Kiwi.com Refuses Refund After Wizz Air Airport Check-In Fee

Hello, I found and purchased a Wizz Air flight from Budapest to Berlin for €36 through Kiwi.com and its mobile app. Before my flight, Kiwi.com told me, “We cannot check you in; you must do it through the airline’s website.” I tried to do so, but I encountered the following problem: every time I attempted online check-in, a fee was required. For example, you are forced to select a seat, and every available seat costs extra—there is no option for automatic seat assignment. The same applies to other options, including baggage.

Because of this, I decided to check in at the airport instead and arrived early on the day of my flight. At the airport, airline staff demanded a €50 fee for checking in at the counter. I was shocked—this fee was extremely high, even more expensive than the flight ticket itself, for such a basic process.

Afterward, I contacted Kiwi.com customer service through the app, and they told me, “Pay the fee, keep the receipt, and send it to our team after the flight.” I followed their instructions, paid the fee, obtained the receipt, and submitted it via the Kiwi.com app. The responses I received were: “This was your responsibility; we warned you” (which is not true—no such warning was ever given). When I wrote again, I was told, “We did not collect your passport details, so we cannot issue a refund.”

No one made any real effort to help me. If I had not been told to pay at the airport, I would not have paid this fee at all. At this point, they are refusing to refund my money. I am filing a complaint because my money was taken unfairly.