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:05/14/2024

  Type:Service or Repair 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.

  On approximately 9/1/2023, I paid a deposit of $100 for a trip to *********, ************ to Travel Agent ***************************. Then on 10/1/2023, I made another payment of $600 toward the trip, directly to *************************** through *****. On 12/20/2023 I made a payment to GOWAY Travel (US) through Nuvei of $300 and on February 15, 2024 I made a payment of $1200 to GOWAY Travel (US) through Nuvei. That is a total of $2100 worth of payments that I made toward a $2290 quote for the trip. I cancelled the trip on March 12, 2024 due to some negligence on the Travel Agent ******************************* part. The flight for the trip was to have been made in December 2023 but in March 2024, no itinerary had been made for flights for a trip scheduled in June 2024, and I saw where I was going have to come up with an additional $1700, at least, within a 3 month time period. I felt that was too short of a time to come up with that amount of money. Since March, I have not been refunded any of my money for this trip. I understand that the contract stated that if I cancelled I would forfeit $100. I am looking for the at least $2000 and with the time that it has taken to refund me any money, I believe I should get the $100 deposit back, as well. This is not a good way to conduct business from someone that you would like repeat business from. This has not been handled well at all.

  Business Response

  Date: 05/22/2024

  Hi *****, 
  
  while we appreciate your request, I want to address some inconsistencies between your review and our system logs,  that *** have gotten mixed up and I would like to address each point individually: 
  
  The booking that you were involved in is a groups booking on our end, that was coordinated by your travel agent ***************************.  
  
  Generally, when a travel agent makes a groups booking with us, the agent is responsible to advise us about the amount of passengers taking part in the trip. We do not need passenger names or such at the beginning as the entire trip is fully based on the number of attendees that the travel agent is committed to signing up.  The size of the group naturally dictates the overall trip price for the group as well. 
  
  Now later on, as per our agreement that I will elaborate on further below, we collect the funds for the trip. Generally,  we  either collect those funds from the agent(s) themselves as a whole or we are given the  breakdown of who is paying what portion and we are provided payment methods. 
  
  How the funds, that the travel agent collects,  are allocated within the group per passenger, is not at our decision nor responsibility, as the travel agent decides what happens with the funds she provides and to which passenger she allocates them. We only see a payment being made by the travel agent at most often times.   That is how it usually works with a group booking. 
  
  Aside from that,  we did see some direct payments made by you directly to us - again usually we either collect the funds individually as per advise of the travel agent until the booking is fully paid OR the travel agent collects the funds on their passengers behalf and then pays us, which is most often the case. 
  
  With that being said, the 100 $ and the 600 $ that travel agent *************************** has collected from you, *** have been registered in our system under her name (if those funds you paid to your travel agent are included in what she paid to us), but we cant say for sure if they are allocated to your name specifically, to be quite honest, as we only see those funds allocated to the travel agents name  ***************************.
  
  However, I can say for sure that we received a payment from you directly on 20th December for 300 $ and on 15th February for 1200 $, other than that we only received  collective payments made by the agent, that *** be lump sum payments of multiple passengers as explained above. In a nutshell: We cannot say for sure if it contains your 100 $ and your 600 $ payment you made to the travel agent.  
  
  Now in regards to our terms and conditions: Group bookings become fully non-refundable within 90 days to departure. These terms and conditions were laid out in our group booking agreement in quoting stage  to your travel agent,   who is responsible for the group and the chosen representative by the individuals taking part of the group trip.  Meanwhile I agree with you, that your agent should have communicated those terms to you and your fellow travelers, we cannot be held responsible if she failed to do so. 
  
  Additionally, while I respect the fact that you cancelled the trip with your travel agent in March, we did not get advisory from ****** to cancel the trip until  beginning  April. 
  
  To give some insight on the specific timeline of this booking: 
  
  The confirmation agreement was sent to ****** on 19th August 2023; we then received the signed confirmation back from her  on 29th August 2023 to confirm that she received it, read it and understood all the contents. This was signed by your travel agent as representative on behalf of the individuals of the group. 
  
  As communicated on said agreement that she signed, the final date to release unwanted space on this trip  without penalties was March 1st  2024; with  the final payment being  March 14th. At no point were we given any indication, even still  on March 13th (one day before final payment was due)  that the group would fall apart or cancel. 
  
  We communicated all along that once we would pass 1st March, that we were in a penalty timeframe and since March 14th the trip would be non-refundable. 
  
  On March 15th Alicia  told us that the group size had reduced from 12 passengers  on the manifest to just 5 passengers. 
   
  And on March 19th she told us  that 2 more passengers cancelled and only 3 were left.
   
