Complaints

• Initial Complaint

  09/19/2022

  Complaint Type:

  Product Issues

  Status:

  Unresolved

  More info

  As a group of six people we booked a trip to Ireland for May 2020. CIE Tour canceled due to Covid. We rebooked for May 13 2021 and we were canceled again due to Covid. We rebooked a third time for May 15 2022. This trip was rebooked shortly after we received notice of the cancellation in March 2021.We have purchased and paid in full the insurance and tour on the first booking so these canceled trips turned into vouchers.The flight we paid in full as well but was never booked. I had to file a medical claim on this last trip in March 2022. It was denied because ***********************, the travel agent did not purchase the insurance till December 30 2021 and my illness was Dated December 28 2021. I was denied because it was considered a pre Existing condition. Six people lost their money since the insurance had a Travel Companion plan covering them with my medical claim.I filed an appeal with the insurance due to the negligence of our travel agent and it was denied. I contacted CIE tours but since I booked through an agent they would not help me. We all still have a voucher for this trip that expires December 30.My complaint is this travel agent is avoiding my emails and she seldom does she says shes working on it. Its been since March this year that shes working on it. More then a month ago she said she would book this trip and she will not respond to me. We all lost about $1500 including a flight we paid for that was never booked.Ive traveled enough to know when I feel we are being scammed. To add to this, she never sent any documents about these trips. I had to constantly email her to get what little I have.We have ran out of resources here. We feel she is stalling because after December 30 she will have no obligation to fix this. She also promised she would refund the plane ticket we paid for since she never purchased them. That was a couple of months ago. She at this moment will not respond to my emails.I hope you can help us.Thank you

  Business response

  09/22/2022

  To whom it may Concern

  Due to pandemic this trip was rebooked 2 times when trip did not take place 2020 it was rebooked for 2021.

  Tour ** CIE did not offer refunds.

  Ireland was still not open for travel and tour ** cancelled departures for 2021. At this time a new date was not given by travelers and the insurance policy

  had to be placed in a voucher to be used towards the purchase of policy for new trip dates once decided on.

  Travelers decided on dates for travel in 2022 but never confirmed air travel.

  Consumer was told that no pre existing conditions would be covered at the time when expressing a need to cancel the trip and was also told that the trip dates could not be changed. A refund for the airfare was offered by the tour ** and is in the process of being sent to each traveler.

  There was no rebooking of the land portion that could take place and no monetary refund per the tour company CIE tours.

  We are agents for airlines, tour companies, car rental companies and cruise lines and have to work with their terms and conditions and policies. 

   

  Best,

  ****/Horizon Travel Inc

   

   

   

   

   

   

  Customer response

  09/23/2022

   
  Complaint: 18041773
  
  I am rejecting this response because we were told in March of 2021 to decide on a future date for 2022 for six people to travel because they would fill up quick due to the Covid cancellations. We decided to book in May of 2022. **** gave us two optional weeks in May and we picked May 13,2022. She said that had to be booked  immediately to insure six people can be together on the same tour. I had to file a medical condition under doctors orders that I could not travel. All forms were sent in. Rika did not purchase the insurance till December 30,2021 and my medical problems started December 28,2021. That caused a preexisting so I was declined. My complaint is why book a trip in March as was told to us and wait till December 30 to insure us. We paid for that insurance and it was purchased nine months later.thats negligence on her part. As for the plane fare, there was never a plane booked. CIE has nothing to do with the plane fare. Its not part of the tour. She received the plane fare from us but never booked it. Also theres a voucher that says its still active till December 30, 2022 and she said she would book us the trip with our request dates late September early October. Im still waiting for that. She will not respond to emails. When my medical was submitted the insurance automatically canceled our trip. She never told us that. I had to call and find that out on my own. I was denied because of negligence on her part. Also we decided to stay two extra nights which were not part of the tour. She wont refund us that either because she said it was a no show. I called the hotels and they said it was refunded back on her credit card. It was her email address and last four digits of her credit card that gave me. So yes, we feel we all have been scammed.

  Sincerely,
  
  ***************************

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