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An individual & Flight Network / Gotogate Pty Ltd
Lead NCPAustralia
Supporting NCP(s)Sweden
DescriptionSpecific instance alleging a non-observance of the OECD MNE Guidelines.
Theme(s)Consumer interests
Date30 Oct 2023
Host country(ies)Australia
SourceIndividuals
Industry sectorTransportation and storage, Information and communication
StatusConcluded
Summary

Read the Initial Assessment published by the NCP 11 September 2024: English

Read the Final Statement published by the NCP 9 December 2024: English


On 30 October 2023, an individual submitted a specific instance to the AusNCP alleging that Flight Network/ Gotogate Pty Ltd, the Australian subsidiary of a Swedish enterprise active in travel ticket sales, had not observed the Consumer Interests (Chapter VIII) provisions of the Guidelines. The submitter alleged that the enterprise had engaged in deceptive marketing and had not provided a refund for a canceled service within the stated time period. The NCP was later notified that a refund was processed in December 2023. The submitter nevertheless requested to pursue the specific instance, addressing a lack of clarity and transparency in the refund process and the company’s complaint handling process.

On 11 September 2024, the AusNCP published its initial assessment deciding to accept the case for further examination. The NCP made an offer of good offices, which both parties accepted.

On 9 December 2024, the AusNCP published a final statement concluding the specific instance with agreement between the parties, with the enterprise agreeing to a confidential monetary settlement and broad undertakings to improve its customer service and internal dispute resolution processes.

The NCP issued the following recommendations to the company:

  • To continue its efforts to improve its customer communication and complaints handling processes (dispute resolution and redress mechanisms) in accordance with the expectations in the OECD Guidelines’ Consumer Interests chapter.
  • To be transparent with its customers on the limits of its ability to ensure that refund requests will be considered and processed in a timely manner.

The NCP plans to follow up on the implementation of the recommendations in December 2025.


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