ComplaintsforTours of Distinction, Inc.

• Initial Complaint

  03/08/2024

  Complaint Type:

  Product Issues

  Status:

  Resolved

  More info

  Deposit of $500.00 plus $373.00 for travel ins. for an "Escorted cruise to ******" on March 4, 2023. Had subsequent amounts of $1,500.00 paid on 9/19/23 and balance paid $3,242.00 on 11/13/23. Received a call from Tours of Distinction on Feb.2,2024 (13 days before) that my trip would not be happening due to a "miss communication between *** (********* ****** ****) and this company", on my original dates. Could not go on the rescheduled dates of 3/7 - 3/17'24 due to a previous commitment. I have e-mailed, called company and I can't get a date when my refund check is being mailed. Sent a certified letter on Feb. 5, '24 requesting our refunds ( there were two other couples that booked for the same cruise) by Feb. 19, 2024 but did not get a reply. Did not get a call back when I was told by Kim at TOD that the bookkeeper was not in yet but would check and call me back. She never did. Hoping you can help.

  Business response

  03/20/2024

  There was a change of date in the tour and we offered to move or refund the traveler. Said traveler chose a refund which can take 30-90 days. Her check has been mailed and the check number is *****.

  Customer response

  03/22/2024

  
  Better Business Bureau:
  
  I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID ********, and find that this resolution is satisfactory to me.
  
  Sincerely,
  
  ******** ** ******

• Initial Complaint

  09/26/2023

  Complaint Type:

  Product Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  IN JULY 2022 I SIGNED UP FOR A TRAVEL TOUR TO OF *******, ********* & ********* ** with TOURS OF DISTINCTION of S******** **. The tour was one week and I was meeting a friend who also signed up for the trip. I gave a $400 deposit. The tour cost $3,499. I still owed $3,099 and the balance was due by July 1, 2023. I paid the balance of $3,099 on June 28, 2023. Both the deposit and balance were paid directly from my checking account to TOURS OF DISTINCTION. No credit card was involved. The company had poor communication and whenever I called them to ask when my travel documents would be delivered or to ask a question about my airline arrangements, the representative, Elizabeth, would always rush me off of the telephone and interrupt me and gave several "excuses" as to why she could not help me. One week before departure, I called again to ask when I would receive my travel documents and then they told me the trip was going to be cancelled because a few people had dropped out. I asked when I could expect my $3,499 refund? Elizabeth said they would have to cut me a check and it would be within 2 weeks. It is now over 2 weeks and I still have not received my refund. I desperately need this money for other things now such as food, bills, etc. I called once more on September 25, 2023 and left a message and another email. No one has called me back or emailed me. I don't know what else to do to get my refund. Please help me!

  Business response

  09/26/2023

  Ms. ******** booked through our website via her checking account. Her refund is due and it is being processed by check. Refunds cannot be issued to a bank account more than 180 days after the initial payment was made. This was explained and it is disappointing that a complaint was opened with the BBB. Processing a refund can take up to 30 days per our terms and conditions and the accounting team is in the process of issuing a check for the full amount of monies paid.

  Customer response

  09/27/2023

  
  Complaint: ********
  
  I am rejecting this response because: As I stated in my original complaint, the company has very poor communication and I do not trust their response to BBB to be accurate and true until I have actually received the check. As I also stated earlier their representative, Elizabeth, told me VERBATIM that it would take 2 weeks to receive my check. It was NOT explained that it would take longer than that. Again, the reason seems to be because SHE was not given accurate information by her accounting department OR she did not care to provide me with an accurate time frame. If she had done that, I would not have had to file the complaint. Perhaps this can be a learning experience for the company to try to do a better job in COMMUNICATING important information with their customers. One final thing, as I stated earlier, the communication has been very poor throughout this entire transaction. When I receive my refund, then I will be satisfied. But, not until then,

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

  Customer response

  10/07/2023

  HELLO. I WANTED TO UPDATE THE BBB TEAM IN REGARDS TO MY ORIGINAL COMPLAINT. THE LAST TELEPHONE CONVERSATION I HAD WITH TOURS OF DISTINCTION WAS ON SEPTEMBER 11, 2023. THAT WAS THE DAY THEY CANCELLED MY TRIP. SINCE THEY HAVE INSTRUCTED BBB THAT I WOULD BE RECEIVING MY FULL REFUND OF $3,499 WITHIN 30 DAYS OF CANCELLATION, I WANTED TO ADVISE THAT AS OF TODAY, SATURDAY, OCTOBER 7, I STILL HAVE NOT YET RECEIVED MY MONIES. I WILL WAIT UNTIL THE 30 DAYS HAS PASSED WHICH WILL BE WEDNESDAY OCTOBER 11 AND IF STILL NOT RECEIVED, I WILL LET YOU KNOW AND ADD THIS TO MY COMPLAINT. 

