I purchased a vacation package from a phone solicitor working on behalf of this company that kept pestering me to buy a vacation package from him. Several times I gave all kinds of reasons I was not interested from I don't have that kind of money, I have never heard of you guys, I have to talk to my husband first, etc. He stated that the offer for 3 destinations for the price of $499.00 was only good for the time of the call. After much hesitation and going back and forth, his final offer to earn my trust and business as he put it, included 2 more destinations of my choice and dropped the price to half, $250.00. The only condition he said came with my package was attending a 90 minute presentation and that was it. It sounded to good to be true, but naively, I bought into it.
Awhile after my vacation certificates arrived, I decided to call the company and ask a general question, but was surprised that their customer service number went straight to a voicemail stating they would return your call by the end of the business day at 5pm. So, imagine my frustration when I left a message at 8am and was expected to wait to 5pm by my phone to see if the would call anytime in between. The number going straight to voicemail with no option to speak to a live represenative was my first clue something was fishy.
When a represenative did call me back, she was rude and claimed I didn't leave, get this, my name or a message, which is false because I always give my name first, message, number and repeat my name again. I told her then how did she know to call me and she stated she was just calling the number on caller ID!
I asked her a general question about my vacation package and I was not too pleased with her response. Sensing this, she immediately offered to add another destination to my package and waive a reservation fee and said she was doing so to keep me from cancelling.
Funny thing was, I had no intention on cancelling until she said that. Now, I was extremely suspicious at the way she jumped in at the very slight idea I might cancel. That and the fact that the company contact number goes straight to voicemail each and everytime made me hang up on her, without giving her an answer as to if that was something I agreed to or not.
After hanging up, I ran to my husband and told him something is fishy with the company and that the represenative mentioned I had a right to cancel within 30 days.
Well, after leaving several messages on the customer service voicemail and when I finally got a called, I missed it. THe message left on my answering machine again stated that a name, message or contact number was not left, which was an obvious lie.
So, I emailed the company and a response to my email clearly stated for a refund refer to line 17 on my terms and conditons, which I did and sent a letter in writing and my package back to the company.
Two days later, I received a call from an employee stating I could not cancel due to the fact that I paid a lesser price for my package and more destinations were added.
I told him I did not accept his response because the email I sent had my name, obviously my email address and my phone number that clearly indicated who I was and based on that he should have been able to lookup what restrictions, if any, came with my package. Besides, it even unmistakeably reads on line 17 of the terms and condition page I received and on their website, that there was a 30 day cancellation policy on packages as long as it is submitted in writing and the package certificates are mailed back to the company.
Needless to say, they are denying me a refund and claim I accepted the extra destination incentive I was offered as an agreement not to cancel, which is a lie because I hung up on the rep before she got an answer out of me.in addtion, they claim my package was "altered" from the original package/price offered and therefore non refundable. Yet, I have read on other consumer report websites that consumers feel that they have been scammed by the same company and paid the full, non "altered" price of $499.00 and when they requested to cancel, even they could not.
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