Backcountry Tours

On July 15/17, I booked and paid for an ATV tour with *** at Back Country Tours, an outdoor adventure company in Haliburton, ON. This reservation was for 14 riders, scheduled for October 21/17. 50% of the cost was taken as deposit, the amount of $1,969.59 on Visa. The remaining 50% was to be charged 14 days prior to the adventure date. The occasion was a bachelor party, and Back Country has a policy that the bachelor rides free. They allow max 10 riders in one group at a time, so with 14 riders I reserved two slots - morning and afternoon.

On October 4/17, 17 days before the adventure date, I emailed the company to change my reservation from 14 riders to 10, and one tour slot (morning) due to individuals in the group canceling. There was no reply.

On October 6/17, 15 days before the tour date, I emailed a second time to adjust the reservation. There was no reply.

On October 7/17, 14 days before the tour date, I sent a phone text to the phone number provided on website/emails, and received a reply that same day that they would be "happy to help" me adjust the reservation.

The company's refund policy:

We have a very strict no refund policy. Your remaining balance will be charged to the card provided 14 days before your adventure; no exceptions. However, 14 days prior to your adventure you can reschedule your adventure for personal unforeseen issues. We do not offer refunds of any kind.

At this point, my correspondence with *** began over the phone, and after a few conversations over a few days, the reservation was adjusted to 8 riders without issue. I made sure to mention that I had been trying to adjust this reservation beginning 3 days before the 14 day deadline. I was informed by *** that they had not received my emails from October 4th and 6th. I forwarded the email string to them on October 11, showing them that I had indeed sent the original emails. *** confirmed she had now received them, and they had not previously. At no point was any problem, penalty or policy infringement mentioned to me.

On the day of the tour, October 21, we were approached by our tour guide after we were finished and about to leave, asking if we had another group showing up at this point for the afternoon tour. I informed him that was the old reservation and had only booked the morning. The tour operator did not seem to know this, but accepted it and walked away. There was no further exchange about it.

On October 27th, I had notice a second charge of $1,969.59 from October 11, on my Visa. When I emailed *** about it, she informed me that because they had not received my emails prior to the 14 day deadline and my text message was received on the 13th day, they still charged me for the full original 14 riders. At no point throughout our many exchanges was I informed of this. I've requested to speak to the owner (***) multiple times throughout November and December, was told that the owner would be back on December 15. No one has contacted me to this day.

My complaints are:

1. I was charged for 14 drivers despite having changed the reservation to 8, and one driver was supposed to ride for free - an extra charge of $1,969.59.

2. Back Country Tours claimed to not have received my two cancellation emails - but did receive every other single email from before and after those two emails in our 45 email exchange from July 15-Nov 25/17.

3. This company was disorganized and difficult to communicate with as evidence by our email exchanges I have saved and their own tour operator not knowing that we had changed the reservation. I had to repeatedly ask for confirmations and replies throughout the booking and change process, and would not hear back for days.

4. The owner has not contacted me despite many requests and being promised they will. It has been 4 months since the tour date.

5. This company has a pattern of responding unprofessionally and without accommodation to financial complaints, as shown on *** reviews.

November 8, 2017 - booked an ATV rental with Backcountry Tours Inc in Dwight, Ontario for a rental cost of $339.00 (taxes included). The transaction was paid by *** card and the funds were withdrawn the same day. My fiance and I booked the rental for November 19, 2017 as a celebration for our anniversary. We reside in Cobden Ontario located 3 hours away, this would have been our first trip to the Muskoka area. I received email confirmation the same day.

November 17, 2017 - The weather was calling for approximately 15-20cm of snow. I called Backcountry tours Inc. unsure of how to proceed with the news of a special weather statement. I was told for safety reasons they do not rent ATV's in the snow and was forced to cancel. This was the first time I was informed of their weather policy. We tentatively rescheduled for November 20, 2017 pending the weather. It continued to snow and we were told we could reschedule in the spring of 2018. I asked about a refund and I was then told they could not refund our money due to their strict no refund policy. This was the first I had been informed of this policy. I looked back to my confirmation email and it was stated the company has a no refund policy, but I was never told prior to booking.

I called multiple times through November 17 to November 20th attempting to contact head office and two other locations in Dwight, Ontario and Haliburton Ontario with no success. The phone numbers only went straight to voicemail. I was able to keep in contact via text with the employee who booked our reservation. She directed me to the appropriate email to voice my concerns. I sent an email November 19, 2017 and a second email November 20th. I received an email response on November 22, 2017 from said employee. I was told management was away for a few weeks. Nothing was addressed by management, head office or the owner.

I was not informed of the strict no refund policy prior to booking. I was not made aware of weather restrictions prior to booking, or the risk involved with booking during season change in November. The company knowingly allowed us to book an ATV in November when their is a higher chance of snow, therefore increasing chances of cancellation. I was not offered any form of cancellation insurance considering the high cost of machine rental.

We do not know where the consumer or the business owner will be in the Spring of 2018, therefore a "credit" to re book is not sufficient for the customer, especially considering we do not travel to the area.