  At that point, beginning April,  out of goodwill, we offered that we would be open to utilize the penalty funds and allocate them to change the dates, which would give ****** the chance to get a group together for a different timeframe. ****** appreciated the gesture and advised she would let us know about alternate dates. 
  
  On 22nd April 2024 we still had not received a decision by ****** about the alternative dates and we followed up with her to no avail. In fact,  at this given day we still are yet to receive a response from her with the alternative dates, of which we are still open to change the trip to. 
  
  Needless to say, we cannot be held responsible for the agents actions and fully agree that she needs to assume some responsibility for not keeping track of due dates.
  
  I understand that this is not what you would like to hear, but I strongly encourage you to talk to your travel agent and see if you can utilize the funds you paid  to the alternative trip dates, given that in our hopes she *** get together a group. 
  
  Best regards. 

  Customer Answer

  Date: 05/22/2024

   I am rejecting this response because:
  I did my part of cancelling in a timely manner. If the agent didn't do her part, I should not be penalized. There is $2100 of my hard earned money that I would like refunded. All the other perimeters that you have stated is on the agent to convey, which she didn't. As one to protect my business and reputation, it seems that you would want to keep a good name and reputation. I would hope that you would want return business, but it appears that you don't. At this time, I will not do business with you ever again, even if you gave me a full refund. 
  
  

  Business Response

  Date: 05/24/2024

  Hi *****, 

   

  meanwhile I understand your frustration and anger, please understand that we fulfilled our end of the contract. At the end of the day, the representative you choese is at your discretion, i.e if you choose an insurance broker and said broker does not set you up with the best insurance company for your needs, then this is at the broker, not the insurance company itself.  From our end, we have gone above and beyond by offering a credit to rebook with the group, which we in all technicality didn't need to give. However- I do genuinely understand your sentiments as well, so as last offering, I can check with the groups department if they are willing to let go of your portion to your name of the trip, which would be the 1500 $ we have recorded in your name, and ask if they are willing to have it opened to our department for individual bookings. This would mean you could utilize this money towards a rebooking, not within a group which the agent from beforehand, but for an individual ******-made travel experience for yourself (and/or your family). 

  This will be the last offer I can make to you, and in all fairness, this is sheer goodwill as the contract binds your booking funds to the groups department generally. 

  Should this be something you would be interested in, let me know so. Other than that there is nothing else we can do here for you. 

   

  Best regards. 

  Customer Answer

  Date: 05/28/2024

   Better Business Bureau:
  
  I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID ********, and find that this resolution is satisfactory to me. It sounds as if I am in a hostage situation, and I have to accept your proposal in order to get anything back. So, I will take whatever your give me back or whatever you have to offer or lose out on everything. It is difficult to do business with someone that has not proved themselves trustworthy. I am praying that you all will do me right with the future booking. I have record that I submitted $2100 but you are only going to give me credit for $1500. I lose either way. As far as the insurance scenario, at least with the insurance company I would have some paperwork to show what the policy stated. I did not get anything from your agent but the flyer announcing the itinerary with the price. I did not receive any contract with any deadlines. She works as a representative of yours and she needs to do better to make your company reputable. I will wait on your proposal of what I can get from you on a future trip. I am not happy but when you are being robbed, you are just thankful that you still have a life to live. 

• Initial Complaint

  Date:12/18/2023

  Type:Service or Repair 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.

  We went on our honeymoon with Goway to ******** and ****. On *****, we were scheduled to depart ****** at 10:30AM and arrive in **** at 6:25PM that same evening with a short layover in ************, ********. Upon arrival at the departure gate, ******** Airlines informed us that the connecting flight from ******** to **** was cancelled, and that ******** Air did not have another connecting flight until the next day (requiring a 20 hour layover in ********, a foreign country not part of our trip).We immediately reached out to Goway for assistance booking a new flight to arrive in **** that day (we found 3 other flights from ****** to **** available that day). Goway was incapable of resolving our situation and disrupted our attempts at avoiding a 20 hour layover in ********! Goway was unable to find any other flights leaving ****** for **** that same day, even though we found and provided them with 3. We spent hours on the phone begging Goway to book one of those flights, even providing our credit card information with verbal and email confirmation to book those flights, but Goway was incapable of booking any of them. Thus, we lost out on 2/3 flights, and had to book the most expensive flight ourselves.To make things worse, Goway told us they booked a new flight but when we reached out to the new airline, they had no record. When we called Goway, they informed us they actually never booked the new flight. We made it to **** that day only because we hung up on Goway and booked the flight ourselves. We emailed Goway about our experience and requested reimbursement for the cancelled ******** flight or the new flight we booked ourselves for $779.26 to avoid a 20 hour layover in ********. The only response we received from Goway was a request for cancellation fees, even though ******** Air cancelled the flight! Airlines don't charge fees for flights they cancel! Please reimburse us for the ******** Airlines cancellation or the $779.26 new flight booking.

