ComplaintsforImpact Adventure LLC

• Initial Complaint

  09/14/2023

  Complaint Type:

  Product Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  I am the attorney for *********************** who had paid Impact Adventures by ******** Missions $29,874 for housing and other acommodations related to a church mission trip for the dates of July 11 to July 20, 2023. The promised assistance with the missionary trip and safe accommodations were not provided. The housing was not ready for human occupancy. There were limited and inadequate sanitary facilities and no showers, bedding, or sufficient water supply. The church needed to get other housing for their members at their own effort and expense. It was evident that Impact Adventures by ******** was never intending to provide the safe housing, food and services they offered when they accepted the $29,874. The church was told that a refund would be discussed but now any refund has been refused by Impact Adventures by *****************Please assist with resolution.

  Business response

  11/06/2023

  Mazatln Missions is a 501(c)(3) organization that organizes and executes short-term service trip opportunities to many different destinations. I, *****************************, am the director of Mazatln Missions. Grace ********** and Mazatln Missions entered into an agreement on June 12, 2023 when Grace ********** paid an invoice for 26 participants to serve in *******************, ****** on July *****, 2023. I was the Mazatln Missions staff designated to direct the Grace ********** team during their service trip dates in *******************, ******. All communication prior to the July ***** trip was between the Grace ********** youth director and myself. During the dates of July *****, 2023, another staff volunteer from ******* was on site in *********, ***, ******, as well as a ******* family (husband, wife and 3 teenage children), who were contracted to assist in leading work projects, cook / meal preparation, and serve as translators for the Grace ********** team. The American staff volunteer and this ******* family can verify the truthfulness of all statements / descriptions found below. 
  
  When Grace ********** entered into an agreement (by paying the invoice on June 112, 2023) with Mazatln Missions to execute a service trip to *******************, ******, the agreement is bound by and in accordance with the Terms and Conditions page found on the Impact Adventure website. The Terms and Conditions clearly state that Cancellation and Refund 60+ days before departure, IA (Impact Adventure) retains deposit per person. 59 days or less before departure, IA retains 100% of the trip cost. All refunds will be processed according to the manner in which you paid. If you choose to leave a trip in progress for any reason, it will result in the loss of your entire trip fees. No refunds will be made for any unused portion of a trip. I, (*****************************) clearly communicated multiple times to the Grace ********** youth director on Friday, July 14, 2023, prior to his decision to terminate the agreement with Mazatln Missions, that no refund would be given, nor negotiations regarding funds would be considered, mid-week during a 10-day service trip. Again, this policy was firmly stated to the Grace ********** youth director multiple times on Friday, July 14. 
  
  I am the attorney for *********************** who had paid Impact Adventures by ******** Missions $29,874 for housing and other acommodations related to a church mission trip for the dates of July 11 to July 20, 2023. To reiterate, Grace ********** and Mazatln Missions entered into an agreement on June 12, 2023 when Grace ********** paid their invoice for 26 participants to serve in *******************, ****** on July *****, 2023. This agreement is bound by and in accordance with the Terms and Conditions page found on the Impact Adventure website. Again, the Terms and Conditions clearly state that Cancellation and Refund 60+ days before departure, IA (Impact Adventure) retains deposit per person. 59 days or less before departure, IA retains 100% of the trip cost. All refunds will be processed according to the manner in which you paid. If you choose to leave a trip in progress for any reason, it will result in the loss of your entire trip fees. No refunds will be made for any unused portion of a trip. 
  
   
  
  The Grace ********** team of adults and students arrived to *******************, ****** on Tuesday, July 11. The youth director unilaterally chose to terminate the service agreement on Friday, July 14, 2023 at 4pm when they checked out of the ********* Skate Park (the facility where the service team was lodged and where meals were provided). By vacating the lodging facility, choosing a different lodging facility and coordinating their own meals, and also NOT fulfilling the work projects and community engagement scheduled for the dates of July *****, 2023, the Grace ********** youth director unilaterally terminated the service agreement with Mazatln Missions.
  
