ComplaintsforPlan B Mountain Transportation

• Initial Complaint

  02/29/2024

  Complaint Type:

  Product Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  On December 9, 2023 I paid Plan B Transportation $850 to reserve a shuttle service for December 31, 2023. The reservation confirmation email says “**Cancelation: 100% of the total cost between 72 hours and the day of commencement of service. ++Please notify us right away if there are any schedule changes.” A picture of the cancelation policy is uploaded. The name of the picture is “Cancelation policy in email sent to customer.” There is no mention of cancelation fee in the email. On December 17, 2023, I called Plan B Transportation to cancel the shuttle reservation due to change in our travel plan. Plan B then informs me that there is a cancelation fee. I was surprised and tried to argue with Plan B that there is no mention of cancelation fee. Plan B owner (Derek Baum) insists on the cancelation charge. I later submitted a credit card transaction dispute. To my surprise Plan B sent a purported copy of the reservation confirmation email to the credit card company. In the purported copy of the email confirmation the cancelation policy mentions the cancelation charge. A picture of the purported confirmation email is also uploaded. The name of that picture is “Cancelation policy sent to credit card company.” The issue is simple. Plan B transportation conducts business in a deceiving manner. In order to deceive customers Plan B deliberately omits cancelation charge in the confirmation email actually sent to customers. In order to deceive the credit card company it then provides to the credit card company a different version of the reservation confirmation email that was purportedly sent to customers. Although the disputed cancelation charge is not that much money Plan B Transportation must be called out to bear the consequence for deliberately deceiving customers and the credit card company. I am happy to provide any further information BBB may need. Thank you.

  Business response

  03/04/2024

  We have been in business for 15 years, have a A+ rating with BBB and are highly recommended in our area for our service. I was very clear with our cancelation policy when I spoke with Mr. Lian about our cancellation policy that states if canceled prior to 72 hours of service date, there is a 3% cancellation fee applied toward refund (within 72 hours is fully charged/non-refundable). I realized that our reservations department sent the wrong confirmation e-mail with old cancellation policy. When discovered a few minutes later, a new e-mail confirmation was sent advising the updated policy. Mr. Lian is not being honest about his receipt of the updated cancellation policy. I also believe that he is upset because he lost his credit card dispute based on these guidelines.  Plan B submitted what was sent to the client to his credit card company as proof that it was sent to the client.  It has become standard practice with many businesses, especially travel related businesses, that the credit card service fee is passed on the customers. We run a very professional business and if there is at any time a situation that comes up where a guest is able to receive a full refund, it would be honored. We have never had a complaint of this nature and are not in the business of deceiving customers. We have great reputation in our community and strive to accommodate all our guests equally and fairly.  

  Customer response

  03/04/2024

  Plan B Transportation states that it “realized that [its] reservations department sent the wrong confirmation e-mail with old cancellation policy [which does not mention a cancelation charge regardless of time of cancelation].”  Plan B transportation states that “a new e-mail confirmation was sent advising the updated policy … when [the mistake was] discovered a few minutes later [after the mistaken email was sent.”
  

  THAT IS A LIE.
  

  There was only one confirmation email, which did not mention the cancelation charge regardless of time of cancelation.  This is no “new e-mail confirmation … a few minutes later.” The only subsequent email is Plan B Transportation informing me that a refund was issued after deducting the NEVER-BEFORE-MENTIONED cancelation charge.
  Indeed, when communicating with the credit card company regarding the disputed cancelation charge, Plan B stated that it “was very clear with [its cancelation] policies in [its] email confirmations.” Plan B attached ONE purported confirmation email which stated the cancelation charge outside of 72 hours. That is a MADE-UP email.
  When “confronted” with the picture of the actual confirmation email Plan B sent me (which did not mention the cancelation charge outside of 72 hours), Plan B stated that “a new e-mail confirmation was sent advising the updated policy … a few minutes [after it] realized that [its] reservations department sent the wrong confirmation e-mail with old cancellation policy.”
  

  THAT IS A SECOND LIE.
  

  As shown in the uploaded one and only confirmation email, the confirmation came from Derek Baum himself ([email protected]).  There is no “reservation department.” The statement “reservations department sent the wrong confirmation e-mail with old cancellation policy” is A LIE.

