ComplaintsforPenny Pinching Globetrotter

• Initial Complaint

  12/07/2023

  Complaint Type:

  Product Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  10-10-23-Started interacting with Melissa regarding concerns about Egypt trip due to war happening. State Department issues warnings that tourist cites as well as US Citizens could be targets of terrorism in Middle East. 10-25-23-Melissa sent me a message on WhatsApp with the following offer for the Egypt trip: Intrepid-75% refund and Penny Pinching Globetrotter-25% credit. I agreed and subsequently asked her if using the refund would be weird (as she was upset that I advocated for a refund for this trip by contacting CEO of Intrepid. I did so because the person in charge of the Tailor Made Trips would not return my calls). See attached for her response on WhatsApp. 11-13-23-Tried to use credit for a trip to La Paz but Melissa said the trip sold out 30 minutes before I emailed her. 11-28-23-Facebook post by Melissa see attached. 11-28-23 Email Sent to CEO Melissa-Request refund, request to end business relationship. Her post indicated that I was part of the cause of her gray hair, that I wrote bad reviews, and contacted the CEO of the company she works with. I did contact the CEO of Intrepid. I never wrote any bad reviews. I Have been professional throughout a very difficult situation. I feel that Melissa's post indicates that she is holding a grudge against me, that I would not be welcomed on a trip with her, and that her post was unprofessional. I would not feel safe on a trip with her and I feel that she could isolate me or talk bad about me to other guests as she did in her post.. Melissa's post included information that was not true and also exposed me to public hate, contempt and ridicule. She agreed with the numerous comments against me, inciting a hostile environment towards me. I feel unwelcome and unsafe to travel with her after seeing that. This is a condensed version of the events due to character limits.

  Business response

  12/19/2023

  1) Lynn knew the cancellation policy when she booked the trip. When she decided to not go several weeks before the trip was to begin she was to receive no refund. In the end she received 75% back and a 25% credit despite the stated cancellation policy. I have been more than fair in providing her these concessions. 

  2) The advisory from the state department has been the same since July and has not changed due to recent events. The trips took place with no incident. To my Knowledge no major travel company cancelled trips to Egypt. 
  

  3) I post very personal things on my social media. Like struggles with my physical and mental health, my budget etc. I am a real person not a corporation and that is how I market myself. So yes I shared my experience about this. But I didn't mention her name and there was no way anyone could know it was her. In addition, I have gone through all of our communication and she didn't say any of things I mentioned and I was not referring directly to her. 
  

  4) Before I received her email regarding La Paz someone else commented on the post that they wanted the spots. I was already in the process of selling them the spots before I read Lynn's email. Did it happen quickly? Yes, but it had been a sold out trip and when I suddenly had a cancellation it went fast. I have almost 80,000 people who follow me. It's only fair that whoever asks for spots first gets them. As you can see from the attachments I was discussing with the person who purchased about an hour before I replied to Lynn which is what I told her in the email. Had she been the first to ask she would have gotten them. 
  

  5) Lynn had expressed several times she was afraid to go to Egypt even mentioning a recent shooting in PA near where her daughter went to school and another event in Florida as reasons why the trip should be canceled. Unfortunately you can't expect to cancel a nonrefundable trip weeks before it starts and get a full refund according to the policy she agreed to when signing up for the trip. There was no reason to cancel the trip other than her own fears. She has no reason to be afraid to travel with us and she is letting her fear once again get in the way of a trip. 
  

  6) She agreed to accept the 75% refund and 25% credit generously offered to her but now has changed her mind and wants a full refund. People are allowed to be afraid to travel and cancel a trip but they should accept the consequences of their actions. And not expect policies to be changed to accommodate them. 

  Customer response

  01/04/2024

   
  Complaint: ********
  
  I am rejecting this response because: This response is not relevant. PPG did not follow their cancellation policy and worked with Intrepid to offer a refund and credit to several customers regarding this trip due to extenuating circumstances in the region.  They have not addressed the issue of their unprofessional behavior and my request to have my already agreed upon credit refunded due to their actions.
  
  Sincerely,
  
  Lynn ******

  Business response

  01/10/2024

  Ms. ****** has been offered more than the cancellation policy states. No further refund will be offered. 

*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. ↩