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:08/02/2023

  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 booked a trip with a $600 down payment. I cancelled the trip before 90 days.The policy is Clear cancellation policy.Travel is a big commitment and so is planning, designing, and hosting a trip. So weve built a policy that supports our Travelers, while still protecting the work that our Hosts and Trip Operators do at each stage of the process.Our Traveler cancellation and refund policy is:You book your spot on a trip and pay a 25% down payment: while your spot is pending, that 25% down payment is fully refundable.* Once your spot is confirmed: that 25% down payment is non-refundable.* If its more than 90-days out from the trip, that 25% down payment (minus a $100 cancellation fee) can be a trip credit * towards future travel, as long as you book in the next year.* If confirmed more than 90 days prior to departure (and outside of the 72 hour cancellation window), you will receive a trip credit in the amount of the down payment, minus a $100 cancellation fee for each spot canceled.Your balance payment is due 90 days before the trip.90days before the trip, we cannot issue any refunds. At this point, funds have been applied towards the trip such as booking accommodations and local activities.If you ever forget, our policy is easily located on any trip page and you can read more in ************************ ourCovid-19 policycan be located here.I asked Trovatrip to use my refund toward a hotel booking, this is a trip I am taking within the year of the deposit. * towards future travel, as long as you book in the next year.The original trip I cancelled on was fully booked. My deposit and entire trip was paid by someone else.Trovatrip response was that the refund could only be used on a product they originated, not on travel or a trip. At no place do they identify themselves as not a travel company. They have the ability to book anywhere in the world.The return policy is miss represented and not accurately stated

  

  Business Response

  Date: 08/14/2023

  Thank you for reaching out. We make sure our terms and conditions are easily accessible and require customer acknowledgment before purchasing anything on the TrovaTrip platform. We hope that we can provide additional clarity of our applied terms and policies.
  
  This this case, you booked a trip to ********** on April 1, 2023, for the travel date of September 19, 2023. You canceled a spot not his trip on May 24, 2023 which was before our 90 day deadline per our cancelation policy. Our Cancelation Policy is as follows:
  
  -Your spot is pending: The 25% down payment is fully refundable
  -Your spot is confirmed: The 25% down payment is non-refundable. We are able to offer a trip credit of the down payment minus a $100 cancellation fee that can be used on any future travel as long as it's applied within 12 months of issue.
  -90 days or less before trip start: 100% non-refundable
  
  This means you qualified for a trip credit for her 25% down payment, per this policy. The issued trip credit voucher can only be used to book future trips through TrovaTrip and must be used on our platform. As a travel platform, we rely on our local operators to provide the accommodations and on-the-ground experience, including hotels. As the customers pay for the trip through us, and we pay the operators, our trip credit vouchers are only able to be used on our platform. You requested the trip credit voucher to be applied to a hotel outside of our platform and not attached to a **********, which we denied. These vouchers are not able to be transferred to other platforms or companies and must be connected to a booked trip through us.
  
  We appreciate you reaching out and allowing us to shed some light on this complaint. We strive for booking transparency and hope we can take this opportunity to continue to improve our customer experience for all our travelers.
  
  If you have further questions or require further documentation, please do not hesitate to reach out ******************************* and we will be happy to assist. 

• Initial Complaint

  Date:06/28/2023

  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.

  I booked this trip November 2022 with a confirmation that a single occupancy room was reserved, as you can see from the screenshots. I also confirmed multiple times that it was reserved as this is very important for my anxiety and safety. Yesterday, less than 3 weeks before the trip I was told that while other travelers were in single rooms, I would no longer be able to be. I checked with the hotels and they have rooms available. I have spent thousands of dollars so canceling the trip will be a huge personal and financial loss for me. I am also now concerned about retaliation during the trip as it seems like I have been singled out intentionally. They are operating in bad faith and failing to fulfill the requirements of their contract. I offered two solutions, they can either book me a single room with air conditioning or I can book them and they can reimburse me. I was told this was not an option and that a supervisor will call me later today, I requested by 2pm. I noticed their ****** reviews in the past few months have noted this issue for other customers, so I am skeptical, but remain open to a resolution. Thank you.

  

  Business Response

  Date: 06/29/2023

  Hi ********* - Thank you for all the details regarding your upcoming trip. We completely understand how this can be anxiety-producing. We have connected with our **************** team and they are aware of the situation. They are working to find a solution and have been in touch with you via phone and email. As soon as there are more details, our team will be reaching out. 

  Customer Answer

  Date: 07/03/2023

   
  Complaint: 20249612
  
  I am rejecting this response because: thus far our group, which is nearly half of the people who signed up for the trip, haven't received any actual solutions. We keep being asked for patience, but several Italian business days have passed without any real details or options. I, once again, offered to book my own rooms, which could be accomplished in less than 30 minutes, if the company will reimburse me. Other travelers are requesting refunds before it's too late to cancel their airfare and we are just being implored for more patience. I would love to resolve this more simply, but I'm concerned this is an intentional delay tactic at this point.
  
  Sincerely,
  
  *********************************

  

  Business Response

  Date: 07/13/2023

  Hi ********, 
  
  Thank you for your patience as we worked through this booking detail. You should have received an email confirming you are now in a single room for your upcoming trip to *****. Yippee! If you have any further questions please don't hesitate to reach out to ******************************

  Customer Answer

  Date: 07/13/2023

   
  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:05/01/2023

  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.

  Did not deliver on what was purchased.********************* Order #:TTFM06MH Total Paid: $2395 Requested Refund: $800 With very short notice our hotel was changed from a fun safe area(*************************) to the red light district of ***** known for love hotels on every street it was dirty and gross (trash on the streets, women for sale) - I felt unsafe at night. When I booked the trip it was for the *************************. Had it originally been listed as Moxy in the red light district I would not have booked this trip.To get from where our original hotel was supposed to be to this last min bad decision of a hotel was a 40 min train ride. Which meant it was a 40 min train ride extra each way from all of the places I wanted to have dinners and see. It was a completely different trip than expected because the location is everything.4/17 Walking 9 miles was ridiculous when we were told we would be provided transportation. 4/18 Walking 7 miles was ridiculous when we were told we would be provided transportation.4/20 Our bus did not pick us up in the morning. Which added to the feeling of poor planning and more public transportation. 4/21 This activity did not happen at all - Yumoto Hot Springs Area Visit. Which was a bummer because I was uncomfortable doing the complete naked bath option. Group Dinner was gross - should have had an option for guests (even just a limited menu of 2 options) not just to bring out whatever mystery meat family style food they felt like.With zero explanation of what we were being served. Our bus left us at the restaurant and then we had to wait 10 mins in the rain for a new bus. Overall this vacation did not meet my expectations. Id like to request a particle refund of $800 to go back to my credit card.

