I believe it was nothing but faith that Pumps & Passports came across my fb news feed at the beginning of last year. The trip that was being advertised was Ghana for The Year of the Return & Chale Wote Festival August 2019. After reviewing the itinerary and of course the cost, I immediately contacted the organizer Marchelle to put down a deposit. Best decision I could have ever made! I appreciated the conference calls leading up to the trip to go over details or just serve as an Q&A session. This greatly prepared me for the trip. Our group was small...consisted of six women whom I enjoyed meeting and traveling with. I thank Marchelle with P&P for making my 1st time in Ghana such a memorable trip. I will definitely be booking future trips with P&P. read more

Pumps & Passports - Social Clubs Near Me - Nashville, Tennessee

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Ladies BE AWARE of traveling with this Lady-it is a Scam - I signed up to travel in good faith and paid on time monthly to attend a "bucket list" trip to South Africa this month 1st RED flag- She did not honor my fee for a referral ! Both parties paid on time and she made every excuse not to honor the payment 2nd RED flag - She sent the group scheduled flights for Emirates and then after all monies were paid she SWITCHED the flights to an Economy flight on South African Airline (Big Difference!) Very uncomfortable 15 hr flight! 3rd RED Flag - upon arrival to hotel night before departure- she did not do a meet or greet SHE didn't even come out her room - which set the precedence for the entire trip! These flags could go on as long as the Mississippi River!!! Her professionalism was sub par at best! It was very disappointing and definitely put a huge gray cloud over the trip - thank God for the women on the trip and the sisterhood we were able to create and have a great time - I honestly don't know how she continues to stay in business- I hope this review helps someone and you done waste your time or money on what is suppose to be a happy and joyful Journey Blessings read more

At the request of my friend who discovered Pumps & Passports on Facebook, I went to South Africa. At some point, Marschelle N. Chatman, the proprietor, created a group for the trip on GroupMe. It was a central place where trip-related information could be shared and questions could be asked. Once the final payment was made, Marschelle's tone began to change. I first noticed it when there was an issue with the final Zoom session on September 16, 2019 preceding the trip. There was an issue with the time for the Zoom session. Now, as a doctoral student and a former Trustee on my schools Board of Trustees, we use Zoom for all of our class sessions and Board meetings. Many classmates and Board members are in other countries. I/we never experienced a time issue like the one Marchelle's would later describe. When a question about the meeting time was posted in GroupMe, Marschelle seemed irritated and said something like 'there was an issue with the platform changing the time based upon the scheduler's location'. As I previously noted, I have never experienced that issue with Zoom. I need to dedicate an entire paragraph to Marschelle's responses. She had the tendency to write certain words in all capital letters when answering questions (which is why I say she seemed irritated). Most people are aware that in writing, ALL CAPS is akin to yelling or screaming at the reader. Marschelle did that often. If you asked a question, she would answer with things like, "READ YOUR ITINERARY" which, by the way, was not provided In a timely manner. I needed it by September 6th and she did not provide it until September 13th. This is where the major trouble began for me. The itinerary was required for a few of the group members' employers. Marschelle documented that it would be sent six (6) weeks before travel began but it was provided much later than that and after much ado. I asked about the itinerary in the GroupMe and Marschelle told me to calm down, among other things. I responded that she did not know me so she did not know that I wasn't calm. I felt like after paying thousands of dollars, I couldn't even ask a simple question without having to endure Marschelle's written yelling. My friend also needed the itinerary for work. When she posed the question, Marschelle told her to send her a private message. My friend responded, advising Marschelle that she was sure that there were others in the group who had the same question. At this point, things went from bad to worse. In a private message on September 4th (a month before the trip), Marschelle tells my friend the following: Because she asked her to communicate with her via private messages and she refused to comply, because she had "received complaints and expressions about their feelings about her behavior from other group members who are her friends or friends of her friends, and because of her strongly enforced Zero Tolerance Policy, she is checking on refunding my friend's money for the trip (quoted from a private message between my friend and Marschelle). I sent her a private message about the issue and she responds, telling me that she had "received several private messages complaining about my friend's demeanor, etc." Keep in mind that all of this is happening because my friend asked about the itinerary in the group and wouldn't repeat the question in a private message. While on the trip, I asked many of the 17 other Ladies if they were friends of Marschelle's. None of them claimed her as a friend. While on one of the many plane rides we had during the trip, there was a discussion about some of the other problems people were experiencing during the trip as well as Marschelle's attitude and behavior thus far. When she finished going back and forth with some of the other Ladies, I told her that I had an issue with the fact that she had attempted to remove my friend from the trip and that I had asked others if they were her friends and had complained and everyone said no to both questions. I told her that I felt like she had lied. She turned around in her seat and did not respond. On another note... Initially, we were told that we would be flying on Emirates for the international flight and flight information was posted in the group. Emirates is the crème de la crème of airlines. Much later, we learned that we would be flying on South African Air. This airline does not offer internet service nor is USB/charging ability supported. I must say that the male flight attendant who worked my section was fantastic. There is so much more that I could say about Marschelle Chatman and Pumps & Passports but I won't because I think Marchelle's disrespectful attitude toward other women is exhausting enough. In summary, for the reasons and experiences written above, I would not recommend Pumps & Passports or anything attached to Marschelle Chatman nor would I ever use this company for my travel needs again. read more

I'm not sure if this business is still active or not but it popped up on my yelp. I think I was blocked because I don't see their stuff on social media. I haven't traveled with them in years. The owner was very snippy and kind of weird. So after the first trip, none of us went with her again. This was before all of the others started having terrible money issues and scheming with flights and trips that I've read about. At the time I traveled, the payment method was google pay. The owner or representative's emails were mean, snippy, condescending and just bad. I kind of ignored it but most of the others were very angry. However, once on the trip, there was trouble checking into the hotel. The hotel wanted us to pay to check in all over again and the owner was away getting her hair braided. It was later resolved; however, the communication on the trip was subpar and nothing was really well thought out. Most of us were avid travelers on our own so we made the best of it and did our own thing. I'm not sure if there were some mental challenges or if she merely was not a people person but this is definitely the wrong business to be in if you don't want to answer questions. In summary, communication was bad and there were moments where there was a lack of transparency. I am saddened to see what everyone has gone through on these reviews but kind of not surprised. The responses to these posts by the company "representative " is terrible but represents the responses most got back then too. I think the control and attitude was apparent in first meeting. I hope everyone gets their money back and Marschelle or Marschon or whatever name she's going by can make everyone whole. I didn't lose any money but the trip was definitely a "bait and switch" and not the best experience. read more

