to AVOID

hanj · Post by **hanj** » Thu Jan 22, 2009 6:27 pm

I've heard bad experience from others who have used this. This incident below is from another forum.

I have recently purchased flight tickets with the following travel agent in Helsinki.

CHINA-FINLAND TRAVEL AGENCY
00100 HELSINKI

The person running the agency is Mr.Zhao Wei Ping.

I would like to give everyone's a heads-up that dealing with Zhao is a highly stressful event as he obviously doesnt want to help nor is he competent enough.

This particular incident started when I wanted to change the return date on my ticket. Zhao advised that it is not possible for him to change it and only the airline (in this case its Cathay Pacific; CX) operating the flights has the rights to modify it. He also emphasized that he has absolutely no right to modify the return date. I was suspicious hence I made calls to various CX offices. I found out that this ticket is a flexi ticket which I am entitled to a return date modification without penalty. CX offices in UK, Denmark, Amsterdam and Hong Kong all in unison said that only the issuing agent can make the modification. CX can only modify as soon as the flight commence (as soon as I board the flight and land on the destination). I did not want to take the risk of waiting for the flight to commence as the flight would probably be full by then.

So, I called Zhao again, explaining this to him. And he stubbornly refused to listen and again stressed that he cannot do it. I suggested that he should call his supporting CX office (Denmark) for assistance if he doesnt know how to do this, which of course, he refused. I called CX Denmark again and asked if they would call this agent and they said it is the agents' responsibility to call them in this situation. I suggested to Denmark support that I would call them again in the agent's presence and pass the phone to the agent. Today I marched to Zhao's office and did just that. Before the call, again he insisted it is not possible, he also refused to call the airline. Thus, I made the call and Zhao spoke to CX Danish office on my expense and successfully changed the return date on the tickets. Then he said I owe him 100euro for his trouble to change the tickets.

Do you think he deserves the 100euro for the <10minutes he spent? Not to mentioned all the long distance calls were made on my expense. This is the last time I will purchase any ticket from this person/agency.

**Sponsor:**

jas_rho · Post by **jas_rho** » Thu Jan 22, 2009 7:53 pm

Holy smokes, so was that you or someone else? Anyway I hope you or the other person didn't pay the 100€. If anything Mr Ping should be giving some money back.

hanj · Post by **hanj** » Thu Jan 22, 2009 11:31 pm

anyone else had experience with this particular agent? or other bad experience with travel agent to share?

this should be the website

http://www.finlland.com/

Pursuivant · Post by **Pursuivant** » Fri Jan 23, 2009 9:17 pm

I thought you'd sent the triads after him already

raamv · Post by **raamv** » Sat Jan 24, 2009 12:38 am

So whats the work of those travel agencies then?
DO they get to sleep all day, cater to the demands of all those lazy b*stards looking for cheap a$$ tickets and then book the tickets..with just a commission?
Looks like they were trying to tell the person to ask how much it would cost ( Heck airlines charge these days to change even after flexible schedules , so why not these people)..
Just out of curiosity, Would you have used the travel agency if they had not given you a better deal than the airlines rate?

zam · Post by **zam** » Sat Jan 24, 2009 1:06 am

They seem to indicate on their website that changes to already issued tickets cost 80 EUR and require an approval from the carrier. Rather high service fee... Although ticketing fees on intercontinental routes are nowadays very high in all travel agencies (FTB 60 EUR, Area 88 EUR, Kaleva Travel 70 EUR, Finnair 50 - 70 EUR, Blue1/SAS 55 EUR - these for personal service, online fees are way cheaper).

hanj · Post by **hanj** » Sat Jan 24, 2009 1:38 am

geniedevil wrote:Interesting enough, almost all Chinese know that they should avoid that agency, I wonder how they still can maintain business?

i would have thought the reason he is still in business is due to the support from the chinese community.

hanj · Post by **hanj** » Sat Jan 24, 2009 1:41 am

raamv wrote:So whats the work of those travel agencies then?
DO they get to sleep all day, cater to the demands of all those lazy b*stards looking for cheap a$$ tickets and then book the tickets..with just a commission?
Looks like they were trying to tell the person to ask how much it would cost ( Heck airlines charge these days to change even after flexible schedules , so why not these people)..
Just out of curiosity, Would you have used the travel agency if they had not given you a better deal than the airlines rate?

do you mean the travel agent is trying to tell the customer to ask how much it would cost? i would think that is the travel agent's responsibility.

Zam,

I saw the page where you mentioned about the 80euro thing, funny why there's a bit of english on that page. Maybe I should ask the post originator for follow up.

Pursuivant · Post by **Pursuivant** » Sat Jan 24, 2009 2:55 pm

"but my travel agent promised me"

network_engineer · Post by **network_engineer** » Sat Jan 24, 2009 8:11 pm

Hi!

If you believe that the travel agent is acting in a incorrect/improper manner, you could consider filing a complaint with the Consumer Disputes Board. Their website is here: http://www.kuluttajariita.fi/ (in English here: http://www.kuluttajavalituslautakunta.fi/en/index.html).

Kind regards.

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