Jambojet and its booking frustrations...

Have people out there been experiencing problems with trying to book a flight on Jambojet?

I have just gone through a very frustrating time trying to do this. I know that they make their money from every little 'service' that they provide but, there has to be a limit and some justice involved.

For example, when you try to pay for your flight using your debit card, one discovers at the last minute that there are certain (they could not elaborate on the criteria of the types of debit cards), debit cards that Jambojet does not accept!

In the process, since you have no idea why the thing keeps asking you to feed in the number and you check over and over again that maybe you've entered some wrong digit and then finally you decide to call them at the various numbers at their website.

Here you encounter more 'adventures'... The automated voice (I really hate dealing with those as I am hearing impaired among other disabilities), which tells you to press various digits on your phone to get different 'services'. When I did that, the voice brought me back full circle, telling me to visit their website to get more information!!!

After wasting nearly an hour trying to get a human being at the other end, this human still talked like an automated voice. In other words, it was unhelpful in the extreme and kept repeating the same thing that THEIR system was rejecting my debit card (no reason given, again, since my card it valid and has enough money in the account), and therefore, I would have to go to their offices and book from there which would cost  me extra. Also, the other option being that she would book it for me at a further cost of 600/-!!!

Now, my question to Jambojet - Is this some kind of ploy to get more money from us? And why is YOUR system which is no fault of mine, rejecting my perfectly valid debit card?

Then, there is the matter of you having a pull down menu about persons with special needs, but nowhere can one, for example, book a wheelchair. Or does that cost some more money?

Today, I had a very nasty  and frustrating experience with Jambojet. Can they please rectify their system or have other alternatives that does not cost us money for something that is  no fault of our own.

I am wondering how I  am going to book for my flight, now....

The demise of the landline....?!

About a couple of weeks ago, I  got a call from a female voice (for some reason they are always averse to giving their names), who  claimed to  be from Orange Telkom.

First, despite telling her that I was hearing impaired and if she could please, talk a little louder, she insisted on talking in a low voice - no change in the decibel level.

Second, after getting her to repeat herself a number of times so that I could understand why she was calling me, it finally reached the conclusion that they were planning to do away with landlines and introduce wireless phones.

When I asked her the reason, I was told that they were upgrading their systems. 

Now, just earlier this year, they announced to all their customers who  were using wireless phones to change over from CDMA to GSM for a so-called minimal fee! 

So, when this confusing company calls me up to  inform me that they were changing from landlines to wireless, it did not make sense and told her, so. I also asked her the reason for changing to battery dependent technology in a country where the power supply was highly questionable. Since landlines were not dependent on power, it was very convenient to use when all of our cell phone batteries gave up their ghosts thanks to countless and unpredictable outages for days on end sometimes.

Those of us who have landlines, can, in the above scenario use these to get hold of the outside world despite there being no  power.

There is also the matter of costs. Calling landlines is cheaper from outside.

So, why is Orange Telkom changing? Don't they realize that we need a service that is not dependent on batteries? In fact, after a few years of having such a phone will result in the batteries not being available anymore because that particular model of  phone will have become redundant. Why do  these people create problems and needless expenses?

And finally, could Orange sensitize its employees regarding various kinds of disabilities and deal with them accordingly and not frustrate the people whom they call, please?