ComplaintsforRemote Year, Inc.

• Initial Complaint

  09/30/2024

  Complaint Type:

  Service or Repair Issues

  Status:

  Unanswered

  More info

  I paid for a day tour (hike) where multiple things were promised and not delivered. I had recently had an accident and was recovering from surgery. I needed trekking poles which I was promised would be provided, as well as a headlamp and food. The driver stopped for 45 min to get gas because he didnt bother to fill up before the trip. He also for lost multiple times . As a result we were an hour late to the meetup spot and there was no equipment for us. The guide didnt even know he was supposed to provide poles. There were only flashlights that had to be held, no headlamps. The group had to rush up the hill to try to make sunrise (the whole point of the hike) which no one made it by sunrise. I was not able to do the hike due to there not being poles or headlamps and also having to rush up to the top. I had to wait in the car for 5 hours until the group returned. Food was promised (hot noodles) which was not given. I did not get any food. The hikers were given 2 pieces of bread with a mashed hard boiled egg in the middle, that was it. This was a collosal failure and it ruined my entire day as well, and I was too tired to participate in any activities that evening or the next day. I deserve a full refund of $60 and this remote year travel company refuses to give me any money back other than a partial credit that has to be used on another remote year activity which I dont plan on ever using.

• Initial Complaint

  05/30/2023

  Complaint Type:

  Product Issues

  Status:

  Unanswered

  More info

  I recently lost my job and therefore cannot do the 4 month journey I had intended to do. I advised them of such but I keep getting the run around.... I have no clue what life would look life for me in the next year and really can't commit to anything else per their policy I should be able to get a refund due to me losing my job and not being able to travel in the near future Policy: 2.2 Extreme Situations. In certain extreme situations, Remote Year may waive its strict refund and transfer policies. Waiver of such policies is at Remote Years sole discretion. While not an exhaustive list, extreme situations would not automatically include company denial, **** / passport issues, change in personal circumstance, illness or injury in relation to a pre-existing condition, or illness from COVID-19 All of the phone numbers they have listed are voicemails or not working and its impossible to get anyone on the phone to resolve this matter

• Initial Complaint

  02/24/2023

  Complaint Type:

  Service or Repair Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  I paid a $850 deposit for a month trip that due to family issues I could not attend. I was told the $850 would be a credit I could use towards another trip. There were no restrictions specified on what kind of trip. Due to becoming a home care provider for my disabled sister I can only go on a weekend trip. When I tried to book a weekend trip I was told I could not because that trip was ineligible. Ive been told conflicting information about fees and how I can use my credit. This company is very clever at creating ways to keep your deposit. I have contacted them repeatedly and get different information each time. I wish I never heard of this company it now seems like a total scam. They have made no effort to rectify the situation just provide reasons that I will lose my $850. I want my entire $850 to use towards a weekend in ******. I can not use it for a European trip because Id spend more time traveling then in my destination. Again I am responsible for my disabled sister and can not be gone long. I had no idea her health would decline so rapidly and I would be her caregiver when I made my deposit. This has been tremendously stressful and the possibility of losing $850 makes me physically sick. I want a resolution.

  Business response

  03/13/2023

  Hello,
  
  A message was sent to ***** on the 23rd February to explain we were happy to make an exception in her case given her situation, so that they were able to use the credit toward the May weekend in ******. We have not received a reply to this, so I have copied the email below. 
  
