This tirade was necessary. Because after this, I felt soooo much better. :)
###
To whom it may concern:
Thanks for awarding me these vouchers. I thought it would be best to give you some feedback because it has been bugging me for a while.
It was with great happiness that I received news of my win. It meant a lot that the story which I submitted would appear in Jetstar mag as it was an invaluable way for me to show my friend in Taipei how much I enjoyed my time with her during my trip.
What originated as happiness quickly evaporated into dismay once I read the terms and conditions presented in the vouchers. Within 3 weeks of receiving the vouchers, I had to take leave and book a flight, whilst confirming accomodation. Not just for myself but also for 4 fellow travellers because of a clause that stipulated that each person was entitled to using only 1 voucher. Another clause insisted that our travel must be completed by 2 Sep. Then another clause stated that we cannot travel on Fridays, Weekends, PH, PH eves and School holidays. Because we could only make payment via credit card, add another $12 per pax, excluding taxes and other fees which we have to pay. I shall not repeat the T&Cs since you came up with them. What you don't know is how much inconvenience it brings to the person who gets them.
Because of the T&Cs, we have to book tickets separately to Hong Kong. Unfortunately, this, and the stress of booking caused me and my brother to book the wrong flights. So slap another $12 + $40 change of flight fees. Not your fault though. But just to give you an idea of the amount of stress we faced whilst making our travel plans within the short timeline.
My parents initially wanted to travel nearby due to their age. However, the website didn't allow them to make bookings to Indonesia when we tried to use the vouchers. Because no one answers the Jetstar hotline within 30mins, we gave up. I got a scolding from them for causing them distress as they tried to use the vouchers over 2 days. And me, having to work, couldn't do the bookings for them.
I then tried to sell and/or giveaway the vouchers. It was quite surprisingly that no one wanted 3 vouchers worth $100 each. I think the short lead time was the key culprit. Many people asked me why the vouchers gave such terrible constraints. Everytime I repeated the story, the more convinced I was not a winner, but a victim. My parents have been repeating this terrible experience to their friends, and I'm quite sure their friends will repeat the same story to their other friends.
It's amazing to me how this happy incident has downward spiralled into so much unhappiness within a few short weeks. Even before I've began my trip to Hong Kong, Jetstar has already left a bad aftertaste.
I hope you will review the prizes you award for future contests.
Sincerely,
Janice
