argh! expedia and opodo ticket booking problems

just wanted to put out a 'warning' for anyone trying to buy airline tickets through opodo.fr or expedia.fr. read on for my rant....

i'm trying to buy my tickets for the US for the holidays-- i first purchased the tickets through opodo, only to receive an email saying that for 'technical reasons,' my purchase did not go through. when i called them, they explained that that was because my ticket was a paper ticket, but since june 1, they only issued e-tickets, therefore they could not fulfull my request. was i given a choice to take an e-ticket? no. was i offered another ticket at the same fare or even assistance at finding another ticket? double no. on to expedia....

i actually found cheaper tickets [with same airline] on expedia after the opodo disaster. score! or so i thought.....the next day, i received an email saying, basically, that 'sorry, we were not really able to provide you with the fare that purchased online, so we did not charge your card, and you have no ticket.' again-- assistance? no. another fare offered? no. doubly disappointing? YES!

airlines are already taking away so much-- we now have to pay for pillows, snacks, luggage?! and the service is even worse-- i'm trying to throw money at these people and still have no luck. will it ever get better?

chic bust: DON'T shop at BGN

Trendy boutique BGN, on rue Francs Bourgeois in the 4th, is sometimes on my circuit of shops when shopping with clients in the Marais. I recently had a terrible customer service episode with them, so want to warn my readers and clients to stay away. Bottom line is that they were very rude, including the manager, Fred. They did not offer any help for a client of mine who bought a 500 euro coat there, which started to fall apart a week after its purchase. So stay clear of the shop, and be sure to ask about any store's return policies in case of problems with big purchases!

close the door, s'il vous plait!

it happened again today-- i walked into a neighborhood boutique to be welcomed by sweltering heat [it is 50F here, so hardly sweltering!], with the doors of the boutique wide open. --so very unpleasant!

last week, i was in a chic boutique in st. germain with clients, the door again wide open and air blowing straight into the changing rooms. my client was freezing, i asked if they could close the door. the sales woman's response? they could not close it, as they were required by management to keep it open to make the shop feel more 'welcoming'. hmmmmm....it seems to me that this is:
1. a HUGE waste of electricity [which is already quite cher here in france], and
2. not very eco-friendly

there are many other ways to make customers feel welcome-- how about a sign like the above, or, gasp!, a friendly smile when you walk in the door? fermez la porte and maybe you wouldn't have to crank the heat so high.