Complaints

• Initial Complaint

  07/30/2024

  Complaint Type:

  Service or Repair Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  Hello. My name is ************************* and am requesting a full refund for the tour my family and I took to **** on 7/17 in Hawaii for several reasons. According to *****************************, the driver, the alternator and battery light illuminated the dash before the tour began in a ********************************* **** he also stated he notified management early morning before tour began unbeknownst to us. Due to proper precautions not being taken, the van we were in not only broke down, the air conditioning stopped working multiple times throughout the tour. *** well being of the guests was not considered knowing that the route that was being taken would not allow for cell service or any type of assistance in the ten hour trek alongside a mountain. We were without AC for so long the 80 year old man on the bus was sweating profusely. *** title of the tour states luxury tour to the Road to **** *** vehicle we were in was very outdated and should have been replaced at the start of the tour to ensure the safety of all Guests on board. Submitting a refund in full would be in the best due to negligence and the unsafe tactics provided by Stardust.>>>> Let me add that once broken down, we were taken dangerously from One van to the other in the middle of the road with barely any room to walk on a very hazardous busy roadway.We have been threatened by this company to be charged for a few items of trash left in the van while trying to exit dangerously onto a busy roadway to board a new vehicle. We were also threatened to be charged for being late when we were 5 min late it was the driver at the wrong locations. ********************* / Manager, has refused to issue a refund stating the tour was completed. *** last 4 hours of the tour involved no air conditioning, refusing to allow us to eat and drink in the van while we were all sweating profusely and had no cell service to call for help. When finally in an area with cell service, an hour has went by. *** van stopped working in a busy intersection.

  Business response

  07/30/2024

  I want to clarify a few points regarding the issues you raised:
  1.Vehicle Operation: *** vehicle was in full working order at the start of the tour. We had no concerns regarding its operation when the tour began. Unfortunately, the vehicle experienced a breakdown on the way back, approximately 40 minutes from **************
  2.Immediate Action: As soon as the vehicle broke down, we took swift action and provided a replacement vehicle within 15 minutes. We managed to safely transfer all passengers to the spare vehicle and continued to ensure everyones safety and comfort.
  3.Air Conditioning: *** air conditioning issue ****** mentioned occurred towards the end of the tour. *** problem was promptly addressed, and within 15 minutes, all passengers were moved to the replacement vehicle. ****** claims of being without A/C for four hours is inaccurate.
  4.Tour Experience: Despite the vehicle issue, ****** was able to experience the tour as scheduled and were returned to her hotel without delay. We are proud of how quickly and professionally we handled the situation.
  5.Refund Request: While we acknowledge the inconvenience caused, we believe that a full refund is not justified given that the tour was completed as promised. We offered a 10% discount as a gesture of goodwill, which was declined.
  6.Other Concerns: We regret to hear about ******* dissatisfaction, but we must address some concerns: the tour was delayed by 20 minutes due to her late arrival, and there were issues with the condition of the vehicle left by her group. Additionally, the amount requested for a refund is more than what was originally paid for the tour.
  We aim to provide high-quality experiences for all our guests and take feedback seriously. I hope this clarifies our position. If you have any further questions or concerns, please let us know.
  
  

  In the attached photo ****** took, you can see in the background our spare vehicle. 

   

  Please also refer to the correspondence with ******:

   

  
  -----Original Message-----
  From: ******************************* <*******************************> 
  Sent: Thursday, July 25, 2024 8:56 PM
  To: '*************************' <**********************>
  Cc: ********************************* <*******************************>
  Subject: RE: In response to your message regarding Road to **** on 7/17
  Importance: High
  
  Dear ******,
  
  Thank you for your feedback regarding your recent tour experience. I genuinely regret that the tour did not meet your expectations and want to address your concerns directly.
  
  Firstly, Id like to clarify that there is no official grace ****** for pickups. As stated in the confirmation email sent prior to your tour, the pickup time was 5:40 AM, with a recommendation to arrive 5 minutes earlier to avoid delays. This information was provided to ensure that all guests could be accommodated promptly.
  
  *** vehicle's breakdown was an unforeseen circumstance. We extend our apologies for any inconvenience this caused and appreciate your understanding that breakdowns, while unfortunate, do not reflect the overall quality of our vehicles. All our vans are ******** Sprinters, known for their luxury and reliability. Despite this incident, the luxury standard of our vehicles remains unchanged.
  
  Regarding the cleanliness of the vehicle, we appreciate your feedback and want to remind guests that our vans are equipped with trash cans for convenience. We request that all guests use them to maintain a pleasant environment for everyone.
  
