Mollie Clay

Really happy with our new windows and the service from CTG! Steve who came out to quote us was lovely and really helpful, showing us lots of great options which helped us to visualise what our windows would look like. Our installers Casey & Ian were really friendly and efficient and have done a wonderful job of fitting our windows - we’re so pleased with them!

I strongly advise against anybody using Student Universe to book flights. I have had a terrible time trying to get a a refund.

We have had to cancel our trip, so I contacted the customer team to process my cancellation and refund on 17th July. The airline had confirmed with Student Universe that they would charge a fee to cancel, which I accepted. I was then sprung with a hidden cancellation fee from student universe. The agent gave all of the figures to me in Australian dollars and told me that the fees meant I would not receive any money back. I then challenged this and said that the fees needed to be converted to GBP, as that is the currency I had paid in. Once converted, I was actually owed over half of my money back. If I had not challenged this, I would have received nothing. The agent then confirmed that they would process my refund, and I would receive it within 12 weeks.

Today, nearly 5 weeks after my original conversation, I received a call from student universe. The agent asked if I had received my refund and when I confirmed I hadn’t, the agent said I needed to contact the airline directly, which goes against the advice I was given previously. As I booked through student universe, not the airline, student universe is responsible for my refund.

After being put on hold, I was then told that my refund required coordination between the ‘higher ups’ and the airline and that I would be emailed with a follow up. I asked when I would hear back, they couldn’t give me an answer. I queried why this co-ordination hadn’t happened when I called over 5 weeks ago and my refund was confirmed, they couldn’t give me an answer.

This means I’ve been waiting 5 weeks for my refund, and am now restarting this lengthy and frankly unnecessarily confusing process again.

When I asked to make a complaint, I was told I needed to complain to the airline, but it is not the airlines mistake. I pushed back on this and was told I couldn’t make a complaint today and needed to call back tomorrow.

I am disappointed that after having confirmation of my refund five weeks ago, I am now having to work very hard to try and obtain my money back. I feel strongly that the process in place to acquire a refund is purposefully difficult to try and avoid people obtaining their money back. For example, I booked my outbound flight through a different booking company, and had to fill in a simple online form to get my refund. My money was returned to me within two weeks.

The agents I have spoken to have been extremely unhelpful and I receive different messages every time I speak to someone. Similarly, they provide me with false information and then change their mind when challenged, for example:
- stating I don’t qualify for a refund due to the fees, but when challenged admitted they hadn’t converted the fees from Australian dollars to great British points
- stating I needed to contract the airline for a refund but then admitting that they needed to coordinate it as if booked via student universe
- stating any complaints needed to be made to the airline

I can’t speak on their service when you’re able to travel, but in the unfortunate event you are unable to, the service is stress inducing and unnecessarily complicated. Nobody wants to have to cancel their holiday but for piece of mind, I strongly recommend you book elsewhere.