  

  Business Response

  Date: 05/02/2023

  Thank you for reaching out and allowing us to address the complaint raised by **************. Please note, as per our terms, we did attempt to resolve this via our formal complaints process, however ************** was unhappy with the outcome.

  
  To give further context, we are a platform that connects creators, with their communities through group travel. We do this by working with local operators around the world who design and facilitate group trips. Due to the nature of group travel, an itinerary with included services are displayed at the time of booking and travelers must agree to these terms when purchasing our product. You can view our full terms here: ******************************************************

  
  For this trip, ************* booked a spot to ***** with one of our Hosts. This trip was run by our local operating partner Exo. As you are likely aware, ***** has just reopened for travel after 3 longs years of the pandemic. This has resulted in low staffing levels, and operational hiccups that are difficult to anticipate. 

  Per our terms, specifically clause **** and ****.1 operators have the right to change the itinerary as long as the updated itinerary includes overnight stays within 100 miles of the originally advertised location. In this case, Exo had no choice but the hotel to another neighborhood in ***** due to an operational issue with the original hotel. The new property was within 100 miles. We advised our travelers as soon as Exo advised us. The hotel they were moved to was of equal or better quality and in-line with the terms of our agreement.
  

  Next I will address the hot spring area. This is an entire neighborhood that the group did visit. Those who wished to follow the local regulation of the hot spring were able to do so. Any traveler, including **************, who did not feel comfortable participating as instructed did not have to do so. As a travel platform, we have no jurisdiction over local culture, custom or law and are unable to adjust local rules in order to allow our travelers to participate fully. 

  Finally I will address the food. Our operator provides group travel experiences, this includes meals. When serving large groups, restaurants will typically provide a set menu or serve family style. This is so the full group can be accommodated. Some may not like the food being served as this is subjective. We did send ************** feedback to our Operator who will work with the restaurant to improve going forward. That being said, all meals were delivered as per our terms.

  In conclusion, as all activities and meals were delivered as advertised neither TrovaTrip, nor our operator will be providing compensation. We understand that ************** did not fully enjoy the experience however we have not found any fault through our investigation.

  Thank you for allowing us to respond to the issues raised. If you have any additional questions please feel free to contact us and we will be happy to provide additional context.

  Customer Answer

  Date: 05/02/2023

   
  Complaint: 20004419
  
  I am rejecting this response because:

  The vacation I bought and what they actually delivered was straight up FALSE ADVERTISING.

  (False advertisement is untrue or misleading information given to you to get you to buy something.) 

  Example #1 Hotel Change 

  When I booked the trip it was for the *************************.Had it originally been listed as Moxy in the red light district I would not have booked this trip.To get from where our original hotel was supposed to be to this last min bad decision of a hotel was a 40 min train ride. Which meant it was a 40 min train ride extra each way from all of the places I wanted to have dinners and see. It was a completely different trip than expected because location is everything. I felt unsafe in this area.

  Example #2 (This did not even happen)
  Yumoto Hot Springs Area Visit
  ****** has been one of ******* most popular hot spring resorts for centuries. Nowadays, more than a dozen springs provide hot spring water to the many bathhouses and ryokan in ********** region. ******, at the entrance to ********** area near *******, is the areas most famous hot spring with a particularly long history, high-quality water and numerous baths and inns. Many more hot spring facilities are found across the hills and valleys of ****** and along the shores of Lake Ashi.

  Example #3

  All city transfers included 

  4/17 Walking 9 miles was ridiculous when we were told we would be provided transportation.4/18 Walking 7 miles was ridiculous when we were told we would be provided transportation.4/20 Our bus did not pick us up in the morning. Which added to the feeling of poor planning and more public transportation. 4/21 After our group dinner our bus left us at the restaurant and then we had to wait 10 mins in the rain for a new bus.

  Trip I am referring to: *************************************************************************************;

  I asked for what I thought was a fair solution for the nightmare this company put me in.

  Customer service told me they will change it for future travelers and that they appreciate my feedback - but they don't care how my experience was.

  They don't care that I was taken advantage of and was mislead.

   

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

• Initial Complaint

  Date:03/08/2023

  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 booked a trip to **** with nurse **** on January 13, 2023. The trip is from Sep *****, 2023. Here is the detail of the transaction (USD): Order #:IZYOFC, Total trip: $2095 I paid the downpayment of $523.75 and got a confirmation email as a "confirmed" trip right after I paid. However, I cannot keep this arrangement as my request for time off was not approved. When I tried to contact Trovatrip on February 17, they informed me that since the trip was confirmed, I only have trip credit with the cancellation fee (100$). I seek legal advice, and they have advised me to reach out to you first (BBB) before taking any legal action. This is unfair treatment from Trovatrip.********** "confirmed" status for my trip is invalid due to the following:First, I got a "confirmed" email as soon as I paid the downpayment. According to the Trovatrip:5.6 Your Details. In order for us to confirm your travel arrangements for the Booking of your Trip, you must provide all requested details 45 days prior to the Departure Date. Necessary details vary by Booking, and may include without limitation, full name as per passport, date of birth, nationality, passport number, passport issue and expiry date and any pre-existing medical conditions you have which may affect your ability to complete your travel arrangements. Failure to provide requested details 45 days prior to Departure Date, may result in additional charges or non-refundable cancellation of your Booking.Second, I still need to sign the Travel acknowledgment risk. "The Travel Acknowledgment of Risk and Waiver of Liability disclaimer: Your trip is not confirmed until you sign the services agreement."It is an unjust and dishonest practice from Trovatrip to disregard my refund request. This trip is still more than 90 days ahead. I have not signed anything or given any detail. Yet, it is confirmed. BBB, I will not seek your help if I have been treated fairly. Please kindly advise

  

