Cultural Folk Tours

At the end of November, we received your second complaint notice, which was forwarded from our previous address in Cypress, CATo date, the first notice has not arrived.Even though we have not received the first notice, below is our reply to Mr [redacted] 's complaint:In March 2016, Mr [redacted] and his wife, Mrs [redacted] booked the CFT Affordable Eastern Turkey TourOn August 9", we informed them that because there were only three members booked on the Eastern Turkey tour, we could arrange a private tour for them insteadThrough our Turkey agency, we proposed a private tour itineraryAfter several E-mails, Mr [redacted] agreed on August 30" to a customized itinerary for a private tour from October 5" to October 26, 2016.Our U.Soffice initially received a complaint E-mail from Mr [redacted] on October 31, while I was out of the country on vacation and was unreachable until my return on November 7, His E-mail detailed his complaints about his Eastern Turkey private tour experienceMr [redacted] states that two of the promised sites were not visited on the tour because they were closedThis issue was not brought up during the tour with his guide or our agency in TurkeyWe were not aware of his grievances until he sent the complaint E-mail after his tour had endedIf it had been discussed during the tour, our agency in Turkey could've made arrangements to visit many other sites or events in Turkey because the agency had made all of the hotel and tour reservations.As also stated in our "Rules & Regulations' document, which Mr [redacted] signed and agreed to, our policy on itinerary modifications is as follows:ltinerary Modifications: Every effort will be made by Cultural Folk Tours int' Inc(CFTII) to carry out all tours as plannedHowever, itineraries contained in this brochure are subject to modifications and change, sometimes without advance notice.Mr [redacted] ends his complaint message with, "We are requesting a refund of $for these deficiencies in the tripplease respond by November 4, or we will take appropriate action."Our U.Sagent replied by E-mail the same day, stating that our office would further investigate his complaintIn the E-mail the agent also asked that Mr [redacted] wait until my return on November 7", explicitly stating that no formal decisions could be made without Mr***'s or my approvalOn November 1, Mr [redacted] E-mailed, "November is our deadline for a responseI believe everyone can be contacted, cell phones, email, etcI see no need to extend the time."Please note that Mr [redacted] 's deadline was on a Friday, our offices are closed on the weekend and my return to the office was on November 7", the subsequent MondayUpon returning, I contacted our Turkey office to look into Mr [redacted] 's complaintsBecause Mr [redacted] would not extend his deadline and was not willing to wait three days including the weekend until my return, I sent him the E-mail below" on November 9", explaining my absence and our position on the matterinformed him that we could not refund him the $because he had not allowed us enough time to investigate the matterOn November 9", Mr [redacted] replied by E-mail, stating that he had already filed several Complaints.Sincerely, [redacted] Vice President Cultural Folk Tours*E-mail sent to Mr [redacted] on November 9, 2016:Dear Mr [redacted] and Mrs [redacted] ,Please pardon the wait in my responseI was on vacation for a health check and was unable to respond by your deadline.Upon returning to our U.Soffice, I spoke with [redacted] in Turkey and our Turkey office, who have looked into your complaintsAbout the two UNESCO sites, tourism in Turkey has been shaken up due to recent events andheightened security [redacted] informed me that the hours and dates of operation of the two sites became unpredictable this year for the first timeThe sites were opening and closing unexpectedly, often with no advance noticeIn regards to the travel days on October 20th and 21st, please note that we had informed you that your schedule was flexible and could be adjusted to your preference because it was a private tourIf you wanted a different route or wished to visit specific sites, our A.T.TTurkey office and/or the guide could've assisted you with suggestions and would've accommodated your requestsIf you were unhappy with the schedule on those days, this matter could've been resolved if you had addressed it in Turkey[redacted] also told me that he was delighted to meet you at the Cappadocia Cave SuitesHe gave you our best suite (Sper night value) during your stay at the Cave Suites and arranged a Mercedes Benz car for you to travel in with a private guide and driverHe was under the impression that you were enjoying your tour.Because your group tour was converted to a private tour, we arranged this tour for you at a lossIn addition, most of our tours have been cancelled this year and I have been working without pay at our office all through this yearFor these reasons, we are unable to refund you $400.if you wish to discuss this matter further, please contact [redacted] when he returns back to our U.Soffice

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 Cultural Folk Tours says that the UNESCO sites that we were included in the itinerary, and that were of great interest to us were: "opening and closing unexpectedly"This is not true, both sites had been continuously closed for over months- with no announced dates to reopen.Since we made final arrangements for the tour only month before we departed, Cultural Folk Tours should have known these sites were closed, and informed us of this, rather than including them in the itinerary I understand that an itinerary can change, but in this case there was no possibility of our touring these sites, either at the time we booked the trip nor when we left for Turkey.Cultural Folk Tours was negligent in not having knowledge about the sites they had promised to guide us to Cultural folk Tours admits in their response that they lacked information about these sites.When our local guide saw our itinerary, they knew instantly that these sites were closed Cultural folk Tours did not even consult with their own employees about the proposed itinerary.Cultural Folk Tours suggests we should have told our local guides to substitute other stops for the sites that were closed.We did tell our driver and guide that we were very interested in seeing the sites, and would be disappointed in missing them In both cases we went to the sites, and indeed found them closed In each case, these sites are in remote locations, with no other sites easily acessableThe guide would have taken us to other sites if they were available But, because the trip itinerary was set(hotel reservations could not be changed) it was not an option to travel very far from the original route CFT suggests what we should have done- but I suggest CFT should have done their job and not given us an itinerary that they could not deliver.CFT says we were given better rooms at Cappadocia, and we appreciate this But, we did not appreciate having to pay for the last days of the originally proposed trip out of our own pocket- because CFT says the private tour was more expensive than the GUARANTEED departure tour we originally signed up for CFT told us the prepayment that we made for airline tickets could not be refunded, so, we were stuck with CFT- even when they changed the trip by not including the last days that were part of the original trip Regards, [redacted]

