Complaints

The complaint text that is displayed might not represent all complaints filed with BBB. 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.

• Initial Complaint

  Date:01/16/2024

  Type:Sales and Advertising Issues
  Status:

  ResolvedMore info

  Complaint statuses

  Resolved:

  The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.

  Unresolved:

  The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.

  Answered:

  The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.

  Unanswered:

  The business failed to respond to the dispute.

  Unpursuable:

  BBB is unable to locate the business.

  I used the travel company Music Celebrations International to go to ******* in the summer of 2023 with a choir group. I paid off the cost of the trip over several payments. The total cost for my boyfriend and I to attend this trip was $8,988. Several weeks after the trip, I looked at the breakdown of total charges on my final invoice and noticed that I was charged for having 2 hotel rooms. We only signed up for 1 hotel room upon registration of the trip and were not aware MCI had signed us up for 2 hotel rooms. I finally got a response from an employee at MCI in December 2023. During these communications, *** acknowledged that it was their error for signing me up for 2 hotel rooms, therefore overcharging me $632. *** refuses to refund me the $632, despite them acknowledging that I did not register for 2 hotel rooms and did not consent to that extra charge. Their reasoning for not refunding the money to me is that I did not notice this error and bring it to their attention before or during the trip.My choir director emailed our group the hotel room arrangements several months prior to the trip and the hotel room arrangements were correct with my boyfriend and I sharing a hotel room. I responded to the email sent by the choir director confirming that it was correct. When I was speaking to MCI in December 2023 regarding this, they had said that although it is **** fault that they had signed me up for 2 hotel rooms, without my consent, that it is my choir directors fault for approving of their error. As stated previously, the communication between my choir director and I regarding me only signing up for 1 hotel room would say otherwise.

  

  Business Response

  Date: 01/25/2024

   
  
  Music Celebrations International received a complaint via the BBB on January 16, ****, ID #: ********. 
  
   
  
  Our response to this complaint involved research and investigation with MCIs partners and vendors in the **************, conversation and inquiry with the choir director himself, and MCI personnel who had personal knowledge of this matter.  *** agrees to refund the single supplement of $632 to ************** because of a misunderstanding with one of our employees.  The fact is that ************** used and occupied the single room she was charged for throughout the entire tour (confirmed by the hotels involved and the director himself) which makes the demand for refund for a provided service (paid for by MCI) quite annoying, but *** was at fault for not handling the situation correctly for which I apologize.  We are sending a refund check this week to ***************************** for $632.
  
   
  
  We sincerely hope that this refund and gesture close this matter to everyones satisfaction.
  
   
  
  frustrating
  
   
  
  Sincerely,
  
   
  
   
  
  ****************************

  Customer Answer

  Date: 01/28/2024

  
  Better Business Bureau:
  
  I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID ********, and find that this resolution would be satisfactory to me.  I will wait for the business to perform this action and, if it does, will consider this complaint resolved.
  
  Regards,
  
  *************************
  
   
  

• Initial Complaint

  Date:09/22/2023

  Type:Product Issues
  Status:

  AnsweredMore info

  Complaint statuses

  Resolved:

  The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.

  Unresolved:

  The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.

  Answered:

  The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.

  Unanswered:

  The business failed to respond to the dispute.

  Unpursuable:

  BBB is unable to locate the business.

  I paid over $5,000 to Music Celebrations International to travel with ProMusica Arizona, my former choral group, to sing at the Salzburg Choral Festival 2023. Upon arrival at ****************** the day of departure, the airline told me there was no ticket in my name because no one had purchased one. The MCI travel agency was closed. The flight left and I was forced to return home. Later that day, an MCI travel agent called me and said she could not get me another flight until the next day and the best she could do would be to get me a flight to ******, I would have to rent a personal car to drive myself to ****** and I could join the tour a day late, missing a full day of tour and Madame ********* at the ************, for which I had purchased a nonrefundable ticket. She could not guarantee my flight back, either. This was not acceptable to me. I therefore requested a full refund. She said that she would do her best to refund the Land trip and airline cost as soon as possible. I also was encouraged to buy additional "Cancel for Any Reason" trip insurance for an additional $330, which I did and has been denied by the insurance company, TripMate, which I suspect to be bad faith. As of today, I have received no refund, ProMusica does not care, and ***************************** suggests I *** them, "if I feel I have to." Apparently, an old woman's $5,000 means nothing to these unscrupulous people. Yet, Music Celebrations International says its motto is "Concert Tours with Integrity." The question I have is, what did they do with my $5,000? If they had any integrity, they would send me a refund immediately!

