July 5,2022

A Lagos-based car dealer has narrated how Travelstart, a travel agency, withheld his N416,000 ticket feet for a year and six months.

The car dealer, who asked to be anonymous, said he booked two flight tickets in November 2020 via Travelstart and was scheduled to leave Lagos for Dubai on Turkish Airlines.

He stated that two days before departure, he and his friend went to the airport to confirm their reservations, only to realise that Turkish Airlines was not flying the Nigerian route because of Covid-19.

The car dealer said he went to the Travelstart office in Allen Avenue, Ikeja, Lagos, to complain but did not find them there

We had to go to Dubai through another airline, but we continued to request our money from Travelstart,” he said

He said while in Dubai, he sent the travel agency an e-mail requesting a refund of both tickets, and they kept assuring him they would.

“In 2021, they offered to refund N30,000 out of N416,000,” he said

“I became angry and fought back such narratives before they refunded one of the two tickets. They said the second ticket was not refundable – a N416,000 ticket.”

The car dealer said the travel agency gave him a travel voucher stating that he either had to use the voucher or use the ticket any other time.

“But I don’t want the ticket,” he said. “They should refund my money.”

FIJ called Travelstart but their line was not available. A message sent to them had also not been replied to at press time