  Business Response

  Date: 12/21/2023

  Hello *******,
  
  We hope this finds you well. We would like to address a recent cancellation that occurred in relation to your flight booking with Goway, and your review herein via our review partner, TrustPilot. We understand that this cancellation has caused inconvenience and frustration, and we apologize for any disruption this may have caused.
  
  We would like to clarify that this cancellation was not initiated by Goway Travel. The decision was made solely by the airline, and unfortunately, Goway has no control over the inventory of airlines. We understand the importance of timely travel and the disappointment that comes with unexpected cancellations.
  
  Regarding this last-minute rebooking request, we can attest that we did everything within our capacity to accommodate your needs. However, it is important to note that airlines often have strict policies regarding rebookings, and last-minute changes can result in additional charges or restrictions. Unfortunately, these circumstances were beyond our control. Its not just as easy as rebooking your flights. There are MANY factors involved in doing this, all with the airline themselves holding control of your reservation (limiting us in what we can do to intervene).
  
  Please be aware that all flights are subject to certain changes and conditions. This can include schedule adjustments, cancellations, or delays due to unforeseen circumstances. Furthermore, we would also like to address the matter of cancellation fees. As outlined in our terms and conditions, Goway adheres to the policies set by the airline. As a result, you will incur cancellation fees on your original flight, as per airline policy. These fees will not be refunded, as they are non-refundable as per airline regulations.
  
  As stated, we understand your frustration, but it is crucial to separate the facts of this case from the actions of Goway Travel. We diligently worked to assist you at the time this all unfolded and provide alternative travel arrangements for you as expeditiously as possible. Even though your negative review does not reflect these experiences. Your first contact with us was at 9:24 pm ET on December 10th. In just over 2 hours, we had addressed the issue with all parties involved and had a resolution for you (that was time stamped in our system at 11:36 pm ET). Working through a situation like this even under the best circumstances does take a few hours to mitigate. You chose to rebook a flight yourself, which was your prerogative.Again, we were working as quickly as possible on this, communicating such with you.
  
  At the end of the day, ******** we value your feedback and we remain committed to providing you with the highest level of service. If you have any further concerns or require further assistance, please do not hesitate to contact us directly. I would be happy to continue the conversation with you via ****************************************** and work out some type of amicably resolution between us.
  
  I look forward to hearing from you offline.
  
  *********************
  Vice ********** ****** Experience
  Goway Travel

  Customer Answer

  Date: 12/28/2023

   

  **************,

  
  

  Thank you for your response.  Can you please provide your correspondence with the airline showing that the airline will not be providing a refund for a flight that THEY cancelled, and that instead of providing a refund for a flight that they cancelled, they are instead seeking cancellation fees?  We are skeptical that an airline would charge cancellation fees for a flight they unilaterally cancelled.  As a reminder, we seek a refund for the flight booked through Goway, but cancelled by ******** Airlines.

  
  

  We otherwise dispute all other assertions stated in your response, and reserve all rights.

  
  

  Thank you,

  
  

  Arianna Rappy ****** Esq. ***** ***********************, Esq.

  
  

  Business Response

  Date: 01/02/2024

  Dear *******, 
  
  indeed your original flight with MH (Malaysian Airlines) to **** was cancelled by the airline. 
  
  However, the airline fulfilled their legal requirement to provide you with an alternative flight, which as you must agree, they did indeed. 
  
  Unfortunately the provided alternative flight by MH airlines  was not to your liking due to the new lay-over and you decided to book  an entirely new ticket issued with a different airline. 
  
  Since you did not accept the alternative flight offered by MH airlines, you therefore forfeited the right to any full refund as per the airlines fare rules. 
  
  We did inform you of the consequences at the time, should you decide to not take MH airlines up on their alternative flight offer, and you acknowledged said fare rules by the airline at that time. 
  
  Unfortunately, retrospectively  there is nothing more that we can do here for you.  But you may take this up with the airline directly as ultimately, even so we sell air, it remains the product of the  airline and is therefore subject to their terms and conditions. 

  Best regards, 

  JM

  
  

• Initial Complaint

  Date:07/26/2023

  Type:Service or Repair 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 booked a Europe Trip with Goway. The whole experience was very unorganized and lots of miscommunication. I requested 4* Hotels with fridge for my medication. There was a huge issue with the hotel. The documentation schedules in particular were incorrect which caused a lot of confusion.
  