  I (*****************************) clearly communicated to the Grace ********** youth director, prior to his decision to terminate the agreement with Mazatln Missions, that no refund would be given, nor negotiations regarding funds would be considered, mid-week during a 10-day service trip. This policy was firmly stated to the Grace ********** youth director multiple times on Friday, July 14.
  
  The promised assistance with the missionary trip and safe accommodations were not provided. Mazatln Missions organizes and directs multiple service trips for volunteer teams each year. In *******************, ******, our organization coordinates lodging, meals, work projects and community engagement with local churches, schools, and the larger community. Our organization has executed 20 different service trips for teams to *********, Baja Claifornia Sur, ****** in the last 12 years. The Grace ********** youth director and the Mazatln Missions director agreed upon a schedule for the dates of July *****, 2023. Via e-mails, texts, and phone conversations between the Grace ********** youth director and myself, the different specifics of lodging, meals, work projects and community engagement were discussed and customized. All of these aspects were in place, and were being executed, when the youth director unilaterally chose to terminate their agreement with Mazatln Missions on July 14. 
  
   
  
  The housing was not ready for human occupancy. The lodging at the ******************* is a large dorm-style building, divided into 4 different sleeping areas. Prior to the ********************** arriving at the facility, three other service teams utilized this facility in March 2023. There were no complaints or concerns from the 35 different adults and students who served the ********* community during these March 2023 service trip dates. The Grace ********** team occupied the facility on Thursday, June ********************************************************************************************************** the facility. Another service team of 16 participants utilized the lodging facility (July *****, 2023), starting on July 18, 2023, four days after the Grace ********** team departed. This team enjoyed the lodging and the meals at the lodging facility. This team had no complaints or concerns. Mazatln Missions staff and other volunteers also stayed in this facility after the Grace ********** team departed. No concerns were communicated from the other volunteers and staff.
  
   
  
  There were limited and inadequate sanitary facilities and no showers, bedding, or sufficient water supply. The ******************* has 4 toilets and 4 showers right next to the lodging / kitchen facility. The service teams (***** volunteers and staff) in March 2023 utilized these sanitary facilities for over 3 weeks, and there were no complaints or concerns. The second July 2023 team of 16 participants also utilized these sanitary facilities during their service trip. There were no complaints or concerns about the sanitary facilities, showers or water supply. The toilets and showers work very well, and are sufficient for a service team of 25 or more participants. 
  
   
  
  The Grace ********** youth director understood via e-mail on June 8th that participants will need to bring an inflatable mattress, a set of twin sheets or sleeping bag, and a pillow. A sleeping bag is optional, because July is hot. The Grace ********** youth director agreed to this condition, and their team provided their own inflatable mattresses and bedding as agreed between Mazatln Missions and Grace **********. 
  
   
  
  The ******************* has sufficient water supply. There was never an issue regarding water availability for toilets and showers during the month of July 2023. Because ******************* is a desert, water conservation is of great importance. Participants are asked to conserve water at all times to recognize that we are serving in a desert environment.
  
   
  
  The church needed to get other housing for their members at their own effort and expense. When the team arrived Tuesday, July 11, the Grace ********** youth director complained that the lodging facility was too hot and that Mazatln Missions needed to locate and pay for a hotel for their team of 26 participants. I (*****************************) clearly stated, multiple times, that Mazatln Missions does NOT house teams in hotels, and any change regarding accommodations would be the sole decision/responsibility of the Grace ********** youth director. The Grace ********** youth director chose not to lodge his team at the ******************* on Tuesday July 11 and Wednesday July 12. Grace ********** chose their hotel for Tuesday, July 11, and Mazatln Missions set up lodging for July 12. It is my understanding that Grace ********** paid for the hotel on July 11, and Mazatln Missions paid for the lodging for July 12. As of October 5, 2023, no receipts for July 11 lodging have been provided to Mazatln Missions.
  
