Natasha,
You may recall my post a while back asking about PADI travel network. I can now answer my own post. Poor customer service! They had a travel special posted on their website for Journey's End resort: (5 nights; 3 days 2-tank dives; airfare from Belize City; and taxes and transfers) for $299.00 per person. You gave me the name of a friend of yours to try. Your friend was out when I e-mailed but a co-worker of his replied. Your friend's co-worker was offering the exact same deal for the exact same price but without the connecting flight to San Pedro. I called the PADI Travel Network(with their website pulled up right in front of me on my computer) to confirm that the connecting flight was included in the cost. Their rep verified(over the phone, mind you) that the the special included airfare from Belize City to San Pedro. I gave them my credit card # and booked the trip. The rep said I would receive a faxed confirmation within 24 to 48 hrs. A week went by and all I received from PADI was an application asking me to join their diving society(and shell out $29.00). I called the rep back and asked if my reservations ever went through. The rep said the reservations had gone through and she didn't know why my confirmation and bill wasn't faxed to me. Later that day, they faxed me my confirmation invoice and I saw they had added $200.00 for airfare for the connecting flight. I pulled up the website(on 08/02) and called the rep back. The special(which, by the way, ran through December) had been pulled from the website. I asked why the $200.00 had been added when she had confirmed earlier that it was included(verbally..as in, I had no proof...I wished I had printed out the website offer page before they removed it..but I didn't). The rep couldn't give me a solid answer, she just mumbled something about how there had been some problem with their site and then put me on hold. A few minutes later a customer service rep ( a "higher up " I guess) got on the phone with me. She made me explain the whole situation again and then told me that the website had never offered that deal for $299.00 per person, it was for$399.00 per person. I asked her why, if the site had been correct all along, had the special been pulled from the site in August when the special ran through December. She wouldn't answer me. She only said that I could keep the price the same, and pick up my own connecting flight airfare, pay them the extra $200.00(which made the special $399.00 per person), or go with another travel agent. I chose to go with another travel agent. I cancelled my trip with PADI, got my full deposit refunded(in writing this time) and called your friend's co-worker up and booked the trip with them( on 08/03). He could also arrange the connecting flight( for $399.00 per person...again, the exact same deal as PADI). I think the PADI Travel Network probably made a typo error on their website and then they tried to wiggle their way out of it and tell me I was the one who had made the error. After I booked the trip with your friend's co-worker( who was very helpful and quick with my confirmation, by the way), I checked the PADI website's weekly travel specials and I noticed the special is back up on their site. The "typo" has been corrected and the special is now $399.00 per person. With that kind of service and treatment, there was no way I was going to spend my money with the PADI Travel Network. I would have booked the trip with your friend even if it had cost me more money(which it didn't.. it was exactly the same). I am sure glad I found the Scubaboard (and you in particular). You all have given me an option I would otherwise not have known about. Thank you Natasha, and the next time my wife and I plan a Scuba trip, you are the first person I'm going to contact.
You may recall my post a while back asking about PADI travel network. I can now answer my own post. Poor customer service! They had a travel special posted on their website for Journey's End resort: (5 nights; 3 days 2-tank dives; airfare from Belize City; and taxes and transfers) for $299.00 per person. You gave me the name of a friend of yours to try. Your friend was out when I e-mailed but a co-worker of his replied. Your friend's co-worker was offering the exact same deal for the exact same price but without the connecting flight to San Pedro. I called the PADI Travel Network(with their website pulled up right in front of me on my computer) to confirm that the connecting flight was included in the cost. Their rep verified(over the phone, mind you) that the the special included airfare from Belize City to San Pedro. I gave them my credit card # and booked the trip. The rep said I would receive a faxed confirmation within 24 to 48 hrs. A week went by and all I received from PADI was an application asking me to join their diving society(and shell out $29.00). I called the rep back and asked if my reservations ever went through. The rep said the reservations had gone through and she didn't know why my confirmation and bill wasn't faxed to me. Later that day, they faxed me my confirmation invoice and I saw they had added $200.00 for airfare for the connecting flight. I pulled up the website(on 08/02) and called the rep back. The special(which, by the way, ran through December) had been pulled from the website. I asked why the $200.00 had been added when she had confirmed earlier that it was included(verbally..as in, I had no proof...I wished I had printed out the website offer page before they removed it..but I didn't). The rep couldn't give me a solid answer, she just mumbled something about how there had been some problem with their site and then put me on hold. A few minutes later a customer service rep ( a "higher up " I guess) got on the phone with me. She made me explain the whole situation again and then told me that the website had never offered that deal for $299.00 per person, it was for$399.00 per person. I asked her why, if the site had been correct all along, had the special been pulled from the site in August when the special ran through December. She wouldn't answer me. She only said that I could keep the price the same, and pick up my own connecting flight airfare, pay them the extra $200.00(which made the special $399.00 per person), or go with another travel agent. I chose to go with another travel agent. I cancelled my trip with PADI, got my full deposit refunded(in writing this time) and called your friend's co-worker up and booked the trip with them( on 08/03). He could also arrange the connecting flight( for $399.00 per person...again, the exact same deal as PADI). I think the PADI Travel Network probably made a typo error on their website and then they tried to wiggle their way out of it and tell me I was the one who had made the error. After I booked the trip with your friend's co-worker( who was very helpful and quick with my confirmation, by the way), I checked the PADI website's weekly travel specials and I noticed the special is back up on their site. The "typo" has been corrected and the special is now $399.00 per person. With that kind of service and treatment, there was no way I was going to spend my money with the PADI Travel Network. I would have booked the trip with your friend even if it had cost me more money(which it didn't.. it was exactly the same). I am sure glad I found the Scubaboard (and you in particular). You all have given me an option I would otherwise not have known about. Thank you Natasha, and the next time my wife and I plan a Scuba trip, you are the first person I'm going to contact.
