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:05/05/2025

  Type:Product 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 do not recommend Special Needs Group (AKA Special Needs at Sea) for medical equipment rentals.*************************************** experience with this company was extremely disappointing. I visited their website and initiated a rental request for an electronic scooter, understanding that my card would not be charged until availability was confirmed.However, just ten minutes later, I received an e-signature document, a rental agreement that I was expected to print, sign, and bring with me to pick up the scooter. The email stated I should click the button to review and sign the agreement. Crucially, I did NOT sign this agreement.Despite this, my credit card was charged $265. When I immediately called to cancel the request (to free up the scooter for someone else), as my husband decided we should just take our scooter, a representative named ****** informed me that they would only refund $215, keeping $50 as a cancellation fee.This cancellation fee was never disclosed to me, and I had not signed any document agreeing to it. I never received confirmation that the equipment was available. To add to the poor experience, the representative was unsympathetic and unprofessional.Based on this experience, I strongly advise against using Special Needs Group for your medical equipment rental needs. I urge others to thoroughly research customer reviews before engaging with this company, as I wish I had done.I am requesting a FULL refund. I did not sign any agreements for rental.

  Business Response

  Date: 05/05/2025

  To Whom It May Concern,

  This matter was resolved directly with the guest on May 5, 2025. As soon as the concern was brought to our attention, we responded promptly and worked with the guest to reach an amicable and satisfactory resolution.

  While we do have a cancellation policy in place clearly outlined in the order forms terms and conditions prior to payment submission we respect the guests need to cancel and decision not to proceed with the rental.

  We offered a direct apology, voided the payment, and waived the cancellation fee as a gesture of goodwill. The guest acknowledged the resolution and indicated that she will retract her BBB complaint.

  
  Thank you for your attention to this matter.

  Special Needs Group Management

  Business Response

  Date: 05/05/2025

  Dear BBB,

  Attached is further proof that this matter has been resolved with the guest. We ask that this complaint is not made public and is closed in our favor as we did come to a satisfactory solution for the guest.

  Please let us know if there is anything else you made need.

  Thank you!

  Customer Answer

  Date: 05/21/2025

   
  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.
  
  Sincerely,
  
  ****** *******

  Customer Answer

  Date: 05/21/2025

  Dear BBB,
  Please accept my apologies for the delay in responding to your recent communication.
  I was out of town, and more importantly, the pending charges from Special Needs Group took approximately two weeks to clear from my credit card account. I felt it was important to wait until these charges were fully resolved before providing my response.
  Thank you for your understanding.
  Sincerely,
  ****** *******

• Initial Complaint

  Date:03/02/2025

  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 rented a power wheelchair from this company on a recent cruise. They delivered it to my state room and upon inspection of the chair I noticed the speed control would not go to it's lowest setting. I immediately called the company and told them what was wrong with the chair before the ship left the port. At no point did they ever send anyone to my state room to check out the chair to see what was wrong with it. When the cruise return back to ******* they had taken back the chair and said they inspected it and said there was nothing wrong with the chair. Again at no point did I ever see or speak with an official agent from the company telling me that the chair was functioning properly. At one point they accuse me of not knowing how to operate a power wheelchair despite the fact that I own a power wheelchair with many more features than the one that I had rented. It is now a case of he said she said. I've never used the chair once because on day one I had it removed from my state room by the crew because it was taking up space in my cabin. The Company ruled against my refund request saying that there was nothing wrong with the chair and that they had checked it out and found nothing wrong with the chair. Again when they checked out the chair at the end of the cruise and I was not present to show them what was wrong with the power wheel chair so it is thoroughly unfair of them to rule against me for my refund when I did not speak to anyone of their agents in person.

  Business Response

  Date: 03/03/2025

  To whom it may concern,

  Special Needs Group provides medical and mobility equipment for cruises and vacations. We regret any inconvenience the guest experienced with their power chair rental. However, we must clarify that the dispute and refund request are not justified.

  The guest reported on 2/16/2025 that the joystick speed setting would not adjust to the lowest level. Our team followed protocol, documented the issue, and contacted the ships staff for assistance. On 2/17/2025, Anthea, the Housekeeping Manager on Wonder of the Seas, confirmed that the crew assessed the chair and found it fully functional. The guest was dissatisfied with the sensitivity of the speed settings, which are factory-set and cannot be adjusted beyond the manufacturers specifications. As a result, he opted not to use the chair and requested a refund. The ships staff then stored the equipment per his request. Please see the attached email for confirmation of the ship staffs findings.