  Hotel - All of the Hotels were 4* and had a fridge as requested... with the exception of Paris. In Paris, we arrived. The place was a 3* hotel with no fridge, it was dirty, no bell hop... nothing similar to a 4* OR... any of the other hotels we stayed in. Not to mention, it costs $85/night to stay there and Goway charged me $1700 - def a red flag. I complained and informed them that I would not be staying there. I had to spend more money to get a decent 4* hotel that had a fridge for my medication. Also... I paid for a private car from the station to the hotel. So, when we changed hotels, I had to pay for more transportation.
  
  Cars - All of the private transfers had run down ragged cars. I have paid a lot for these transfers and expected nice & more comfortable vehicles. The only transfer that was not on this level was in Rome.
  
  Schedules - Some of the times/dates were incorrect on the documentation and some of the times were just completely left off of the documentation. Lots of additional details were left off.
  
  Disneyland in Paris - we were supposed to have private transportation to/from Disney. In preparation (the day before Disney), I found out that not only did we not have private transportation, but we had to go somewhere else to catch a bust to go to/from Disneyland.
  
  Goway has not given me a refund and continues to blame the Vendor. I paid Goway, not the Vendor. Now, Goway customer service is telling me 6-8 weeks. That is unacceptable.
  
  I can provide more specific details, if needed... as there is not enough room, here.

  Business Response

  Date: 08/04/2023

  ******** – to address your concerns, in regards to an invoice. We
  are a tour operator, and we provide packaged pricing. Unfortunately we do not
  provide a breakdown of each segment of the itinerary as the rates are
  contracted rates and are confidential. As per our terms and conditions, this
  was all outlined and accepted as a package price when you purchased your
  package with Goway. Now with that said, I understand that you were concerned
  with pricing throughout the booking process so to address those concerns you
  had, ********, your Goway Destination Specialist, did send to you a breakdown,
  however again this is not standard protocol. I am very sorry that your trip was
  unorganized and there was lots of miscommunications. This should absolutely not
  have been the case, and for that we sincerely apologize.
  
  Your hotel in Paris, despite what you feel it was, was in fact a
  4* property. It has a 4.5 star rating with nearly 1100 reviews on TripAdvisor,
  and a 4.4 star rating on Google Reviews with 744 reviews. To each his own, however,
  and we respect your critique of the hotel.
  
  ****************
  
  If a guest at a hotel has a concern with the property, there are
  many options available to them, including working with the hotel to accommodate
  your need for a fridge for your medication. I have looked at all recorded notes
  as well as recorded telephone calls. You did not give Goway the time to
  investigate, upgrade you, or talk to our local team to make the changes you
  were looking for. We could have done something to avoid these charges of you
  taking it upon yourself to move to another hotel. I couldn't find any
  communication from you, either, asking for a fridge during the booking process.
  Again, I listened to many phone calls between yourself and ******** and nothing
  was heard on those calls speaking to the importance of you having a fridge in
  your room at the Chouette. Apologies if I missed the importance of this information.
  
  Also, comparing the cost of a hotel in destination based on
  something you’ve seen locally is not a t*** representation of supply and
  demand, and the overall cost of something. I could buy flights right now from New
  York to Los Angeles and pay $400 for the trip, and 5 minutes from now the
  airline may triple the seats on that flight at their discretion, and those same
  seats I just bought may then be $1500. This is basic supply and demand. You
  cannot compare pricing of something with what you paid months earlier,
  unfortunately. Same could hold t*** for an article of clothing at a store. I could
  purchase that non-refundable item today, and tomorrow that same item could be
  50% off at the same store.
  
  It's also relevant to note, and goes without saying, that we have
  access to privileged rates that aren’t available to the public. Of course,
  ********, in the planning of a trip using a travel agent, there is always a commission
  charged for our services to use us, and to have access to our expertise. I
  think that goes without saying.
  
  In
  regards to Disneyland, it clearly stated on your travel documents “Please be at Pullman Paris Centre
  - Bercy, 1 *** de ********, ***** Paris at least 15 minutes prior to departure
  time. Please present yourself to the representative holding a Paris City Vision
  sign. They will be located outside of the hotel, in front of the main entrance.”
  Clearly based on this note you’d have to make your own way to the Pullman to
  meet your transfer. I assume you also researched and read this on your
  itinerary prior to departure?. This should have been clear to you well before
  you left North America as again this was all outlined to you on your travel
  documents provided to you on June 16th, 3 weeks before your
  departure on your trip (see your travel document attached to this claim for
  your reference). There was no mention on your travel documents of a private
  transfer.
  
