DO NOT use yatra.com. Review on Yatra

I booked a ticket from Mumbai to Patna a few minutes back. As soon as the booking was complete, it gave the following message:

Dear Mr. xxxx xxxxx

Thank you for transacting on Yatra.com. Unfortunately, your booking for Mumbai - Patna could not be confirmed whereas your account has been debited for Rs. x, xxx. Please note that we will try to confirm the booking offline and if not confirmed we will refund the entire amount back to your card very soon.

Next Steps:- Our customer care executive will contact you shortly. You can contact us too at emergency customer care number 09311666326 or Yatra customer care   number 0987 1800 800 (All Networks) or 1800 1800 018 (Toll free) and quote your Yatra Reference number xxxxxxx- If we are not able to confirm your booking then we will process refund from our end within 5 working days

-To prevent double booking, we recommend not booking for the same trip again till you talk to us.*

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Thereafter, I've tried calling them 5 times. Firstly on the 'Emergency Customer Service no.', which just keeps ringing and no one picks it up.

Then I tried the other number, and a girl picked it up after 5 minutes, said that she will have to transfer me to some other dept, kept me on hold for another 5 minutes, did not transfer but picked it back up ans said that the system is down and the other dept will not be able to help and I need to call after 10-15 minutes. I asked if there's a direct number which I can call rather than again call on this number, get transferred after spending 10 minutes on the call. She said I could dial on 0987 1800 800 and then enter the extension 2023 which will take me to relevant dept.

All that this extension did was just disconnect the call! I tried 2-3 times, and everytime I dialled this extension, it disconnected me!Wow, what  a service.

After that, I've been trying to call the 'normal' customer service and no one picks it up even though I waited for ages. I must have run a bill for hundreds all this while, trying to contact this ing customer service on thising website.Worst experience of flight booking in my entire life, I must say.

Never ever visit this site.

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Update on 3/12/2009

Still no refund! Called them up again and this time talked to a good executive, who said due to some 'techincal' issue the refund could not be processed till now and will be processed in another 3-4 days as she had done it again after my call. They wait for you call and don't process your refund until you chase!

Beware that yatra.com probably survives by locking people's money like this for weeks. I have heard many cases like this, where they just decline your transaction without much reason and then lock your money for weeks together.

Steer clear of this crap portal and don't get mislead by their TV ad featuring Mr. Boman! I am sure he never uses this site for his own bookings!