  On 2/21/2025, I spoke with ****** via phone and email, and she reaffirmed that the chair was fully operational. Upon its return to our warehouse, our technicians also confirmed no issues. Since the equipment was delivered and functioning as intended, the guest is not eligible for a refund.

  We understand the guests expectations were not met, but our company fulfilled its obligations by providing the rental, responding to concerns, and coordinating with the cruise staff. We appreciate your understanding and apologize for any inconvenience.

  Thank you!

  Special Needs Group Management

  Business Response

  Date: 03/03/2025

  Special Needs Group provides medical and mobility equipment for cruises and vacations. We regret any inconvenience the guest experienced with the power chair rental. However, we must clarify that the dispute and refund request are not justified.

  The guest reported on 2/16/2025 that the joystick speed setting would not adjust to the lowest level. Our team followed protocol, documented the issue, and contacted the ships staff for assistance. On 2/17/2025, Anthea, the Housekeeping Manager on Wonder of the Seas, confirmed that the crew assessed the chair and found it fully functional. The guest was dissatisfied with the sensitivity of the speed settings, which are factory-set and cannot be adjusted beyond the manufacturers specifications. As a result, he opted not to use the chair and requested a refund. The ships staff then stored the equipment per his request.

  On 2/21/2025, I spoke with ****** via phone and email, and she reaffirmed that the chair was fully operational. Upon its return to our warehouse, our technicians also confirmed no issues. Since the equipment was delivered and functioning as intended, the guest is not eligible for a refund.

  We understand the guests expectations were not met, but our company fulfilled its obligations by providing the rental, responding to concerns, and coordinating with the cruise staff. We appreciate your understanding and apologize for any inconvenience.

  Thank you!

  Special Needs Group Management

  Customer Answer

  Date: 03/03/2025

   
  Complaint: 23010033
  
  I am rejecting this response because: see attached email correspondence with ***************.

  *************** is claiming no knowledge of contacting the vendor.
  
  Sincerely,
  
  **** ***

  Business Response

  Date: 03/04/2025

  Hello,

  We did have correspondence with ****** *********, the Housekeeping Manager and I also have the call recording that ****** made to us for further proof. See all attachments. 

  We are being transparent with the information that we received from the cruise line. We also followed up post cruise with Mr. *** to give him an update as well.

  Thank you!

  Special Needs Group Management

  Business Response

  Date: 03/04/2025

  This is a response to Mr. **** All our proof is attached. I am resending again in case you are not able to open the compress files.

  If guest wishes, he can contact us directly in case he has any issues opening the files so we can share them with him via e-mail if necessary.

• Initial Complaint

  Date:02/05/2024

  Type:Delivery 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 11/01/2023 I rented a standard electric scooter from Special Needs Group, ******************************************************************, Phone ************, email ******************************** Order #******, Booking # *******, in the amount of $195 for use on the Celebrity Apex out of ***************, **, on 12/23/2023 12/30/2023. The scooter continually broke down, no repair or replacement was available, and I was confined to my stateroom most of the time.

  Business Response

  Date: 02/05/2024

  To whom it may concern,

  We had the opportunity to speak direcly with ************** today and we both came to an agreement that was satisfactory to the guest. He will be receiving the rest of his refund back to his card and this matter has been considered solved.

  Thank you for your attention in this matter. 

  Customer Answer

  Date: 02/09/2024

   
  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.
  
  Sincerely,
  
  *************************

• Initial Complaint

  Date:12/06/2023

  Type:Order 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 rented a scooter to go on my cruise, 11/30 - 12/10/23. We were in ************** to board the Celebrity Equinox. In the early morning hours of 11/30, my wife fell in our hotel room and was transported by ambulance to **************************. In **************. She had a head laceration, severe facial contusions, with elevated kidney failure. She was admitted to the hospital that morning.I attempted to call the Special Needs Group to cancel the scooter as well as the cruise. I was told that canceling the scooter in the week before the rental start date, there would be no refund. I tried to explain that there had been a medical emergency and could not go on the cruise. They did not care about anything except for keeping the $225.00 that I paid for the rental. I paid for a service that I never recieved.

