Altibus left me stranded

A snowHead

Just wanted to warn my fellow Snowheads about Altibus. Although I think some of you have had good experiences with them, my booking with them went poorly this week.

I booked a round trip transfer from Geneva to Tignes. The outbound leg left GVA about 3 hours after my flight, which was boring but acceptable given the good price. The bus itself was fine, though the tiny placard in the window was hard to spot. It took 40 minutes longer to get to Tignes le Lac than advertised.

I was nervous about finding the bus on the return trip, so I asked first at the tourist office then again by telephone to Altibus. I was told by both parties to wait at the Tignes le Lac bus station. I confirmed this again with Altibus by telephone at 9AM on the morning of departure - I wanted to double check that the bus was on time given the poor weather. They assured me to bus was on time for 10:35AM. I got to the bus station at 10:10AM.

At 10:38AM I still hadn’t seen the bus so I called Altibus again. They said to keep waiting. At 10:50AM I called again and they first said that the roads to Tignes were closed, then they changed their minds (when I told them taxis were getting in and out easily) and they said to keep waiting. At 11AM I called and they said they’d call their supervisor to find out what to do and then would call me back. At 11:35AM, when they had not called me back, I called them and they said the bus had come and gone at some point. They did not know if it had an Altibus sign on it.

They asked me to take a taxi to Bourg St Maurice where the bus would be waiting for me. I did that, and needless to say the bus was not waiting for me. The bus station manager said that no Altibus had been there for nearly an hour. Altibus were not answering their telephones.

So, stranded in Bourg, I had to take a taxi to Geneva. It cost me €340 for the trip from Tignes to Geneva and Altibus is still not answering their telephone.

At Geneva airport I saw the bus that Altibus said I should have been on. It was a big coach labelled “HelvéCie” with no mention of “Altibus” anywhere at all. Since they initially drove me from Bourg to Tignes in a van, I thought I would also be picked up in a van - the Altibus agents on the telephone were unable to tell me what vehicle would come or how I would know it was their vehicle.

Long story short, I wouldn’t use Altibus again. I know others here have had good experiences, but I’m out of pocket over €400 on these guys.

A snowHead

When was this?

Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?

Just this morning (23 Dec) - I’m at Geneva airport now.

You need to Login to know who's really who.

That's shocking, @diaphon - must have made for a very stressful morning.

Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.

@diaphon, what a royal PITA. How were you supposed to manage that ... ?

Salutory warning.

You'll need to Register first of course.

Very very poor, as above a very stressful day Im sure.
I would be demanding they refund you for what you are out of pocket. If they don't oblige then you should be able to claim your consequential losses back via the card you booked it on. Good luck.

Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...

After all it is free

@diaphon, shocking indeed. I would certainly be trying to get a refund.

Just asked, cos I was on yesterday's 1035, which was 10 minutes late at Lac. And 2 hours late in Bourg, the fender bender only added about 25 mins. It was also a Helv Cie (or similar) , the board in the windowsaid Geneve in 3 inch letters.
Yesterday, we were overtaken by a lot of taxis, so I can see how it happens, but I hope the customer service improves.

*Ski* the Net with snowHeads

The Altibus guys often post on here I believe so no doubt they'll be along shortly to give their version of this incident, including, I imagine, details of a full refund to the poor OP who has been royally shafted and no mistake.

Lucky you had 340€ on you for the Cabbage Cool

snowHeads are a friendly bunch.

Well that's disconcerting to hear... I'll be booking a GVA-Tignes Altibus myself this week, for a Jan. 11 UCPA trip (so Val Claret). And as far as I know I don't have any other options, because I need a Thursday return.

Please share updates with us, diaphon, when you have any. They really should give you those 340EUR back.
Credit card company can only refund what was paid, at best (the cost of the Altibus booking). Which is probably a third of the taxi cost.

snow reports

This is my nightmare. Hope they refund your money.

@diaphon, this sounds awful, easily avoidable and basically shows disdain towards a customer.

Good signage on buses and coaches, plus good communication with customers, has never been simpler or easier to do.

Even our local buses have clear electronic signs showing number, destinations and main calling points. If I book a taxi for a 2 mile journey I get at least 4 text messages before and after the journey.

I hope you get a full refund, compensation for the anxiety caused and a grovelling apology from Altibus.

Mad

You know it makes sense.

@red 27, I think you might be confusing bus companies. Altibus is a French run bus co ...and I’ve never seen them post on SHs. Not to be confused with the myriad or smaller, often British run transfer cos..such as Alpybus.

Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:

@red 27, I think you might be confusing bus companies. Altibus is a French run bus co (so they have been on strike recently and maybe state run)...and I’ve never seen them post on SHs. Not to be confused with the myriad or smaller, often British run transfer cos..such as Alpybus.

A snowHead

@Perty, Alpzbus is, I think, Swiss.

A snowHead

Phone your credit card issuer and stop/dispute the Altibus charge asap. Doesn't help with the Taxi cost... but its at least something!

Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?

Not good - thanks for the warning!

You need to Login to know who's really who.

Under the section 75 rule you can also claim consequential losses so for the taxi as well, it's a really good level of protection that we get for free. First port of call is Altibus tho. You have to have used a credit card for the above protection to be law otherwise it's 'good will' from Visa/Mastercard to be compensated.
Travel insurance will also cover public transport failure but will always ask you to try credit card company first.
I lost a hotel booking in the summer due to hotelopia going bust, I managed to get original costs back plus all the extra costs from Visa, very simple they have an online form you don't even need to speak to them.

Good luck let us know how you get on.

Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.

