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:09/29/2023

  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.

  On September *****, 2023 ***** Island *****************, tour guide was removed by Collette Travel after 5 days into the 10 day tour due to non-performance:sleeping on tour bus, no travel commentary,left tour member behind in ****** on ferry to Mykonos,not taking responsibility for cancelled reservations,not providing direction during walking tours, tours not escorted by tour guide leaving tour members alone,continued failure to count heads so as to not leave tour members behind,not stopping during walking tours to account for other tour members leaving them behind,hotels were located in the city-center as advertised, but in a remote area requiring 1.5 hour bus ride to tour sites.hotels had inferior rating as advertised in the contract, in short not conducting the tour in a professional manner.Seeking 50% refund on ********** cost for lack of providing an escorted professional tour during the first 5 days of the 10 day tour.

  Customer Answer

  Date: 10/10/2023

  I have not heard from the business in response to my complaint.

  

  Business Response

  Date: 10/16/2023

  To Whom It May ********
                                 Collette is aware of the challenges that occurred during this departure and took the necessary actions to remedy the situation during the tour. After receiving several complaints about the tour manager, Collette made the decision to replace him. We are unable to provide a 50 percent refund as all tour services were provided. We have offered these travelers a 500 dollar per person cash refund due to the issues that occurred. We thank the travelers for choosing Collette and we are disappointed that their expectations were not met. 

  Customer Answer

  Date: 10/17/2023

  Better Business Bureau:I have reviewed the response submitted by the business and have determined that the response does not satisfy or resolve my issues and/or concerns in reference to complaint # ********. Please add your rejection comments below; if you do not provide any details, your complaint will be closed as Answered. 

  [You must provide details of why you are not satisfied with this resolution.  If you do not enter a reason for your rejection, your complaint will be closed as Answered.]
  
  Businesses and Customers should be civil, courteous and polite in their responses to complaints. It is important to remain professional and productive when participating in the BBB complaint process.
  
  FAQ
  

  When you book a guided tour, the expectation is the travelers needs will be taken care of.  While we acknowledge that Collette provided hotels, the hotels were far away from the city center, and we would not have chosen this location ourselves.  This left us with limited ability for food, and the distance to any attraction made it difficult to tour on or own without significant additional expense.

  Since the original tour guide never made himself available to the travelers, we learned nothing about the areas we stayed, and were dropped off in areas of the city unescorted.  For example, in the Plaka in ******, we were dropped at a corner without maps and without any guidance.  In Mykonos, when the tour guide was taking tour group members to the Wind *****, the guide never stopped to see if the tour group members were still with him.  As a result, only 4 of 19 members made it to the destination.  

  If Collette had advertised this trip as an UNGUIDED tour, we would NOT have booked the vacation.

  
  Regards,

  Mark

   

   

  

  Business Response

  Date: 11/02/2023

  To Whom It May ******* , 

                  Collette and the traveler have agreed to a resolution. Upon receiving the additional reimbursement , the traveler has agreed to withdraw the complaint. I have also sent a email with the Better Business Bureau contact and the traveler both copied for verification purposes. 

  Customer Answer

  Date: 11/08/2023

  [A default letter is provided here which indicates your acceptance of the business's response.  If you wish, you may update it before sending it.]
  
  Better Business Bureau:
  
  I have reviewed the response submitted by the business and have determined that the response does satisfy my issues and/or concerns in reference to complaint #********. I understand that by choosing to accept the business response that my complaint will be closed as resolved. 
  
  Regards,
  
  ***********************

• Initial Complaint

  Date:08/24/2023

  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 husband and I planned a 50th wedding anniversary trip through Collette Travel (Explorations) leaving from ***** to the Northern ******* Riviera tour for 12 days. It was booked through AAA/Collette who uses Reservation number ******* under ********************* ************** Sadly, we had to cancel which we did in time before 2nd deposit due, but neither AAA or Collette Travel will refund our deposit of $698.00. Regardless of many phone calls with Collette agents, I never received an email or return call to resolve the issue. Each company blames the other for not returning deposit due to extreme medical circumstances. I was told by my AAA agent in ***************, ** not to buy insurance at this deposit phase due to cost equal to deposit. We need this money for medical care and no one will assist us in this effort. They don't want medical documentation either.