  Business Response

  Date: 03/09/2023

  Thank you for reaching out and allowing us to further explain our terms and conditions and hopefully resolve this complaint from Sintaria Simamora
  ******************** booked a trip to **** with our company on January 13th, 2023 for a date of departure of September 10th, 2023. At this time, ******************** agreed to our terms and conditions which advise that once a booking is confirmed, the 25% down payment becomes non-refundable. In the event that a traveler does want to cancel a confirmed reservation, they are able to do so for a 100 USD fee and  the remaining down payment will be refunded in the form of a Trip Credit Voucher which can be used on any future travel when applied within 12 months of issue. Our full terms can be found here: ******************************************************
  In addition, as transparency is so important to us, we also include a helpful infographic on all of our trip pages. I have included that link here: *************************************************************************************************;
  As this was a popular departure, the spot was confirmed later that day. We sent an email to verify this which was successfully delivered. 
  We did not hear from ******************** until February 17th, 2023 over a month after her spot was confirmed. At this time, ******************** requested a cancellation and asked what her options were. Our customer Service team replied three hours later advising of our aforementioned cancellation policy. 
  ******************** did not accept this and asked for a refund again. At this time we continued to state our agreed upon policy. 
  I see in the complaint ******************** states she has not yet accepted our liability policy, however this was signed by her when she logged into her account and we are able to provide evidence of this. 
  While we understand that ******************** is unhappy with our policy, it was the policy she agreed to at the time of booking. We will happily cancel her booking per her request and issue her Trip Credit once she confirms she would like to proceed.
  We appreciate you reaching out and allowing us to shed some light on this complaint. We strive for booking transparency and hope we can take this opportunity to continue to improve our customer experience for all our travelers.
  If you have further questions or require further documentation, please do not hesitate to reach out and we will be happy to assist. 
  
  

  Customer Answer

  Date: 03/09/2023

   
  Complaint: 19560135
  
  I am rejecting this response because:

   

  You confirmed as soon as I paid the the downpayment. You did this without even having me signing the traveller acknowledgement. You also stated by signing into my account I automatically give my consent. There is no disclaimer stating this. up until now I have not signed my traveler acknowledgement (see attachment). As I explained this to you, I cant use trip credit in the new future. 

  If you give me trip credit voucher that is transferable I am ok with this. This way, I don't completely lose my money and other traveller in the group can use this voucher. 

  
  Sincerely,
  
  SS

  

  Business Response

  Date: 03/15/2023

  Thank you for your reply. We see that you have now contacted our **************** team to confirm your cancellation and have been provided a Trip Credit voucher. As this issue appears to be resolved we will now be closing this complaint. Please let us know if you require anything further on our end. Kind Regards, TrovaTrip

• Initial Complaint

  Date:01/25/2023

  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.

  One look at the internet regarding Trovatrip **** and evidence is clear, this company is all about getting money. Money from unsuspecting / trusting consumers, money from the influencers that they use to overcharge the public, and money from investors to build a bigger scam company with no customer concern. Businesses like this one should not be allowed to operate. I have contacted the ******** consumer advocates, the Better business bureau, the *************** ********** of ******* all the above have dealt with Trovatrip before. The endless hustle they inflict and downright lies regarding any correspondence from them is an utter crime. They do seem to put a significant amount of energy into answering any fraud inquiries. There is no interest in customer service here and these owners should be exposed for what they are- opportunists with no regard for honest exchange and once they have your money they are not giving it back. It is a pattern. I was never informed regarding anything to do with my trip, 99 days prior to the trip with no confirmation, same as the others that have been ripped off. I save everything and a search of the database revealed they -SENT NOTHING- absolutely nothing. When I called to cancel, the representative (***) confirmed that no confirmation was received. I canceled right then and there. A few moments after the phone call, I received a confirmation. Laughable, as if that one boilerplate email completely ignoring my cancellation conversation was appropriate. I believe this company relies on automation, deceit, and downright greed. To all the folks that have been ripped off by these folks please make the effort to contact the business watch groups and authorities and the credit card companies. The way only ***** is allowed to continue ripping folks off is because their victims give up. And to all the investors out there I hope do a bit of due diligence regarding this company. Be very aware. I hope the BBB will do a bit more than simply post comments and help folks recover their money from this scam.Trovatrip owes me $604.75

  

  Business Response

  Date: 01/26/2023

  Thank you for reaching out and allowing us to look into the issues raised and provide us an opportunity to respond to the points made by ******************
  ****************** booked a trip to **** with us on March 22, 2022. At this time ****************** agreed to our terms and conditions which state once a booking has confirmed, the down-payment becomes non-refundable. A booking is confirmed once a Trip reaches a minimum number of travelers. When this does occur, we send an email to travelers as well as update their booking status in our portal. You may view our full terms here: ******************************************************
  In the event a traveler wishes to cancel after their booking has been confirmed, and before 60 days to departure, we can cancel the booking for a Trip Credit which can be used for any future travel when applied within 12 months of issue. In addition to having this information within our terms and conditions, its also on all of our trip pages. I have included a link to that here: **********************************************************************************
  Once ***************** booked with us, we sent her an email to login to our portal to view her booking status. Our records show ****************** did  read this email on March 22nd, 2022 ******************** booking was subsequently confirmed on July 26th, 2022. Once the confirmation occurred, we emailed her to let know. This was delivered successfully according to our records.
  We did not hear from ***************** until January 20th, 2023 when she requested to cancel. As per our terms, which she had previously agreed to, we offered her a Trip Credit in the event she wished to cancel. ****************** stated she did not receive her confirmation email so our ******** Service agent investigated and advised her of the exact time it was sent and successfully delivered. Our ******** Service Agents also resent this email to her for her records.
  We have now reiterated our policy to ***************** on multiple occasions, offering her the Trip Credit and she has yet to accept. 
  It is important to us that our policies are as transparent as possible which is why we do have the terms on the Trip page, in the portal, engage in regular email contact and have travelers agree to them at the time of booking. 
  Thank you again for reaching out to us. If you have further questions or require further documentation, please do not hesitate to reach out and we will be happy to assist.
  
  Tell us why here...

  Customer Answer

  Date: 02/03/2023

   Please reopen this case. It is not resolved. ********** NEVER contacted me prior to my cancellation on Jan 20 2023. Their refund policy is 90 days from the trip and not been confirmed will receive a full refund. They are sending BBB booking terms that have been changed in Dec. of 2022

  **********'s representative quoted that the confirmation was never received (***/ Jan. 20 2023).

  I want my $604.75 refunded.

  Given the lack of customer service of ANY KIND, their downright deceit, sending them more money and expecting their absolutely nonexistent customer service along with this awful experience of getting my due refund is simply crazy.

   

   

  Please reopen the complaint.

   

   

  My credit card that this charge was stolen a while back.  I told the *********** representative this and she was able to find the old card number and found the charge for $604.75 in March of 2022. With **********. 

   

  I have been a victim of fraud. **********, a ********-based company is taking trusting people's money and giving them the run around when they ask for a refund.

