Jessica Walker: Consumer NZ Advocacy Head on Jetstar using faulty baggage scales

Consumer NZ says travellers could struggle to get a refund - after revelations two Jetstar baggage scales at Wellington Airport may not have been accurate.

Checks after a complaint in September, revealed the portable scales were uneven and below approval standards.

Jetstar’s been told to pull them out until they’re re-verified.

Consumer NZ Advocacy Head, Jessica Walker, says if Jetstar charged too much, people could be entitled to repayment.

"If they can prove that they were overcharged, then that would be ideal. But the fact that Jetstar is saying that people weren't overcharged absolutely makes this trickier." 

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Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:00):
Bryan Bridge, Jitster, what have you done? Naughty? Naughty jetst
being pulled up by mb for a couple of dodgy
sets of scales at Wellington Airport. These are the portable
ones that you put your bag on to see if
you are under the weight limit. Following a public complaint
in September, Jitstar were told to stop using these two

(00:21):
particular sets of scales because they've failed to meet the
legal accuracy requirements. Interesting, Jessica Walker is from Consumersh's will
be now, hey, jess good evening?

Speaker 2 (00:32):
Right?

Speaker 1 (00:32):
And this is naughty? How important is it that Star
gets at scales right?

Speaker 2 (00:38):
They should definitely be right. There shouldn't be any question.
So under the contumer guarantees AC a business needs to
execute its services of reasonable care and skill. And the
instance that would mean when you buy your bags, they're
going to be weaight correctly. So yeah, they shouldn't be.
There shouldn't be any concern when you win your bags
that they're going to be massively out of whack?

Speaker 1 (00:57):
Are they messing? I mean the airline says that the
scales would not have resulted in higher white readings. You know,
does it make it any better?

Speaker 2 (01:06):
This is something that's really surprised me. So I understand
this afternoon that jet Star statement has been that the
wheel alignment was slightly off, but the measurement or the
weight of the bags would have been correct. So that
makes it really tricky for a consumer. So if ending
the investigation is questioning the accuracy or saying that that
it was inaccurate, and now Jet Star is saying that

(01:28):
the weight would have been correct, as the consumer potentially
stuck in the middle of this, it's a really horrible
situation to be in because who do you trust.

Speaker 1 (01:36):
Well well, isn't the message to consumers just if it's
Jitstar then you need to be careful? And why are
your stuff at home?

Speaker 2 (01:45):
I think that's good advice regardless of who you're flying with.
So reckon having an idea of the weight of your
bag before you get to the airport, and certainly before
you get to the gate where you're almost at the
point of no return. That's in everybody's best interests. I mean,
having said that, I don't know many people have got
scales at home. I know, for example, that I certainly
don't have. But I reckon when you get to the

(02:05):
airport and there are so many scales around and about
just chuck it on there and see what it weighs
out before you get to the gates and then find
yourself in that situation we're going to have to potentially
pay out money.

Speaker 1 (02:16):
Is anyone going to get a refund for this? Do
you reckon?

Speaker 2 (02:21):
It's all going to come down to proving it. So
the fact that the end the investigation has found what
it has and that Jetstar has been directed to stop
using these scales for the time being, I think that
standard pretty good. Stead If you were to try and
make a claim, ideally would like jet Star to pay
people back if they've been reimbursed. If they can prove

(02:42):
that they were overcharged, then that would be ideal. But
the fact that Jetstar is saying that people weren't overcharged
absolutely makes this trickier. So for people who feel really
strongly about this, and I understand a lot of people will,
then you can always go to the dispute tribuneal But
the thing with that is currently there's a non refundable
fight aiming fee of sixty one dollars. So do you
want to throw more money at this? That's the question.

Speaker 1 (03:04):
No, you don't, that's the price of a jit Star
fee to begin with Jessica, Thank You, Jessica, walk out
consumer in zid For more from Hither Duplessy Alan Drive.
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