  At the end of the day, we do want to resolve this issue with you
  amicably, ********. We have been sending passengers all over the world for more
  than 53 years, and the overwhelming majority love their experience. Our
  post-travel remediation process is industry standard, and more than fair. That
  process is 6-8 weeks as we clearly outlined to you. I am not sure why there was
  confusion on this, but again, this is industry standard. Your Goway itinerary ended
  on July 22nd, which was not even two weeks ago (13 days to be
  exact). Issues take time to resolve and remediate.
  
  To bring closure of this for you, I will refund to you $500 USD
  for your stay at the Chouette in Paris. Again, we could have easily had helped
  you through the concerns you had at this hotel had you been patient and given
  us the chance to do so, but that was not the case. There will not be a refund
  for the Disneyland transfers as per the aforementioned outlined reasons.
  
  I will see to it that this amount is refunded to you ASAP, and
  you will see this amount reflected on your credit card statement within 7-10
  business days depending on your financial institution once the refund has been issued.
  
  Sincerely,
  ***** *****

  Customer Answer

  Date: 08/05/2023

   I am rejecting this response because:

  1. That is a lie. U do provide the breakdown, because my rep provided that for me.  She also confirmed that I paid $1700 for a four night stay at the hotel, which is rated a 3* hotel.  The front desk rep confirmed that it is a 3* hotel. You charged me $1700 for four nights for a hotel that was listed at $89 per night.  That is a rip off.  I inquired with my rep about this hotel, because I was concerned.  It was nowhere near the same level as the other three 4* hotels we stayed in.  
  

  The Chouette Hotel is a 3* hotel and it is listed in their website as such   I took pictures and videos of the hotel   The pictures in the website is not how the hotel looked and it is not 4*  Check the hotel website   I don’t want to hear about a 3rd party website  

  You guys ripped me off… charging me $1700.  That hotel is nowhere near that amount.

  i Want my money back.  

  
  

  Business Response

  Date: 08/09/2023

  Hi ******** - to address your last point, I don't think you have correctly read my reply to you on August 4th in regards to our pricing breakdown policy. Here is the statement I outlined in my reply on August 4th once again for our mutual review.

  "To address your concerns, in regards to an invoice. We are a tour operator,
  and we provide packaged pricing. Unfortunately we do not provide a breakdown of
  each segment of the itinerary as the rates are contracted rates and are
  confidential. As per our terms and conditions, this was all outlined and
  accepted as a package price when you purchased your package with Goway. Now
  with that said, I understand that you were concerned with pricing throughout
  the booking process so to address those concerns you had, ********, your Goway
  Destination Specialist, did send to you a breakdown, however again this is not
  standard protocol. I am very sorry that your trip was unorganized and there was
  lots of miscommunications. This should absolutely not have been the case, and
  for that we sincerely apologize."

  Nobody is disputing the cost of the hotel in question. As for your feedback on the hotel, both TripAdvisor and Google, as noted as well in my reply dated August 4th, show the hotel as a 4* property. You cannot dispute 1100 TripAdvisor reviews and 744 Google reviews that portray this hotel as a 4-star property, simple as that. You are entitled to your own opinion of the hotel, which we respect, but again, if
  a guest at a hotel has a concern with the property, there are many options
  available to them, including working with the hotel to accommodate your need
  for a fridge for your medication. I have looked at all recorded notes as well
  as recorded telephone calls. You did not give Goway the time to investigate,
  upgrade you, or talk to our local team to make the changes you were looking
  for. We could have done something to avoid these charges of you taking it upon
  yourself to move to another hotel. I couldn't find any communication from you,
  either, asking for a fridge during the booking process. Again, I listened to
  many phone calls between yourself and ******** and nothing was heard on those
  calls speaking to the importance of you having a fridge in your room at the
  Chouette. Apologies if I missed the importance of this information.
  
  Also,
  comparing the cost of a hotel in destination based on something you’ve seen
  locally is not a t*** representation of supply and demand, and the overall cost
  of something. I could buy flights right now from New York to Los Angeles and
  pay $400 for the trip, and 5 minutes from now the airline may triple the seats
  on that flight at their discretion, and those same seats I just bought may then
  be $1500. This is basic supply and demand. You cannot compare pricing of
  something with what you paid months earlier, unfortunately. Same could hold
  t*** for an article of clothing at a store. I could purchase that non-refundable
  item today, and tomorrow that same item could be 50% off at the same store. 

  Show me proof in writing that you feel this hotel was available to you for a less expensive rate. If you had found this hotel yourself during your research of the itinerary we sent to you 7 times prior to you booking, you were more than able to book this hotel yourself if you felt you could get it for less expensive.

