Overseas Adventure Travel Consumer Reviews - Page 2

Before traveling with this company be warmed! A recently traveled with a group of friends which I formally traveled with and except to enjoy a long awaited African Safari. The trip itself was good but the service received left me very disappointed. While in a OAT camp - Baobob Lodge in Chobe - we were advised in OAT literature that several campsite did not have individual safes in the campsite but had canvas lock bags which we were assured that we could put our personal belongings and these bags would be locked in a central safe, there was no need for worry - our belongings would be in safe hands.

While, these bags can easily be open without a key, and myself and several other travelers monies were stolen out of the bags after being given to the staff to lock in the safe. We filed a report and a police report but was told that no one had a copy machine to give us a copy. SO we used carbon paper to assure ourselves that we would have a copy when we returned home.

The tour guide was more than willing to extend himself to take us to an ATM to get more money so we can have funds to TIP him and everyone. Again, we were told not to worry, it would all be taken care of by OATS when we returned to the states. Between three of us there was approximately $1500.00 stolen while in the hands of their employees.

Went I returned home a called OAT and was advised to sent the reports to a PO BOX in Boston. I did my letter and was ready to mail to OATS, I again called only to be told I had the wrong address. It took three days to get a real person to speak with - that was after I advised them that I would be filing a complaint with the Attorney Generals Office. Well we all mailed our letters and reports to Quality Management - only to receive a letter from OAT advising us that they are not responsible for our loses because we did not follow the directions given to us.- this was what their African office told them.

This is an outright Lie IT appears that both the Tour Guide and Manager were involved with the other staff in the thefts. IT WAS A SCAM- We will all be filing a formal complaints with the Attorney General Office and Boston Mass and seeking legal advise from an attorney. BEWARE!!

Along with two friends, I was scheduled to leave Dec. 30, 2008 on a 3-week trip to Vietnam and Cambodia with Overseas Adventure Travel. This was to be my third trip in four years with OAT, chosen in part for its good value without expensive fringes. Since I've never had to cancel travel -- whether for business or pleasure -- I did not purchase trip insurance which would have added another 10 percent onto the trip cost.

Unfortunately, on Dec. 1, I had emergency retina surgery. My surgeon advised I not take this trip because of airplane cabin pressure vis a vis my eye pressure. Once there, I put myself at risk of infection as health care facilities in Third World countries could be questionable. I made several calls to OAT to see what options I might have. OAT reps lectured me about my failure in not buying trip insurance. On Dec. 16, I wrote a letter to the Chairman and CEO of the parent company, Grand Circle Travel, informing them the reasons I could not make the trip, asking for some customer consideration.

Their response from a Quality Management representative repeated yet again that I should have purchased trip insurance. Meanwhile, OAT is offering huge discounts to future -- and new -- customers. They obviously were able to make a profit in my not joining the tour: rooms not slept in; meals not consumed; an add on trip not taken and more. Legally, I realize the company did not have to send me a voucher toward a future trip. That said, in this perilous economy, shouldn't a company make some gesture of good will?

OAT purports to be a company with a strong customer focus. They market themselves in a folksy, friendly manner. Yet the cold formality and dismissive tone once they have received your full payment belies their advertising and marketing. Indeed, OAT is truly a huge corporation with the bottom line in mind. The customer is no longer valued once the customer has paid for the trip. Buyer beware!

BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS -- My husband and I booked a tour on-line with OAT for a trip to Thailand with a pre trip to Ankgor Wat in Cambodia and a post trip to Vietnam. OAT does some group travel, no more than 16 people. At the time of booking we were told that we were the 15th and 16th clients and that the selected tour was the only one available during the winter that included the pre and post trip.

We put a deposit down on the tour. We received confirmation of the booking and paid the full amount within 14 days. Subsequently we were sent applications for visas for Cambodia and Vietnam. We also made our own air arrangements with Thai Air to avoid the two changes of plane and the 27 hour trip offered by OAT.

Just a few days after receiving our visa forms from OAT we sent them to their recommended Visa service with a check. Three days after that we heard from a representative from OAT who informed us that the Vietnam portion of our trip was being canceled due to only 4 people signing up. We questioned this because before we made our deposit we had been told that we were taken the last two places. In addition friends who had traveled with them had found that they had only 5 people on their tour. OAT said that the decision to cancel the Vietnam portion was not negotiable. We decided to cancel the trip because of their change of itinerary.

When we told them that our air tickets included our time in Vietnam, they said they weren't responsible because we arranged for our own air. We had to pay a penalty to the airline to cancel the tickets. We were told to call the Visa service immediately which we did. OAT said that they would pay for any the cost of already processed visas. To date we have received $50 from the Visa service company and are still waiting for OAT to refund the remainder of $315.