  Hi *****,
  **** here from our payments team. It is true we cannot accept credits (generally) for our weekend events. We, unfortunately, still depend on cash inflows to support these types of services so have to limit credits in some way. That said, ******** has filled me in and believes that we should make an exception in your case as a home health care provider.
  We have a bit of a new model, so rather than paying $850 for every trip you want to participate in with Remote Year, it is now a simple yearly fee in order to maximize value (especially for those traveling more than 1x per year), which I imagine in your position doesn't give you much "extra" value, but that is our new model...
  If you are only considering this event (and unable to travel on any 1-month or longer programs), i would definitely suggest our "Community Membership", which is $228 for the year and give you access to events and weekend adventures. Please find pricing below:
  $228 - Community Membership +
  $875 - Family Room (single bed in shared room)
  $1095 - Basic Private room
  $1255 - Private Room
  $1305 - Premium Private
  $1425 - Loft Room
  And with your credit applied, you are looking at a total additional due of:
  $253 - Family Room (single bed in shared room w/ other Remote Year members)
  $473 - Basic Private room
  $633 - Private Room
  $683 - Premium Private
  $803 - Loft Room
  --
  Please let me know if you have any questions on the above information or if you would like to proceed with one of the above options,
  Best,
  ****
  
  

• Initial Complaint

  11/02/2022

  Complaint Type:

  Service or Repair Issues

  Status:

  Unresolved

  More info

  For trips of one month or more, RY states in multiple places across their website that participants will have 24/7 access to a coworking space with hi-speed internet. However, for the program I participated in (as well as others, according to conversations with RY staff), the company is no longer actually providing this access. For example, in my program, participants only had access to a coworking space from 9am-9:30pm, M-F (although on some days, individuals were kicked out earlier than the published closing time). This issue was then compounded by the fact that the internet speeds at the apartments provided by ** was incredibly slow, causing issues for several participants who needed to work during later evening hours. The response from staff was extremely disappointing. Some messages and emails were ignored entirely, others took days to get a response. One staff member even asked me repeatedly if I wanted to leave the trip early, which came across as implying that participants aren't welcome if they call out discrepancies between the advertised and actual experience. I have made several attempts to resolve this directly with the company. Since false advertising is a violation of the FTC's "Truth in Advertising" laws, I have asked to be compensated for the program amenities that were advertised, but that RY did not actually provide. The company has refused to provide any type of refund, and continues to falsely advertise their programs to consumers.

  Business response

  11/13/2022

  24/7 Access to Coworking- When possible, we try to ensure this is at the same location, but unfortunately sometimes this is not possible. Athens offered 24/7 coworking through 2 different locations in the city. I understand that the night-time space did not have the same amenities as the day-time space, but we believe it still functioned as a coworking space during the night-time hours. 

  Wifi capabilities in apartments: We make no promises of hi-speed internet in the ** accommodations, only that connection to wifi will be provided for general browsing, but that the strength and coverage will vary from room to room, apartment to apartment. We do not make any claims that any wifi in the accommodation will be suitable for working from home. 

  Internet issues: When raised to our team, I know they work quickly as possible to bring a solution, in this case including increasing the night-time coworking space internet speed. When still experiencing speed issues, seemingly exasperated by a personal VPN, an exception was made to provide access to a completely different coworking space for no cost.
  
  With regard communication, in this instance the customer was in direct contact with our Regional Director of Europe at at all times, and we so we didn't not want to duplicate / information /responses when the same messages were sent via other means / other staff. 
  
  
  
  

  
  

  Customer response

  11/14/2022

   
  Complaint: 18347910
  
  I am rejecting this response because:

  -RY marketing materials very clearly describe access to a singular coworking space with hi-speed internet, not multiple locations scattered throughout a city, some of which did not offer hi-speed internet. 

  -The space RY is calling the "night-time space" was not a coworking space. It was an uninhabited apartment (in the same residential building as their accommodations) with internet speeds that measured significantly lower than the standard definition of "hi-speed" internet. 

  -RY literally claimed in their own response that the internet in RY accommodations will not be suitable for working, therefore, contradicting their claim that an uninhabited apartment (in the same building as their accommodations) can also be considered a viable coworking space.

  -The statement "...in this instance the customer was in direct contact with our Regional Director of Europe at at all times, and we so we didn't not want to duplicate / information /responses when the same messages were sent via other means / other staff. " is inaccurate. This individual did not reach out until October 31 [see attached screenshot], after the month-long program had ended. 