  You were not "ripped off" as you state. Pricing and a proposed itinerary was provided to you a total of 7 times by way of a quote document as well as a booking status document, sent on the following dates - January 5th, 2023, March 16, 2023, April 10th, 2023, April 25th, 2023, April 28th, 2023 and then finally on May 10, 2023 with you signing off on our Booking Form on April 25th. When you signed off on the proposed itinerary and submitted the booking form to us you agreed to the pricing of all aspects of your itinerary. You showed up to the Chouette hotel and chose only then to not stay at that property because you cannot refrigerate any of your medication (as stated in my reply on August 4th there was NO mention of this requirement from you during the booking process, I listed to 10 separate recorded phone calls between you and ********), an issue with the hotel elevator, no lighting in the hallways of the hotel and the hotel not being clean. 

  We appreciate there may have been issues with the hotel as you outline, but also as outlined to you, you did not give
  Goway the time to investigate, upgrade you, or talk to our local team to make
  the changes you were looking for. We could have done something to avoid these
  charges of you taking it upon yourself to move to another hotel.

  ******** - in conclusion, I am willing to refund to you 50% of the cost of the hotel stay, but given that you chose IN DESTINATION to not stay at this hotel based on some minor issues, based on the fact that you didn't give Goway Travel any opportunity to resolve the issue with you, nor did you outline to us the requirement for you to have to refrigerate your medication, this gesture of a 50% refund (which equates to a refund of $750 up from the previously mentioned $500) is beyond reasonable and fair, and concludes our handling of this matter.

  *****
  *****  . Vice President, Client Experience - Goway Travel

  Customer Answer

  Date: 08/12/2023

   I am rejecting this response because:
  
  Hi ******** - to address your last point, I don't think you have correctly read my reply to you on August 4th in regards to our pricing breakdown policy. Here is the statement I outlined in my reply on August 4th once again for our mutual review.
  "To address your concerns, in regards to an invoice. We are a tour operator, and we provide packaged pricing. Unfortunately we do not provide a breakdown of each segment of the itinerary as the rates are contracted rates and are confidential. As per our terms and conditions, this was all outlined and accepted as a package price when you purchased your package with Goway. Now with that said, I understand that you were concerned with pricing throughout the booking process so to address those concerns you had, ********, your Goway Destination Specialist, did send to you a breakdown, however again this is not standard protocol. I am very sorry that your trip was unorganized and there was lots of miscommunications. This should absolutely not have been the case, and for that we sincerely apologize."  
  DL RESPONSE:
  You may not provide breakdowns, but ******** provided me with a breakdown of all of the costs.  Again, the issue I have is that you charged me $1700 for a hotel that was going for $89 per night, no fridge as requested, and not a 4* rating as requested.
  

  Nobody is disputing the cost of the hotel in question. As for your feedback on the hotel, both TripAdvisor and Google, as noted as well in my reply dated August 4th, show the hotel as a 4* property. You cannot dispute 1100 TripAdvisor reviews and 744 Google reviews that portray this hotel as a 4-star property, simple as that. You are entitled to your own opinion of the hotel, which we respect, but again, if a guest at a hotel has a concern with the property, there are many options available to them, including working with the hotel to accommodate your need for a fridge for your medication. I have looked at all recorded notes as well as recorded telephone calls. You did not give Goway the time to investigate, upgrade you, or talk to our local team to make the changes you were looking for. We could have done something to avoid these charges of you taking it upon yourself to move to another hotel. I couldn't find any communication from you, either, asking for a fridge during the booking process. Again, I listened to many phone calls between yourself and ******** and nothing was heard on those calls speaking to the importance of you having a fridge in your room at the Chouette. Apologies if I missed the importance of this information.  
  DL RESPONSE:
  ******** told us she could not do anything to get us in another hotel… and that we needed to get our own hotel and then get refunded. I have that conversation recorded, as well.  What was I supposed to do while Goway investigates and spend time blaming the supplier.  It was clearly stated that the investigation would take 6-8 weeks… that’s longer than my whole vacation.  So, with that said… that response is ridiculous.  Again… THE HOTEL WEBSITE SAYS 3* AND SO DID THE FRONT DESK AND SO DID ********.
  