As you can see from other reviews pumps and passport are a scam and they probably not even license and the lady that responded to my review was not even on my trip! They act like they have something mentally going on but whats done in the dark always come to the light! And it looks like it has with all of these negative reviews. I don't wish bad on anyone business but i hope covid keep this group out the travel world! Be aware and stay away you can do bad on your own! read more

Pumps and Passports SCAM expensive unprofessional (Marchelle or Marsha ) needs to be investigated as a travel agency "Sister's beware " Once she receive your final payment The original travel agenda changes to Cheaper Accommodations .. Airlines low Quality, flights, Hotel bedbugs,restaurant cheap Quality meals and transportation never Accommodating the group Pumps and Passports (Marchelle O.R. Marsha. ) Expensive BAD Experience South Africa and Zimbabwe Travels October 4-16 2019 000000000. Rating read more

DO NOT DO BUSINESS OR TRAVEL WITH MARSCHELLE or PUMPS & PASSPORTS THAT SHE REPRESENTS! RIP-OFF, HORRIBLE, UNPROFESSIONAL and RUDE! I paid in Full, February for the Hawaii trip in November, which I qualified for a 10% discount and I was told that everyone booked an Oceanview Room too! 1st RED FLAG- I thought because I paid in full, I would still qualify for the Free hotel stay in L.A., even though it was only 1 day past the deadline. Marschelle mentioned that it could not be accommodated, because the deadline was the day before, which I thought was weird considering I was the only person whom had paid in full, at that time! Poor business..imo, but I shucked it off as rules! 2nd RED FLAG- One of the ladies learned our hotel stay in L.A. was $121 per room, yet we were being charged $121 per person to share a room! I called the hotel and confirmed the same! When asking Marschelle to clarify the rates, she responded to the other lady with, "That information was already covered in our Conference Call!" Huh??? That's NOT the professional way to respond and it was evident Marschelle was dodging the answer because she was caught DOUBLE CHARGING us! Most of us Cancelled our Room reservations in L.A., opting to rebook and share at the room rate! This must've been money she was attempting to use on the trip, because things went downhill from there! After being told she and I would be Roommates in Hawaii, Marschelle sends me a message that her "sister" wanted to go on the trip and I had the only other Oceanview reservation, so I now needed to pay an additional $500+ for the Single supplement! Are you kidding??? LESS THAN 1 WEEK from the trip? What sister? I was just told a few hours ago that she and I would be Roommates! What happened to Everyone booking an Oceanview Room? At that point, I figured it was too late to Cancel and go on another trip with a different group, so I was determined to find a way to recoup the $500+, last minute cost! Luckily, Marschelle had not included my 10% discount, so the cost dropped to $200+, which I recouped by Cancelling and rebooking the L.A. hotel stay. 3rd RED FLAG - 1 day before departure is when we received our travel documents after multiple calls and messages being ignored by Marschelle! She even deleted one of the ladies from the GroupMe messaging and told her she couldn't go on the trip, just because the lady was inquiring about when we were getting our travel documents and other details about the trip! 4th RED FLAG - Checking in at the hotel in Hawaii, Marschelles Credit Card declined as she was paying for everyones daily, resort fees! 5th RED FLAG- Turns out, our excursions were not Prepaid and we, even had to pay for our own guide at one of the excursions! Had it not been for how the ladies and I bonded over the RIP-OFF, UNPROFESSIONALISM and down right TRIFLING way everything was handled, the trip would've been a Complete Nightmare! read more

I attended Pumps & Passports Hawaii trip in November 21 - 27, 2019 (It's My Time Soulful Women's Retreat). The purpose of my trip was to let someone else worry about of planning the trip. I just wanted to be stress free, pack my bags, go and enjoy. At the end of October 2019, I made my last payment. November 1, 2019 was the deadline. I was waiting to hear from P & P for a travel update. Finally, Marschelle Chatman (the trip organizer) scheduled a Zoom conference call with the ladies on November 7, 2019. Marschelle advised us on the trip and answered questions. After hanging up, Marschelle was going to send our trip documents. That didn't happen. I called her a couple of days later because my documents were not received. I left a message. My roommate on the trip left her a message as well. We did not receive a call back. There was some conversation in the GroupMe app between Marschelle and the ladies about hotel accommodations in LA. After November 12, 2019, there were no more comments from Marschelle. November 16, 2019, the ladies and I started to communicate. We were worried that the trip wasn't going to happen. Marschelle chimed in on GroupMe, full of attitude. Nine ladies had given this woman a minimum of $2,000. 00 each. We were less than a week away from going on the trip with no travel documents (no flight information or hotel reservations). I was under tremendous stress. I wasn't sure if this woman had ran off with our money. I didn't know weather to cancel my trip and collect 50% of the travel insurance. I had to cancel within 48 hours. Some of the ladies didn't have trip insurance. Marschell told us, she was still making travel arrangements. We would have our documents soon. My roommate and I did not receive our travel documents until November 19, 2019 (2 days before the trip). We received the documents just hours before leaving for LA (we left early). When I met the ladies in LA, we all bonded. We tried to put the bad experience behind and enjoy the trip. The situation we went through with Marschelle before arriving in LA was extremely unprofessional. She wasn't much better in Hawaii. We received some plans for daily activities at the last minute. She didn't attend all of the activities. A couple of the activities were canceled. She didn't provide a lot of direction. It seems she only dealt with us when she had to. However, we did receive about 90% of what was promised. Marschelle was not a good director and organizer. She is very lacking in customer service and people skills. I would not take another trip with P & P. I do not recommend traveling with the . Hawaii and my fellow trip mates were awesome. Friendships and memories were made. read more

