Reviews

Review Details

• Review fromKathy P

  Date: 30/11/2022

  1 star
  Like so many others I booked a killer trip to China and Thailand, hoping China would open up in time, but it isn't going to happen. Because I got roped into a killer deal, they aren't offering refunds, only credit to be used for a future trip. Based on reviews and fine print, I am scared to take any trip with them! Who demands a set tip amount in advance? Regardless of the quality of the guide, they have a guaranteed tip that they collect on day one! In reading descriptions of other trips I have never seen so many things excluded before! I am tempted to walk away from the $1500 for fear of giving them even more money to have it be a case of good money thrown after bad.... I wish they would stop advertising for China trips as I feel they are being fraudulent and taking even more money from unsuspecting travelers who just want a good deal.

• Review fromLen

  Date: 23/11/2022

  1 star

  Len

  Date: 23/11/2022

  We have purchased trip to China from UTOvacations back in 2019, for the April 2021 trip. After the pandemic took place our trip was canceled, but UTOvacations refused to refund our money. Instead they reschelued it for October of 2022, and than for April 2023. But due to China's Zero Covid Policy it doesn't look like we will be able to go this time either, but UTOvacations are asking for additional payment, or they threaten to cancel our trips. WE ARE ASKING FOR UTOvacations TO REFUND OUR MONEY FOR THIS TRIP? WE WILL NOT MAKE ANY ADDITIONAL PAYMENT FOR THIS TRIP.

  UTOvacation

  Date: 09/03/2023

  In the situation covid is holding the tours which is not a go, we offer full travel credit.

  
  

  It is not true that we ask for more money, or we threaten to cancel their trips, it is an accusation.

  
  

  If request a refund, please refer to the Terms and Conditions which disclose to you before your purchase and also on your invoice.

  Len

  Date: 03/04/2023

  Since the UTO Vacations could not provide the trip that we purchased to China, and since for 3 years they could not tell us when the China trip will be resumed, we didn't want the Travel Credit we wanted to receive the full refund. Is that asking for too much? Is this unreasonable? We did check the Terms and Conditions on the invoice, but it didn't say anything about the pandemic, or what happens in the event that the tour operator cancels the trip. The only thing mentioned in the invoice is that if the travel was paid with the Travel Credit, then in the event of the travel cancelations the refund will be in the form of a travel credit.
  It's not an accusation that the UTO Vacations asked for additional funds and that they threatened to cancel our booking if the funds are not paid, even though the UTO was not doing the trips to China due to Covid shutdown. Here is the part from the email that I received.
  "Your Remaining Balance is Due
  Dear customer,
  This is the final notice for the remaining balance of your tour package. If the payment is still not paid by 1 PM (EST) on November 24, 2022, your travel package will be cancelled due to a lack of payment. The payment terms are included in your purchase confirmation email, and you can view your cancelled invoice by logging into your account.
  Kindly please make this payment through our website by accessing your My Account or click the Order List here.
  **The required payment amount is showing both on your invoice and on the "My Account" online order detail page.
  If you have already paid your payment, please disregard this request and thank you again for your patronage.
  Please also complete the following by November 24, 2022.
  download and sign this Risk of Assumption form here and send it to [email protected] or upload it to your account
  upload the passport copy for every traveller (the photo page)
  We appreciate your allowing UTOvacation to be at your service for your travel needs and we are on the lookout for your response at your earliest convenience.
  If you have any questions, you can reach us through our website’s chat. Chat is available Monday to Thursday 10 AM – 5 PM EST & Friday 10 AM – 3 PM EST.
  Sincerely,
  UTOvacation Customer Care"

• Review fromNathan G

  Date: 10/11/2022

  1 star
  Brutal customer service. We did the Peru trip with UTO this spring. One of the flights they booked for our return DIDN'T EXIST. We arrived at the airport for the flight to Lima to catch our next flight home. The airline we had tickets for hadn't operated out of that first airport for months. We were forced to purchase new flights right then and there or miss our flight home. Edmon hasn't replied to anything since July, after I had called and emailed many times. He replied after I CC'd every address for anyone at UTO expressing my frustration. UTO needs to pay for the new flights, and Edmon actually said we needed reimbursement, but he had to get it from the airline. Since then, I haven't had a single response to any of my messages, just complete silence.
  *** ******** ** **** ******* ** ********** ************** *** * ******** ********* **** ** ****** ** ****

• Review fromThomas L

  Date: 07/11/2022

  1 star
  *** ********* ** ******* **** **** * ****.
  I booked a trip with them back in 2020 they have "postponed" the trip twice and now they have canceled it again, offering to postpone it. After 3 years I have decided on a refund and they charged me $161.20 "Cancelation fee" for something they canceled.