OAT charged my charge account for the travel insurance two weeks before I authorized them to do so. In the small print, sent in a booklet with the confirmation, I found out that any insurance refund would be in travel vouchers for their company. In addition we would be charged a $300 administrative fee because we canceled. We canceled only because they changed the trip by eliminating the Vietnam portion It is absolutely necessary to read ALL THE FINE PRINT because everything is stacked against the consumer.

We would never travel with this group again as they do are totally uncaring and manipulative. Several friends who have traveled with them have said that will not do so again either. Like a previous correspondent I checked with the Mass. BBB after my troubles and found that OAT and Grand Circle have an unsatisfactory rating. CONSUMER BEWARE.

Overseas Adventure Travel disappointed us. We had paid for our Morocco holiday, and had paid OAT to arrange for our air travel from Sacramento CA so that if there is any delay in flight, a representative would still meet us in Casablanca upon arrival. Our flight from USA got delayed; in Paris we had to take the next flight to Casablanca as we missed our original connection.

I had phoned OAT before we left USA that we would miss the connection in Paris due to delayed departure and have to take the next connecting flight from Paris. Could not contact OAT from Paris because of long hold time on the telephone (40 mts.). Lo and behold, there were none at the Casablanca airport upon our arrival late in the evening. Had to buy a phone card to call OAT in USA and had to endure a wait time of 38 minutes. After a lot of shouting, they agreed to transport me by a taxi to Rabat (100 miles away) at their expense.

Most complaints on tour operators stem from missed connections, and OAT, in spite of their boasting about repeat customers, failed us. Further, I had asked that their office call me to explain why there was this slip up. They have not cared to call us yet. This is what they care about customers. Do not trust them.

I signed up for the New Year's Special, which was supposed to be a $300 discount through 1/15. OAT's representative acknowledged that they did not raise the price back up after the "special," but in fact reduced the trip further. It can be purchased today $200 cheaper than my invoiced price.

Even though they are selling the trip $200 cheaper, OAT added an additional $100 to my invoice and indicated that the price might increase further. In short, they reduced the trip to sell spots and raised the price on those already booked who haven't paid in full six months in advance to make up the difference. Their representative noted that these are financially difficult times. I'd put down a $995 deposit to reserve and they indicated that the prices were in full including taxes and fees; but now they claim buried somewhere it says differently. Of course, they won't cancel without a $300 penalty. The representatives attitude is "got ya." The company won't respond to my emails.

BOSTON, MA -- I booked to travel to Morocco on 12/19/2009. I got stuck in Denver because of the storm in New York. I called, called and called their offices to get some help in rebooking my trip on Royal Air Moroc (the portion of the trip I purchased from OAT). I could have gotten there on Sunday, 12/20 but was lied to by OAT - they told me that Royal Air Moroc didn't fly on Sunday. I got there on Monday after spending 1 1/2 days at my expense in a hotel in Denver.

This was my 6th trip with this company, and I have never been treated so poorly. When I called to rebook, I was told too bad you lost your trip because you didn't purchase the travel insurance. It was only because I got really ugly that they helped me.

OAT does a wonderful job on the trip, but they certainly are no help when you have a problem with flights getting to the destination. They lied, gave me false information, and generally poor treatment. The Chicago office was the worst. My advice to anyone traveling with OAT - don't miss your connection even if there is a record snow storm!

We returned from a trip with OAT yesterday; the organization of the trip through Egypt, the cruise on the Suez Canal and Red Sea were fine, but when we arrived at the hotels in Jordan, they were a disaster and nobody changed anything to make it better. The hotel in Petra, the Petra Inn, (Our schedule stated that we would stay at the Petra Palace) was a dump! It was dirty, unkempt and nothing worked. When my husband used the commode, it fell to the side. We have pictures to prove this. The food was disgusting too.

The next hotel in Amman was better, but not much! When there was running water, it was cold. It was not kept well either. One of the couples got so fed up with the quality of the hotels, that they left early. The rack rate for the hotel in Petra was 55 JD per night and the one in Amman was 100 JD per night. Tour operators pay a lot less... When you consider that your trip costs $ 800 per day per couple, you wonder how the rest of the money is spent. A guide and a bus certainly do not cost $ 650 per day!

Another complaint is that, when you arrange your own flights, they do not pick you up from the airport. You arrive in a totally strange country, without local cash and you have to find your way to the hotel... this way, they save $ 30 - 50 on your back! Not very consumer friendly, esp. since they are at the airport anyway to pick up other clients.

PENNSYLVANIA -- Recently I booked a tour with OAT. The booking part was easy. Phone was answered in 2 minutes and everything was taken care of. One week later I had a question and called back (customer service phone number is not the same as for booking and you can not be transferred). I was told by a recorded message the waiting time is 6 minutes. So I waited 6 minutes and 30 and no answer. I attempted to call the 3 more times. Same experience. So I was never able to get an answer to my question. I would recommend avoiding this company in the future. I believe customer care should not at at the booking of your trip.