  

  Business Response

  Date: 09/06/2023

  To Whom it May ***************************                              Collette has spoken to the traveler and they have agreed to drop the complaint because we will refund the deposit based on extenuating circumstances. The traveler has said they will contact you to request the complaint be removed. 

   

  Thank you , 

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

  Collette Travel 

   

   

   

  Customer Answer

  Date: 09/06/2023

  [A default letter is provided here which indicates your acceptance of the business's response.  If you wish, you may update it before sending it.]
  
  Better Business Bureau:
  
  I have reviewed the response submitted by the business and have determined that the response does satisfy my issues and/or concerns in reference to complaint #********. I understand that by choosing to accept the business response that my complaint will be closed as resolved. 
  
  Regards,
  
  ***************************

• Initial Complaint

  Date:08/16/2023

  Type:Sales and Advertising 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.

  Tour did not fulfill what was paid for! I booked an eight night nine day tour to ***** ****** along with added excursions and a post tour extension. I paid for the excursions in advance and none of them were fully provided matching the description they had sent me prior to leaving. For example, I had to pay for my own ticket to a cabaret show recommended by the tour manager out of my own pocket costing me 250 euros. Ive yet to be reimbursed for the other two excursions that did not occur! The tour manager *** was very rude and uncaring. Also the hotel that they provided for us was absolutely horrible!!! The area it was in had construction and the air conditioning in the hotel did not work. It was very hard to get around with all the construction around. It was a very hazardous area!

  

  Business Response

  Date: 08/21/2023

  Dear Whom It May ************************** style="font-size: 0.875rem;">Thank you for contacting us regarding the Spotlight on ***** Tour. The person who submitted the complaint did not travel on this tour. Based on the correspondence we have had with this person; it has led us to believe she may be a relative of the person who did travel.

  Collette did not offer the cabaret show as part of the trip itinerary and it is our understanding the ticket for the cabaret show was purchased directly via the hotel.
  
  The traveler did purchase one of our optional tour excursions called the Shopping in ***** Opra District tour which did operate.Collette has initiated a refund of $40.00 due to the concerns the traveler has presented to us, and the refund will be issued back to the credit card on file within **** business days.
  
  While on tour, the traveler notified us about the concerns with the air conditioning system in her room at the ***************** in *****.The information we received from the hotel was that their thermostat is set to a certain temperature which cannot be changed. Unfortunately, this is something Collette has no control over. It is our understanding, the hotel allowed the traveler to move to different room, however, the temperature in that room was not satisfactory either.

  Please let me know if we can provide any additional details in this matter. 

  
  Sincerely,
  
  Collette Traveler Relations Team

  Customer Answer

  Date: 08/23/2023

  Better Business Bureau:I have reviewed the response submitted by the business and have determined that the response does not satisfy or resolve my issues and/or concerns in reference to complaint # ********. Please add your rejection comments below; if you do not provide any details, your complaint will be closed as 

  i do not agree with this from business  we want a full refund of her cabaret show  it was promised and told by her tour guide to purchase a ticket. She did and now we want the money back directly  the hotel did not provide her a ticket  

  
  Businesses and Customers should be civil, courteous and polite in their responses to complaints. It is important to remain professional and productive when participating in the BBB complaint process.
  
  FAQ
  
  Regards,

  *********

   

   

  

  Business Response

  Date: 08/24/2023

  Hello ,

  Collette does not offer a cabaret show as part of this program and it is our understanding that tickets to this event were purchased directly with the hotel.    

  The show we believe this traveler is referring to is the Showtime in ***** optional excursion which can be purchased on our tours. ***************** had pre-paid for this excursion prior to departure. Collette was unable to operate the excursion as the vendor notified us they would be closed. A pre-tour communication was sent to the traveler on July 5, 2023 letting her know of the cancellation of the Showtime in ***** excursion and a refund was processed to the credit card on file on July 7, 2023 for the amount of $180.00.

  Please let me know if you need any additional details in this matter. 