  25% ($604.75) of the trip cost was charged to my **** Credit Card. ********** was to confirm the trip- they never did. I called Trova on Jan 20 2023  to find out if they were going to confirm the trip as I had received nothing from them and to cancel trip. A quick look at BBB and consumer websites confirm this is standard practice for this company, they do not confirm. They never confirmed ( you need this to book flights). I am a *********** broker and pay for storage for any and all business correspondence. They NEVER sent anything. They indicate your deposit is refundable within 90 days  ( my cancelation was 99 days from the commencement of the trip) prior to confirmation. ***, the Trova representative, I spoke with on Jan 20 at 1:20 MST confirmed that the confirmation was never received. I never received anything, absolutely nothing until after the phone call on Jan 20 2023 upon which they completely ignored my cancelation and set a generic confirmation on the 20th of Jan 2023. Since I have searched this company on the internet and found similar scenarios from consumers. They are probably making more money scamming trusting folks out of their refunds than actually delivering. They have truly ignored any of the facts regarding the refund they advertise, the confirmation that never came, and my right to a refund. 

   

   

  1)The Better Business Bureau has received several complaints regarding *****'s refusal to refund deposits, one case is exactly like mine- no confirmation was received in the ***** days prior to the trip and they tried to keep this person's money. ************************************************************************************************************************************************

   

  ***** seems to put a lot of effort into rebuffing their fraud. The fact is I received absolutely nothing from Trovia Trip and canceled 99 days prior to the trip. I want my money back. They have proven that to give this company money, you will never see it again. I do not want to be a part of anything with these liars. To take credit for another trip is the very definition of insanity. They committed and continue to commit fraud.

   

   

  2)There is a case regarding ********** that involved the ****** ( where ********** is based) Dept. of Justice same thing failure to provide service and refund

   

  Go to the-*************************************************************************************

  Put in Trova

  their *********

  put a 2 year search window

  and you will find the below information with THE ****** DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE

  this below was snipped from the gov. *********************

   

  Consumer Complaint

  Case Status:	C - Closed
  Closing Description:	Voluntarily Resolved
  Date Open:	05/06/2022
  Date Closed:	05/16/2022
  Respondent:	**********
  Owner:	**********
  Owner Alias:
  Address Line 1:	1200 ************* SUITE 100
  Address Line 2:
  City:	********
  State:	OR
  *************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************
  Business Description:	Travel: All Other Travel Arrange & Reservation Services
  Complaint Description:	Failed to deliver any goods or services
  Reference #:	FF2408-22

  __________________________________________________

   

  3) Direct yourself to:

  ************************************************************

   Trustpilot is a website for consumers to warn the general public about scamming/ fraudulent/ unethical businesses and their practices.

   

  The final analysis is I have been ripped off by this company. Other folks have been ripped off by this company. **** should not be doing business with this company.

   

  Please get my money back. 

   

  I received absolutely nothing from ********** until I canceled on Jan 20, 2023.

   

   

   

  *****************************

  Direct ************ E-Mail ***************************************

  ***********-PARK CITY

  ASSOCIATE BROKER- REALTOR

  Award for Excellence Recipient

   

  

   

   

  7580 ************, ***************** 105

  PO Box **** | *********, ** 84060

  direct ************ | toll free ************

   

  

  Business Response

  Date: 02/09/2023

  Thank you for reaching our and sharing ********************** additional comments. Please note, as advised in our first reply we:

  1. Gave access to our portal with a login to ****************** advising her to check the status of her booking. ****************** was able to access this at any time from the point of the booking.

  2. When ********************** booking was confirmed we sent her email correspondence to her email on file on July 26th, 2022. We have proof from our email database that this email was delivered successfully. As we are unable to control how a person manages their email account, we can only ensure that the email is successfully delivered. We were able to send the exact date and time to ****************** of the email as per our digital records.

   

  As we allowed ****************** to login at any time, as well as update the trip page to confirm, and successfully sent an email advising her of the change to her booking status, we took all necessary and appropriate action to advise ****************** that her booking was confirmed.

   

  Thank you again for allowing us to address the additional comments and feel free to reach out if anything else is required.

  Customer Answer

  Date: 02/14/2023

   
  Complaint: 18899752
  
  I am rejecting this response because:

  This company is lying. They sent NOTHING. ABSOLUTELY NOTHING. There are others that have complained that they received nothing as well. No "PORTAL" info. NO CONFIRMED info. Nothing.

  Check this BBB site and the ****** ***** of JUSTICE. I have reported to both. I have been ripped off.

  I want to stop this company from doing this. It is deceitful. They continue to get away with maintaining that they sent a confirmation.   I received nothing from this middleman. I encourage you to look deeper. Read what they have done on this very site to other people. Folks are being ripped off of their deposit. For what? This middleman does not perform. They have spent more time denying than actually giving one iota service. Nothing. I suspect they are completely automated, if someone falls through the cracks, who cares- make sure you keep their money. It is a deceitful, scorch dirt mentality. Pure greed. 

  I do not want to continue any relationship with this company. I do not want to give them more money as they have the gall to suggest. They need to refund my money.  
  
  Sincerely,
  
  *****************************

• Initial Complaint

  Date:11/23/2022

  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 booked a trip through TrovaTrip in June of 2022 for October of 2023. I read the fine print that states that for Departure Dates more than 90 days in advance, if your Booking has not yet been confirmed, and you cancel the Booking, you shall be granted a full refund of your Down Payment. I had something come up and needed to cancel my trip. As of yesterday, November 22, 2022, I had not received confirmation of booking so I expected a full refund. I received a response stating that since my spot was confirmed, I would get a credit voucher (which I will not be able to use) minus a $100 fee. I responded and stated that I did not get a confirmation of booking email. To which they immediately sent me a confirmation email dated for yesterday, November 22, 2022. I again asked for the original email and they were unable to send me the original confirmation email. On their own website, they state. "When you book your trip, your spot will enter a pending status. If the trip is confirmed, your spot will also typically be confirmed in ***** hours. If the trip is not confirmed, it can take anywhere from 2-3 months for your spot to be confirmed. While we typically notify much sooner, youll be notified at least ********************************************* not your spot is confirmed. Your down payment is refundable until your spot is confirmed. We recommend not booking a flight until your spot is confirmed." The first confirmation I received came through yesterday, after my notification of cancellation.