  The company failed to provide services (24/7 access to a single coworking space with hi-speed internet) as advertised. The marketing materials are misleading, possibly in violation of FTC truth-in-advertising laws. The company has still failed to provide the requested compensation for their misleading program descriptions.
  
  Sincerely,
  
  *************************

  Business response

  11/25/2022

  The customer in question was in constant communication with our team on the ground, who were handling all of her concerns. The delay in response was only from our Leadership team, when the customer emailed to ask for a refund. All immediate operational issues that were raised by the customer were resolved promptly by the team on the ground. We were in no way obligated to respond immediately to the customer's refund request when the presenting issues were being handled at the same time. To say that we were not responding to her issues is simply not true.
  
  In regards to the co-working space, the evidence is a screenshot, which says we provide 24/7 access to a co-working space. The screenshot posted were the just the operating hours of one of two spaces we were using as a co-working space. The other space, everyone had 24/7 access. The second space also had enhanced internet capabilities, which was not the case for the neighbouring accommodation. 
  

  Customer response

  12/07/2022

  Complaint: 18347910

  
  I am rejecting this response because:
  

  The companys response largely ignores the original issue and the company has not taken any action to resolve the original complaint. Their majority of their response is a tangent attempting to justify their lack of timely responses to consumer inquiries. Their response also includes inaccurate statements, such as All immediate operational issues that were raised by the customer were resolved promptly by the team on the ground. (they werent). It also inaccurately claims that all participants had 24/7 access to the uninhabited apartment in Ious 102 that they are trying to call a workspace. Even if this space had suitable internet speeds for remote work (it didnt), we were specifically told we did NOT have 24/7 access to this space (it was only available in the evenings) [see availability_of_spaces]
  

  The original complaint is straightforward. RY sold participants a program that promised very specific 24/7 access to a coworking space, with hi-speed wifi [see "What is included in Remote Year Travel programs?" on *** website - **************************************************]. They did not provide this. The arguments they continue to put forth are not logical nor based in fact.

  -An apartment in a residential building is not the same thing as a coworking space.
  -Multiple spaces are not the same thing a singular space.
  -Spaces that close are not 24/7.
  -Internet download and upload speeds of 2.69/0.25mbps cannot be a considered hi-speed connection [see attached uninhabited_apartment_speed_test]
  

  Had the company honestly advertised the limited cowork access they were willing and/or able to provide (M-F access from 2am - 2:30pm ET / 9am - 9:30pm local time), I would not have purchased their program. Since the company presented program details in a misleading way, possibly in violation of the FTCs truth in advertising legislation, I will only consider this issue resolved when I have been provided a refund for services that were not rendered as agreed.
  

  Sincerely,
  

  *************************
  

  
  

  Business response

  12/10/2022

  1. "All issues raised by the client were responded to promptly by the team on the ground"
  Response: She claims this is not the case, but what is her evidence of this? Her response before was the delayed response from our European Regional Director and Leadership team, but this was in response to her asking for a refund. Our team on the ground had already taken action based on her issue. While she might have felt it was not suitable action, but we were in no way breaking our Terms & Conditions
  
  2. An apartment in a residential building is not the same thing as a coworking space.
  Response: While the space was in a residential building, the space itself was not a residence dwelling. The sole purpose of the room was for coworking. Therefore it was a coworking space. When she did continue to complain about this space, she was given access to a new 24/7 coworking space.
  
  3. Multiple spaces are not the same thing a singular space.
  Response: We never claimed that the 24/7 access would be given through a single space
  
  4. Spaces that close are not 24/7.
  Response: 1 of the spaces was not 24/7. The other one was. She could have used a combination of both of the spaces or just used the residential one
  
  5. Internet download and upload speeds of 2.69/0.25mbps cannot be a considered hi-speed connection [see attached uninhabited_apartment_speed_test]
  Response: This speedtest was not indicative of the speed given at the coworking space. ***** used a VPN, which caused her speed to drop. To our knowledge nobody else experienced any issues. Regardless, after she still was reporting issues to this space, we paid for a completely new 24/7 coworking space for her (****** in Athens). 
  
