- Report: #189425
Complaint Review: Inertia Tours - Austin Texas
-
Author Confirmed
Why?
Inertia Tours
1003 E 43rd St. Austin, 78751 Texas, U.S.A.
Phone:
512-420-0179
Web:
N/A
Categories:
Business Rating:
(0)
Tell us has your experience with this business or person been good?
Inertia Tours - Chad Hart Credit card charges a month after trip was over ripoff Austin Texas
I went on a Spring Break trip on March 18-25, my trip number was 61829. I noticed on April 22nd I had a $259.97 charge on my credit card. I attempted to call Inertia Tours (the travel agency used) but the 1-866-WILDTRIP number no longer worked. I attempted to email the company, but received no reply.
I finally called Mazatlan Express, another travel agency that allowed the owner of Inertia Tours, Chad Hart, to use their credit card merchant account. The owner of Mazatlan Express, Kraig Lofquist, was very helpful and gave me a number that worked for Inertia Tours.
After a week of leaving voicemails and receiving no call back I again called Mr. Lofquist, who informed me that he had called and spoken to Mr. Hart and gave him my information. Mr. Hart chose not to call me back and left me with not recourse but to file an official complaint.
On top of the 259.97, my Hart has a $350 security deposit for the room that my group stayed in, this is not due to me refunded until later in the year (30-45 days from the last vacationers departure).
I now fear that I may lose this deposit as a result of filing this claim, but $609.97 is enough money for me to get upset.
Eric
Lawrence, Kansas
U.S.A.
I finally called Mazatlan Express, another travel agency that allowed the owner of Inertia Tours, Chad Hart, to use their credit card merchant account. The owner of Mazatlan Express, Kraig Lofquist, was very helpful and gave me a number that worked for Inertia Tours.
After a week of leaving voicemails and receiving no call back I again called Mr. Lofquist, who informed me that he had called and spoken to Mr. Hart and gave him my information. Mr. Hart chose not to call me back and left me with not recourse but to file an official complaint.
On top of the 259.97, my Hart has a $350 security deposit for the room that my group stayed in, this is not due to me refunded until later in the year (30-45 days from the last vacationers departure).
I now fear that I may lose this deposit as a result of filing this claim, but $609.97 is enough money for me to get upset.
Eric
Lawrence, Kansas
U.S.A.
1 Updates & Rebuttals
Chad
Austin,Texas,
U.S.A.
Response to Charges to Credit Card
#2UPDATE Employee
Thu, June 19, 2008
Eric, the person that personally names me and our Company in this report but is wholly inaccurate in his allegations. It is incredibly easy to figure out the identities of people, as for our program last year, we had just (4) condos damaged. 1.) Our Company does not accept, nor take "damage deposits" on its vacations packages. We do, however, require (2) credit cards to be placed down on each condo that we check in to insure against damages to these units (some are valued over $1 million each). This information can be verified under the Tour Operator Participant agreement on our website. This is standard-practice in the hospitality, travel, & hotel industry. If you place a credit card down, and you damage your accommodations, you get charged. We do require that the cardholders sign a document that the COMPLETELY understand that their credit card will be charged if that unit is damaged 45-60 days after the completion of all of our trips. They are also told this prior to check in, as well as signing prior to the trip in our travel agreement that this is the case. None of this information is hidden nor kept away from any public eye. This is exactly what happened in this instance. This gentleman & his group chose to break a door down because they didn't have keys, lost keys, or people were passed out inside the condo. This is not OUR Company's responsibility. We were charged by the condo owner the EXACT amount we charged this individual's credit card. 2.) As we travel in excess of 5,000 college partiers per year to the Island, we cannot "same day" check units & assess damages. We do, however, take digital pictures of damages to the unit, as well as receive an itemized invoice from the Owner of the condo or the property management company. We do NOT mark up damages to condos. As we are a small, family owned company, we simply do not have the staff to immediately process damages to units until our spring break program is completed in mid-to-late April. Once that occurs, we process claims to cardholders as assessed by our Owners. 3.) This individual complained to the BBB and they favored on our Company's side. This individual then attempted to commit fraud with his credit card company and say he didn't authorize the charge. That too, failed. Our suggestions: *Take care of your space on your trip. You are financially responsible as adults, or your mommy or daddy are, nor our Company. How about this novel idea? Drink less. Hold onto your keys *Get credit card numbers upfront from your friends with a letter that says they know/accept if they do damage to your unit, they have to pay, and NOT you. Then, if we charge your card, you can call us and we will charge their cards instead. This individual is pissed off his friends damaged his unit, and now won't pay...such is as it goes. Our Company strives to provide the very best vacation experience possible, as well as the best service. Thank you for listening to our side / version of this story - but I can assure any readers, we can back up what we say with pictures, invoices, and detailed, exacting evidence.