  

  Business Response

  Date: 11/25/2022

  Ms. ************* booked a trip to ****** with our company on June 24th, 2022 for a date of departure of October, 23rd 2023. As per our terms and conditions, which ****************** agreed to at the time of booking, the down-payment can only be refunded in the form of a Trip Credit Voucher once a Trip is confirmed. This voucher can be used on any future travel with our company when applied within 12 months of issue. This is due to the fact that we must pay our operators in advance in preparation for the trip. While we of course have our cancellation policy agreed to at the time of booking, we also include a helpful infographic on their trip page as well as have the terms easily accessible throughout the website.
  As per normal procedure, once ****************** spot confirmed, also on June 24th, we sent an email confirmation. We have an electronic receipt that this email was successfully delivered to ***************** email address. In addition, we also sent ****************** an invite to log into our portal where she could view the status of her trip which states it was confirmed and provided our cancellation policy.
  When ****************** emailed us to cancel, we provided the above evidence of confirmation and offered her a Trip Credit as per our usual procedure. ****************** claimed that we did not send her a confirmation email. When we provided additional evidence to show that we did send this email,, as well as sent her an email to log-in she stated she did not receive this, however our records do indicate otherwise.
  Eventually, ****************** requested we proceed with the cancellation and we actioned accordingly, as well as issue her a Trip Credit voucher which is valid for use for 12 months.
  As we clearly stated our policy, ***************** agreed to the aforementioned policy, and we actioned the cancellation at her request and in accordance to the policy we consider this issue to be resolved. 
  We appreciate you reaching out and allowing us to shed some light on this complaint. We strive for booking transparency and hope we can take this opportunity to continue to improve our customer experience for all our travelers.
  If you have further questions or require further documentation, please do not hesitate to reach out and we will be happy to assist. 
  
  

• Initial Complaint

  Date:10/27/2022

  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 want a full refund. I I will not be see Trovatrip should not be in business. I am going to guess the glowing reviews are paid. Since my trip, I have researched/ uncovered just how hard Trovatrip works to keep the truth out of public view. Trovatrip will gladly take your money. But to be a valued patron- not here.**** and switch tactics. Abuse. Gaslighting.Price gauging. deceptive practices, false advertising etc. define this company's tactics and behavior.They promised pizza making, then, changed it without notice to a (2nd) pasta-making class. Then, to be inflammatory, send me a copy of an itinerary that I am stating was changed prior to the trip doesnt change that WHEN I PAID for the trip, pizza-making was the promise. I paid $4k for the trip itself. Another $3,900 for a round trip flight, and another $3700 for a last-minute flight to get home early because it was a disaster trip. Nothing was getting resolved and trovatrip had their money and could care less to resolve anything Trovatrips likes to chalk everything up to "buyer's remorse." They do not investigate any claims. They don't provide any facts. In a court of law, they would have to explain what measures they took to investigate, with whom they spoke to, etc. *******************************, the ** of marketing was antagonistic, dehumanizing, and inflammatory in her responses. She evaded every question when probed for facts.Everyone on the trip complained about just how awful the experience was; including the host. Now, as I consider how I've been treated by TT, I may have jumped to conclusions about the host; blaming him, when really, it was likely trovatrip that was the problem all along. The host sold this trip as a "we exprience" you can view the video here https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I0DkkLsvF4o&t=368s starting 5:05. The itin was changed, the stories change. The host was not happy and now I fully understand why based on my experience with this crooked company. Give me my money back.

  

  Business Response

  Date: 10/28/2022

  Thank you for reaching out and we're happy to address and add context to the points made by ************. ************ booked a Trip to ***** with us for departure on October 6th, 2022. We did not arrange airfare or her airbnb for her. We offer a platform that connects Hosts with their communities through group travel. ************ booked this packaged trip which included some activities, meals and then accommodation throughout the trip. In addition to those services, the trip also includes local transportation and a guide throughout.
  ************ reached out to us on October 7th, stating that: 
  
  I am disappointed in the trip and feel misled, it has not been as advertised.  I was led to believe there would be more connection, learning, and that level of experience doesnt exist, here. 
  
  While we do our best to build experiences that ****** connection, we cannot guarantee there will be connection within the group. Despite this, as per our agreed upon terms we opened an investigation into the claims. You can view our relevant terms here. Please refer to clause 5.20.
  
  *********** then voluntarily left the trip after only 48 hours in destination. The total length of the trip was 9 days which we would have happily provided to  her as booked, however she did choose to depart early. 
  
  On October 10th, *********** reached out again asking for clarification on who we would be speaking to in our investigation. Before we could respond to clarify, *********** reached out again  stating she was very unhappy with our Host for numerous reasons including feeling excluded. *********** also stated that she was promised a pizza class which we did not have on the itinerary. We do not offer this experience on our ***** trips and confirmed this with both our internal team as well as our Local Operator. We do include a pasta making class which was provided to the group as advertised.
  
  As per our terms, we spoke to our internal sales team regarding the Hosts alleged behavior, our internal trip design team regarding the pizza class, and the local operator to ensure that the remaining services were delivered as advertised. After speaking to all parties we concluded that no error occurred. In addition, as *********** voluntarily left the trip early, she did not experience the majority of the services provided. ************ initially asked for a partial refund and then increased it to a full refund request prior to our investigation conclusion. 
  
  We advised *********** of the outcome of our investigation on October 24th which concluded that no error had occurred, however we appreciated her feedback and subsequently provided her an additional 100 USD trip Credit for her time and candor. *********** was unhappy with this outcome and has proceeded to send multiple emails despite our best attempts to de-escalate the situation.
  Due to all the above, we did not find a full refund was warranted and have closed our investigation fully. 
  Thank you for reaching out and allowing us the opportunity to address these claims. If further information is required, please do let us know and we will be happy to assist. 
  
  

  Customer Answer

  Date: 10/29/2022

   
  Complaint: 18325733
  
  I am rejecting this response because:

  Lets get very clear, transparent, and honest about the facts. 
  
  
  Trovatrip engages in abusive communication tactics, including but not limited to gaslighting, manipulation of facts, deception, evasiveness, and more. I have recently come to learn they do not post all reviews. They can not be searched on ****** unless the address is searched. They prevent (1) star reviews from being visible to the public and I believe that many, many trip goers whove lost money because of the barbaric, deceptive practices, bait, and switch, and false advertising tactics of this company, the general public can not make informed decisions. 
  
  
  ********** Law: False or Deceptive Advertising is Prohibited
  Under state law (********** Business and Professions Code *****), false and deceptive advertising is strictly prohibited. A company that violates the state's false advertising regulations could be held both civilly and criminally liable
  
  
  Trovatrip knowingly and recklessly changed the itinerary without notice to the host or the group. Beyond this, they failed to acknowledge there was a change and attempted to make it sound like it was never included. I have proof stating otherwise.
  Trovatrips service/product is the experience they curate for a host and the hosts constituents. They upset and blindsided their host and that translated into the trip experience. Beyond this, as the consumer, I was urged to book quickly to retain a spot to go on this trip, and when I booked it in 2021 a pasta-making class and pizza-making class was advertised. There was no alert from Trovatrip to the host or the individuals in the group that there Trovatrip removed the pizza-making class and that the trip was not going to carry out as promised/advertised at the time of signing up for the limited spots. Furthermore, As per the advertisement by the host; We are spending 9 days there, where we are going to be enjoying wine, food and the history of some of the most beautiful cities that exist on Earth. The operative words we and enjoying is not exactly how they played out. The Host was so upset by the hotels chosen, he paid to stay at alternative hotels, away from the group. In total, every single person in the group had qualms regarding Trovatrip for one bad experience or another. Trovatrip is fully culpable and also aware of these facts.
  As a consequence of this false advertising, I suffered financial damages that I otherwise would not have incurred.
  