  Business Response

  Date: 12/11/2023

  Hello,

  We spoke to the customer directly today and we resolved this matter with the customer to his satisfaction. The customer was understanding of our cancellation policy and fully accepts the cancellation terms and conditions. Please consider this matter closed and resolved.

  Thank you - Special Needs Group Management

• Initial Complaint

  Date:09/14/2023

  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 engaged the services from Special Needs Group for a scooter on the ************************* ship. The scooter was to be delivered to the ship in ************ on 9/9/2023. Unfortunately, my son was hospitalized and we were advised not to take this cruise. I contacted Special Needs to cancel the scooter in advance of the delivery/sailing date and was told that there was no refund due for any cancellation within 7 days of the departure date. Unfortunately, one cannot predict when one will get sick, therefore, I feel that the amount paid for the reservation of the scooter should be reimbursed for both myself and my son. Both scooter reservations were made at the same time. My son's name is *********************** and he paid $408.00 for his reservation. As stated, people do not predict illness, therefore, the no cancellation policy should not be applicable under this circumstance. Please help us to recover our money.

  Business Response

  Date: 11/10/2023

  Special Needs Group is a provider of medical and mobility equipment (wheelchair, scooter, oxygen, etc.) directly to guests requesting these services for either cruises or land vacations.

  The history of the case in question is the following. ************************* called via phone to place an order on 6/28/2023 for his/her cruise sailing on 9/9/2023. The guest called to cancel on 9/6/2023, which was within 7 days of his/her trip, at which point his order is non-refundable. The cancellation policy is stated on the agreement that the guest signed. Please see attached for a copy of the signed agreement. We are truly sorry to hear about the circumstances and if the guest wishes to speak with us further regarding this matter, we highly advise for them to call us directly and speak with management for further assistance. 

  Please let me know if you require any further information from us to resolve this case.

  Thank you!

  Customer Answer

  Date: 11/13/2023

   
  Complaint: 20607800
  
  I am rejecting this response because: it is virtually impossible to predict when someone gets sick.   Policy or no policy there is something called good will and understanding that this cancellation was due to circumstances that were not within the prescribed windows as stated, no one can predict when they get ill.   I think it is regretful that there is no compromise from this business.  Further, it would be nice if they could use the correct name and no, ***** did not call - ****** did.   Thank you.
  
  Sincerely,
  
  ****** And ***********************

  Business Response

  Date: 11/30/2023

  As stated on our prior response, this order was cancelled by the customer 2 days prior to their start date of their trip. All customers incur a cancellation penalty if they cancel their rental within a few days from the the start date of their cruise under any circumstance. We highly recommend that the customers submit their rental contract to their traveler's insurance for a possible reimbursement from the traveler's insurance. The customer signed a rental contract, agreeing to all the terms and conditions regarding our cancellation policy. Please see our cancel policy as stated on the contract. The contract has been attached again for further review if needed. 

  CANCELLATION POLICY: In the US there is a $50 cancellation fee if reservation is cancelled 8 or more days before sailing. If the
  reservation is cancelled within 7 days of sailing, the reservation is nonrefundable. Outside the US there is a $75 cancellation fee if reservation is
  cancelled 16 or more days before sailing. If the reservation is cancelled within 16 days of sailing, the reservation is nonrefundable.

  We are truly sorry that there was an emergency and this cancellation policy applies to all. 

  Thank you.

   

  Customer Answer

  Date: 12/01/2023

   
  Complaint: 20607800
  
  I am rejecting this response because:  Absolutely ridiculous that there are no exceptions to their "policy."   Unless I'm mistaken, no one can predict that they will become so ill that they cannot travel  and, in particular, that they can cancel in advance of the policy stated dates - 7 days or more.   Who is able to do that?   Had I been able to cancel to ensure that I would have a refund I would have but this was not a predictable situation.   What kind of company has no compassion or understanding that there are unpredictable health situations (even death) that don't fall within their policy guidelines.   Absolutely horrible company!
  
  ****** And ***********************

  Business Response

  Date: 12/01/2023

  We apologize for any inconvenience this has caused. We understand having to cancel with such short notice wasnt ideal and we looked into your case and our refund policy does not allow one in this case. The cancellation policy applies to any order that is cancelled within the time frame that is stated in the rental agreement. 
  