  We are concerned about your mention of distress and would like to review any videos you have that capture the situation. Please share them with us so we can better understand and address the issues you faced.
  
  As for the cell phone reception and dashboard lights, while we understand these can be frustrating, they are beyond our control, and we strive to manage any issues as promptly as possible. Our team took immediate action to resolve the situation by dispatching a replacement vehicle as quickly as possible.
  
  We recognize your dissatisfaction and would like to offer a 10% discount on a future tour as a gesture of goodwill for the inconvenience you experienced.
  
  Thank you again for bringing these matters to our attention. We hope to have the opportunity to provide you with a more satisfactory experience in the future.
  
  With Warmest Aloha,
  
  ********************* / Manager
  Stardust Hawaii, LLC
  ************
  ******************************* 
  www.StardustHawaii.com  
  
  
  -----Original Message-----
  From: ************************* <**********************> 
  Sent: Thursday, July 25, 2024 11:23 AM
  To: *******************************
  Subject: Re: In response to your message regarding Road to **** on 7/17
  
  This is unacceptable!
  
  We were told there was a 15 minute grace ****** and we were 5 minutes over which has nothing to do with an unsafe tour and the total disregard to notification that your vehicle was in distress and needed attention immediately. This was overlooked instead of addressed. *** vehicle did not promptly pick us up, from the first phone call to pick up was clearly an hour. *** vehicle that picked us up was much newer and well kept than the run down clunker that we were in. 
  
  I hope you didnt expect us to sit there in no AC and breaking down on the side of a mountain with no cell Service to not eat or drink anything when we have little ones? I am a nurse by day and I was also Concerned with the elderly in front of me. Picking up a bag of chips or a water bottle was not our concern as we were having to switch vehicles in an unsafe manner. So what started out pleasant ended up a nightmare tour. Your title Luxury was a typo and misleading. I will go ahead and file a claim as well As leave reviews with videos of a hazardous tour led by Stardust Alliance. Again would you like to see the videos of the distress, the crying from little one, the worry and panic of no cell service. As well as ***** letting us know that he informed his boss around the early hours of morning of the issues of the vehicle? This is what Ill gladly inform the tourists of Hawaii since you think since the tour was completed that we are not owed a refund for negligence. Thank God that none of us were hurt, hyperventilated, had heat stroke, got hit by a car, didnt have to walk miles up a mountain, and/or didnt run out of water. You were negligent and put the well being of your tourists at risk knowing the vehicle needed attention, had another newer vehicle available and ignored it and allowed the tour to continue. 
  
  Thank you for your response 
  
  *************************
  ************
  
  
  Sent from my iPhone
  
  > On Jul 24, 2024, at 5:41?PM, ******************************* wrote:
  > 
  > Dear ******,
  > 
  > Thank you for reaching out to us regarding your recent tour experience to **** on July 17th. We appreciate your feedback and the opportunity to address your concerns.
  > 
  > We apologize for the inconveniences you encountered with the vehicle during the tour. While the van did experience issues towards the end of the journey, we are pleased to confirm that we were able to complete the tour as scheduled and provided a spare vehicle promptly. Our priority was to ensure the safety and comfort of all our guests, and we made every effort to transfer everyone safely back to their hotels.
  > 
  > Regarding your request for a full refund, we understand your disappointment; however, as the tour was completed as promised and operated according to the scheduled itinerary, we believe the tour's value was delivered. ***refore, we find no grounds for issuing a refund in this instance.
  > 
  > Additionally, we would like to address a few points regarding your feedback. Our records indicate that your family was approximately 20 minutes late for the scheduled pickup time. While our policy is to depart on time, the driver exercised discretion and waited for your arrival without any notification of delay, which we understand was a courtesy extended in good faith.
  > 
  > Furthermore, we regret to inform you that the condition in which the vehicle was left after your tour was concerning. Our team discovered that the area your family sat was left in a significantly untidy state. We kindly request all guests to treat our vehicles with respect to ensure they remain in good condition for future tours. It was noted that our policy regarding no eating or drinking inside the van was not adhered to. We understand that this may have contributed to the condition of the vehicle after the tour, which was found to be littered with food and garbage.
  > 
  > Typically, there is a charge for additional cleaning required due to violations of our policy. However, as a gesture of goodwill in this instance, we will waive any additional charges for the cleaning of the van. Please understand that this decision is made in consideration of your overall experience with us. We value your feedback and apologize for any inconvenience caused. Our aim is to provide an enjoyable and comfortable experience for all our guests, and we appreciate your understanding and cooperation in adhering to our policies in the future.
  > 
  > Should you have any further questions or concerns, please do not hesitate to contact us directly.
  > 
  > 
  > With Warmest Aloha,
  > 
  > ********************* / Manager
  > Stardust Hawaii, LLC
  > ************
  > *******************************
  > www.StardustHawaii.com  
  > 
  > 
  > 
  > You wrote on 7/24/2024:
  > Hello. My name is ************************* and am requesting a full refund for the tour my family and I took to **** on 7/17 for several reasons. According to *****************************, the driver, the alternator and battery light illuminated the dash before the tour began, he also stated you were notified early on. Due to proper precautions not being taken, the van we were in not only broke down, the air conditioning stopped working multiple times throughout the tour. *** well being of the guests was not considered knowing that the route that was being taken would not allow for cell service or any type of assistance in the three hour trek alongside a mountain. We were without AC for so long the 80 year old man on the bus was sweating profusely. *** title of the tour states luxury tour to tue Road to **** *** vehicle we were in was very outdated and should have been replaced at the start of the tour to ensure the safety of all Guests on board. Submitting a refund in full would be in the best interest of Stardust Alliance. Thank you
  > 
  > Let me add that once broken down, we were taken dangerously from One van to the other in the middle of the road with barely any room to walk on a very hazardous busy roadway.
  > 
  > 
  > 
  