  
  For context:
  Trovatrip either recruited or accepted a request from the host of the trip, to be a host.
  
  
  On August 11th, 2021, the host made a ******* video where they advertised a trip to ***** via Trovatrip. 
  
  
  In the Advertisement, the host advertised that we would engage in a pasta-making class and a pizza-making class. The attachments show a copy of the original itinerary that was subsequently changed after trip goers paid in full, 60 days prior to trip departure. In the video, timestamp 5:13-5:22 Pizza making was clearly listed. Again, on 5:34-5:36. The Video address https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I0DkkLsvF4o&t=496s. In an email dated August 26th, 2022 the pizza-making class was listed in the itinerary. The proof is attached. 
  
  
  Without the knowledge, agreement, or approval of the majority (host and travelers alike), pizza-making was subsequently removed. A 2nd pasta-making class was added.
  
  
  Based on the groups experience with the first pasta-making class, and the fact that the group was looking forward to the advertised pizza-making class, everyone opted out of the 2nd pasta-making class. Proof attached. 
  
  
  ******************, the ** of marketings email to me on 10/24/2022; a pizza-making class was not included in this itinerary and therefore not provided. She further stated, We are sorry you did not feel this connection with your group or Host and are happy to offer you an additional 100 USD Trip Credit if you do choose to travel with us again with a different Host. 
  
  
  First, I never made any claims against anyone in the group. In fact, I got along really well with every single person. Spoke to every single person, and we all got on well. In fact, the people in the group were the only positive about this saga. Next, I made it very clear I would never do business with Trovatrip again, and to antagonize and patronize me, ******* offered a coupon for a future booking with Trovatrip. Inflammatory.
  
  
  Oct 7, 2022, 7:36 PM. I emailed the following: I am disappointed in the trip and feel misled, it has not been as advertised.  I was led to believe there would be more connection, learning, and that level of experience doesnt exist, here. Furthermore, I feel discriminated against and taken advantage of for paying for a solo room when everyone else did as well, and many laughed at how they didnt bear that expense. I was hoping and paid for the trip of a lifetime and am severely underwhelmed by the experience thus far.  Id like a partial refund of $1,500
  Mon, Oct 10, 9:22 AM. Trovatrips ******* replied; Thank you for sharing your feedback. We have now opened an investigation into your claim and have passed your comments on to our Operator. Please be advised that our investigation process *** take **** business days depending on the severity of your claims. Feedback is very important to us as it allows us to continue to improve our offered experiences. We strive to deliver unforgettable trips and this is not possible without hearing from those who travel with us. We will be in touch with our findings once the investigation has been completed. Kind regards, *******
  Oct 10, 2022, 10:40 AM. I replied; I appreciate your response.  When you say your operator who are you referring to?  Maybe the attached will help with a glimpse. Also, I commend Trovatrips for not being dismissive. I want to be clear, I want to be fair, but Im general, a number of improvements would really positively influence the experience for any group. I attached a screenshot, which I have also attached to this response showing the groups dis*** that the pizza-making class was replaced with a 2nd pasta class. No one went to this 2nd pasta-making class.
  Oct 12, 2022, 9:19 AM: I sent a follow-up email that is too long to copy and paste here. Essentially, I stated that that night one dinner was fragmented and everyone could not sit together. The food was subpar. The host was not happy, nor was the group. I noted how the host was not doing a good job meeting and speaking with everyone as a host would. I actually defended Trovatrip in this email. My poor experience was not based on my attitude or expectations. It was based on the experience itselfthe group was entertaining each other. The host took a backseat and talked to the group about being misled by trovatrip. This had a significant impact on the group. People started doing their own things. It was no longer a we experience once advertised to sell the trip.
  Oct 12, 2022, 1:28 PM: ** of marketing responds: Hi *****, Thank you for reaching out and bringing this to our intention. Due to the above comments we will be looking into all the issues raised with both the Host and Operator. Please allow us **** days to investigate all your claims. Once our investigation is complete we will reach out again with our findings.
  Mon, Oct 24, 12:19 PM: I emailed Hi *******, Please update me. Thank you, *****
  Mon, Oct 24, 2022, 12:50 PM: ** marketing replied: Thank you for your patience while we investigated your issues with our Operator G2. After passing your comments along, they have concluded that there is no compensation due. I would also like to advise that all travelers are offered a single supplement at the time of booking, as you booked this and this service was provided we are unable to issue a refund. In addition, a pizza-making class was not included in this itinerary and therefore not provided. You can view the full itinerary here: https://trips.trovatrip.com/trips/*****-with-***************************-oct-2022
  Mon, Oct 24, 2022, 2:29 PM: I replied: What kind of response is this? If the shoe were on the other foot, would you believe this is adequate handling or response? Detail your investigationI will file a dispute with the credit card company to start and continue on and see what can be unearthed regarding your investigation and what exactly was discovered.
  Mon, Oct 24, 3:59 PM: ******* responded: Thank you for your follow-up email and I'm happy to provide further information. When we investigate claims we send the correspondence to our local Operator to ensure all activities that were advertised were provided. In this case, we confirmed they were. In addition, we confirm the Host did travel with the group and participated in activities throughout the trip. In this case, your Host did indeed travel with the group and participate throughout the duration of the Trip. While we understand you were unhappy with your experience, the activities sold were provided as per our terms. As we could not find any discrepancy we concluded that no additional compensation would be provided but that we would use your feedback to improve our experience and training programs. If you have further questions about our product please see our terms and conditions found here. We are also happy to assist further if you do require further assistance. 
  Tue, Oct 25, 10:35 AM: I replied; Again, your response is ambiguous, lacks clarity, and failed to address the issues laid out, line by line, including the first obvious and easy-to-solve, which was;
  I paid additional money ($600) to have a single room, to learn all people; paid or not, received single rooms. This was discriminatory and false advertising. To squeeze more money from your patrons, this is what you practice? This tells me no investigation was completed. In fact, its convenient that the same day on which I follow up, your investigation is completed.
  Id like to know what was investigated. And, with whom did you speak? To gather data for your investigation.
  What were the objectives of your investigations? 
  What dates did the investigation take place?
  What date were your findings conclusive and sufficient? 
  What did you learn from the investigation? 
  For example, was the host recruited by *****, or did he sign up of his own volition? Not a trick question because either way; ***** is responsible. Please escalate this matter to the appropriate personnel because Trovas general email is not going to suffice. I will need to know with whom ** speaking.
  Also, ***be ******* was right all alongIn my previous correspondence, I said I would never utilize your company, based on my experience and also what I heard. And, ******* then offers me $100 credit to travel with you, again? How inflammatory and unconscionable. Its a direct sign that you operate without consideration or value to your patron. The deflecting is not going to steer me off because I imagine, from this failed investigation you likely hurt many patrons. As for my experience I left early, this could have been verified through your investigation I participated for (2) days and after the onslaught of complaints I heard, I no longer felt comfortable. This cost me loads more money in doing my own thing And I have receipts, for all of it- damages if you will which was a direct result of this failed trip experience  Someone who has any decency, corporate company or not, would take this matter a bit more seriously to ensure the future trips patrons invest in, based on whats sold, is carried out. And while there are factors beyond Trovas control; there are a number of factors including and not limited to; host, 3rd party service, travel selections (bus v train), changing, or canceling itineraries, and so on.  While I initially tried to cancel this trip, once I couldnt I was all in. $15k in I wanted to have a trip of a lifetime and instead- it was the opposite. So, I am not going to tolerate being dismissed. And, Trovatrip is culpable because as youd like to allege, ***** didnt deliver. Dont ever, ever demean and insult people by attaching an itinerary I have access to what a poor deflection, and what it showed is your lack of concern and also the ability for conflict resolution. 
  Please forward to your legal department or anyone else who is capable of humanity and not a person trained to give no replies. Should I need to retain a consumer attorney, do advise? 
  If truth and transparency existed on Trovas end, you would not be deflecting and reverting to your terms of the policy. And, its so sad how evidence wasnt carefully taken into consideration. It was pasta making plus pizza making, then, Trova inconspicuously changed it to pasta and pasta, which was canceled without everyones vote because the majority didnt want to do pasta again (understandable since the first experience was elementary meaning, fit for a kindergartener). I sent the evidence, screenshot Im a fair person, and whats been handled is unfair and not decent from the company to the patron. I do not want to utilize your services in the future, I would like a refund, please. 
  Oct 26, 2022, 2:18 PM ******* replied: Thank you for your email. We understand you are unhappy with your experience and we are sorry to hear it did not live up to your expectations. We strive to be clear on our website and in our terms about the product we offer including the hotels, activities, meals, and the role of the Host in the trip. We will take your feedback and work with our teams to ensure we are as transparent as possible regarding our product. In regard to our investigation, we collected your comments and sent them to our internal design team, our Operator, and our Host to ensure that what was advertised was delivered. In this case, we did not find any evidence that what was sold was not delivered. This came directly from all relevant parties. While we understand you were unhappy with your trip and departed the trip early, we did not find any error or discrepancy in the services we delivered. Regards the single supplement, this is offered to all travelers. On occasion, there will be an uneven number of participants in either gender which means they will have to room alone as we do not have anyone to room with them. While we cannot comment on individual orders we can confirm that multiple people on your trip did in fact pay for a single supplement. This is not a discriminatory practice as it is offered to all travelers at the time of booking and is a voluntary add-on service. We have confirmed you were given a single room as purchased. All others who purchased this add-on were also given a single room. As advised, our investigation has concluded and we will not be able to escalate this matter internally further. We thank you again for taking the time to contact us and share your experience.
  
