ComplaintsforTime To Travel Tours

• Initial Complaint

  01/12/2023

  Complaint Type:

  Billing Issues

  Status:

  Resolved

  More info

  I pre-paid $1400.00 for a cruise travel in June 2022 to begin late January 2023. I had a horrible car accident 10/30/22 which landed me in a hospital with several cracks in my pelvis for about 1 mo having to cancell my reservation in November '22. I connected with the travel agent in December '22 to check the travel possibilities for the trip starting in late January'23. I was told the $1400 was lost, the value gone for the pre paid $1400. Moments later I was told by the agent that the lost $1400 was given to another person on the same trip without consulting with me. There is no literature in the brochure about this trip indicating one can use "lost" pre-paid moneys. Personal working the cruise that the travel agent contracted with, indicated to me this "sort of thing" happens rarely. Other travel companies I checked with had never heard of this practice...hence the complaint. The very least the travel agent can do is include an explanation in a brochure she uses about this practice using "lost money," and gifting it to whomever. Further I would hope that there is a concession that is offered.

  Business response

  01/12/2023

  Hello Better Business Bureau,
  
  This issue has been completely resolved. The AMAWaterways cancellation policy has been followed. The cancellation penalty for not insuring her deposit of $1400 and having to cancel for medical reasons has been charged as a penalty and now reflects on the invoice as a non refundable penalty. 
  
  Her sister who would now have to travel as a single increasing her costs substantially and who also flew out to help ***** after the car accident to fly her home has paid the $1400 to AMAWaterways and it is now treated per contract as a non-refundable penalty. 
  
  ***** has been sent the updated invoice showing the $1400 Penalty and the cancellation policy is also included. 
  

  
  

  Customer response

  01/14/2023

   
  Complaint: 18724664
  
  I am rejecting this response because: The complaint has nothing to do with my sister flying to *********, or her choice to continue on with the trip to ***** on her own. Gifting a person $1400 to another person going on the same trip without notifying/discussing/identifying this action from the onset of a booking or publishing it in a brochure is the issue at hand.  I would guess the travel agent enhanced my sister to continue with the trip stating that she would give her my deposit to help her fund the trip, thus allowing the agent to not loose another client which would alter her financial gain in the trip. Complete disclosure in a written statement prior to booking travels for prospective clients is necessary and lawful, especially when this particular practice is all but never practiced with other travel agents, and seems to be and "under the table" activity. I am very disappointed in this behavior and continue to feel it is not the right thing to do sharing those comments with many.
  
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