  Thank you , 

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

  Collette Travel 

• Initial Complaint

  Date:08/01/2023

  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.

  In April 2023, I contacted Collette to ask about trips to **********. After reviewing the itinerary, my boyfriend and I decided to reserve the trip from July 17 to 25th. I called Collette, and they told me we had to reserve, giving an upfront payment of $1500, which my boyfriend did. After that, I called Collette to ask what information they needed from us because they had not communicated or sent a list of legal documents required for the trip. The agent couldn't find my reservation the day I called, but then she did. It's important to mention that you never speak with the same agent throughout the process, which complicates things if the prior agent doesn't take notes.I called again and gave the agent that received my call my passport &TSA number; On May 5, we paid the balance $4500 We received the invoice, and they asked to check if our names were written as they are on our passports. At this point, I had called Collette at least 5 times; however, the trip was finally booked.I also called Collette's Customer Relationship line to explain what happened to us and figure out how they could help us. At this point we would have accepted a credit.The first agent that received my request was **** and she told me she needed to escalate to Management and would call me back in two days, which she never did. I called again, asking for ****, and when I spoke with her, it was obvious she hadn't done anything about my request. The same day, I received a call from the Manager, ***********************, and explained to him again what happened to us, and he said he was going to see what could do for us and that he would call back, as today, 8/1/23, I never received a call back from him. We believe this attitude is very unprofessional.The issue started back with Collette because they were the ones that took our passport and TSA information via phone. We had worked before with other travel agencies and never had any issues.At this point we want our $6000 dollars back.

  

  Business Response

  Date: 08/16/2023

  To Whom it May ********
                 The clients traveled with Collette on the Tropical ********** Tour on July 17th,2023. We were advised on July 17th, 2023, that ********************************* was denied entry into ********** by immigration officials. We were informed by the guest that she was told several different reasons why she was denied entry relating to her passport. These included the numbers were wrong, the passport was reported as stolen, and/or it was fake. Collette provides no information to immigration officials regarding guests passports. Collette cannot contact the immigration desk in ********** and ask for the reason why the individual was denied entry. *********************** decided to continue for one day of the tour and then voluntarily left the tour.
                 While Collette understands this is a stressful and disappointing situation, we have no control over the immigration desk in ********** deciding to deny anyone entry into the country. We are willing to offer the guest a voucher for unused services. We are willing to extend a future travel credit voucher of $1,899 to ********************************* and $1,688 for ***********************. ****************** has requested we give him the passport information we have for ******** and his reservation but for security purposes Collette does not retain this information. ****************** has also requested we contact the immigration desk to inquire if ********************************* will be allowed entry to ********** if they go on another tour with Collette. As previously stated, Collette cannot contact the immigration desk on behalf of a guest and has no control on the decision to deny or grant ******** into **********. Please let me know if you have any additional questions in this matter.
  
  Thank you.
  

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

• Initial Complaint

  Date:07/28/2023

  Type:Order 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 booked an ****** Discovery trip through Collette/KTBS in Feb 2023. We were told it was round ******** from ********** **. After we had paid the full price of the trip, our flights were changed into bus rides for 3 parts of the trip. A lot of people are highly upset we did not find this out until after full price was paid. Had most of us known the flights were turned to bus rides we probably would have cancelled and got a refund. The bus rides were awful and took time away from our trip in travel time. We were rushed the first day and didnt get anything to eat or drink all day on return bus until we boarded the plane. Collette is only offering a voucher on another trip with them which isnt right. Who would want to get burned again after this time? We want a refund of $400 a person to settle this matter. We feel after getting changed to bus and the horrible ride on one of the buses we had with no air and getting scared from outside people boarding our bus unauthorized it should be worth this. We paid a chunk of money to enjoy a trip that was poorly managed on transportation side.