   
  
  It was evident that Impact Adventures by ******** was never intending to provide the safe housing, food and services they offered when they accepted the $29,874. This accusation of intent and motive is blatantly false. Safe housing, food and services were in place when the youth director terminated the agreement on Friday, July 14, 2023. The statement that Impact Adventures by Mazatln never intending to provide save housing, food and services is false. Work projects and community engagement continued after the Grace ********** team broke their agreement. Four days after the Grace ********** youth director unilaterally chose to terminate their agreement with Mazatln Missions, a different service team of 16 participants enjoyed the facilities provided by Mazatln Missions. This second July 2023 service team participated with Impact Adventure / Mazatln Missions for 10 days. The leadership and students of this July ***** team thoroughly enjoyed the facilities at the ********* Skate Park. This second service team utilized, and participated with, the same lodging, meals, work projects and community engagement as was scheduled for the **********************.
  
   
  
  Other volunteers and service staff stayed at the lodging facility in July 2023 after the Grace ********** team departed, and the second service team of 16 enjoyed the accommodations from July *****, 2023. The lodging is safe, the food is excellent, and the work projects and community engagement is rewarding, according to other service teams that have participated with Mazatln Missions in *******************, ******.
  
   
  
  This complaint is the first mention of anything related to food or meals. Mazatln Missions contracts with local cooks and/or churches to provide meals for service teams. Two cooks were contracted to prepare and serve meals for the two service teams in July 2023. Grace ********** consumed 7 of the 8 meals scheduled during their days serving with Mazatln Missions. I asked the Grace ********** participants multiple times during their meals, how is the food? The adults and students consistently answered, delicious, excellent, better than restaurants, and other complimentary statements.
  
   
  
  Mazatln Missions has utilized the ********* Skate Park as a destination for service teams in *********, ***, ******. Over the last 14 years, Mazatln Missions has invested significant effort and resources to improve the facilities at the ********* Skate Park. We have hosted multiple teams at the ********* Skate Park, and directed numerous activities and community outreaches with the various service teams who have enjoyed the ********* Skate Park. The facilities are safe, food is delicious and abundant, and work projects and community engagement are coordinated specifically for each service team.
  
   
  
  The church was told that a refund would be discussed but now any refund has been refused by Impact Adventures by ********. Please assist with resolution. I never stated that a refund would be discussed. On Friday, July 14, the Grace ********** youth director approached me, ***************************** (director of Mazatln Missions) and stated that he wanted to move his team to a different lodging facility, i.e. a local hotel. In this conversation, the Grace ********** youth director declared that he wanted to negotiate, and that Mazatln Missions should pay for the lodging at a hotel and also the associated meals for the remainder of their time in ******. I clearly stated, multiple times during this conversation, that no refunds are given within 59 days of the service trip dates. I stated that adequate lodging was currently being provided at the ********* Skate Park, that the meals had been paid for and prepared for his team, and that the work projects and community engagement was happening. I clearly stated multiple times the termination of the service agreement between Grace ********** and Mazatln Missions would be a unilateral decision on the part of the Grace ********** youth pastor. I told the youth director during this conversation on July 14, 2023 that any reimbursement for their one night hotel stay on July 11, 2023 would need to be discussed once their trip was completed, not negotiated on the side of a dirt road in the desert of ******. I have not heard from the Grace ********** youth director since their team return from ****** on July 20, 2023. 
  
  
  
  *****************************
  Director - Mazatln Missions /  Impact Adventure
  ************ cell

  Customer response

  11/08/2023

   
  Complaint: 20592363
  
  I am rejecting this response because:  My client believes this response is not accurate nor satisfactory.

  My client has provided a reply to the response as attached:

  There are many inconsistencies with the response provided by Impact Adventures by ******** Missions.  In short, they failed to provide "communications, arrangements and accommodations as promised. Any assertion that Grace ********** and their representatives have not attempted to contact and resolve this issue are false.  If Impact Adventures by ******** wishes to discuss resolution I recommend they or their legal representative (if there is one) contact *************************** in the next 10 days to discuss resolution at ************.

  Sincerely,
  
  ***************************, Attorney for Grace **********

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