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California Tour Lines Reviews (2)

Revdex.com:
I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID [redacted], and have determined that this proposed action would not resolve my complaint.  For your reference, details of the offer I reviewed appear below.
1.  We left the tour business-site to start the tour on the tour bus at 9:00 am.  We pulled back into the parking lot of the tour business-site to re-enter our car at 4:50 pm.  That's 8 hours and 50 minutes taken up by the tour, instead of 4 hours as advertised on the tour brochure.  The tour should have ended at 1:00 pm.  I did not forget to ask about the return time.  The return time is implied on the brochure in the statement that it's a 4 hour tour. 
2.  We were to meet friends for a walk through Knotts Berry Farm in the afternoon, not take another bus tour.  Our friends had another commitment for the evening; because we got back late, we missed seeing them completely!  That fact is totally due to the tour's actions of holding us hostage on the tour.
Oh my goodness!  I am so very sorry that we ever did business with this company!  It was a totally disappointing experience that we will not repeat.  I would like a full refund. 
Regards, [redacted]

Review: On Sat., Feb. 8, my husband & I booked a 4 hour 'Hollywood Sightseeing Tour' for Sun. Feb. 9. The tour was to begin at 9:00 & end at 1:00, & included stars' homes, Sunset Blvd., Melrose Ave., etc. We were told to arrive at 8:30 am, for the tour to begin at 9:00. After boarding the bus at 9:00 we learned that we had to pick up 'another couple' at another location. In total, we picked up 3 other couples with the result that the 'tour' did not begin until about 10:15 am. Our driver reported to us that he was 77 years of age, & then began to show us where he had been on stage himself at one time, & then where his best friend had constructed Victorian houses. We were then taken to a sleazy souvenir shop across from Grumman's Chinese Theater, asked to depart the bus, & told "go buy some souvenirs" while the driver went to "get a cup of coffee" at a shop on the corner. We left that location at 11:40 am. To make a long story short, we were basically 'held hostage' on the bus by the driver while he meandered around Los Angeles, pointing out locations which were of no interest to us. WE WERE RETURNED TO THE POINT WHERE THE TOUR BEGAN AT 4:40, ALMOST 4 HOURS LATE!!! Our plans with another couple, which were to begin at 2:00 pm, after the tour ended, were completely demolished! When we booked the tour, we were told it was for 4 hours only. We were not told we would be held hostage by a geriatric (77 years old) driver who had no guidelines over what he was to show the group. We were not able to depart the tour because we had no idea exactly where we were or how to get to back where our car was located. I find it extremely offensive that we were not told in advance that although the tour was advertised to last for 4 hours, we might not get back until 8 or 9 hours had elapsed. I am still outraged that we were held captive, that we were forced to see what the driver wanted us to see, and that I missed seeing what I might have seen had I chosen another tour company! I wish so much we had!Desired Settlement: Tour amount credited to the credit card charged. Driver reprimanded severely.

Business

Response:

[redacted]

California Tour Lines

926 El Dorado Street

Monrovia, CA 91016

March 30, 2014

Revdex.com of San Diego and Imperial Counties

RE: Complaint #[redacted] C. [redacted] Drive, P O Box [redacted], TN [redacted]

Dear Ms. [redacted]:

Thank you for this opportunity to address the concerns of one of our customers.

1) The first concern addressed by the customer is one of timing. I appreciate her bringing this concern to our attention and in the future I will ensure that we are clearer with the customers about the estimated return time.

The customer complained that the four hour tour took 6 ½ hours. The tour itself does take four to four and a half hours, as stated in the brochure. However, it was not clear to the customer that the transit time from Anaheim to Los Angeles and returning from Los Angeles to Anaheim were not part of the tour time. She should have been informed when she booked the tour when the estimated return time would be. Whoever booked the tour for her neglected to do that, and we sincerely apologize for the oversight. Usually, customers who have a concern about the return time will inquire. This customer forgot to ask about the return time and we forgot to inform her. Therefore, the misunderstanding took place. We regret our part in this misunderstanding and will correct this for future customers.