@alasdair.graham@hotmail.c, hadn’t realised you could get extra cost caused by failure, thanks for passing on.

You'll need to Register first of course.

@alasdair.graham@hotmail.c,
Section 75 protection only kicks in for spending over £100

Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...

@Mr.Egg,
Oh no, my bad. Surely Altibus is over £100 now tho?!
It was £100 return about 10 years ago when I used to go to Tignes more often

After all it is free

They left my son stranded at GVA airport last year.
I had to go fetch him.
Avoid this bunch ofWankers.

Buswankers

*Ski* the Net with snowHeads

@alasdair.graham@hotmail.c, ROFL

snowHeads are a friendly bunch.

Just to confirm, yes s.75 of the Consumer Credit Act does cover consequential loss (eg the extra taxi fares that the OP incurred here). That is a right that applies to UK-issued credit cards, not debit cards, for transactions over £100. I don't know if there is similar legislation in other countries, where the OP may have obtained his/her credit card.
Card scheme charge back, which is available for both debit and credit cards, does not provide a claim for consequential loss. You can ask your card issuer to dispute the transaction on the grounds that the goods/service was not provided and receive a refund.

That sounds like a truly shitty experience. I would be going crazy if I were stuck in a resort trying to get to GVA for a flight.

snow reports

Sounds like an awful and extremely stressful experience for diaphon. And the fact that chocksaway was on the "missed bus" unfortunately adds a twist to any potential claim Sad

.

Hopefully the credit card company will be able to help.

You know it makes sense.

Thanks to you all for the supportive comments! Great group here. @chocksaway, it sounds like you were on the bus the day before me. It was exactly as you described: a bus that said HelvCie on the side, and "Geneva" in tiny letters on the dashboard, but no signs saying "Altibus" anywhere. Since Altibus dropped me off in a van, I wasn't expecting a full-sized coach and the people on the telephone weren't able to tell me what sort of vehicle to expect or what it should look like. In fact, Altibus claimed they didn't even know if a bus was coming that day.

At the moment that the HelvCie bus arrived, I was on the phone with Altibus who were actively telling me that the roads were closed and no busses were running. They later said they had "received the wrong information" about that statement.

@alasdair.graham@hotmail.c, could you tell me more about the Section 75 rule? The Altibus ticket was just under £100, I think it was £93. At the moment what I've done is (1) written an email to Altibus asking for a 50% refund of my ticket plus compensation for the taxi journey, (2) asked my credit card company to reverse the charges pending resolution of the case, (3) talked to my travel insurance company, Columbus Direct, who said that since I wasn't delayed in the end they won't pay for the taxi. At this point I suspect that the most likely outcome is that I'll get a refund from Altibus, but I won't get compensation for the taxi (which, of course, was far, far more expensive than the bus ticket!).

@WindOfChange, well said!

Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:

I've gotten a response from Altibus on my Trustpilot review:

A snowHead

@diaphon, I'm sorry it looks like section 75 won't be of any benefit to you in this case as you were under the £100 minimum.
For a tavel insurance claim I would imagine you'd need either some sort of proof the bus didn't run or was very late. The fact the bus was there and you were there and you didn't get on it(even though they were giving you wrong info) gives them an easy way out.
Best bet I'd say is keep on at Altibus for a resolution.
Hope you had a good time on the snow regardless

A snowHead

Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?

@admin, true it's paid for by someone but not as an extra percentage on top of the transaction, consumer pays the same regardless of whether a credit card is used or not, so technically it is free to the consumer.
Any purchase for over £100 in the travel/hotel industry at the moment is better made with a credit card just in case the end supplier goes belly up.
These rules will all change when we leave the EU right enough!

You need to Login to know who's really who.

Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.

@Mr.Egg, sorry I meant the charging an extra percentage on top of a sale for using a credit card as used to happen. That is an EU law

You'll need to Register first of course.

@alasdair.graham@hotmail.c, A fee is charged to the retailer by the bank regardless of type of card. (either debit or credit). An additional % fee is charged for Credit cards. This varies by card. The smaller the merchant, the less bargaining power, the higher the probable rate.

The fee is paid by the merchant, but indirectly paid by the customer as it is taken into account when setting the price!

Nothing is ever "free". All "freebies" are paid by the customer in some form or another.

You don't honestly think you don't pay for "cashback" do you? You pay it in the price, plus some commission to the seller!

It is ok to pay for large transactions by card, but beware, using a card for smaller transactions erodes the profitability of the transaction. This will inevitably result in higher prices in the future.

If the law were reversed, and the customer paid the fees, we would all be aware of the amount and there would be pressure on the banks to keep them to a minimum.

Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...

You coulda booked a train or coach from BSM to London for €100 and saved a fortune.

After all it is free

@brianatab, however businesses are generally charged for handling money of all sorts of forms, cash, cheques as well as cards.

In Sweden we found we couldn’t use cash in most places, when I mentioned my surprise at this to one retailer he said they got charged more to handle the cash than they got charged for the contactless transactions.

@Whitegold, Wow thats incredible thinking you could be a travel agent one day with a bright future .

*Ski* the Net with snowHeads

@diaphon, Did you ask the bus driver of the HelveCie bus with the Geneva sign on the front whether your ticket would be valid?
or did it not stop?

If you look at the FAQ section of the altibis website
It has a section in English 'how to identify my bus'.
This states - Once you're out look for the head sign at the top of the bus showing the destination.
Then in bold letters - do not pay attention to the bus' look, we work with over 30 different carriers.

Help!!

Altibus left me stranded

snowHeads Forum Index >>> Resort Reviews and Trip Reports