  

  Business Response

  Date: 04/03/2024

  MCIs Response:
  
  Overview of the Situation
  MCI was in communication with 2 members of this group at the airport.  Yes, the office was closed because it was a weekend but we were available on our 24 hour emergency line.  MCI representative, *********************, Executive Assistant to *************************,  spent hours on the phone with ***************************, ***************************, **************** and American Airlines among others.  The issue was created by *************** because they did not validate the American Airlines tickets in their system. It was unfortunate and MCI did everything possible to resolve the issue for all affected passengers.  There were 9 in total that were affected.  6 of the passengers remained at the airport to resolve this issue.  After many discussions with BA and American Airlines, *** decided to book 9 individual flights (at MCIs expense) for the affected passengers.  The 6 passengers that remained at the airport for resolution were able to fly together the next day to ****** and were then provided a professional transfer service (provided by MCI at their expense) from ****** to ****** where the tour started.   3 passengers, *******************, ********************************* and *************************** declined the new flights and decided not to continue or go on the tour.
  

  *******************:
  **************** decided to leave the airport and go home rather than wait with the other passengers.  After rebooking the other 6 passengers in the group, ********************* found a separate flight for **************** departing the next day on Delta Air Lines.  Again, due to the heavy travel season, space was fully booked and seats were very hard to find.  However, *** found a flight that would get **************** to ****** around the same time the other 6 passengers would arrive.  She would then take the arranged transfer with the other 6 passengers from ****** to *******  ***** contacted **************** to offer the new roundtrip flights which **************** ultimately declined. 
  

  Inaccuracies of the Complaint:
  The flight left and I was forced to return home **************** made a choice to leave while the rest of the group stayed at the airport for final resolution.  ********************* was in constant contact with the Persons in Charge (***** and ***************************).
  Later that day, an MCI travel agent called me and said she could not get me another flight until the next day and the best she could do would be to get me a flight to ******, I would have to rent a personal car to drive myself to ****** and I could join the tour a day late, missing a full day of tour and Madame ********* at the ************, for which I had purchased a nonrefundable ticket ***** contacted **************** soon after her departure from the airport to discuss a resolution.  At no point were there any comments made about **************** having to rent a car and drive herself to *******
  She could not guarantee my flight back, either the flights offered by ********************* were roundtrip flights including the return flight to *******
  I therefore requested a full refund. She said that she would do her best to refund the Land trip and airline cost as soon as possible ***** said we would do our best to recover whatever we could for the last minute cancellation.  ***** immediately contacted MCIs partners in ******* to advise of the last minute cancellation due to flight issues and requested any refunds possible ASAP.  The challenge was that this cancellation happened very late and all payments for land arrangements had been paid 30 days prior to the groups arrival.  All services have a nonrefundable policy within 30 days of travel.  Even with this policy in place, we were able to negotiate a small refund for the land portion which came to $375 per person
  I also was encouraged to buy additional "Cancel for Any Reason" trip ********* for an additional $330, which I did and has been denied by the ********* company, TripMate, which I suspect to be bad ************* for ******************** is valid if cancellation happens 3 days before the tour departs which was not the case for ****************.  CFAR (Cancel For *********** ********* terms were clearly outlined in the policy which ******************* purchased.
  

  Resolution:
  On November 1st, 2023 MCI issued a refund of the land portion to ProMusica, the organization that had been paying MCI for all participants.  It is policy to refund the organization or persons that paid MCI directly.  This amount was $375 per person (Diamos + *********) and the check was cashed by ProMusica on November 7th, 2023.  Check #*****.  An email was sent to the person in charge of the organization stating that a small refund was being sent to them and we were still working with *************** on any remaining refunds possible for the flights.
  On March 21st, 2024 MCI issued a refund for the full cost of the flight on *************** which was $1,157.05 per person (Diamos + *********).  After 8 months of filing claims with **************** we finally received refunds from them and immediately contacted the person in charge of the organization with this news.  A checked was mailed to them on the same day and cashed by ProMusica on March 29, 2024.  Check #*****.    Pro Musica has confirmed receipt of these refunds from MCI.
  

  Summary:
  Music Celebrations does operate with integrity which is why we continued to file claims and negotiate for 8 months following this unfortunate experience for all involved.  We had many people in many parts of the world advocating for **************** to get funds back to her, even though all cancellation policies stated she was in 100% cancellation.  MCI did everything we could to work with **************** and get her to ******* to join her group and it was her decision to decline the solution and stay home.  Still, *** worked consistently for 8 months to recover any funds possible. *** agrees this was an unfortunate situation for everyone and we have done everything possible to resolve the issue for all involved. 

