Complaints

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• Initial Complaint

  Date:13/09/2022

  Type:Service or Repair Issues
  Status:

  AnsweredMore info

  Complaint statuses

  Resolved:

  The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.

  Unresolved:

  The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.

  Answered:

  The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.

  Unanswered:

  The business failed to respond to the dispute.

  Unpursuable:

  BBB is unable to locate the business.

  February 20, 2021 Purchased e-voucher in the amount of $1,499.00 (includes $199 in taxes & service fees) for a 2 person private hot air balloon ride. Gifted to my spouse who made bookings & all further communication. Several attempts were made to fly during the 2021 flying season. All flights were cancelled due to the weather which was understandable. My spouse was advised the voucher could be used to fly in the following season (2022). Two more attempts to fly in June 2022. Both cancelled due to weather. Ottawa Hot Air is no longer responding to any emails to rebook. Their phone message service is at capacity. My spouse last emailed August 28, 2022 requesting a refund as they are not attempting to provide the service & have ruined the experience. Ottawa Hot Air have changed their website to now say that exisiting customers must use the vouchers within 12 months of purchase & no refunds. That was not the case when I originally bought the voucher in February, 2021.

  Business Response

  Date: 14/09/2022

  We respond to all phone calls and emails.
  
  The customer purchased through our website where they
  agreed to our terms and conditions. Our terms and conditions are also clearly posted
  on our website. These have not changed. Some of the relevant terms that apply
  to this customer’s booking are: No refund; booking are valid for 12 months; and
  no-shows or bookings cancelled within 72-hours are considered flown (used).
  
  We operate private hot air balloon flights for only two people
  (+ pilot). We have many people wanting to fly, and limited weekend availabilities
  each flying season. Each date where the weather is good, we need to be flying customers.
  
  For every available slot on our schedule, we need to have
  a hot air balloon system ready and fueled, a chase vehicle ready and fueled, a Transport
  Canada certified pilot, as well as 3 trained ground crew ready to assemble, inflate,
  fly, chase and pack up the balloon. We also need flight insurance, Transport
  Canada certification for passenger flights as well as land-owner permissions.
  
  During the 2021 season, the customer did not fly due to unsuitable
  weather on the dates they chose. The booking would have expired automatically on
  Feb 20, 2022, but we agreed to extend the booking as weather conditions were
  out of the customer’s control.
  
  The customer scheduled their flight with us for Sunday
  June 26, 2022.
  
  On June 24, 2022, the customer advised us by email that they
  were unable to fly on their scheduled date due to testing positive for COVID.
  We responded by email that cancelations within 72 hours are considered used/flown,
  but we asked them to provide proof of a positive covid test. If provided
  within a reasonable time frame, we would have considered this an exceptional
  circumstance and allow them to rebook at a later date.
  
  The customer chose to ignore this email and never replied
  to our request for proof of a positive covid test. We received no communication
  from the customer until a month later, on July 26, when the customer requested a refund.
  Then customer was advised that we do not offer refunds.
  
  Note that our 72-hour cancellation policy is because in
  our experience, we have found it almost impossible to be able to fly another
  group in the cancelled timeslot with such short notice.  In this case, we tried to contact several of
  our other customers, but none were able to take the cancelled timeslot, even
  though the weather was suitable for a balloon flight.
  
  We were ready to fly the customer on their scheduled date.
  The weather was good. We are sorry the customer got COVID, but their
  last-minute cancellation was beyond our control. The customer was a no-show.

  Customer Answer

  Date: 15/09/2022

  
  
  ********** ********
  
  
  
  I am rejecting this response because:

  
  

  *** has searched for the email that Ottawa Hot Air has attached and we have absolutely no record of it. Below is an account of the communications we have:

  
  

  June 4, 2022 @ 3:04 - *** sent to [email protected] to confirm whether the June 4 flight was still scheduled as the pilot did not not call by 2:00.

  June 4, 2022 - Pilot later called to cancel the flight due to weather.

  
  

  June 6, 2022 - email from [email protected]  with link to reschedule cancelled flight. Note: Until this cancelled flight, Otttawa Hot Air always rescheduled the flight without us having to reach out.

  June 6, 2022 - *** sent email to  [email protected] as link did not work. Flight rescheduled by phone to June 26.

  
  

  June 24, 2022 @ 10:53 *** sent email to [email protected] to advise them that *** tested positive for COVID & could not fly & asked to reschedule.

  June 24, 2022 @ 1:05 *** sent a second email email to ************* because we did not receive a response from the first email. Again, it was to say *** tested positive for COVID & could not fly.

  
  

  We did not receive the email from [email protected]  nor *************  on June 24.

  
  

  June 26, 2022 - voice mail (sent to text) from the ***** ***** that the flight schedule for today needed to be cancelled due to risk of rain & thunderstorms. Pilot advised spouse to reschedule.

  I do not understand why the flight was still scheduled if Ottawa Hot Air was aware of the emails that were sent on June 24.

  
  

  Note: Otttawa Hot Air always rescheduled the flight without us having to reach out. Although, *** did ask to reschedule in his email on June 24. 

  
  

  According to the voice mail of Ottawa Hot Air they were unavailable for June/July as they were touring abroad which is the reason *** did not send another email until July 25.

  
  

  July 25, 2022 - *** sent email to [email protected] to reschedule & provided dates he would not be available. He asked for a refund if they couldn't reschedule.

  No response from Ottawa Hot Air,

  
  

  August 15, 2022 - *** sent email to [email protected] requesting next steps to rebook, but now would not be available until end of September. If they could not rebook & provide the service could they possibly provide a refund.

  No response from Ottawa Hot Air.

  
  

  August 28, 2022 - *** sent the same email sent August 15, 2022.

  No response from Ottawa Hot Air.
  
  
  I have attached the message from the pilot on June 26 when he cancelled the flight. I can provide all the emails that I have reference above upon request.
  
  
  Sincerely,
  
  ***** ****** ********