  
  In summary: 
  There was never an investigation launched. No one in the group was contacted about the points brought up. When probed for specifics, Trovatrip deflected stating "relevant" parties were contacted. 
  I never said I left ***** after (2) days as the writer stated in the first BBB response. Had an investigation been done, Trovatrip and its personnel would have known when I checked into each hotel, and when I checked out. Therefore, the following is yet, another lie ************ then voluntarily left the trip after only 48 hours at the destination.  For this reason, I KNOW PLENTY ABOUT WHAT WENT ON...
  I never said I was personally excluded. I came to the defense of others who were.
  I incurred LOSSES/Damages which included canceling my extended stay, Airbnb, foregoing my original ticket back to CA and purchasing a new flight home, sooner than the 14th end date. I paid for and planned on staying in ***** through the 17th.
  Based on the unrealistic transfer, I was forced to hire a car to take me from **** to ********. 
  There was a connection within the group. Everyone within the group got along. The trope that was written didnt give context to the actual events that played out, which demonstrated the exclusion of others within the group.
  The other blatant lie in the BBB response stated: ************ also stated that she was promised a pizza class which we did not have on the itinerary. As you can see from (3) separate points of proof. Pizza-making was promised.
  Whether or not the add-on was paid for: everyone (except for the couples) in the group received a single room.
  I contacted the host and trovatrip into the trip to address and resolve the issues. It was the lack of action that forced me to end my trip early and incur financial loss, emotional distress, and trauma.

  The violated their own terms clearly noted in the **** They provided documentation within the group of the "room" assignments. For example. *** and ******* were rooming together. Then, they each got their own room..need i go on?

  The suppress reviews. My ****** review did not violate ****** terms and conditions, yet, it is no where to be seen. Proof attached.

  Others in the group expended more money doing their own thing and were also unhappy with the failed promise(s) by trovatrip. Proof attached. By the way, *** is well traveled, so his words hold alot of weight.
  
  
  
  Sincerely,
  
  *******************

  

  Business Response

  Date: 11/07/2022

  Thank you for reaching out with *************** additional comments. Please be advised that while we have no record that a pizza class was booked onto the itinerary, all operators are allowed to alter activities due to operational or logistic reasons. Please see our terms found here: https://trovatrip.com/about/booking-terms  and refer to clause **** which states Operators are allowed to change the Trip Itinerary. These terms are agreed to and signed by all travelers at the time of booking. We must also reiterate that ************ left the trip voluntarily after a short time and is therefore unable to speak to the services delivered as she did not participate fully.  Please let us know if there are additional concerns we can assist with. Kind Regards

  Customer Answer

  Date: 11/17/2022

   
  Complaint: 18325733
  
  I am rejecting this response because: I find it curious that I provided proof that I received email confirmation from Trovatrip 08/2022 Showing a pizza making class. I provided the false advertising that mentions the pizza making class which also shows the itinerary this company, Trovatrip is 100% culpable and PROVIDED EACH PERSON WITH THE RECORD That a pizza making class would be on the itin. They sneakily changed it and now they will not even admit that it they are the ones who changed the information without notice. Furthermore, I do not remember "signing" or agreeing to this. Please ask this company to 1) accept responsibility for their own correspondence which clearly showed a pizza making class, for providing the host the itinerary showing the pizza making class which is on video on ******* when Trovatrip first alleged they NEVER offered such a class. Now, they are saying they have "no record" when the email I provided as evidence was from Trovatrip. It was not photo shopped or doctored. It was the exact email they sent. I have 15+ witnesses who also received the same email.

