Ozoemena Chibueze, a Lagos-based travel consultant, has been in a N200,000 debt since June because Arik Air and PandaPay, a payment merchant used by Arik, have refused to make a refund after a failed flight booking.

Chibueze told FIJ on Friday that Arik Air and PandaPay were frustrating his efforts at retrieving his N200,000, which has been hanging for three months. He also said that this had hindered him from refunding his customer who had employed his service in booking a Lagos-Port Harcourt flight.

“I tried booking a ticket on the Arik Air website on June 26 and after doing that, some bank details were generated for me to make payments into. I made a bank transfer to PandaPay and got a message that a ticket would be issued in 30 minutes,” Chibueze told FIJ.

“I waited over thirty minutes, but the ticket was not issued. I also went to Arik Air’s office but was told they did not receive the money in their account. Arik Air also asked me to contact my bank.”

READ ALSO: Arik Air Yet to Refund Customer’s N201,050 After Cancelling Flight

The Lagos-based travel consultant did as advised. OPay, his bank, told him the transaction was successful from their end and that they could only assist him in retrieving the funds by writing to PandaPay to confirm if it received the funds and initiate a reversal.

Chibueze told FIJ that OPay did just as they said and wrote to PandaPay on different occasions but the payment merchant used by Arik Air failed to respond to any of the emails.

“OPay said they have been writing to PandaPay and have written to them on 13 different occasions, but they failed to respond to any of the emails. The bank also asked me to go to Arik Air and ask them to contact their merchant,” Chibueze told FIJ.

“Arik Air failed to contact PandaPay. The owner of the money has been breathing down on my neck since then.”

FIJ emailed Arik Air and OPay for comments on Wednesday. OPay failed to respond, but Arik responded via email.

In the airline’s response, it said it could not trace the transaction.

READ ALSO: Lagos Man’s N326,000 Hangs Between Arik Air and First Bank

“With regards to CHIBUEZE ADOLPHUS OZOEMENA’s failed online transaction, kindly be informed that we are unable to trace the transaction (PNR:19F2QJ),” Arik Air wrote via email.

“Chibueze Adolphus Ozoemena has been advised to log the claim for the failed transaction (PNR:19F2QJ) through his bank.

“As in the case of every dispense error or failed transaction, this has to be logged at his bank, through the chargeback unit of his bank. Chibueze Adolphus Ozoemena should insist on filling out a dispense error form through the dispute unit or chargeback unit of the bank

“Should the bank claim to have logged the transaction, we request that he furnish us with evidence of the claim.”

FIJ also emailed PandaPay on Friday. PandaPay confirmed receipt of the email but failed to respond to the questions addressed in the email.

FIJ had reported a similar story in August. The airline held on to another Lagos resident’s N201,050 after cancelling his Lagos–Jos flight.