  Customer Answer

  Date: 08/08/2023

  I have heard from the business in response to my complaint.  They offered us and other patrons a $200 voucher to be used on another trip with them which is ridiculous as no one wants to travel with them again that was taken advantage of on this trip. This voucher that was promised via email has still yet to be seen so another promise broken.  The person representing their company that called me acknowledged they tried to do something that didnt work and we didnt get what we were promised.  Theyre trying to make something work other than what was in the original contract that we paid for was cheap for us and the others spent 12-1/2 hours on buses that shouldnt have been.  We all paid for airfares.  The bus rides were long and very unpleasant as one of the 3 different bus rides that was supposed to be 3-1/2 hours turned into 5-1/2 with no food or water and the bathroom on the bus was horrid from some passengers that used it. Said it was like sitting on hot exhaust.  Also the driver braked every few seconds making at least 3 people sick.  They should refund money for their mistake not a voucher that was promised that no one will use.

• Initial Complaint

  Date:10/04/2022

  Type:Service or Repair Issues
  Status:

  AnsweredMore info

  Complaint statuses

  Resolved:

  The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.

  Unresolved:

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

  Answered:

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

  Unanswered:

  The business failed to respond to the dispute.

  Unpursuable:

  BBB is unable to locate the business.

  Exploring ******* and Ireland, September 10, 2022 through Sept, 25, 2022 Tour we received was not the advertised tour due to the death of the Queen. When we finally met our Tour manager in ********* on Sept 11 she told me the only thing we could do is to fly home and possibly join another trip. If that was an option, I should have been told that on Sept. 8th and 9th when I called Collette. Even on 9/11 our tour manager could not tell us what we would do.Things promised and missed: tour of ****************, see the ******** Crown Jewels, tour of ****************, *******************, ***************** , ********************, ***************** and *******. Tour of ******* Castle, ******* was shut down all day. Descriptions were misleading, leisurely morning before taking in the beautiful ***** Countryside means boarding the coach at 8:30 am.The hotels were mixed, some were very nice, many were awful with mold in the showers, filthy carpets and an overwhelming odor of room deodorizer that made me sick.The coach had neither Wi-Fi nor charging ports and we spent a great deal of time on the Coach.I have emailed and called Collette repeatedly with no response.

  Customer Answer

  Date: 10/15/2022

  I have not heard from the business in response to my complaint. A representative of the business called me at 6 pm on Friday, Oct. 7, 2022.  He said he had received our complaint and wanted to review it.  He said he would call me on Monday, October 10.  I have not heard from ******* or this representative again and there has been no resolution.

  

  Business Response

  Date: 10/15/2022

  ***************** was part of a tour that departed September 10th.Due to the historic and unprecedented death of ***************************** the nation was in a period of morning and some sites were closed to the public.  Some road closures also caused logistical challenges,but the *********** Tour did operate with a local guide.
  Collettes Travel insurance provider Tripmate allows for cancellations up to 24 hours prior to the tour for any reason with a full refund minus the insurance waiver cost. The guests declined to purchase the travel protection plan on October 21, 2021, so if they decided to cancel they would have been at a 100% Penalty and would not have received a refund.
   The admission cost of ****************, **************, ************** Presold Option and ************* are being refunded to the guests. This tour goes to ******************* for a photo opportunity which did take place.
  For the day the tour has **************** scheduled the group had afternoon tea at Clermont, which is 2 blocks from **************** then drove along the south of Trafalgar with the local guide. The group then came back down the west side, he pointed out ******************** and portrait gallery before moving on to ******************** where the group then got out and walked as close to  ***************** as possible.
  Due to the missed tour aspects mentioned above Collette added in the Tower of ****** and ************** as a service recovery.
  I have spoken to the guest on the phone, but I will reach out again to offer a refund one of the hotel locations due to the room having issues.
  Please let me know if you have any additional questions.

  Customer Answer

  Date: 10/18/2022

  Better Business Bureau:I have reviewed the response submitted by the business and have determined that the response does not satisfy or resolve my issues and/or concerns in reference to complaint # ********. Please add your rejection comments below; if you do not provide any details, your complaint will be closed as Answered. 

  [You must provide details of why you are not satisfied with this resolution.  If you do not enter a reason for your rejection, your complaint will be closed as Answered.]
  
  Businesses and Customers should be civil, courteous and polite in their responses to complaints. It is important to remain professional and productive when participating in the BBB complaint process.
  
  FAQ
  
  Regards,

  ******