  ************ lies and if they lie and scheme with these facts (i.e clearly advertising and including a pizza making class. Then, saying they never offered this in their ***** trip, then, changing that story to they have no record, when they sent the email showing a pizza class, to, the operator can change it whenever they want) Well, how convenient to mention this now. they just make information up as they go. if this is not false advertising, bait and switch, and flat out lying..I don't know what is.

  I am curious as to what else does this company cover up? Are patrons truly safe traveling through their service when they lie and sweep the facts under the rug. Worse, they deny the facts altogether and gloss over it to further deflect which was in my complaint. I never included, which I now will that ANOTHER problem was that they gauge patrons and trick them into paying $500+ for a single room, when they ***** paid and unpaid patrons the same single room. When I brought this up, they tried to backtrack and lie to say they dont mix genders, and other non sense when they clearly had the singles who did not pay for the add on, assigned to room together. They don't follow their own terms and services so why even include that? I guess when it serves them; they can make the rules and break the rules.

  Maybe a class action lawsuit is in order. Then, a court of law can uncover their practices. If they act so willfully negligent in this instance, and their host(s) complain about them, other patrons have to go into forums to complain because they are also dismissed and ignored, and WORST OF ALL- this COMPANY SWEEPS AND SUPPRESSED TRUE REVIEWS THAT warn the general public of their bad and harmful. I submitted a review per their email to me and to date, the review is not posted on their site. The review I left on ****** which follows ******s rules- was suppressed. FURTHERMORE, it was. impossible to ****** the business to leave a review. I had to search for the address. ************ is sadly savvy in a harmful and dishonest way and they are greater harm to the public than not. They take information out of public purview and therefore unsuspecting patrons (like myself) think they are a good company to deal with, until, things go wrong, then their abusive communication tactics and bullying occurs.

  1) I demand a full refund- it should be obvious who is and is not telling the truth. ************ doesn't remember what they do and do not offer and what correspondence they do and do not send. 2)  I want an apology from their director of Marketing and whoever is responding with lies to my BBB complaint. And, if is a lawyer responding, name yourself and have some decency to tell the truth. ************ failed to acknowledge they attempted to mislead the BBB and the public that they included false information in their initial response. I never left ***** after 48 hours nor did I communicate that. Further, I "voluntarily" did not participate because the conditions were unsafe based on what I witnessed. Their own host spoke poorly of this company which they neglected mentioning to BBB and the public. There was exclusion of the "older" crowd and for that reason I was no longer comfortable after I defended them to the host.

  Trovatrip's personnel, and sadly in corporate office no less, lie and manipulate. They twist information. They use abusive tactics like manipulation, gaslighting and baiting to provoke and dismiss their own patrons. Furthermore they supress negative reviews in public forums in order to promote their services. I downloaded the term of services previously and will be reviewing it to see if they've decided to make updates pending this BBB investigation. 

   

  I demand my money back and an apology. ************ boasts "experiences" and then, when an experience is not carried out accordingly, 

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

• Initial Complaint

  Date:09/21/2022

  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 booked a trip with a downpayment and due to being in a very bad situation with my job (I run a Small Buisness and got sick and was out of work for two weeks) I canceled the trip because I a, unable to pay bills I- I reached out to Trova and canceled my trip- I paid a 200$ penalty to cancel and then assumed the money would be returned back to me. I never saw the money and reached out and was told their policy is no refund just another trip- the amount I had is over 1k and I am in dire need for the money to survive- pay rent, food...etc. I offered my personal info and bank statements to show my financial situation and they after several emails have refused to give me even a partial refund and have been zero % understanding or accommodating- just saying they can extend a trip credit but I will not have the financial situation to be traveling out of the country before ****.

  

  Business Response

  Date: 09/26/2022

  Thank you for reaching out and allowing us to further explain our terms and conditions and hopefully resolve this complaint from ****************************
  Ms.  ****** booked a trip to ********** with our company on May 26th 2022, for a date of departure of March 23rd 2023. Ms. ******* booking was shortly thereafter confirmed by the Host. *************** was advised of the confirmation via email, she is also able to log into her portal to view the status of her trip at any time.
  As per our terms, once a booking is confirmed the booking may be canceled for a 100 USD admin fee per traveler and the remaining down-payment can be refunded in the form of a Trip Credit Voucher. 
  These terms are displayed on the website itself and must be agreed to by the traveler at the time of booking. We have digital confirmation that **************** did in fact accept these terms. You may also view the Trip Page which clearly displays this cancellation policy. I have provided the link here: https://trips.trovatrip.com/trips/costa-rica-with-*******************************-mar-2023
  In addition, we highly recommend all travelers obtain travel insurance with ample coverage prior to traveling with us as an individuals circumstances can often change prior to travel. You can find our full terms here: https://trovatrip.com/terms
  **************** did reach out to us to cancel on September 12th, 2022. The terms were displayed to her and accepted once again and she proceeded to cancel. **************** was subsequently provided a Trip Credit Voucher which can be used on any future travel as long as its applied within 12 months of issue. 
  As we are transparent with our terms and they were agreed to twice by ***************, once at the time of booking and again when she proceeded to cancel, we do feel we have done all we can to remedy this situation.
  We appreciate you reaching out and allowing us to shed some light on this complaint. We strive for booking transparency and hope we can take this opportunity to continue to improve our customer experience for all our travelers.
  If you have further questions or require further documentation, please do not hesitate to reach out and we will be happy to assist. 
  
  

  Customer Answer

  Date: 09/26/2022

   
  Complaint: 18058884
  
  I am rejecting this response because:

  We live in a world where life is hard right now and people are struggling- I was so excited to take this trip with some of my faves but due to unforeseen issues I am now instead of going on a trip, unable to pay my bill and am struggling with no care or empathy from this Buisness to even partially refund a DOWNPAYMENT which has already has a cancellation fee. This refund policy is unjust and should be re examined for circumstances that are beyond our control. This company is terrible and unwilling to work with people and I want make sure everyone knows about their inhumanity and inability to compromise. I am very frustrated and saddened by this experience. DO NOT BOOK WITH **********!

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