  Also, comparing the cost of a hotel in destination based on something you’ve seen locally is not a t*** representation of supply and demand, and the overall cost of something. I could buy flights right now from New York to Los Angeles and pay $400 for the trip, and 5 minutes from now the airline may triple the seats on that flight at their discretion, and those same seats I just bought may then be $1500. This is basic supply and demand. You cannot compare pricing of something with what you paid months earlier, unfortunately. Same could hold t*** for an article of clothing at a store. I could purchase that non-refundable item today, and tomorrow that same item could be 50% off at the same store. 
  Show me proof in writing that you feel this hotel was available to you for a less expensive rate. If you had found this hotel yourself during your research of the itinerary we sent to you 7 times prior to you booking, you were more than able to book this hotel yourself if you felt you could get it for less expensive.  
  DL RESPONSE:
  I DID LOOK AT THIS HOTEL AND QUESTIONED ********.  SHE STATED IT WAS COMPARABLE TO THE OTHERS.  I CLEARLY TOLD HER THAT I WAS CONCERNED ABOUT THAT ONE.  DID YOU HEAR THAT CONVERSATION.   I HAVE THAT ONE RECOREDED, AS WELL.  I WANTED TO BOOK MY HOTELS.  ******** TOLD ME THAT SHE HAD TO BOOK THE HOTELS AND THE EXCURSIONS IN ORDER FOR ME TO DO A PACKAGE WITH GOWAY.  DID YOU HEAR THAT CONVERSATION, TOO.  I HAVE THAT ONE RECOREDED, AS WELL.  THE COST OF THE HOTEL WAS ON THE WEBSITE AND CONFIRMED WITH THE FRONT DESK… AND IT WAS CLEARLY NOT NEAR THE $1700 THAT WAS CHARGED.
  You were not "ripped off" as you state. Pricing and a proposed itinerary was provided to you a total of 7 times by way of a quote document as well as a booking status document, sent on the following dates - January 5th, 2023, March 16, 2023, April 10th, 2023, April 25th, 2023, April 28th, 2023 and then finally on May 10, 2023 with you signing off on our Booking Form on April 25th. When you signed off on the proposed itinerary and submitted the booking form to us you agreed to the pricing of all aspects of your itinerary. You showed up to the Chouette hotel and chose only then to not stay at that property because you cannot refrigerate any of your medication (as stated in my reply on August 4th there was NO mention of this requirement from you during the booking process, I listed to 10 separate recorded phone calls between you and ********), an issue with the hotel elevator, no lighting in the hallways of the hotel and the hotel not being clean. 
  DL RESPONSE:
  Yes… ******** provided me with an itemized list… as I requested it.  I am not concerned about the quote… I am concerned about being ripped off for that hotel in Paris.  Let’s be clear.  ******** confirmed that I requested a fridge AND 4* rating, which neither I received.  I have the phone calls recorded, as well.  I was born at night, but not lastnight.  Trust and believe… I have my proof.  I am not spending that type of money without recording the calls and documentation.
  
  We appreciate there may have been issues with the hotel as you outline, but also as outlined to you, you did not give Goway the time to investigate, upgrade you, or talk to our local team to make the changes you were looking for. We could have done something to avoid these charges of you taking it upon yourself to move to another hotel.   
  DL RESPONSE:
  That is an unacceptable response.  We were on the phone for hours with ********… she stated that there was nothing she could do.  Said we would have to get a hotel on our own and then get refunded.  She also confirmed that we were charged $1700 for our four night stay at a hotel that was $89 per night.  ALSO… IT WAS TOLD TO US THAT IT TAKES 6-8 WEEKS TO INVESTIGATE.
  
  ******** - in conclusion, I am willing to refund to you 50% of the cost of the hotel stay, but given that you chose IN DESTINATION to not stay at this hotel based on some minor issues, based on the fact that you didn't give Goway Travel any opportunity to resolve the issue with you, nor did you outline to us the requirement for you to have to refrigerate your medication, this gesture of a 50% refund (which equates to a refund of $750 up from the previously mentioned $500) is beyond reasonable and fair, and concludes our handling of this matter.  
  DL  RESPONSE:
  That is a unacceptable response.  1.  The hotel did not have minor issues.  There was not a refrigerator in my room, nor any other rooms for my medication.  The receptionist told me to put my meds in a public fridge.  The lights were out in the hallway to my room… had to walk in the dark.  The room didn’t look anything like the pictures.  The Hotel was a 3* rating, when I clearly requested nothing less than 4* rating AND it was leap years away from the other hotels I stayed (all 4* ratings) in while in Europe.  It was clearly outlined that I needed a fridge.  ******** even stated it in her email that she confirmed that there would be a fridge.  The bottom line is… I requested all 4* ratings AND a fridge.  Sorry… I am not accepting $750 when ******** stated that I was charged $1700.  That is a ripoff. 
  