  Customer response

  03/04/2024

  Complaint: 21366569
  
  I am rejecting this response because:
  

  Plan B Transportation states that it “realized that [its] reservations department sent the wrong confirmation e-mail with old cancellation policy [which does not mention a cancelation charge regardless of time of cancelation].”  Plan B transportation states that “a new e-mail confirmation was sent advising the updated policy … when [the mistake was] discovered a few minutes later [after the mistaken email was sent.”
  THAT IS A LIE.
  There was only one confirmation email, which did not mention the cancelation charge regardless of time of cancelation.  This is no “new e-mail confirmation … a few minutes later.” The only subsequent email is Plan B Transportation informing me that a refund was issued after deducting the NEVER-BEFORE-MENTIONED cancelation charge.
  Indeed, when communicating with the credit card company regarding the disputed cancelation charge, Plan B stated that it “was very clear with [its cancelation] policies in [its] email confirmations.” Plan B attached ONE purported confirmation email which stated the cancelation charge outside of 72 hours. That is a MADE-UP email.
  When “confronted” with the picture of the actual confirmation email Plan B sent me (which did not mention the cancelation charge outside of 72 hours), Plan B stated that “a new e-mail confirmation was sent advising the updated policy … a few minutes [after it] realized that [its] reservations department sent the wrong confirmation e-mail with old cancellation policy.”
  THAT IS A SECOND LIE.
  As shown in the uploaded one and only confirmation email, the confirmation came from Derek Baum himself ([email protected]). There is no “reservation department.” The statement “reservations department sent the wrong confirmation e-mail with old cancellation policy” is A LIE.
  Regards,
  
  Lubing Lian

  Customer response

  03/04/2024

  Plan B Transportation states that it “realized that [its] reservations department sent the wrong confirmation e-mail with old cancellation policy [which does not mention a cancelation charge regardless of time of cancelation].”  Plan B transportation states that “a new e-mail confirmation was sent advising the updated policy … when [the mistake was] discovered a few minutes later [after the mistaken email was sent.”
  THAT IS A LIE.
  There was only one confirmation email, which did not mention the cancelation charge regardless of time of cancelation.  This is no “new e-mail confirmation … a few minutes later.” The only subsequent email is Plan B Transportation informing me that a refund was issued after deducting the NEVER-BEFORE-MENTIONED cancelation charge.
  When communicating with the credit card company regarding the disputed cancelation charge, Plan B stated that it “was very clear with [its cancelation] policies in [its] email confirmations.” Plan B attached ONE purported confirmation email which stated the cancelation charge outside of 72 hours. That is a MADE-UP email.
  When “confronted” with the picture of the actual confirmation email Plan B sent me (which did not mention the cancelation charge outside of 72 hours), Plan B stated that “a new e-mail confirmation was sent advising the updated policy … a few minutes [after it] realized that [its] reservations department sent the wrong confirmation e-mail with old cancellation policy.”
  THAT IS A SECOND LIE.
  As shown in the uploaded one and only confirmation email, the confirmation came from Derek Baum himself ([email protected]).  There is no “reservation department.” The statement “reservations department sent the wrong confirmation e-mail with old cancellation policy” is A LIE. 

  Customer response

  03/05/2024

  My issue is not really about the money. I cannot stand lying. 

  My family have spent Xmas skiing in Colorado or Utah for over ten years. The vast majority of shuttle providers are great and provide excellent service. We routinely tip the driver $150 to $200.  The vast majority of the shuttle providers (possibly all of them except for Plan B Transpiration) do not charge any cancelation fee outside of 24 hours. It would have been ok for Plan B to have blanket cancelation charge for any cancelation (even if a cancelation is a month in advance). It is a company's right to have an outlier policy that is opposite of the customary norm. However, the blanket cancelation charge was NEVER communicated to me. To make things worse, Derek Baum (owner of Plan B) deliberately lied to the credit card company and to BBB by providing a fabricated confirmation email that mentions the blanket cancelation charge. When "confronted" with the actual confirmation email sent to me, Derek Baum made additional lie by stating that the "reservation department" made a mistake by sending the "old" cancelation policy and a new confirmation email was sent "a few minutes later." There is no new confirmation email. There is no "reservation department". It is all a lie. The confirmation email came from Derek Baum himself, as shown in the attached confirmation email.  That is the only confirmation email, which did not mention the blanket cancelation charge. 