  
  Overall: Please note that this was largely a successful month for every other participant. Excluding *****'s survey, we had a 63 NPS from 18 participants, and our city-team received a perfect 5.0/5.0. While this is anecdotal evidence, hopefully it shows that this issue was specific to *****. We did everything in our power to assist, including again giving her access to a completely different ****** Coworking Space 24/7

  Customer response

  12/18/2022

   
  Complaint: 18347910
  
  I am rejecting this response because:

  The company has still failed to provide a refund for services that were not rendered as agreed. They also made several false claims in their most recent response, which are refuted below.

  1. ** falsely claimed that "All issues raised by the client were responded to promptly by the team on the ground". When I disputed the accuracy of this statement, the company responded by asking for evidence to support the claim that the ground team did not promptly respond to issues. The initial communication timeline between program participants and RY staff is outlined below:
  - initial days of program - verbal conversations with local Remote Year staff in which network and cowork space access issues were communicated by multiple participants; the group received verbal assurances that steps were being taken to resolve them
  - approximately Oct *****th - first help tickets submitted by me via Remote Year's internal platform, "The Hub" as issues remained unresolved
  - Oct 11th - message from RY staff shared to The Hub [wifi-situation-ry-staff-post] reiterating their awareness of issues and confirming that issues remained unresolved
  - Oct 16th - first email to support due to lack of response via help tickets - still no resolution to original issues
  

  2. ** claims that While the space was in a residential building, the space itself was not a residence dwelling.
  The space WAS a residential dwelling with two bedrooms, two bathrooms, a kitchen, and a living room. See the attached links where one can go and rent out this space. *************************************************************************************************** & 
  ************************************************** - the space clearly referred to by the managers of the property as a RESIDENCE.

  
  3. ** also attempts to argue that We never claimed that the 24/7 access would be given through a single space. Their own website contradicts this [see RY-FAQs]
  In the English language, the article  a is used when referring to singular, countable nouns. In their online program FAQs, RY specifically promises 24/7 access to a coworking space (singular). To make promises about coworking space access using singular language and then attempt to fulfill those promises through multiple spaces (plural) contradicts *** own materials and is misleading. As per the FTCs truth in advertising legislation, federal law says that ads must be truthful, not misleading - *************************************************************;
  

  4. The company also falsely claims that one of the spaces was 24/7. 

  Neither space was 24/7. The **16 coworking space closed on weekends and evenings. The uninhabited apartment space was not available during daytime hours, as stated verbally by RY staff in the programs orientation and evidenced in written hours shared with program participants via *** internal communication platform, the Hub. I thought that a copy of this was provided in a previous response, but have included it again in this response [see availability_of_spaces]

  
  5. ** also claims that the speedtest provided previously that showed the abysmally slow internet speeds at the uninhabited apartment that the company tried to pass off as a coworking space was not indicative of the speed given at the coworking space. ***** used a VPN, which caused her speed to drop.
  

  The speed test provided was not done at a coworking space - it was done at an uninhabited apartment space. Also, I do not see evidence to support the companys claim that a speed test is not indicative of the speed of the network on which it was run.  Also, who is *****?

  
  6. The company also alleges that "To our knowledge nobody else experienced any issues." when in fact, their own messaging to program participants contradicts this claim. The post from RY staff on Oct 11th [wifi-situation-ry-staff-post] clearly shows that there were other participants also having issues being able to work effectively with the poor internet and limited cowork space access provided and that RY was aware of these issues.

  I also do not know who ***** is or why the company is referring to this person throughout their response. 
  
  
  In conclusion RY failed to deliver the services they promised in multiple ways - there was no 24/7 access to a singular coworking space with hi-speed internet.
  I would not have purchased their program if it had been advertised accurately. Therefore, I will not consider this issue resolved until the company provides a refund for services not rendered as agreed.
  