  We're so sorry to hear you're not happy with the cancellation policy. We highly recommend customers who cancel within the non-refundable stage to submit this to your travelers insurance company, if you purchased traveler's insurance then the insurance may be able to reimburse you.
  
  Thank you.

• Initial Complaint

  Date:02/21/2023

  Type:Product 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.

  My wife has great difficulty walking. We took a cruise on Navigator of the Seas on 1:13/2023 and I rented a scooter from this company. The scooter provided was defective and did not work. The shipping company provided a second scooter from this company but that was also defective and did not work. As a result I has to push my wife around in a wheel chair that the shipping company provided.The shipping company notified the scooter company of the above which really ruined our vacation.Since then I called the scooter company for a refund of the rental on a number of occasions for a refund of the rental charge for the ruined vacation but never got a response.

  Business Response

  Date: 02/22/2023

  To whom it my concern:

  Special Needs Group is a provider of medical and mobility equipment (wheelchair, scooter, oxygen, etc.) directly to guests requesting these services for either cruises or land vacations. The history of the case in question is the following. ******************************* rented a scooter on 11/19/2023 for her trip on that started on 1/13/2023. The guest reported to us that she experienced issues on some days with the rental but only informed us post cruise. We had the ability to try and assist if we were contacted prior however we were not made aware of any issues until we picked up the equipment. The guest opened a claim with our office and was advised that we would look into the issue reported and get back to them. Our records do show that we attempted to contact the guest but we did not get an answer. We reached the guest via phone and left a voicemail on 2/13/2023 to discuss the refund. Each time we try to contact the customer, it goes straight to voicemail and they have not returned our calls.  We want to resolve directly with the guest if possible. 

  All documents pertaining to this case are attached.

  Please let me know if you require any further information from us to resolve this case.

  Thank **************** at Special Needs Group

  Customer Answer

  Date: 02/26/2023

   
  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.
  
  Sincerely,
  
  ***************************

• Initial Complaint

  Date:12/19/2022

  Type:Product 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.

  We rented a scooter from Special Needs Group on 11/27/2022 (order #******) for a person with limited mobility aboard our cruise Carnival Cruise ship. The first day we barely made it back to our cabin because the battery became discharged after limited use, i.e., 2 trips from front to rear of the ship. We assumed it was delivered without a full charge and plugged in the charger overnight. Same problem occurred next ******** had to push scooter back to our cabin. We unsuccessfully tried to resolve the problem with the assistance of the ships crew. We therefore phoned Special Needs Group from the ship the next day, Tuesday, but problem could not be solved despite following the instructions they emailed to the ship. We had to physically push the scooter back to our cabin several times. The charger supplied would not fully charge the batteries and our use of the scooter and personal mobility were severely limited because of same. Despite showing a discharged state and resetting the circuit breaker as instructed, the charger would quit after indicating the batteries were charged. This occurred after less than 2 hours. Of course there could be mechanical problems causing the battery to run down.We filed a claim for a refund on 12/3, the day the scooter was returned and was told it would be resolved in 5 to 10 days. It's now two full weeks and we only repeatedly get excuses, i.e., "we're working on it." Considering the inconvenience and hardship resulting from the limitations not being able to rely on the scooter and being restricted to limited mobility, we feel a full refund in amount of $270. should be refunded to our credit card.

  Business Response

  Date: 01/17/2023

  We spoke to the guest today on 1/17/2023 and he said that he had submitted this to the BBB prior to ** resolving the matter. This was resolved amicably with the guest and he is satisfied with our resolution. Our company had the opportunity to look into the issues that the guest reported and upon our findings we reached out to the guest directly and provided a refund for the rental that he had an issue with and this occurred on 12/21/2022. Unfortunately, this was an isolated issue with the rental equipment as it is very unusual for the equipment to fail however we did resolve the issue for the guest and we are truly sorry that he had this experience. Thank ****************

   

   

  Customer Answer

  Date: 01/19/2023

   
  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.

  However, the amount refunded was less than I feel it should have been. I accepted same as I didn't want to prolong the issue. I appreciate the BBB efforts in my behalf.
  
  Sincerely,
  
  (mr)*************************