A seriously bad attitude, overly defensive and no concern about passenger safety. Below is the scary email exchange I had with this dodgy, travel 'agent' who cannot even be bothered to get the basic of ATOL registration. He pretty much admits 'tough sh*t' if my customers have a problem abroad. Shocking!
"From: WHM
To: A Vaccari
Sent: 18 June
I note, that despite all your protestations, you still cannot answer my question. That is very telling. Instead, you change the subject.
You then decide to insult prospective customers with your insulting 'subject' header and patronising tone whilst avoiding the real subject.
You then accuse me of being negative but lack the insight to realise that my questions are valid, especially in high risk countries. You seem to think that having common sense is a negative.
I think rather than just telling my friends who were also interested, I should be spreading the word of the lack of customer service and the insulting attitude to perfectly reasonable and sensible questions!
I am not asking about insurance policies and what they cover. I am asking what policies and procedures you have in place to assist your clients. You have not given a straight answer so it is reasonable to assume it is because you don't have any.
I am very happy to give you my name if it is sooo important to you. I have nothing to hide and it will mean nothing to you. Strangely, you act as if you are entitled to know it. You do not seem to realise you are not. I always this email as my contact and you are the only retailer who has ever, in all my years of using this address, been very cagey about receiving a polite enquiry from a potential customer. However, as I said I am content to condescend to disclose my identity on request.
Subject: re. from Honolulu with 50 passengers WHM M [mailto:girlonthebus@hotmail.co.uk] from Lakbay Asia Pilgrimages & Tours London " Nicaragua pilgrimage question"
Date: Sun, 17 Jun 2012 15:19:09 +0100
From: lakbayasia@btconnect.com
To: WHM
Dear unknown person,
I apologize to have considered You message of less important than finalize the arrangements of our pilgrimage and tour to Los angeles, Santa Barbara, San Diego, Honolulu and Kawai plus the rest of the forthcoming tours end June and rest of July as we have been travelling since and are at present in Hawaii escorting our group of 50 passengers after 3 days in L.A.
The fact is You have all the information from a friend that trust Lakbay Asia or a regular one, as no one else was sent the "unpriced" and "incomplete" one( the final one would have had the correct cost and informations of ourselves being "Agents for ATOL holders"and following of the Package & Tour Regulation ). It is sad that even if they tell You we are OK and reliable, You still doubt them.
Note that we have already 29 passengers booked in a such short notice as we specialize in pilgrimages and no one else can do such package and be trusted for so many years.
Please do mention to Your friends who do not know us, how concerned You were not to let us have Your identity.
Sad that Your approach is pretty negative as we would welcome a new face to experience our hard and successful work.
Yours Sincerely,
Andrew Vaccari - Director.
NB:
- "acts of Gods" - vulcano eruptions, typhoons, land slides , natural disasters are beyond any ATOL or any travel insurance policies.
- About the collapsing of airline companies, some Filipinos where stranded when cheap carriers to Hong Kong went bust - beyond any ATOL or any kind of insurance.
- As far as travel companies, not having what we have in place, it is at the passengers' own discression.
________________________________
From: WHM
Sent: Sat 16/06/2012 19:26
To: A Vaccari
Subject: FW: Rre. WHM M [mailto:girlonthebus@hotmail.co.uk] from Lakbay Asia Pilgrimages & Tours London " Nicaragua pilgrimage question"
Dear Mr Vaccari
As I have not received a response, I assume you have no contingency plans in place for the safety of your customers? As a result, I will tell my friends it is safer if we do not go on the pilgrimage with Lakbay Asia. Thank you for your time.
________________________________
From: WHM
To: lakbayasia@btconnect.com
Thank you for your response. A friend showed me one of your leaflets about the pilgrimage in October to Nicaragua, Honduras, El Salvador and Mexico. I do not have the leaflet myself. I had friends stuck in other countries when their travel agents collapsed or when the Icelandic volcano erupted so I was wondering what happens to your customers if unforeseen events occur. read more