Buyer Beware! I returned home from the Pumps and passports Southern Africa trip last week. Marschelle Chatman was the trip organizer and she traveled with us. I can't stop thinking about how much of a scam the women whom I traveled with and I had to endure before, during, and after the trip. I will simply list as many issues as I can recall, as there are many: - After full payments were made, messages were either ignored or dismissed with an unkind tone. - Itinerary was not given in a timely manner as promised. - The airlines we flew on were South African Airways and Mango Airlines, not Emirates as we had been promised to insure first class accommodations. We were not informed of this until after final payment was had been made. - The night before departure from New York, Marschelle set a meeting date for 7:30pm in the hotel lobby. I stayed in the lobby until 9:30 and she never showed. - Upon arrival in Johannesburg, we had a connecting flight to either Zimbabwe (8 of us traveled together) or Zambia (the other 12 including Marshcelle traveled together) to reach Victoria Falls. My friend, whom I was traveling with, went to Zambia and I went to Zimbabwe. We had no idea of this until a few weeks before the trip. - We were given misinformation about Visa's for Victoria Falls and the best way to obtain them before we traveled. A few in our group had to pay unexpected fees at customs after already making full payment online prior to travel. - There were transportation issues during the entire trip. When we in both Johannesburg and Cape Town, there was not enough space for our luggage and the about of women we had traveling with us. Some had to pay out of pocket for transportation was supposed to be included in or 5 star rate. The lack proper transportation caused a few inner group to miss the beginning of the entertainment one evening at a restaurant. - There was little or no communication from Marschelle during the trip. There were many moments when we had no idea of departure times for tours. Due to not having a detailed itinerary, were also not always aware of where we were going She also was no where to be found on many occasions. She is very good at evading and avoiding! - At the end of the trip Marscelle deleted our trip Groupme. This was obviously not to leave any evidence of her foul behavior, misinformation, and false ecpectations. - There was an instance when our group was accused of not being honorable because Marschelle was left with paying the bill after dinner at restaurant. This was actually a dinner that was included with the trip (we were responsible for beverages) and the waiter used the worst possible method of collecting monies. I will post. pic of her message about the restaurant bill. There are many more issues we endured in reference to this trip. However, I would encourage all to visit Africa if you are so inclined. Just be sure to do the proper research before spending money. I had wonderful time, it just wasn't what I was promised nor expecting for the price. read more

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Wow, where should I start? If you're interested in traveling with a group of mature women and a well put together agenda P&P is the right place for you! I traveled to Ghana Africa with six others ladies and Matshelle the well traveled sponsor. It was an experience of a life time, each day was an adventure from where we stayed, to what we ate and of course the people we met along the way If you're looking for a trip well worth the price Pumps & Passports is the travel group you deserve trying. Like their page on Facebook and you'll leave with the same experience I'm sure that I had. Russell read more

I'm recently returning from a Pumps and Passports trip, 2019 A wine and food tour of Greece. Had I not invested the initial monies and the time limit for cancellation had expired this would have been cancelled. #1 communication was definitely lacking. There were instances were there was a significant lag in response time. It seems that the leader was out of the country the majority of the time. #2 accommodations --we were originally booked on Emirates airline but closer to the departure date , a message went out that a change had occurred and we would be using another airline. There were 8 members including the "team leader." The reasoning was due to the number of travelers the airline could not honor the group rate, BUT it was known as early as October 2018 that there would not be a large group. Three tentative members cancelled resulting in the small group number. The remaining 8 became very vocal concerning the intended change, some even considering self booking and taking the land only package. The team leader stated that the company would cover the additional cost for the Emirates fare. During the trip I must say the provided breakfast provided by the hotels were excellent. Made starting the day a pleasure. Gratuitous at its best. #3 team leader---- sorry to say, proved to be a great disappointment. One would think this was a first time visit.. not very informative even though the itinerary was very similar to that of the previous year. Not accessible, at hotel check in as we were all checked in and given keys, the team leader had a room and no one knew how to reach her beyond that point. She would disappear to her room and appear mostly at meal time usually dinner. ( more on that later) I would think that a TL would be able to contact members if and when needed. We can't depend on text messaging to be consistent. Our TL would separate herself from us, walking ahead as if she was a solo traveler. This is not a good position for anyone who is standoffish Not a strong team player When asked about the upcoming itinerary, it seemed as if it pained her to communicate, statements such as " I've already done that," my reply was "well do it again." As I understand , it is stated in the Rules and Responsibilities of the Team Leader Back to meals, only the reception dinner was included in the overpriced package. So it should be stated in the itinerary that the participants are responsible for dinner payments. The walking food tours are nothing to write home about. These are the same foods that can be ordered as a lunch or dinner. Although we each paid for our meals , our team leader obtained the itemized receipt as if she covered the meals. If this is the case I feel that we should each be reimbursed for payment. It's a matter of principles and ethics. The Rules and responsibilities of the team leader states , the TL is to maintain daily expenditures, retain receipts and keep expenses within the trip budget provided. Engaging all travel members rating --0 Act as go to person to set the culture of the group and serve as primary contact for the group-----rating 0 Will I recommend this entity to family and friends , no never Will I schedule another venture with this entity, no never One other thing the small group was comprised of eight professional women, all of which have or do currently serve in managerial positions in various fields. Empowered and empowering . The seven women traveling together is what held this trip together. This is my opinion and evaluation of the trip with this particular team leader read more