  Again, it is not about the money. I am happy to donate the quadruple amount of the cancelation charge to BBB or any OTHER shuttle providers in Colorado or Utah. I just cannot stand lying. 

  Thank you, BBB, for your help.

  Larry Lian

  215-982-0240

  Business response

  03/07/2024

  There is no reason to lie about anything stated in my last response.  Everything is accurate and exactly what the client received.  We do indeed have a reservations department and all e-mails go out from one e-mail address in our company.  It doesn’t matter if it’s accounting, operations, reservations or marketing, everything has my name attached to the e-mails.  It’s how correspondence is set up with my company.  Again, the accusations Mr. Lian mentions are concerning.  We have never had a complaint of this nature and feel he is exaggerating the situation.  We have many repeat clients over the years who love our service.  I do find it alarming that he received the initial confirmation email, but says he did not receive email that followed – should I accuse him of lying?  No, we would not stoop to such a level.  I hope Larry stands behind his donation to the BBB and any other entity he wants to donate his money to. It would be sad if he refused to donate because the outcome of his situation does not change. 

  Customer response

  03/18/2024

  Plan B Transportation states that it “realized that [its] reservations department sent the wrong confirmation e-mail with old cancellation policy [which does not mention a cancelation charge regardless of time of cancelation].”  Plan B transportation states that “a new e-mail confirmation was sent advising the updated policy … when [the mistake was] discovered a few minutes later [after the mistaken email was sent.”
  THAT IS A LIE.
  There was only one confirmation email, which did not mention the cancelation charge regardless of time of cancelation.  This is no “new e-mail confirmation … a few minutes later.” The only subsequent email is Plan B Transportation informing me that a refund was issued after deducting the NEVER-BEFORE-MENTIONED cancelation charge.
  Indeed, when communicating with the credit card company regarding the disputed cancelation charge, Plan B stated that it “was very clear with [its cancelation] policies in [its] email confirmations.” Plan B attached ONE purported confirmation email which stated the cancelation charge outside of 72 hours. That is a MADE-UP email.
  When “confronted” with the picture of the actual confirmation email Plan B sent me (which did not mention the cancelation charge outside of 72 hours), Plan B stated that “a new e-mail confirmation was sent advising the updated policy … a few minutes [after it] realized that [its] reservations department sent the wrong confirmation e-mail with old cancellation policy.”
  THAT IS A SECOND LIE.
  As shown in the uploaded one and only confirmation email, the confirmation came from Derek Baum himself ([email protected]).  There is no “reservation department.” The statement “reservations department sent the wrong confirmation e-mail with old cancellation policy” is A LIE.
  
  My issue is not really about the money. I cannot stand lying. 

  
  My family have spent Xmas skiing in Colorado or Utah for over ten years. The vast majority of shuttle providers are great and provide excellent service. We routinely tip the driver $150 to $200.  The vast majority of the shuttle providers (possibly all of them except for Plan B Transpiration) do not charge any cancelation fee outside of 24 hours. It would have been ok for Plan B to have blanket cancelation charge for any cancelation (even if a cancelation is a month in advance). It is a company's right to have an outlier policy that is opposite of the customary norm. However, the blanket cancelation charge was NEVER communicated to me. To make things worse, Derek Baum (owner of Plan B) deliberately lied to the credit card company and to BBB by providing a fabricated confirmation email that mentions the blanket cancelation charge. When "confronted" with the actual confirmation email sent to me, Derek Baum made additional lie by stating that the "reservation department" made a mistake by sending the "old" cancelation policy and a new confirmation email was sent "a few minutes later." There is no new confirmation email. There is no "reservation department". It is all a lie. The confirmation email came from Derek Baum himself, as shown in the attached confirmation email.  That is the only confirmation email, which did not mention the blanket cancelation charge. 
  Again, it is not about the money. I am happy to donate the quadruple amount of the cancelation charge to BBB or any OTHER shuttle providers in Colorado or Utah. I just cannot stand lying. 
  

  Please display this message to the public if at all possible. 

  Thank you.

*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. ↩