  ALSO, AFTER MY ORIGINAL COMPLAINT, THE TOUR COMPANY MADE NO EFFORT TO CONTACT ME EITHER BY PHONE OR EMAIL. NOTHING. THIS WOULD CONFIRM MY COMPLAINT THAT THEIR COMMUNICATION WAS VERY POOR. THANK YOU

  Customer response

  10/14/2023

  HELLO. I WANTED TO ADVISE BBB THAT IT IS PAST THE 30 DAYS WHEN I WOULD HAVE RECEIVED MY REFUND OF $3,499 FROM TOURS OF DISTINCTION. I ALSO WANT TO ADVISE YOU THAT BOTH I AND MY FRIEND WHO WAS GOING ON THIS TOUR WITH ME HAVE RECEIVED CONFLICTING AND DIFFERENT INFORMATION DEPENDING ON WHO WE TALK TO WHEN WE CALL TOURS OF DISTINCTION. SHE HAS NOT RECEIVED HER REFUND EITHER.

  I EMAILED SUSANA AT TOUR OF DISTINCTION TO ASK WHEN I COULD EXPECT MY REFUND. SUSANA TOLD ME "WE ISSUED YOUR REFUND CHECK ON SEPTEMBER 20 AND WHILE WE DON'T GO TO THE POST OFFICE EVERY DAY, IT SHOULD HAVE BEEN MAILED OUT SHORTLY AFTER THAT".  THIS IS CONFLICTING INFORMATION, SINCE WHEN TOURS OF DISTINCTION WAS CONTACTED BY BBB ON SEPTEMBER 27, THEIR ORIGINAL REPLY WAS "IT WOULD TAKE 30 DAYS TO BE REFUNDED". IT THATS THE CASE, WHERE IS MY REFUND?

  I CONTACTED TOURS OF DISTINCTION AGAIN ON OCTOBER 9 AND THEY SAID THEY WOULD RE-ISSUE IT. TODAY IS OCTOBER 14 AND I STILL HAVE NOT RECEIVED IT. I TRULY BELIEVE THAT TOURS OF DISTINCTION IS TRYING TO SCAM ME AND KEEP MY MONEY. I ALSO BELIEVE THIS CAN BE CONSTRUED AS "ELDER ABUSE" SINCE I AM ** YEARS OLD. 

  THEY REPLY TO BBB AND TO ME AS IF THEY ARE A LEGITIMATE COMPANY, BUT I DO NOT BELIEVE THIS TO BE TRUE. I AM ASKING BBB TO CONTINUE WITH MY COMPLAINT AND PROVIDE ME WITH OPTIONS THAT I CAN MOVE FORWARD WITH TO RE-CLAIM MY REFUND. PLEASE ADVISE ME OF ARBITRATION OR MEDIATION. THIS IS CAUSING ME MUCH STRESS AND HEALTH PROBLEMS. 

   

  THANK YOU

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

  Customer response

  10/16/2023

  GOOD MORNING. I RECEIVE A DAILY EMAIL SHOWING WHAT THE POST OFFICE IS DELIVERING TO ME. TODAY IT APPEARS THERE MAY BE AN ENVELOPE WITH A CHECK FROM TOURS OF DISTINCTION HOWEVER I HAVE A MAIL HOLD DUE TO A FAMILY OBLIGATION AND WILL BE OUT OF TOWN FOR 2 WEEKS. THEREFORE, I CANNOT OPEN MY MAIL UNTIL I RETURN. I WILL NOTIFY YOU UPON  MY RETURN AND ONCE I HAVE OPENED MY MAIL. THANK YOU

• Initial Complaint

  12/20/2022

  Complaint Type:

  Product Issues

  Status:

  Resolved

  More info

  I booked a trip in May 2022 with my mother the day she was diagnosed with cancer for the 2nd time after being in remission for a few years. The trip was cancelled due to low number of people booking. They state on their website that they have 90 days to refund money. They claimed to have mailed a check on the 31st of October, then a second when the first didn’t arrive around Thanksgiving. Well, the second never arrived… the now claim that they had the wrong address…. I can see the address on file and it is correct. They don’t answer the phone, return voicemails or emails. Very frustrating company to deal with. It is now 140 since they canceled the trip, 50 days over the 90 day refund policy.

  Business response

  01/19/2023

  This refund has long been sent and refund has been cashed. We do apologize for the delay in getting this out.

  Thank you.

  Customer response

  01/19/2023

  
  Better Business Bureau:
  
  I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID ********, and find that this resolution is satisfactory to me.
  
  Sincerely,
  
  ******* ****

• Initial Complaint

  11/23/2022

  Complaint Type:

  Product Issues

  Status:

  Resolved

  More info

  I booked a trip for my parents 50th wedding anniversary. I booked the early in the year if 2021. I made 3 payments over the year totalling $3738.00. The trip was for May 2022. The trip was cancelled by the company because my parents were the only ones in the group to book. We were only informed of the canceled trip through an email. We were then offered a credit or refund. At first we accepted a credit but my parents could not decide on a trip. We then asked in July 2022 for a refund. I still have received my refund. I have emailed and called repeatedly and have been given no resolution. I have been calling daily (during their business hours) since 11/17 and no one is returning my calls. We simply want our refund.

  Business response

  12/05/2022

  Thank you for your feedback. Nicole is correct and we apologize in the delay of the refund check being sent. It has officially been sent in the full stated amount. 

   

  Tours of Distinction.

  Customer response

  12/05/2022

  
  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. I have received my refund in the mail today 12/5/22.
  
  Sincerely,
  
  ****** *********

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