AirlineComplaints.org - Reservations Charged for Cancelled Reservation

On 7/17/2012, I made an online reservation for my girlfriend to fly from Pittsburg, PA to Eugene, Oregon. Within five minutes of making it, I called United Airlines customer service to cancel it (I found a ticket for the same trip for $100 cheaper on Priceline).

I spoke with a representative who told me that the reservation had not even "gone through" yet, and that I didn't need to worry about it; It was effectively cancelled.

On 7/23/12, I looked at my banking transactions to find that I had been charged for the reservation, the one that should have been cancelled.

I immediately called United Airlines customer service and spoke with another representative who told me that she could process the cancellation and refund my money BUT THE REFUND WOULD TAKE 7-10 BUSINESS DAYS TO PROCESS!!! I questioned the amount of time it would take, and she said, "DO YOU WANT YOUR REFUND OR NOT?!"

She also told me that I would be receiving an email detailing the refund. I waited 30 minutes and did not receive an email.

I called UA Customer Service back and the representative I spoke with this time told me that it was not possible to send out an email because it was not an active reservation anymore.

So NOW I have to wait up to two weeks to, hopefully, get my $493 dollars BACK that should have never been charged by United Airlines in the first place. And also hoping that they won't charge me a cancellation fee since, even though I called within five minutes to cancel it, it wasn't really cancelled until five days or so later.

And, in the event the refund does not get processed, I have nothing to show that these conversations ever happened.