DO NOT TRAVEL WITH PUMPS and PASSPORTS I have to ditto what was previously said about Pumps and Passports on the Morocco trip 12/26/17-1/7/18 in the previous reviews. Everything said was spot on. I am adding just a few more things :The Pumps and Passport organizer was absolutely horrible! 18 professional women and the organizer attended. The organizer from day 1 began picking on certain members in the group and continued this behavior throughout the trip which culminated in a confrontation with a few of the members in the 2nd week. She was annoying, irritable, childish, definitely unprofessional, miserable and attempted to treat ppl like they were children. Mind you there were no children on this trip. She is definitely in the wrong business. In an attempt to enjoy ourselves the majority of the group ignored her and separated from her. The rest of us 18 women bounded with each other wonderfully. The tour guide from Gate 1 was wonderful and certainly saved this trip. Without our tour guide this would have been a horrible trip. Take my advice STAY AWAY FROM THIS GROUP!! read more

(Dubai 2017 & Greece 2018) Pumps and Passports has been an amazing experience for me. Marschelle has been a great coordinator and has had to solve issues for many women on each trip. It is difficult to manage and she does it to the best of her ability. As a woman of color, I think the trips are well planned. They feel safe. I am not afraid to go alone and meet people. I have been paired with a great roommates. The tour guides are extremely informative, and the hotel accommodations and excursions are wonderful! In my honest opinion, I think you can go places for a more affordable price--if you have the time and patience to plan out each detail yourself. BUT-- If you don't want to go through that hassle, and you want to enjoy yourself, along with a company of other rockstar women, trust that she will make you feel like luxury! read more

I had the pleasure of traveling with Pumps & Passports in June 2017 to Greece. My co-worker and traveled together and I met her mother who is a great women. It was an amazing trip where we visited Athens, Mykonos and Santorini while in Greece. I loved the views and the country sides in Santorini. It was nice to trip with women who like myself want to see the world. Marschelle, I want to thank you for creating Pumps & Passports for women to travel together whether with girlfriends or solo where we can travel together and see the world. I will be going to the Holy Land in October 2020 and South America in November 2020. read more

Morocco trip (December 26, 2017- January 7, 2018) DO NOT AND I REPEAT, DO NOT EVEN THINK ABOUT TRAVELING WITH THIS SCAM ARTIST WITHOUT READING THIS POST. I am fresh back from a trip booked via Pumps & Passports (Morocco). This post is NOT a reflection of the women on this trip, it is solely a review of Pumps & Passports. False Advertisement: The advertisement boast women empowerment, etc. There wasn't a single orchestrated collaborative event the entire trip amongst the group by the organizer (and this was a trip over New Year's Eve). Not a single affirmation/incantation, thank you, good morning, nothing from the organizer. That's the first thing that needs to be removed from the advertisement. Red Flag #1: We meet at the ATL airport international terminal. I'm looking around, don't see anyone with a sign, no one with a Pumps & Passport outfit, cap, etc. I assume this only group of black women must be the group, I walk up introduce myself and ask...who is the organizer, this should have been obvious. The Heist: This tour was facilitated by a tour company called Gate 1 Travel (great tour company by the way...google them online). One of the ladies went on their website while we were on the tour and discovered the exact same tour that we were on cost 1/2 the price. That's right we paid 100% more, double to be exact. So, the exact trip online cost $1499, we were charged $3100. So, $1500 x 19 women, you do the math, not a bad hussle...brilliant! The Attitude: Arrogant, condescending, rude, standoffish, antisocial, down right boring. A personality that screams she is in the wrong business. The Focus: Where grown women were sitting on a 1/2 empty bus from day to day (unbelievable). A half empty bus and everyone had a window seat. Organizer was obsessed with actually trying to tell grown women where they had to sit on the bus (front or back). It got to the point where we had to have an epic dialogue about which "empty" seat I selected. There was a ill young lady on the bus, I mean vomiting at the rest stop, sweating profusely, that she basically ignored, didn't get up from her seat, didn't say a word....but where I sat (and I got on the bus last so that folks could select where they wanted to sit), that was important...SMDH! The Travel Back To States: We fly Air France from Casablanca to Paris, with an hour available to make a connection flight Paris to ATL (this includes going thru security again). Air France printed connection boarding passes for some but not others. We get to Paris, head to the kiosk to print our boarding passes, some print some don't. Where is the organizer? Nowhere to be found...time is ticking, Ms. Organizer of course has her connection boarding pass and she is off to the gate, others are scrambling trying to speak with the agent, who's is now saying it's too late to check in. It was a mess, to think that some of us were that close to not making the flight, held up at security. This was unacceptable! Everyone's flight reservation was connected to the organizer who was long gone to the gate. Summary: If you are considering traveling with this group ask the following questions (which I did not) and consider the following: 1. What tour company will be facilitating this trip? (Then go on-line and book the same trip for 1/2 the cost.) 2. What women empowerment activities do you have planned while on this trip? (After all, you said it was an "empowerment" travel group, right?) 3. Make your own flight arrangements. (when travel arrangements are made as a group, it is next to impossible to be flexible in the event you want to make modifications, and everything has to go thru the organizer, and good luck with that) 4. Never fly overseas in economy seats, upgrade to at LEAST business class. 5. Don't let the actions of others ruin your great time and inevitably waste your money, Morocco is a fabulous place to visit...there are many tours you can join with a complete group of strangers and have a great time. Don't fool yourself into thinking there is an advantage to travel with a single nationality, don't believe the hype...grab your passport...book a trip and go, there are many solo travelers and you will meet great people just by joining the tour! Gate 1 Travel did an awesome job on this tour, go to their website directly, many many tours to choose from all over the world. read more

I joined P&P in 2017. I was looking for an AA group of likeminded women to travel with. I stalked the page for quite some time, enjoying the trips, pictures, and reviews awaiting a trip that would pique my interest. Then a trip to Ghana, Africa was offered. I jumped at the chance to travel to the Motherland with other AA women on a cultural tour. It was the best trip of my life! Our group was small and intimate, as there was just six of us. When we arrived in Ghana we were met at the airport by our guide, Wisdom and our driver Kwasi. Both men were instrumental in taking care of us and ensuring we arrived safely to our tours, excursions and hotels. Of course everything did not go off without a hitch, (some tour dates were changed), but what trip ever does? But we rolled with the punches and had a great trip because of it. We toured several villages, fed the monkeys, took a cooking class, a headscarf wrapping class, visited WEB DuBois' center, toured the slave castles (the door of no return) and much, much more. So many cultural enriching and fun experiences! Are there cheaper trips? perhaps, but this trip was truly priceless! read more

