liveaboard.com Can I trust them?

[nippurmagnum]

Hi again,

Just to let you know I've sent a private message so I can get some booking details from you and look into what happened with your review.

Many thanks,

Kathryn

Thanks, I've replied by PM.

 

[Alberto Ruiz-Larrea]

Just to update everyone and because I think it’s important.

I still have not been able to post my review, I started talking to liveaboard here on this thread about a month ago.

Another friend that was on the boat tried to post a review, it took him about a month and a half for them to approve it. On top of that he said that they deserved a zero out of 10. He said everything (except cabins) was terrible, there were safety concerns and terrible service but liveaboard apparently gave the boat a 5.6 out of 10. It seems to be the lowest they are willing to go with their reviews.

 

[LiveaboardCom]

Hi Alberto,

I've just messaged you now to say your review is live. Here's a link and screen grab showing a preview of the review:

Orion Egypt

If you are dissatisfied with the overall score, please let me know and I can find out how that is calculated.

Many thanks,

Kathryn

 

[Jay]

Clearly unless the customer is willing to invest lot of time and energy it seems negative reviews with low scores aren't going to happen with LiveAboard.

I'd give up and post a review here.

Given how bad your review is for which LiveAboard allocates a 5.6 score (for both you and your friend), it means the 7.9 "Good" score is probably at best 7.9 Average.

I hope the tanks are better secured than this pic shows:

 

[Alberto Ruiz-Larrea]

Hello Kathryn,

that’s is not my review. Yes I know the person who posted it. But that is not mine, will you let me post it?

yeah I agree about posting a review on SB however the reason why I’m trying to do this on their site is because a lot of people use it, a lot more than search through forums for reviews. This operation was unsafe and it is an accident waiting to happen. It’s pretty obvious that liveaboard heavily manipulated the reviews and at least this way people might find this thread and know that their reviews are completely worthless. Since I know I will never get to give the boat a 1-star review (which it deserves, solely for safety issues). May I point out that there was no fire detectors after everything that has been happening?

it’s a matter of safety that people know what they are getting themselves into

 

[LiveaboardCom]

Hello Kathryn,

that’s is not my review. Yes I know the person who posted it. But that is not mine, will you let me post it?

yeah I agree about posting a review on SB however the reason why I’m trying to do this on their site is because a lot of people use it, a lot more than search through forums for reviews. This operation was unsafe and it is an accident waiting to happen. It’s pretty obvious that liveaboard heavily manipulated the reviews and at least this way people might find this thread and know that their reviews are completely worthless. Since I know I will never get to give the boat a 1-star review (which it deserves, solely for safety issues). May I point out that there was no fire detectors after everything that has been happening?

it’s a matter of safety that people know what they are getting themselves into

Yes, absolutely Alberto re publishing your review. I am raising that complaint now and I am finding out why your review hasn't yet been published.

I'm sincerely sorry for this ongoing problem and I will be in touch as soon as I have a response.

My apologies,

Kathryn

 

[Michael Jastrzebski]

My only issue with liveaboard.com is their absurd incompetence as far as currencies and credit cards are concerned.
Since my credit card charges currency conversion fees I asked them up front if I pay for the trip using US-based card and the price is quoted in USD is there any other currency involved.
They assured me I am paying USD only and no other currency was involved.
Unfortunately it was a total lie - there was a conversion fee because apparently they are based in Amsterdam.
When I complained - they really were incapable of understanding what the situation was and kept repeating the same useless mantra that "they" do not charge conversion fees.

 

[Jay]

My only issue with liveaboard.com is their absurd incompetence as far as currencies and credit cards are concerned.
Since my credit card charges currency conversion fees I asked them up front if I pay for the trip using US-based card and the price is quoted in USD is there any other currency involved.
They assured me I am paying USD only and no other currency was involved.
Unfortunately it was a total lie - there was a conversion fee because apparently they are based in Amsterdam.
When I complained - they really were incapable of understanding what the situation was and kept repeating the same useless mantra that "they" do not charge conversion fees.

It's possible that even if they billed you in USD on your USD card that there's an 'overseas transaction fee' possibly aka 'conversion fee' even though no conversion has taken place. I've got a Visa card here that gives me actual spot rates (the bank determines that spread, if any), and they (the bank) used to have an 'overseas transaction fee' charge (they've done away with that now). But, when I was billed, say for an airline not based in oz, even though I book through an oz website, and price is only displayed in AUD, and charged in AUD (no actual conversion) it used to hit me with the 'overseas transaction charge' because the charge was initiated outside of oz.

IDK re MC ... this was just for Visa, and what banks can choose to do with either fx spreads or 'overseas conversion ~~ charges'

If your bank statement doesn't show the detail, a call would soon tell you which it is.

 

[Michael Jastrzebski]

Regardless what it is it is sheer incompetence on their part not to warn me what I could expect. Clearly they have been selling hundreds/thousands of those trips and I was probably not the first one to experience it. They were 'experts' here and is was their bloody duty to warn their customers against such possibilities.

 

[tridacna]

I'm surprised that Head/Mares/SSI would participate in this sham review scam. Does not say much for them, Bad business practice.

In case anyone is wondering...

Head Mares Group acquires majority stake in liveaboard.com - Stek Advocaten