  Customer Answer

  Date: 04/05/2024

  I hereby dispute the facts asserted by MCI and ProMusica Arizona.  I was not informed by anyone to stay at the airport on the departure day of flight.  ***** with *** informed me that the only flight they could obtain for me was unaccompanied by any other members of my choir, so I would be traveling alone and would arrive a day late plus I would miss my pre-purchased nonrefundable ticket to Madame ********* at the Vienna Opera.  ***** from MCI could not guarantee that I would have a return flight home, and she encouraged me to not go on the trip and she promised that *** would refund the full land trip portion and that the insurance would reimburse me for the air fare.  ************* provided by *** denied my claim and appeal.  To this date, I have received no refund of my $5,000 plus dollars paid to ProMusica Arizona and/or Music Celebrations International.  I may have to file a claim with the Arizona Attorney General if MCI and ProMusica do not refund my money.

  Sincerely,

  ********************;

  

  Business Response

  Date: 04/16/2024

  Dear ******************:
  
  We sincerely regret the problems that ********************* (including 8 other travelers in her same group) encountered with their departure flight from ******* to ******, ********  British Airlines was the major carrier under whose name tickets were issued, which included American Airlines segments.  Due to a system failure with **************** American Airlines was never informed of these travelers (even though the tickets issued by MCI clearly showed all segments confirmed), and when they attempted to check-in, there were no seats and no reservation.  Mrs. ********************** Executive Assistant to ************************* (a veteran of 18 years in the travel business) was ******************* emergency phone and immediately went to work upon hearing of the situation to assist the nine travelers.
  
  At this point in the process, only the airlines have total control of airline records.  MCI could do nothing in our own reservations system to help at this stage.  New, individual, published fare flights were found for all 9 passengers to depart the next day at MCIs expense.  Six passengers flew with ***** Airlines via ******* to *******  The other three had reservations with ***** via ******* to ****** to arrive in ****** at approximately the same time as the six passengers where *** arranged and provided for a van transfer to get all passengers from ****** to *******  Everyone who accepted this arrangement arrived in ****** in time to attend the opera where they had previously purchased tickets.  Two passengers declined the ***** Air Lines option via ********  They felt they had dealt with enough stress and decided to cancel and remain home.  **************** ultimately made the same decision.  It was her decision.  **************** could have accepted the ***** Air Lines option, met up with others in her group in ******, could have traveled with them to ****** and would have participated in the full tour, but she declined.  She would have made it to ****** in time to attend her opera, the same as everyone else who was delayed.
  
  ********************* (an 18-year veteran in the travel business) never indicated to **************** that she would not have a return ticket.  Everyone in the group had return tickets.  It was the glitch only on the outbound flights between airline systems **************** and American Airlines).
  
  *************** did not encourage **************** not to go.  Just the opposite, she found and offered her a solution that would work.
  
  *************** did not offer or promise a refund of the land portion.  **************** had purchased a CFAR (Cancel for Any Reason) policy with Trip Mate, but the provisions of CFAR were that cancellation must occur three days prior to travel and coverage did not extend to any cancellation within three days of departure and this is exactly why *************** would never have indicated a full refund of the land portion of the tour.  We indicated that we would do our best to negotiate refunds from the land vendors and work with British Airlines to obtain a refund for the air, and we worked on this for over nine months before *************** cooperated with us to give us the refund which we have already forwarded to Pro Musica.
  
  MCI has acted in good faith (spending far more time negotiating with *************** than anyone could fathom), has refunded everything that we possibly could and has done nothing illegal or unseemly in our attempts to resolve issues to everyones satisfaction.  The Pro Musica Choir has expressed gratitude for everything we did to help and accommodate their nine singers who had this horrible experience with the departure flight.
  
  Sincerely,
  
  ****************************

  Customer Answer

  Date: 04/16/2024

  Dear BBB and ********************, 

  I continue to dispute ************************ version of the facts and dispute ************************* version of her telephone call to me.  She could not offer me a flight to ****** in time to join up with the rest of the choir.  She could not guarantee me a return flight.  MCI effectively cancelled my trip against my wishes by not providing the trip I had paid for.

  When I paid $5,683.00 to MCI/ProMusica to attend this tour, over a year before the trip, I was falsely led to believe that I would be traveling with the choir, not alone by myself and would not be arriving late.  Therefore, I requested a full refund.  The trip was no longer as advertised. 

  Last week, when I learned from the Better Business Bureau that MCI had issued me a partial refund payment last year in 2023 and they had paid it ProMusica Arizona, I sent a letter to ProMusica asking why they had not sent me my partial refund.  On April 8, 2024, ProMusica reluctantly sent me the partial refund of $1,532.05 which I cashed. 

  Why did they wait so long to pay me? 

  ********************, when your customer pays you $5,683.00 for something and you cannot provide it, the customer is due a full refund.  Please send me a check in the amount of $4,150.95 and this matter will be resolved. 

  Sincerely, 

  ********************;