SIBU: A complaint involving a claim for a refund of almost RM50,000 by a 58-year-old man has received serious attention from the Sarawak Regional National Consumer Action Council (MTPN) after the complainant came forward to seek assistance from its president, Lucas Lau, recently.
The case stemmed from a change in flight schedule for a tour package abroad that originally offered Qatar Airways flight services.
The complainant claimed that the main attraction of the package was the use of the prestigious airline.
However, following a war conflict in a certain region, Qatar Airways has stopped operations on the route in question, thus forcing the travel agency to switch flights to Thai Airways.
According to Lau, the change had a major impact on the value of the promised service and was no longer in line with the customer’s original expectations, leading the complainant to decide to cancel his participation.
“The situation became more complicated when the complainant applied for a refund, but the agency allegedly tried to pressure him to continue his trip despite significant changes to the original package,” he said in a statement on Sunday.
Lau stressed that non-transparent actions and attempts to influence consumer decisions are contrary to consumer rights as enshrined in the Consumer Protection Act 1999, especially the right to obtain accurate information and make their own choices.
He added that even though the changes were caused by factors beyond their control such as international conflicts, travel agencies are still responsible for ensuring that consumers are not forced or manipulated for business interests.
“MTPN acts as a mediator to find a fair solution between both parties. However, if negotiations fail, this case will be brought to the Malaysian Consumer Claims Tribunal (TTPM) and referred to the Ministry of Tourism, Arts and Culture (MOTAC),” he explained.
Lau also reminded that under the Tourism Industry Act 1992, any agency that fails to maintain service standards or practices unethical business transactions may be subject to strict action by the authorities.
In this regard, MTPN Sarawak Region warned that any complaints regarding consumer exploitation will be dealt with seriously to ensure that consumer rights and interests are always protected.
“This case should be a lesson to all industry players to respect the customer’s decision, especially when there are major changes to the original contract involving high costs and quality of service,” Lau added.