Pumps & Passports - African Queens! - Social Clubs Near Me - Nashville, Tennessee

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South Africa (October 5-16, 2019) Just returned from my trip to South Africa booked via Pumps and Passports. For anyone who wants to travel to South Africa I highly recommend it but please do not travel with Pumps and Passports. Let me explain. My issue with the travel organizer, Marschelle Chatman, began a month before the trip on September 4, 2019. The method of communication for the group of 20 women was through GroupMe. I sent a message asking about the trip itinerary in the group chat, now I preface it to say that final payment for the trip was August 1, 2019, and we still had not received the final itinerary a month later. My employer requires notification of international travel 30 days prior to travel date, so my question in the group chat was asking when the itinerary would be provided. My travel partner also required the same information for her employer and she also followed up with questions about the itinerary. We were both met with an unprofessional and condescending attitude from the travel organizer. We were told that those type of conversations were meant for private direct messages. I replied that if a question benefited the group then it should be discussed within the group. The travel organizer not pleased with my response decided to have a conversation about me with my travel partner and informed her that she was trying to remove me from the group because I was an uncooperative and complaining person. It would be 6 hours later before she addresses me and tells me that she is working with the assistant and attorneys to refund me my money. It would be 3-4 days later before she responds with "because your tickets were in the group, we were not able to cancel the ticket". This trip was overpriced at 5K and she was trying to remove me 3 weeks before the trip because I asked questions. Red flag #1 that she was unorganized and didn't have it together. When we arrived at the airport, we were never greeted or any introductions made by the travel organizer. The travel organizer never addressed the group as a whole to disseminate any important information. Red flag #2 that she was a poor communicator. She was always lurking in the background and never engaging with any of the women in the group. She would not take responsibility for any of the issues that came up on the trip. It was always someone else's fault. As the leader of the trip it was her responsibility to make sure that everyone was safe, informed on what was going and to make sure any issues were resolved. The list of issues (poor flight and transfer logistics, bartering a $4 taxi ride, text yelling at other travelers, etc.) on this trip are too many to comment. I cannot in good faith recommend this "social travel group" to anyone. WE made the best of the trip as best we could trying to ignore all of the negative vibes from the trip organizer. read more

Pumps and Passports is the name, but should be changed to "Low Class Finest" Why?? Because that was my experience. as well as the ladies I traveled with...Ms Marschelle Chapman has a bubbly personality in the beginning prior to her receiving your money,with the assurance that you're going on a trip with the organization....after that it's down hill. She is... 1. Condescending 2. Sneaking in how she conducts the trip. 3. Rude 4. Hates to answer questions...she will refer you to the itinerary 5. Does not act as a leader( plays dumb and slow) 6. Passes herself as a Godly women(humming gospel songs throughout the day, while planning her next deceptive move) 7. She WILL NOT engage the group 8. Cheap flights will be your travel experience....We were suppose to fly Emirates and it was changed to South African Airways....coupled with cheap domestic flights ...just to name a few.....I could go on and on...basically avoid pumps and passports...It's definitely a RIP OFF...you WILL NOT get a FIVE STAR vacation experience read more

Adding the email I sent to the response I received from the company because it does not seem like it is getting posted publicly: Daba, I appreciate your feedback. However, adding the word "alleged interaction" to your message, frankly, takes away the trustworthiness from the apology. (Definition of "alleged" on Google Dictionary: "[...] said, without proof, to have taken place or to have a specified illegal or undesirable quality" - emphasis on "without proof") You stating that my encounter was "alleged" is even more offensive than the encounter itself, because with that choice of word, you are challenging the truth that I have experienced by implying that I have no proof and/or that I'm lying. With that, you are inherently challenging my character and my integrity, which is even more offensive than accusing me of having a "fake profile" and having to "need a therapist". The entire email I had received was full with "alleged statements" about me (statements that your team had no proof to support), and now you chose to use that same word in your response to my post, when all I did was state the actual facts that truly happened (I simply stated the facts of the story and quotes from that email - all of which I can support with the actual emails generated by Meetup). On that note, I'd be happy to post the actual automated email I received from Meetup.com so you can see for yourself what exactly was communicated to me by this "virtual assistant social media group" you are referring to. I quite frankly don't understand how you have not actually seen that message yourself if this company was hired on your company's behalf and if you did actually discuss this issue with them. I am happy to post it publicly here for you and the world to see as an image if you would like me to do that. Please let me know if you truly have not seen that and would like me to do that (hence your choice of word of "alleged"), and I will go ahead and post a screen shot in the images. If you did see it, I am baffled since in that case you are not only allowing this behavior to happen, but are actually encouraging it by falsely and publicly accusing the victim (me) of lying by the bad choice of word. What is even more aggravating is the fact that I had actually sent a direct response back to your group on Meetup right away, challenging the email I had received, with no direct response back from your team with an apology even until today. The fact that I am getting a response from you here, now, publicly, after a bad public review, especially with the wording you elected, does not communicate honest regret to me. Why the timing now? Frankly, I'm not looking for an apology at this point, especially because I would not rely on its trustworthiness. I did my due diligence by sharing my experience for others to see so they can make an informed decision. I patiently await your response regarding your preference related to the email I received - I am happy to post that screen shot. Best regards, Annamaria S. read more