Why do we publish only the tour time, not transit time? We pick up customers directly from where the tour starts as well as up to an hour and a half away. We pick up all over the Southern California area, from Pomona to the coast; from Anaheim to Los Angeles. Therefore the full round trip time can be different for many different customers. It must be determined individually.

2) The second concern was that we picked up other passengers. I cannot apologize for this, because it is standard in the industry to pick up other passengers. If the customer had booked a private charter, then she could assume no other stops. To our credit, we do not allow more than three pick up stops for the benefit of our customers. Other tour companies do not do this! They can spend an hour picking up customers, then take them to an office. Other tour companies can take up to two hours before the tour starts. We have one of the best records in the industry for minimizing time from pick up to start time.

3) The third concern was that the tour did not begin until 10:15 am. The tour is scheduled to begin from Olvera Street between 10:00 am and 10:20 am so our start time was on target. Again, the customer had a misunderstanding about the start time of the tour.

4) The fourth concern was about the age of the driver. This is an inappropriate complaint! He is an excellent driver, in excellent health. All professional drivers must pass driving and health exams, and this particular driver is vibrant, talented and healthy. He has experience as a tour guide in Europe as well as Southern California, and also as a filmmaker. He is an excellent driver, extremely knowledgeable tour guide and we have letters of praise for him. We are lucky to have him as part of our team. This is the first time that we have had a complaint about the age of the driver. Again, not appropriate.

5) The fifth concern was about the quality of the souvenir shop. As the Chinese Theater is a major stop on the tour, the quality of the souvenir shop directly across from it is not within our control. Many tour busses do not stop directly in front of the Chinese Theater. They make the customers walk. Again, this is a courtesy that was not appreciated by this particular customer.

6) The sixth concern was that the customer was not interested in the “points of interest” [redacted]lighted by the tour guide. I am sorry that the customer was unhappy with the sights. We do our best to point out things that are of interest to most customers, most of the time. This particular customer did not like the commentary nor the sights. I have empathy for the unpleasant experience for this customer. Most customers are very happy with the tour, but this customer was not.

7) The seventh concern was that the customer was “held hostage.” I wish the customer had said something to the tour guide! If she wished to cut the tour short, we could have returned her to her hotel. We have a driver on stand-by for emergency situations. In the past, we have had to take people from the tour and return them to their hotel to make a flight or an appointment. If she had said something, we could have returned her to the hotel.

8) The eight concern was that the customer missed seeing what she might have seen with another tour company. This is simply untrue and an unfair comment. She saw every landmark that was advertised on the brochure, and for the designated times. We have all tours on GPS with GPS record. I reviewed the tour and all stops were appropriate. The only way another tour company would have shown her other sights would be if they had different sights advertised on the brochure.

As an owner of the company, I am always dismayed if a customer is unhappy with our service. I regret that she did not enjoy her tour. In the future, I can assure you we will be more careful in making sure customers who are departing from far away locations understand that the tour time is separate from the transit time.

I am willing to offer her a 50% refund.

Sincerely,

Consumer

Response:

I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID [redacted], and have determined that this proposed action would not resolve my complaint. For your reference, details of the offer I reviewed appear below.

1. We left the tour business-site to start the tour on the tour bus at 9:00 am. We pulled back into the parking lot of the tour business-site to re-enter our car at 4:50 pm. That's 8 hours and 50 minutes taken up by the tour, instead of 4 hours as advertised on the tour brochure. The tour should have ended at 1:00 pm. I did not forget to ask about the return time. The return time is implied on the brochure in the statement that it's a 4 hour tour.

2. We were to meet friends for a walk through Knotts Berry Farm in the afternoon, not take another bus tour. Our friends had another commitment for the evening; because we got back late, we missed seeing them completely! That fact is totally due to the tour's actions of holding us hostage on the tour.

Oh my goodness! I am so very sorry that we ever did business with this company! It was a totally disappointing experience that we will not repeat. I would like a full refund.

Regards, [redacted]

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Description: Sightseeing Tours

Address: 2129 S Harbor Blvd, Anaheim, California, United States, 92802

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