Cancellation of booked trips

[outofofficebrb]

In present situation any operator refusing a full refund is shooting its own foot!.
Negative comment on FB, TripAdvisor etc etc will be enough to deter a lot of potential customers.
PR is very important.

I am very reluctant to pay deposit because of one very unhappy incidence with an operator that I have used for many yrs. Customers are suckers to them!
LoB operators are the WORST.

I think a full refund is a bit much to expect and ask for and I say that as someone with $7,600 on the line with liveaboards. If every person asked and requested that, that might decimate the liveaboard business-wise, especially considering their normal policies and conditions had this disaster not happened. Reschedule or voucher is a reasonable request.

 

[chris kippax]

Sounds like some of these businesses may have been living above their means. How would refunds be different from people just not booking?
If I request a service and the service is not supplied I would like a refund. Happy to pay the costs for the time it took to issue the refund. It is different if a goods/service has been provided and a cost has occurred to the supplier.If these businesses have spent the money for a service they are yet to provide that seems like a poor business decision. Some of us may need this money just as much as the supplier over the coming months.
Don't hide behind crappy refund policies, pay the people the money and they will rebook! Hide behind your crappy policy and say good bye to them for ever.
I am waiting on the refund of around 6K. Some companies are happy to oblige some not so much.

 

[TabeaK]

The Maldives are locking down....

Sounds like some of these businesses may have been living above their means. How would refunds be different from people just not booking?
If I request a service and the service is not supplied I would like a refund. Happy to pay the costs for the time it took to issue the refund. It is different if a goods/service has been provided and a cost has occurred to the supplier.If these businesses have spent the money for a service they are yet to provide that seems like a poor business decision. Some of us may need this money just as much as the supplier over the coming months.
Don't hide behind crappy refund policies, pay the people the money and they will rebook! Hide behind your crappy policy and say good bye to them for ever.
I am waiting on the refund of around 6K. Some companies are happy to oblige some not so much.

This! We are all being financially hit with this. Significantly. If this keeps going on for multiple months, there won't be any dive trips in my near to medium term future. And there certainly won't be any business for the LOB provider who keeps my 100% paid for trip and refuses to either reschedule or cancel despite the LOB canceling due to the travel restrictions.

 

[Centrals]

This! We are all being financially hit with this. Significantly. If this keeps going on for multiple months, there won't be any dive trips in my near to medium term future. And there certainly won't be any business for the LOB provider who keeps my 100% paid for trip and refuses to either reschedule or cancel despite the LOB canceling due to the travel restrictions.

When the going gets tough only the tough get going. Human beings are tough.
There will be diving trip available as soon as this thing settled.
Some operators will be gone but replace by new one.

Just stay healthy and ride this storm out.

 

[Indah]

I asked Cindy Rose of Diveforum permission to share her thoughts here.
OK guys... I'm gonna weigh in at great risk to myself here as an admin of this group.

I'm in Roatan, Honduras. Lockdown started a few days ago, dive shops all forced to close or threatened with loss of licence and fines. Then naughty resorts here found a loophole and are continuing to dive.

Some shops have refunded, some have given full credit, others partial, others none as insurance should cover it. Its up to the owners... But let me tell you in very real terms what this means.

Now first, understand this is not a pity plea... I have sufficient saved to get me through a month or two of this. I am lucky and very fortunate. This is not about me. This is about my colleagues in the industry here.

Yes, there are foreign instructors here, who can't get home. Who haven't made financial plans and are gonna be screwed... Sure. But I'm not even pleading for just those. I'm about the locals.

I have worked as in instructor in several countries, most of which are less developed. For those who don't know, the local workers in roatan, and countries around the world where they rely on tourism, are absolutely screwed right now.

They plan week to week if they're lucky enough to have had an education, but most here and in Indonesia and Thailand are day to day. So, when they don't receive money for a week... They run out. No back ups, no bank loans, no family loans, nothing.

There are few ways to make money in this situation. Taxis are banned, buses, all non essential jobs, most of which here and on many diving islands and locations globally are considered non essential and based on tourism.

If the boat captains and local staff are not paid for a few weeks... They will turn to crime. It has happened before and happens every low season.

I can't speak for all operators at all, I can't. But, I know that the retention of (previously stated) non refundable deposits and payments isn't for profit. It is to keep paying these staff who might otherwise go hungry/turn to crime. It is here, at the very least to keep law and order for as long as possible.

Please, please I implore you, consider the worst off in these dire circumstances.

Yes, you may lose $1000, or even 2, but split between 10 staff over a period of 1 month, maybe 2... That barely covers anything.

These less developed countries don't give breaks on shop rent, taxes, electricity etc. Its not always possible and if it is it doesn't happen quick enough.

There can be reasons that aren't selfish is what I'm saying. So before we all get nasty with each other about hard earned holidays lost... Please, think before you comment and post something about how your comments are making others feel, about what reasons there might be for not getting a full refund or any at all (dependant on terms)

Let's not jump now on the people who allow us. To enjoy the magic of the underwater world and tarnish anyone with a bad brush... Wait. Wait until this has blown over and be calm and polite. Then, once it's done, file your insurance claims fully, then argue about the whys. Chances are people will be in a better position to communicate effectively and do more to help you. Sure, stay in touch and ask what the policy is. Tell people you intend to seek refunds and credits.

But don't be harsh when everyone is just trying to stay alive. Please. Be kind

 

[Centrals]

Absolutely pathetic.

Some operators offer full refund without any question asked but some will NOT and citing all those excuses especially based on their cancellation policy.
I have never seen any cancellation policy favours the customers.

 

[chris kippax]

How do we know how you will spend the money? You may chose to hoard it yourself and lay off your staff? How would we ever know?

 

[Jay]

I think the spirit of post #65 should have been a balance between customers and dive op's and their staff. I don't mind to take a haircut, but I do mind taking a substantial portion (or all) of the cost.

It's sounds like some Dive Op's (and LOBs) are using non-refundability to their advantage, whereas they have not incurred floating costs (but have incurred some fixed).

I'm concerned how long this will last for, esp. for Dive Op's that have already recently had volcanoes and typhoons to recently deal with.

 

[Indah]

How do we know how you will spend the money? You may chose to hoard it yourself and lay off your staff? How would we ever know?

Rob Sinke
Here you can see what we did with our money the last 15 years. 900 hectares protected forest, 5 schools, a sea turttle protection project and more. We do not drink, do not smoke, never go on holidays, spend hardly anything on gadgets and cloth. But we made the mistake not to see this disaster coming.

 

[chillyinCanada]

Bali will get by. Tourists will return. It is not the only place suffering a drop in tourism. Taiwan Thailand Philippines also rely on tourists as does Egypt France UK Australia NZ and many other countries.

Indah isn't on Bali but even if his little place was on Bali, if tourism takes too long to come back and supposedly loyal customers aren't willing to forego what to them, is a small amount of money, well who knows.

Hang in there Indah. It's going to be some lean times for most everyone, even on this side of the world but you can make it. One day at a time.