when my friend found this trip we knew this was the trip for us. Neither one of us had ever traveled with a group of women so we were concerned about that piece of the trip, but after talking to Marshelle on the phone she seemed to be really nice and down to earth. My first issue with Marshelle was that she would go weeks without responding to my questions. There was an issue with my balance and she wouldn't responding to my messages. I tried to give her the benefit of the doubt because I knew she was on a trip (Ghana I believe) but yet she found the time to have a dispute with some of the women on the GroupMe chat she created for this trip. Secondly, we were sent information for a flight on Emirates but was later told the tour group changed our itinerary and that meant we had to fly a different airline. That change had the group splitting in half once we arrived in Johannesburg. The only person I knew was my friend that I was traveling with and we ended up being split up to travel into two separate countries to get to our final destination (Zimbabwe). Day one in NY we received a message from Marshelle that she would be in the hotel lobby at 7:30pm for a meet and greet. When we came down to the lobby at 7:30 we met some of the other ladies but no Marshelle, she was getting her nails done. When she arrived she went straight to the elevator without saying a word. She never attended the "meet and greet". She never showed that sisterhood or women's empowerment she talked about. She was not the friendly person she appeared to be on our first conversation. Twice there wasn't enough room in the privately booked shuttles for the whole group and our luggage to travel to the hotels. There were so many more issues but for me the biggest was her lack of commutation skills and the fact that she promotes Pumps and Passports as a social group, she was not very social. But despite her lack of leadership we (the ladies in the group) bonded anyway. When looking to travel PLEASE DO NOT USE THIS GROUP. You will be treated like you are beneath her socially. read more

I attended the South Africa/Victoria Falls trip Oct 5-16, 2019. Although ultimately it was an awesome experience and I met what will hopefully be some new lifelong friends, the trip also came with some significant challenges. As advertised, we would be flying Emirates Airlines a premiere carrier. However, after significant money was paid, our Emirates flight was changed to South African Airlines, a much lower rated air carrier. If this were a domestic/much shorter flight this change may not have been such a concern, but our flight was 14+ hours. If anyone has travelled that long, comfort is an absolute necessity which is why many of us agreed to the premium pricing. This change was made without explanation and without an offer for refund or price adjustment. Additionally the itinerary/sequence to travel stops was changed which led to more inter-country flights, separation of the group onto two separate flights flying into two different locations, additional layovers, downtime, etc. These changes were not communicated to the group until the final travel documents were distributed, allowing us no time to question or to make changes. There were other missed opportunities that could have led to a much more enjoyable experience; i.e. a kinder and more approachable demeanor of the group leader. For example our initial meet and greet to kick off the trip on the evening before departure was canceled with no notice, leaving us to find each other as best we could and introduce ourselves. General pleasantries such as "good morning", "hello", "thank you for coming on the trip", etc are not requirements, but are general expectations of a group leader that were not met. One particular disturbing incident was while one of the ladies was ill, vomiting/sweating etc, the group leader sat adjacent to her on the plane with no show of compassion. Again not a requirement, but a general expectation of a group leader would have been to at least inquire if she was ok or needed assistance or help with finding healthcare. There were more tangible missed opportunities as well. For example, early in the trip our transportation from an airport was not sufficient to accommodate our group size or luggage. Again this led to the group being separated and a long delay waiting for backup transportation. An expectation of a group leader would have been to correct this mishap with the transportation company so we would not encounter this problem again while on the trip. However, this same scenario happened again with no accountability from the group leader. Again, while ultimately I had an enjoyable experience, I would recommend reading reviews for similarities regarding personality differences, doing price comparisons, and understanding how itinerary changes will be handled and communicated before booking with Pumps and Passports. Lastly, I would strongly suggest that you not initiate payment for more than one trip at a time as refund opportunities with this group are extremely limited. read more

I have been on five of Marschelle trips and have enjoyed each one. If you long for a community of black women who are positive and open to new experiences than this is it. As a black women who lives and works in white spaces where there are few people of color I love being able get get away for a little while with a group of professional black women who share my same experience. I always come back from these trips happy an renewed with a group of new friends. read more

I travelled with P & P on the Victoria Falls/South Africa trip in October 2019. I want to make others aware of how P & P failed to deliver on expectations, communication and financial management. This was my second trip; yet my first time with P & P to an international destination. Some of the behaviors I witnessed in SA of the trip leader, Marschelle, I had seen a hint of on my first trip. I dared to think these behaviors could be so GROSSLY apparent in SA. Marschelle failed to deliver on expectations. The first instance was when the airline was switched without an explanation. On an early group call Marschelle stated that we would be travelling on Emirates. She even provided the dates and times for the flights. Yet literally 3 weeks before departure, we found out that we would be using a different airline, South Africa Air. SA Air is NOT Emirates. A 14.5-hour flight without a tv that works is not a good way to start a trip. Another failed expectation is that we received our trip itinerary hours before the call to discuss trip details (3 weeks before our departure). It had been noted in the trip details that we would have this information 6 weeks prior to travel. I was also disappointed to note that we did not visit all the locations noted in our trip itinerary. Marschelle did not communicate well as the trip leader. She was not well informed on travel details (i.e. how to procure box breakfasts for the safari or transportation to and from the airport) nor would she consistently pass information on to the group. Whispering to 20 women in a public space is NOT effective. Marschelle was standoffish and unfriendly (i.e. greet others when entering a room). Also, Marschelle does not reply timely to emails for information regarding the trip itinerary and payments. In my opinion, this trip suffered from poor financial management. Several times, I had to follow up with Marschelle to ensure that she properly credited payments to my account. Planned excursions on the travel itinerary were not paid in advance by Marschelle. There were at least two excursions (dinner cruise on the Zambezi River and Cape of Good Hope vehicle ride) where the tour guide looked to the group to make payment to participate in an activity when the excursion was included in our travel itinerary (i.e. already paid for). There were a few meals (lunch and dinner) where we had to pay for our own drinks. This was handled awkwardly. There was no mention in the travel documents that drinks had to be covered by each traveler when the meal was included in the travel itinerary. I can understand having to pay for alcoholic drinks. I won't recount the details of two group dinners (The Three Monkeys and Balthazar) that resulted in Marschelle haggling with the restaurant staff over the bill. I will not rehash all the outlandish ways this trip went wrong due to Marschelle. Despite her inexplicable behaviors, I fully made the most of the trip and made friends with a great group of women. However, I will not make future travel plans with P & P. I'm posting this review to help others make an informed decision as had I known when I made a deposit on the trip what I know now, I would not have bothered with this travel company disguised as a social group. read more