  

  Customer response

  07/31/2024

   
  Complaint: 22049974
  
  I am rejecting this response because: want to clarify a few points regarding the issues you raised: Please see my responses to each response givin by Stardust Alliance.

   

  
  1.Vehicle Operation: The vehicle was in full working order at the start of the tour. We had no concerns regarding its operation when the tour began. Unfortunately, the vehicle experienced a breakdown on the way back, approximately 40 minutes from **************

  -------------This vehicle was not in full working order, the dash lights were on stating it needed attention immediately. Owner fully aware of issues and instructed driver to continue down dangerous path (drivers words) with the possibility of the vehicle breaking down putting all ********************* danger. Driver also stated this has happened before to this vehicle. Very negligent to put this vehicle on such a long drive through mountainous terrain with the possibility of breakdown. 

  
  2.Immediate Action: As soon as the vehicle broke down, we took swift action and provided a replacement vehicle within 15 minutes. We managed to safely transfer all passengers to the spare vehicle and continued to ensure everyones safety and comfort.

  -------Action was not taken immediately since we did not have cell service for almost 30 minutes before contact to owner. The side of the mountain in one area was shut down due to workers knocking down loose rock, which caused us all to perspire heavily and demand water. On top of the vehicle loosing AC, it losts it power window control ability, windows were not able to be brought down in which the heat was immense and unbearable.  Transfer of guests was not safe and very hazardous on a busy roadway in rush hour traffic. 

  3.Air Conditioning: The air conditioning issue ****** mentioned occurred towards the end of the tour. The problem was promptly addressed, and within 15 minutes, all passengers were moved to the replacement vehicle. ****** claims of being without A/C for four hours is inaccurate.

   

  ------------We were without AC for almost 90 minutes, not four hours, never stated. As well as no air from the outside since the power in the windows was not working properly either. 

  
  4.Tour Experience: Despite the vehicle issue, ****** was able to experience the tour as scheduled and were returned to her hotel without delay. We are proud of how quickly and professionally we handled the situation.

   

  ------------This amount of money for tour requires beginning to end seamless and pleasant experience. This was by far seamless nor pleasant. 
  

  5.Refund Request: While we acknowledge the inconvenience caused, we believe that a full refund is not justified given that the tour was completed as promised. We offered a 10% discount as a gesture of goodwill, which was declined.

   

  ------Please read owners response in his own words below, 10% was offered on a future tour not as a refund. I declined a future tour which is correct. 

  
  6.Other Concerns: We regret to hear about ******* dissatisfaction, but we must address some concerns: the tour was delayed by 20 minutes due to her late arrival, and there were issues with the condition of the vehicle left by her group. Additionally, the amount requested for a refund is more than what was originally paid for the tour.

   

  -------Very dishonest response, tour was delayed due to driver being at wrong location to pick us up, I was actually 5 min exactly behind. Conditions being mentioned would be a chip bag and an empty water bottle and I believe a towel. Really far fetched and exaggerated to say the least. Refund amount due to excess spending having to stop and spend time in stores gaining air exposure for my children. 

   

  
  
  In the attached photo ****** took, you can see in the background our spare vehicle. 

   

  -------Yes spare vehicle was in photo showing that this is what should have been offered on this tour in the first place instead of playing Russian roulette with our lives. 
  
  Sincerely,
  
  *************************

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