Should a dive op give you your money back?

[El Orans]

This time-related responsibility shift is simple economic reality. And like I said before, if you don't believe it, you just pay for a whole boat based on the promises of folks to go on a trip without a cut-off date on cancellation refunds and let me know how that works out for you.
The "my-life-should-be-without-risk-it's-always-somebody-else's-responsibility-they-can-pay-for-it" crowd is living in a dream world.

Hear, hear...

 

[grazie42]

There really are a couple of threads going on at once isn´t there?
About the trip: I think they went above and beyond in offering to reschedule. Whatever happened with the previous booking, it was resolved to the satisfaction of both parties (there are no outstanding claims) hence no longer an issue. Like Rick said, YOU book a trip with 15-20 people without cutoffs, refund-restrictions or a cancellations policy and report back with your results. More importantly, if I CHOOSE not to utilize a service that I paid for it shouldn´t be someone elses problem.

Usually travelinsurance also works as a refund for the other people in the "party" when one person has a "valid reason" for not going though so I don´t see why it shouldn´t in the OPs case...

About travel-insurance: I prefer to be "self-insured", just as the insurance companies I believe it´s profitable in the long run. I can afford to "lose 4000$" because chances are that I´ve already saved that by "insuring" myself and the compound-interest on the money that I didn´t spend on insurance on all the trips that went well. The exception would be a "special trip" that has some greater emotional significance like a honeymoon, trip with extended family etc...

ymmv

 

[Harshal]

Nope. Not saying that at all. If you'd like to examine the previous case as a separate issue, (where the operator did abuse the customer, in my opinion) we can do that, but the bottom line is that the customer and the company reached an agreement that put that event to rest.
What I am saying is that in the vacation business, especially in the live-aboard dive boat business, there comes a time in the process when the operator has sunk most of the customer's money into the trip, and that if the operator expects to stay in business then the operator must construct the deal so that if the customer backs out after that time then it is the customer's responsibility to resell the spot or eat it. Some operaters will pro-rate refunds based on how long before a trip a cancellation occurs; they're betting on their chance of reselling the spot.
This time-related responsibility shift is simple economic reality. And like I said before, if you don't believe it, you just pay for a whole boat based on the promises of folks to go on a trip without a cut-off date on cancellstion refunds and let me know how that works out for you.
The "my-life-should-be-without-risk-it's-always-somebody-else's-responsibility-they-can-pay-for-it" crowd is living in a dream world.
Rick

Rick – I was just talking for the this particular case, where Dive op had chose their convenience, in general I would agree with you if Dive Op would had not done what they did to him last year, I would be ok as long as they give him chance to reschedule his trip.

Like I mentioned earlier I have dive with Dive Op were they have taken me out even when it was only 2 of us me any my dive buddy, they could had easily cancelled the trip, but they did not. Now I am a loyal customer for that dive op I don’t even bother to see what other people in that area offer, coz I know that this dive op is real and they take care of customer.

 

[NC_WDiver]

Reschedule for another date is your only option without the TRIP INSURANCE. I bought the Insurance on a 6K trip to St Lucia for our honeymoon and 3 Days before our wedding while diving off the coast of NC, my soon-to-be wife had her R-hand ring finger almost bitten off by a 14Lb Spiny Leg Lobster at 120 ft. I called our travel agent and it was no problem to reschedule our trip to 60 days out. The insurance was only $240.00USD, at that time(06/2004) for the travel insurance and that was a much smaller hit than the 6K.

We also had DAN insurance and that paid 100% on the medical since my wife did not have any other insurance to file a claim on.

Between medical or weather related issues, TRIP/DIVE INSURANCE IS A PLUS for pennies on the $$$.

 

[Cacia]

I prefer to be "self-insured", just as the insurance companies I believe it´s profitable in the long run. I can afford to "lose 4000$" because chances are that I´ve already saved that by "insuring" myself and the compound-interest on the money that I didn´t spend on insurance on all the trips that went well.

so, gracie, you don't insure your cell phone for 5 dollars a month? :blinking:

I have been reading all kinds of trip policies the last few days and they vary quite a bit...but I don't find any that let you off the hook for any reason. people who LIKE insurance, which company are you using?

 

[grazie42]

so, gracie, you don't insure your cell phone for 5 dollars a month? :blinking:

I know you were kind of baiting me but I´ll just give you this example of why I don´t:
If you feel the need to insure you cell, it is rational to also insure your laptop, Ipod, bike, watch, "everyday jewelry" etc. Let´s assume that they are all 5$/month. That´s 360$/year of extra insurance for "everyday-items". How often would you have to loose things before this makes sense, specially taken into consideration that cells, laptops, Ipods etc are constantly evolving and you propably get new ones every three years anyway?

 

[Marek K]

And if you do get travel insurance, read the fine print.

I booked a trip last year, then got deployed on very short notice (I'm with DOD). Had insurance. It covered things such as illness, "airplanes falling out of the sky" (literal translation), and such... but NO work-related problems. I guess the Europeans figure that once a leave is approved and holiday is booked, no employer had BETTER screw with it!!

Anyway, we did manage to work it out throught the travel agency. Instead of losing $3,000 according to the contract, we only had to forfeit the equivalent of about $150.

That travel agency earned my loyalty.

--Marek

 

[grazie42]

And if you do get travel insurance, read the fine print.

[snip]but NO work-related problems. I guess the Europeans figure that once a leave is approved and holiday is booked, no employer had BETTER screw with it!!

--Marek

That´s propably true...Most people here would explain that they have a trip booked (most likely the boss would know anyways) and then explain what kind of compensation they´d want to turn up for work (cost of the holiday, impact on SOs etc), even then it would be seen as doing the boss a "favour" as there´s no way to legally rescind a holiday-approval once given...

 

[Marek K]

...explain what kind of compensation they´d want to turn up for work (cost of the holiday, impact on SOs etc), even then it would be seen as doing the boss a "favour" as there´s no way to legally rescind a holiday-approval once given...

Yeah... I mentioned to my Bosses that I had booked a non-refundable trip.

As I recall, they laughed...

 

[DepthCharge]

I'm sure if you read all of your contract you'll find the cancellation date cutoff. The rescheduling of your vacation doesn't sound like a bad offer. Like Derek said. Trip insurance, the only way to go.

Also be careful about trip insurance. Many don't go into effect UNTIL THE TRIP STARTS. I booked a trip thru Liberty travel, got there travel insurance. We traveled from upstate NY to NYC to catch a plane, snowstorm, flight cancelled. Tried to collect on the insurance. They said that the TRIP DID NOT START yet so they didn't have to pay.