Incredibly upset, working with the bank now to dispute the charge and return my money. My wife pre-purchased tickets as a birthday present and I was incredibly excited to take advantage of it. I called earlier in the week, and was told to call back Saturday afternoon as the parasailing is weather dependent. Great! I had two alternate days for a window to go up.
I called back Saturday afternoon as instructed, and told them I had Sunday (any time), or Tuesday (any time). I was told Sunday risked a storm front coming in, and that Tuesday would be best. I would be booked for 10:45, and to come at 10:30. I discussed probably wanting to bring two additional people up with me, and was told that would be no problem. Very specific conversation. Unforgettable - I also had taken notes.
Both conversations were with the same person, we'll say Lady X - and were pleasant.
Cue 9:15AM, Tuesday morning. I call to re-confirm the weather and my fly time, as well as an additional detail, and was told by a friendly attendant on the phone that I was NOT on schedule but we could work through it. I get blind transferred with no context to the same woman who I had spoken to earlier in the week - Lady X - except this time she's effectively scolding me on the phone, recounting policy, and not allowing me to speak and explain the situation. I had to literally beg her, with increasing distress and agitation, to allow me to speak. She told me she had customers waiting and was obviously more concerned about putting the error on me and getting me off the phone than resolving the situation amicably.
I was told, in a very condescending tone, that our entire conversation didn't happen and couldn't exist, I was never booked, and they would have never done so. I finally gave up and asked to speak to her supervisor, and she explained she's the owner. Having effectively planned a vacation schedule around their availability and followed instructions dilligently, I finally lost my cool and said "so what the F---, lady!?" - upon which I was hung up on (fair).
I will never speak with these people again, and I'm getting my money back. The owner is crass, rude, and incredibly disrespectful. I deal with many, many service industries in my profession and I've never been so rudely disrespected, talked over, and taken for granted. It takes a whole lot to rile me up, but to be told a very specific arrangement didn't exist, couldn't exist, and would never exist, directly by the same person I had spoken to multiple times before - in the middle of being talked over and talked down to? That is not good business and I encourage you not to deal with such unprofessional people, much less plan a vacation around them.
***EDIT/ADDITION: Comically enough, after calming down, posting this review, and re-planning my entire day with the family, I got a call from Lady X - turns out it's a woman named Linda. At roughly 10:35, she calls me and asks if I'm still planning on coming. Turns out she had my name written down wrong but obviously had the number right - and I informed her that I was the one she had an altercation with around 9:15.
I had called in earlier from the same number on file and pleaded with this person to understand she took my number and everything. Linda never looked it up then because she was too busy disrespecting me, and now not only was I upset beyond belief, but my ability to get there on time was gone.
I asked her if she had anything to say about the fact that she told me I couldn't have had an appointment, we didn't have the conversation, and it would have never happened. She told me she was busy and had customers waiting.
I'll let my bank deal with that loony because I can't stomach speaking to her or anyone over there again. read more