POLOKWANE – People wishing to purchase flight tickets electronically should take care that they are dealing with a reputable company.
This comes after Kim Robbertse, a resident of the city, allegedly defrauded hundreds of South Africans, some living in the United Kingdom (UK), when she allegedly sold them what turned out to be fraudulent flight tickets.
As a result, many of her alleged victims were unable to spend Christmas with their loved ones as planned.
According to reports in social and published media, Robbertse offered fixed discounted fares by e-mail and on Facebook earlier in 2014.
The offer advertised open return tickets for the fixed price of R7 500 a piece.
The buyers had to pay Robbertse in advance using her personal bank account.
One of the alleged victims spoke to Review, but did not want to be identified as she feared that communication with the media could cause problems in the pending criminal case she had opened.
The woman said she lost R15 000 that she paid for airline tickets for her mother and father who live in the UK to visit her over the December holidays.
“I have not seen them in five years and had been saving up my money until I could finally have them here to see their grandchildren for the first time,” the woman explained.
As with many others, she was told to pay in advance only to find that the so-called e-tickets she was sent meant nothing and that no flight had been booked, she said.
She added that, like many other victims, she tried to contact Robbertse; at first believing that there had to be a problem with the internet or perhaps a glitch in the airport’s computer system.
“I did not want to believe I had been taken for a ride and I refused to believe that my parents would again not be with me,” she told Review.
“I even believed the rumours that Robbertse had been in an accident and was in a coma,” she said.
She said all her attempts to make contact with Robbertse were to no avail.
“I was at a loss for words, heartbroken and so angry that one woman could play around with the lives of others,” she said.
She explained that, around this time, articles about Robbertse appeared in the national media.
She said she had opened a criminal case with the police and the case was being investigated.
Other families were reported to have paid up to R85 000 for tickets for their loved ones to visit them, only to find out that they had been scammed.
Some of the alleged victims created a closed group on Facebook called Action Against KR, where over 200 people claimed they were also victims.
As a result, these people were reportedly contacted by Robbertse who said she would pay their money back once she had sorted out her cash-flow problems.
She could not give the victims a timeframe in which the money would be paid back.
In an article in a national newspaper, Robbertse named a local attorney who was, according to Robbertse, representing her.
However, the attorney involved was contacted by Review and said she was not Robbertse’s legal representative and she did not have any instruction to act on her behalf in any matter.
It had since been confirmed by several residents and media reports that Robbertse is employed as a salesperson at a company in the city.
British Airways spokesperson, Stephen Forbes, issued a statement on their website stating that Robbertse was not an International Air Transport Association-registered agent.
He also said when the airline was made aware of the matter; her access to British Airways’ inventory was revoked.
He urged any travellers to rather make use of British Airways directly to avoid being scammed.
All attempts by Review to contact Robbertse for comment were unsuccessful. Calls made to her were rejected. Messages were also left on her voicemail.