  ***** *****  . Vice President, Client Experience - Goway Travel
  

  
  

• Initial Complaint

  Date:03/07/2023

  Type:Service or Repair 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 decided to attend a Wisdom and Wealth conference held by ******* ******* that was supposed to take place from February 19th to February 26th being held in Dubi. It's to my understanding that Ms. ******* used GOaway travel for our travel arrangements, and our POC was ****** ********. I paid ****** ******** of GoAway travel $5,500 to upgrade my ticket to Dubai to first class on 12/28/22. At no time did Takera, the travel agent with Goawaty travel, inform me that Dubai required a 6-month valid passport to enter the country. My passport is due to expire in June, which does not give me 6 months valid passport. I was notified by Emirates on Feb 18th when I called to arrange my transportation to the airport of the requirement and was informed I could not travel as a result. I then contact ******* and ****** to inform them of the misinformation they gave me. The Q&A travel document sent to me by the organizer stated that the requirement was 60 days and not 6 months. I was informed by ******* and her team that I would get a full refund for my ticket on Feb 18th. I emailed ****** about my refund updates and received a minimal response. Feb 19th, she said she would keep me posted about my refund. I emailed to follow up o Feb 22nd to follow up. On Feb 22, she reported she was "waiting to hear back from my contact." On Feb 27th, she reported she sent another email to "****" and was informed he was out of the office. It is now Monday, March 6th, and as of today have not heard from the contact, nor has my issue been rectified. Go Away travel and their representative continue to ping-pong me back and forth.

  Business Response

  Date: 03/28/2023

  Here are the facts of the situation from our standpoint. As you will see, there is no fault of Goway Travel’s at all here, in fact, we went above and beyond to get a refund for the passengers.

   

  Thank you,

  ***** *****

   

  Customer Answer

  Date: 03/30/2023

   I am rejecting this response because:
  
  
  Please let the record note that ***** ***** was not a part of ANY correspondence with myself as a consumer. As the consumer I dealt with ****** ******** who respersented GO AWAY travel. Please have Mr. ***** provide the dissemination of the UAE requirements, he reported that was provided to me,  as I  did not receive them as the consumer. I have provided all of the correspondence I  had with Ms. ******** of Go Away travel. Ms. ******** was given my passport information on Dec. 28th, 2022 via email and again was not given nor did I completed said travel booking form. Again, Mr. ***** please provide a copy of the booking form given to me via email or signed.  Ms. ******** did not inform of UAE requirements at ALL, in fact if provided proper guidance of travel requirement as the travel consultant. I would have gotten my passport updated. I did not complete any booking form with GO AWAY travel nor with Ms. ********. The only form I  was given to complete was the DUBAI covid wavier for flight for on Dec. 28th, please see attached.  I  was never given a confirmation letter after booking with GOAWAY travel. The confirmation I    received was my ticket information, also please see attached . Please see attached all correspondence received. Mr. *****  should provide all documentation he reported was given to me as the consumer as this is erroneous. 

  
  

  Per Mr. ***** email he also reported I    indicated I    would want a credit instead of a refund. This was at the time of the incident in February. On March 16th, ****** ******** finally provided me with a response on about my credit from GOaway travel. It took over a month to provide a remedy to a consumer. As a consumer and business owner, consumer relations and organizational accountability does not occur at GOAWAY travel. 

  Business Response

  Date: 03/31/2023

  Ms. *******, for clarity, I am the Vice President of Client Experience here at Goway Travel. First off, our company name, as outlined on your documentation, is "Goway Travel", not "Go Away Travel". Secondly, due to the fact that this is now a BBB matter, I am replying on behalf of the company as a member of the Senior Leadership team. Of course I was not the one who you spoke to during the booking process, that would have been ****** and our Reservations Team. Also, to be clear as well, ****** ******** does not represent Goway Travel. She has chosen to use Goway Travel for the planning and booking of your trip. She does not work for Goway Travel, she is as partner of ours.

  
  

  If you refer to the attached documents, of which she has signed on your behalf, there is clear mention of passport validity requirements outlined within the terms and conditions set forth on page 10. Also attached is the acceptance form which was been signed by ****** signifying that you, collectively, have read and understood ALL aspects of your travel documents.

  
  

  If you have not read this document, were not provided this document, or your travel agent whom you worked with and whom signed off on the attached form "on your behalf" did not review this with you in full and complete detail, that is not Goway Travel's responsibility. It is solely the passengers responsibility to ensure that they are legally able to enter a country to which they are travelling, whether that's custom and immigration requirements, vaccination requirements or anything else as dictated by the country or countries in question. Every country has unique and specific requirements, some more strict than others (even post-pandemic).

  
  

  As for as resolution to this issue. We have clearly provided your options to you in our previous post. In fact, we went above and beyond to gather what we were able to gather for you all things considered. Our industry standard remediation process timeline on any concern, post travel, is 6-8 weeks. Waiting a month, as you state, for the resolution of an issue is well under industry standards, especially again under the conditions of this concern.

  
  

  The documents attached herein are clear and succinct. If there are any other questions or concerns, please feel free to reach out to me anytime.

  
  

  Sincerely,

  ***** *****

  
  *****
  *****  ^.
  Vice President, Client Experience - Goway Travel