Consumer complaint received 2022-06-14
Company: Paypal Holdings, Inc
State: CA
Product: Debt collection
Sub-product: Other debt
Issue: Attempts to collect debt not owed
Sub-issue: Debt is not yours

Complaint:
XX/XX/XXXX : I purchased flights via XXXX and used PayPal XXXX in 4 as my method of payment. Airline : XXXX XXXX. 

XX/XX/XXXX : flight was scheduled to take off from XXXX to XXXX XXXX with a layover in XXXX. We are at the gate waiting to board, but as we get closer to the scheduled departure time ( XXXX local time ), no announcements are made related to boarding. Then, a notice of flight cancelation appears on the screen above the gate agents. I also then get an email notification from XXXX XXXX stating that the flight was canceled and that they are working to rebook us. I think nothing of this email because it's the standard cancelation email most airlines send and most airlines do rebook you automatically and send out your new flight shortly thereafter. This, did not happen, in this instance however. All 200+ passengers begin lining up to speak to gate agents and get an idea of why the flight was canceled and when we will be rebooked. This took over an hour with no agents telling us anything. By the time I reached the front of the line, the agent took our passports, wrote down our names, passport numbers, and phone numbers. In hindsight, I find this suspicious given the fact that they already have this information when we originally booked the flight. Gate agents then took passengers in small groups back through XXXX so that XXXX officers could annul our exit stamps because we in fact were not leaving the country that day. After XXXX agents annulled the exit stamps in our passports, we were then ushered back to the ticketing counter to collect our baggage ( again, because no one was leaving that day ). We waited in the XXXX airport  for nearly 10 hours with no communication from XXXX XXXX agents as to when we'd be rebooked, why the flight was canceled, or what to expect. It has now been over 5 months and I still have not been rebooked or refunded. We had to end up purchasing all new flights in order to even leave the country ( again, because XXXX XXXX never rebooked us ). 

Flash forward to present day ( XX/XX/XXXX ) and I have been trying ( unsuccessfully ) to file disputes with both XXXX and PayPal due to services/goods not received. I paid for flights that never took off and I vehemently disagree with this outstanding debt. 

XXXX XXXX has told both XXXX and PayPal the following : 1. That the flight was never canceled.

2. I was a no-show for the second segment. 

The fact that XXXX and PayPal actually accept those statements from XXXX XXXX is absolutely ludicrous and shows a lack of consumer protection. If the flight was not canceled, why would the airline send a cancelation notice and why would all 200+ passengers be stranded in the XXXX XXXX XXXX Why would Colombian Immigration annul our exit stamps? Additionally, how could I have been a no-show for the second segment when the first segment was canceled? How were passengers supposed to have made the second segment? Should we have morphed there? 

I am appalled by the lack of due diligence by both XXXX and PayPal despite the numerous times I've submitted proof. And I'm beyond appalled by XXXX XXXX ' blatant lies. This flight cancelation impacted more than just me. It was a full flight. Do they really think they can lie about 200+ passengers?

Company response to consumer: Closed with monetary relief