• Review fromLori R

  Date: 05/11/2022

  1 star
  2019: Booked a tour for 2nd half 2020. to Asia and put down deposit. Covid lockdown. UTO would not refund money - credit for 30 months with a verbal promise to extend credits past that if we needed. Refuses refunds, does not answer emails (except automated response), refusing to extend deadline. UTO refusing refund, refusing to extend date of credits (we really just want our money back). Refuse to send written details of credit. Refusing to let us book another gov't subsidized tour "because you already booked one" (that did not go). Every tour is now double or more the price of our first tour. Insists they are entitled to keep our deposit if we don't book another much more costly tour soon. Too late for a credit card charge back (call your credit card company - I found mine so very helpful, but I was too late to get them to do a charge back). **** **** ******* ******** ******* ** ********* **** ********* **** ***** ******* ** ****** ****** ******* ********* ** *** ****** **** ******** *** ********** **** ******

• Review fromMeera s

  Date: 02/11/2022

  1 star
  HI
  We are group of senionr and had booked the China tour before covid and we had paid for it in full.
  Since then we have tried many times to get the money back or a voucher for another destination and the owner completely refuses to cooperate with us. We do not like their services and do not want to use their business for travel any more. They had the use of our money for so many year and the government has announced that they have to return the money in full. Please help us get the money back from this agency as the owner just is not cooperating with us. if you need to contact me it is
  They do not pick phone or respond if we call it is a hassel we are about ten of us they gave credit
  vouched one and the rest are left hanging in the air

• Review fromLorraine L

  Date: 17/10/2022

  1 star
  * ***** **** **** **** **** *******. They will likely cancel your trip and get you to pay more money for a trip later, and they can just cancel that trip too -- and no refunds so your money is gone. In Nov. 2020, they offered a trip to Japan in Nov. 2022 at a special price through *********. We paid 2 deposits of $600 each at that time. The balance wasn't due until 150 days (June 30, 2022) before the trip. Good thing I contacted them to inquire about the trip at that time or they would have gladly let me pay $1200 more for the balance due--and kept it. They cancelled the trip (and never told us) said it was because Japan wasn't allowing tourists in because of Covid. I researched online - Japan began allowing tourists in June 2022, so there was 5 months to keep the same itinerary/same trip. Nope. Now we have a useless credit at a not-so-reputable company. Quite a little scheme. And they only give you 180 days to use any credit for money paid on a cancelled trip -- only thing is, their other trip prices are 2X as expensive and you can't trust them to not cancel THAT trip, too. If they were trustworthy, they would offer refunds to people for trips that the company itself cancelled!

• Review fromMin C

  Date: 07/10/2022

  1 star
  Wish I had read the reviews before booking the trip to Turkey next April, 2023.
  After picked the promotion date & package for 2 parties, paid initial deposit of $1,266, was excited & looking forward to the trip with UTO for the 1st time. We are retired fixed income seniors, pay bill & due most with "auto pay" system in case we forget, so we were told & assumed we can pay on credit card on the web site "order statement", by the time we realized the 2nd payment was not charged on my credit card, I called them several times, was holding more than 1/2 hours w/o answer, finally on Sept. 30th, spoke to a female agent to tell her : a) why was my due wasn't charged? b) I want to increase the payment to 1/2 of balance, so the 2nd party can pay the remaining balance when due. She told me since I missed the 2nd payment, the price is no longer the same, quote me a much higher price which I don't agree & can't afford as well, then put me on hold few time, then back to tell me the decision will be email to me later.
  Brian is the person that's handling my case, I told him the missed 2nd deposit was unintended, simply by misunderstanding & mislead from statement, I proposed my solution with : honor the price and we'll pay the complete balance immediately, or, cancel the trip & refund my deposit, was told the terms & condition is not allow to refund, now he is trying to " let's see what we can do ", so, we are hanging up there with frustration & uncertainty shadows,
  Not very surprised to read to all these unhappy travelers.
  UTO, the best way to grow business, one golden rule, as an old saying, makes your customer happy, because " word of mouths " is simply priceless.

• Review fromLorena M

  Date: 29/09/2022

  1 star
  *** ****** * ***** ** ***
  My family and I took a trip to Turkey through UTO vacations, where to start: Everyone on our tour 18 people got food poisoning, the hotels they took us to were horrible, dirty and over an hour away from the city center. The guide was only interested in taking us to shops were he had a connection to the owner, so most of our trip was spent going to a leather factory, a ceramic and jewelry store instead of visiting the beautiful sites of turkey. We were supposed to have a transfer to the airport from our hotel, the local guide informed us the night before that UTO had not scheduled a transfer that we had to make our own way to the airport. It cost us $55 plus tip because the hotel was an hour away from the airport. Our dream vacation turned into a nightmare, ***** **** **** *****

• Review from

  Date: 26/09/2022

  1 star
  Horrible company to use. Found a great deal on Travel zoo for UTOvacations going to Thailand. Booked the trip in 2020 but due to covid it was cancelled and re scheduled for last year. Again due to covid the trip was cancelled and re booked for October 19 of this year. I paid for the trip in full as well as the added insurance and breakfast for each day. The trip is less than a month away and I can not find any information about the flight/hotel etc. I have reached out to UTO numerous times and everyone puts me off to the next person without any answers. I have also tried emailing the company with no response as well as trying to talk to them online. I am beyond frustrated. If the trip is a no go at least let me know and reimburse my money I have paid.
  I travel quite a bit, I thought ******* vacations was horrible to deal with but UTO so far has been far worse.