  
  Sincerely,
  
  *************************

  Customer response

  12/30/2022

  [A default letter is provided here which indicates your acceptance of *********. If you wish, you may update it before sending it.]

  Better Business Bureau:

  I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID ********, and find your ********* services are necessary.

  Regards,

  *************************

• Initial Complaint

  06/23/2022

  Complaint Type:

  Order Issues

  Status:

  Unanswered

  More info

  Before the pandemic, I put a down payment of $1000 with a remote work/travel company. That payment was deemed refundable (e-mail below). After the pandemic hit, I couldn't travel and the trip I was planning to take with them was canceled altogether - they don't offer that program anymore. They've refused to refund the money and only offered to allow me to use it towards a trip (which is not the full cost of a trip) or with a motel chain that has horrible reviews online. Basically, the deposit I put down was for a trip that I could not and never will be able to take and I am requesting a full refund. "Review Final Details: This refundable down payment of $1,000 USD guarantees you a spot on a Remote Year program launching within the next year: (JUNE, 2020). Monthly program pricing and the remaining down payment amount will vary based on which program you elect to participate in. You're also eligible for a $1,000 discount off your initial program payment, applicable upon approval." Payment was made in June of 2019; company will not refund me.

• Initial Complaint

  03/13/2022

  Complaint Type:

  Service or Repair Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  The Dark Side of Remote Year This review shares my personal experience with Remote Year, my opinion of them as a company, and the conclusions I have drawn from my experience. I participated in Remote Year for 3 months in 2021. Before I signed up for them I did my research and could not find anything bad written about them. I ultimately did not have a good experience with them and uncovered something that appears to be unethical and according to my attorney illegal in how they do business. What I uncovered is why I believe those looking for a full picture of doing business with this company is missing and buried. Based on my experience and legal opinion from my attorney, I believe Remote Year is systematically using illegal practices to cover their tracks of the buried bodies they leave in their wake. There were a lot of things that I enjoyed about my experience with Remote Year but these things are included in the many other positive reviews on the web like here at Nomad Nation. What I will be sharing with you is not found anywhere because of how Remote Year has been covering their tracks, from those who dont have a good experience. (an assumption from my experience)I spent three months traveling with Remote Year. They took care of all of the logistics and whenever I needed support they were there for me. I had developed some great friendships and was enjoying traveling the world with the support they provided. I was expelled from Remote Year going into my 4th and final month. There was no warning given or no idea that I had done anything inappropriate. Remote Year in their guidelines say they can remove anyone for any reason at any time and this is what happened to me. See document for further explanation

  Business response

  03/18/2022

  Community is at the core of what we do and occasionally we find ourselves in a position where we have to proactively manage our community in line with our Code of Conduct. 
  
  Unfortunately, ***** compromised our Code of Conduct and was removed from our program. Our Code of Conduct clearly states that we will not hesitate to remove people at any point if someone has been in violation and people within the community have been affected. We take our Code of Conduct very seriously and communicate this during the booking process, onboarding, and orientation at the beginning of every program. 
  
  We have a duty of care to protect the identity of customers and our staff, when requested, which means we are not always able to go into details. However, we conduct in depth reviews to ensure that we are taking properly informed decisions.
  
  Its important to me, and the team, that we create an environment where people feel safe to come forward if they sense any kind of wrongdoing, instead of feeling like their experience will not be heard or taken seriously. Every situation, and the best way to manage, is evaluated on a case by case basis within the Leadership team. I am very proud of our teams approach to these situations, and know that many of our customers feel reassured by this when they travel with us, as I expect them to be. 
  
  While it is rare that we have to remove someone from our programs, we stand behind every decision we have made to do so because we are committed to protecting and creating the safest environment possible for our communities.
  
  ***** Prime
  CEO
  
  

*Some consumers may elect to not publish the details of their complaints, some complaints may not meet BBB's standards for publication, or BBB may display a portion of complaints when a high volume is received for a particular business. ↩