After reading the reviews of other groups that traveled P&P before me, the experience seems to close to ours to be a coincidence. I chose this trip on a suggestion of a world traveled friend (Don't, do your research! ) I also invited 3 family members (world travels). all believing the company was legit. I know 'Daba"(the Leader Marsha, I guess), States she is not a scam. Again, I cannot help but notice the similar trends between groups, the changes once we pay and cannot get a refund: 1) We were informed we would fly emirates but switched last minute. 2) Our total itinerary changed last minute 3.) Nasty attitude of Leader from the moment you have paid ( I have emails and individual GroupMe messages to prove this). 4 ) received itinerary literally 1 week before traveling, We spent 6 days of our 12 day (not 14 which was advertised) traveling, This also increased our personal cost for luggage fees, Tips, Taxi's, food not provided by P&P and other incidentals, several hours were spent just waiting and waiting to board a plane, for direction, for transportation to and from activities. I read in one of the reviews that when they arrived at the destination, provisions were not provided for each Empress and there luggage. We experience this several times, The leader neveral deals with it and never stated behind with the people left waiting on another vehicle. at least 3 times transportation was not provide. most in the group end up paying for our own taxi, just to ensure that we did not lose reservations and miss planned activities. not to mention the group was separated from into two separate destination from J'burg to Victoria Falls some traveling to Zambia some to Victoria Falls ( My sister was separated from my group and my roommate separated from me) very weird and stressful. If you chose this social group to travel with "Do not expect" direction, guidance, assistance, social Interaction ( from the leader, the rest of us were good), to stick to the original advertised plan, to get a deal ( I believe most of us have noticed that this group is double plus Gate 1, for instance ( I am not promoting Gate 1 have only seen prices Please do your research) Nor should you expect everything will be covered by P&P. This is not the group for any of that. read more

I hate to write this review because I want to always support Black businesses but my experience with her has been AWFUL! I had a previous bad trip with her but hoped it was a one-time thing. I continued with this trip because it was completely paid and I couldn't get my money back. I also thought it would be better--we all deserve a second chance right? WRONG! Unfortunately, we were ripped off! We had to pay for Uber and catch taxis to get to locations and activities that she planned. She stated that she didn't charge us enough (about $4,000) so we basically paid the difference while we were there. Some people missed events that they paid for (yacht cruise) due to her bad planning and lack of organization. We also went to sales pitches as a part of our "tour" and we were pressured to buy items in these stops along the tour. When we actually wanted to shop, we didn't get a chance. The group spent a whole 10 MINUTES in the world's biggest mall. I'm sure it was probably LOVELY, but we wouldn't know!! Most days felt very rushed and chaotic and UNORGANIZED! She did not engage with the group, usually walked off and did her own thing, and she was often rude and unpleasant. At the end of the trip we were basically held hostage until we each paid her an additional $65 USD, which really should have been paid in Dubai's currency (we checked) and would have been only a fraction of that amount. We paid simply to continue the trip to Abu Dhabi. Once the day trip to Abu Dhabi was over, we returned to the hotel where we had the option of showering before our 16hr flight. The options were either her room (we had to check out of our rooms) or by the public pool. It was 14 women so we did what we had to do. There were several opportunities in Dubai that we could take advantage of...they just weren't included in the package. Nonetheless, I met some wonderful women and we will ALL travel together again...but NOT with Pumps and Passports. There are other travel groups (consider them) and no one is perfect. This lady/one-woman company never apologizes and talked down to us constantly. Regardless of how she feels about anyone or anything, she owed us the service/trip that we paid for and she did NOT deliver what she promised. read more

I had the pleasure of traveling with PumpsandPassports to Greece on August 30-September 9,2019. I was amazing! The organization of transportation to and from hotels, tours, and ferry was on point. The hotel were four and five stars. The rooms were small but that is European. The itinerary was well planned allowing you to see the island and receive the history. We visited Athens, Mykonos, and Santorini while in Greece. I have amazing videos, pictures, and met new professional ladies on my bucket list trip. This was my first trip with PumpsandPassports but will not be my last trip. I'm hoping to travel to South Africa and Paris London. Great job and continue to be a blessing in the travel world! read more

I have traveled with Pumps and Passport twice in the past. I went to Dubai in 2017 and Thailand in 2018. I enjoyed both places. I met a lot of awesome ladies with different backgrounds. Everything was coordinating as to the itinerary and stayed busy the entire trip. I love the different excursions and experiences that are offered. If there were any changes it didn't bother me because sometimes I like things to not be totally perfect and I am able to adapt to different situations and keep it moving. Payment plans were flexible and if you had a problem just keep good communication with the travel agent. I like that there are several video meetings before the trip to hash out any questions or concerns. I am planning a third trip with this group in 2020. You MUST READ all information provided and sign up to the appropiate apps for information. Now if you are looking for an inexpensive trip, then you may need to book your own trips and not use a travel group. I would say it may be better to book your own flights so you can make your own changes or upgrades to flights and not be linked to the group leader. But overall I love going with this group. I travel a lot and have traveled using different travel groups or just a solo traveler. When I feel the need of meeting new people I hit up a travel group. read more

