MOST people would agree that waiting for nearly a year to get a compensation claim for damaged luggage to be sorted out is rather a long time.

Caroline Renouf says that she was in a real predicament regarding her claim with no-frills airline EasyJet, and in the end she was so annoyed that she called Fair Play.

Caroline’s bag was damaged in August last year on a flight from Nice to Gatwick. She says that the service received from the handling agent was poor and brusque, and that the phone number given to her to sort the matter out was useless.

She therefore decided to contact the management at EasyJet, but in spite of numerous letters, e-mails and phone calls she never received a replacement bag.

‘The efficiency and product knowledge of the EasyJet staff was poor,’ said Caroline, ‘I was sent a letter indicating that an online brochure was available and that I would be able to select a suitable replacement online; this proved not to be the case.

‘I was also informed by the customer services adviser that I should phone a certain number to arrange for collection of the damaged bag and delivery of a replacement. But I was then informed that in fact this service did not apply to Jersey!

‘As well as the incompetence and total lack of courtesy and care to a customer, this would seem to be blatant discrimination to clients outside mainland UK. My experience of customer service with EasyJet contrasts sharply with their customer-friendly publicity presented by EasyJet bosses at the launch of their Jersey operations earlier this year.’

On top of that, Caroline says that since last November she has effectively been ignored. She had also contacted the Air Transport Users Council who chased up EasyJet three times on her behalf, but with no result.

So Caroline called in Fair Play, who took her complaint and the issue of her damaged bag directly to EasyJet.
Within a short space of time the company had sorted out Caroline’s problem and had posted off a cheque in compensation.

This is what the EasyJet spokes-man had to say:
‘EasyJet would like to apologise for the unacceptable delay that Mrs Renouf has experienced with regard to her damaged baggage. We employ a third party to handle baggage issues, and after investigating this particular case it seems that there was a breakdown in communication. We have issued a cheque for £100, as requested by Mrs Renouf.’

Naturally Caroline was very happy to have the result she’d waited so long for. ‘I’m very grateful to Fair Play — you achieved in one week what I was trying to do for ten months!

‘I’m incensed when big companies ignore you and hope you will go away, and I’m just glad that you have sorted it all out,’ she said.