consumer beware: i traveled with pumps and passport on the south africa trip 10/4-10/16. i must say i have never been scammed like this until i met( empress marchall or marsha) still don't know her real name. i purchased this trip based on contingency of being a women's empowerment group, only to find out this is a social club. when i purchased this trip i was promised a 5 experience. i was told the flight would be on emirates airlines but 2 weeks before departure the airlines changed to south african air. please keep in mind south african air is a huge downgrade compared to emirates. when we arrived in africa the group of 20 was split(scary because we are all in a foreign country. my group landed in zimbabwe. we had to go catch a bus, get off the bus, drag our luggage in the hot sun, surrounded by men who were begging us to buy their merchandise.(scary ordeal) we then proceed to the hotel which was an old plantation home, where the employees were dressed in slave attire(cotton satchels on their waist) we had dinner at 3 monkeys restaurant, which was embarrassing because empress marchell or maraha did not want to pay the bill(another low budget move)after staying in zimbabwe for several days we caught a flight to joburg on mango air( the fair was $328 rand equivalent to $25 usd) again another low budget airline. we arrived in joburg only to find out she did not book transportation to accommodate 20 women. so empress marchell/marsha decides to put our life in danger. she left 3 women(including myself) with a unknown cab driver in a foreign country(thankfully the cab driver was a honest man)we stayed at hotel which was infested with bedbugs. so to sum this trip.. this was a low budget trip that we paid over $5500 for. we did not receive what we paid for. also i forgot to mention that empress marchell/ marsha is also a bully. once you call her out on scammy ways she will kick you out of groupme, so basically you're on your own in a foreign country. so again i can go on and on. do not travel with pumps and passports read more

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Do Not travel with this group it is a scam..bait and switch..you are promised one thing but get something less..I travel with Marchelle the group leader along with 19 other dissatisfied woman to South Africa from Oct 4 til October 16,2019..First we where promise to fly Emirates airlines in which we paid a lot of money to do so and was promise 5 stars services including hotel..when we arrived at the airport we were told to get in South Africa Airlines lines we was a shocker to all..she had switch the itinerary around completely without our knowledge..red flag..after arriving to Johannesburg (15 1/2) hours flights we had to wait additional 2-3 hours to fly to Zimbabwe..in which we were divided in two groups some flying to Livingstone and other flying straight in..the airline's attendant didn't understand this and asked the group leader why we were flying like this and asked did we get a discount because this was a cheap way of flying..(red flag 2) once you started to travel she didn't communicate with you at all..she would disappear or stay to the back never with the group..she takes no responsibility of the problems we encountered..but instead put everything on the travel agent..we booked with you not the travel agent..due to the trip booked backwards we flew on a total of eight planes and lost days due to travel out our packages and became ill from exhaustion and still Sick on an antibiotic due to being exposed to below standards tours and eating places..the hotel in Johannesburg in one of the guess rooms had bed bugs..in ours blood on the comforter..we reported this to her of course her attitude was I don't have nothing to do with this..we where only giving $18.00 to $20.00 voucher for the dinners and lunch that was supposed to be included..we where over charged for this trip $5600.00..then was told it was mandatory that we purchase the gold package of the medical and trip insurance for additional $496.00..this was another way for her to get a kickback..never did we received our actual documents that was supposed to come in the mails 30 days prior to the trip..they were emailed to us around 2-3 weeks prior..with the changes..I do not bashed black women in business I usually build them up..but this lady here everyone need to know about..you will be sorry if you travel with her you can find much cheaper trips through Gate 1 travel agents in which she books through them double the price to you..she's arrogant and don't care and just deleted you from her groupme and Facebook so you can't make no comments and off to free travel for her she goes with the next group...Marchelle..Marsha..PUMPS AND PASSPORTS you are being exposed...fraudulent and scammer!!!!!! read more

Took my dream trip with Pumps & Passports In May 2019. Italy had been on my list for a looong time. Arrived in Rome for 3days, lots of tours and good food & restaurants. From Rome to Naples and Pompei and then a Sprinter to Sorrento. Drum roll please, the Amalfi Coast, Positano & Ravello were breath taking!! Second half of trip we were based in Sorrento.. Lively town, good shopping. Visiting Italy was based on my going to the Amalfi Coast! It did not fail me either. Also took a day trip to Capri. There was free time for u to unwind , go to a s, take a day trip to surrounding areas or just skip a tour if u wanted to. A nice group of intelligent, courteous women from most major cities in the US. No Drama! The tours covered well known places but we also got a taste of local venues. Hotel accommodations were 4 and 5 star and I had no issues with either of them. I arrived as a solo traveler but quickly bonded with other travelers. P&P did an excellent job of selecting a group of like minded women for this trip. This is my second trip with P&P, traveled to Dubai in 2017. This won't be my last! See u in Greece and Italy in June 2020 if not before. read more

This is a warning to anyone who plans to book travel with pumps and passports via Facebook. Let me start by saying you will not be able to become a part of the group unless you are a "black" woman. This group is exclusive to black women only. That was my first mistake, had I known that this was a group exclusive to black women only I would not have booked with this agency. My daughter is white and I'm sure a lot of women that are booking with this group have white relatives. I personally don't want to be a part of any organization that excludes other races because of the color of their skin and/or cultural background. Before I realized this, my deposit for the trip was already taken. My particular trip that I went on was for Dubai, November 17 - 02 December 2017. I booked this trip with several other girlfriends. We departed for our trip one week prior to joining the group so that we could explore Dubai on our own. We stayed at a 4 star hotel in the beach area with full ocean views. We were close to everything, restaurants and local transportation. When we transferred to the pumps and passport group we were promised a 5 star hotel with bus transpiration to tour sites on the list. To our disappointment when we arrived at the hotel we were staying at an airport Marriot in middle of a construction zone far away from restaurants and local transportation. We spent the week touring 80 cent and $3 museums. We were promised a brunch with our tour only to be switched out by a $13 lunch at the top of a tall building. Brunch is a big deal in Dubai and there are quite pricey, I'm pretty sure by switching out the brunch the company made out with $100 difference. Basically we spent the week hoping on and off the bus for a bunch of cheap tours. the only highlight of the trip was the dune tour with dinner in the desert and the Sheikh Zayed Mosque in Abu Dhabi. Everything else you do on your own time with a few days to spare. Really don't waste your money doing this this tour group you can do it on your own. I will also say that many of us will be friends after our disastrous disappointing trip with pumps and passports. With a little planning you can save a lot of money and be with people who have the adventure to travel regardless of your skin color. read more