On December 23, we received your letter dated on December and postmarked on December Below is our reply to Mr [redacted] 's response:Because our office in Turkey, Cappadocia Cave Suites, had arranged the entire tour, it was important that we contacted them prior to following up with Mr [redacted] 's complaintAs he was unwilling to postpone his November 4" deadline to November 7", which was when I returned from overseas, we could not investigate this matter with our Turkey officeBy the time had returned to the office on November 7", he had already filed a complaint, which prevented us from reaching an amicable resolution.Although Mr [redacted] states that they were "stuck with CFT" because their non-stop Turkish Airlines air tickets to Turkey were non-refundable, Turkish Airlines unexpectedly cancelled their flight around two weeks before Mr [redacted] 's departureEven though Mr [redacted] had a chance to get an air refund from Turkish Airlines due to the cancellation, he expressed interest in finding another flight to TurkeyI was not aware that he no longer wished to take the tour.We feel that these issues could've been resolved favorably if Mr [redacted] had extended his deadline or had expressed his desire to cancel the tour before departure.Overall, we hope that his positive memories of Turkey outweigh any negative onesWe wish him a rewarding 2017.If you need anything further, please let me knowThank you.Sincerely, [redacted] Cultural Folk Tours

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.
Cultural Folk Tours says that the 2 UNESCO sites that we were  included in the itinerary, and that were of great interest to us were:  "opening and closing unexpectedly"This is not true, both sites had been continuously closed for over 6 months- with no announced dates to reopen.Since we made final arrangements for the tour only 1 month before we departed, Cultural Folk Tours should have known these sites were closed, and informed us of this, rather than including them in the itinerary.  I understand that an itinerary can change, but in this case there was no possibility of our touring these sites, either at the time we booked the trip nor when we left for Turkey.Cultural Folk Tours was negligent in not having knowledge about the sites they had promised to guide us to.  Cultural folk Tours admits in their response that they lacked information about these sites.When our local guide saw our itinerary, they knew instantly that these 2 sites were closed.  Cultural folk Tours did not even consult with their own employees about the proposed itinerary.Cultural Folk Tours suggests we should have told our local guides to substitute other stops for the 2 sites that were closed.We did tell our driver and guide that we were very interested in seeing the 2 sites, and would be disappointed in missing them.  In both cases we went to the sites, and indeed found them closed.  In each case, these sites are in remote locations, with no other sites easily acessable. The guide would have taken us to other sites if they were available.  But, because the trip itinerary was set(hotel reservations could not be changed) it was not an option to travel very far from the original route.  CFT suggests what we should have done- but I suggest CFT should have done their job and not given us an itinerary that they could not deliver.CFT says we were given better rooms at Cappadocia, and we appreciate this.  But, we did not appreciate having to pay for the last 2 days of the originally proposed trip out of our own pocket- because CFT says the private tour was more expensive than the GUARANTEED departure tour we originally signed up for.  CFT told us the prepayment that we made for airline tickets could not be refunded, so, we were stuck with CFT- even when they changed the trip by not including the last 2 days that were part of the original trip.  
Regards,
[redacted]

On December 23, we received your letter dated on December 18 and postmarked on December 20. Below is our reply to Mr. [redacted]'s response:Because our office in Turkey, Cappadocia Cave Suites, had arranged the entire tour, it was important that we contacted them prior to following up with Mr. [redacted]'s complaint. As he was unwilling to postpone his November 4" deadline to November 7", which was when I returned from overseas, we could not investigate this matter with our Turkey office. By the time had returned to the office on November 7", he had already filed a complaint, which prevented us from reaching an amicable resolution.Although Mr. [redacted] states that they were "stuck with CFT" because their non-stop Turkish Airlines air tickets to Turkey were non-refundable, Turkish Airlines unexpectedly cancelled their flight around two weeks before Mr. [redacted]'s departure. Even though Mr. [redacted] had a chance to get an air refund from Turkish Airlines due to the cancellation, he expressed interest in finding another flight to Turkey. I was not aware that he no longer wished to take the tour.We feel that these issues could've been resolved favorably if Mr. [redacted] had extended his deadline or had expressed his desire to cancel the tour before departure.Overall, we hope that his positive memories of Turkey outweigh any negative ones. We wish him a rewarding 2017.If you need anything further, please let me know. Thank you.Sincerely,[redacted] Cultural Folk Tours

At the end of November, we received your second complaint notice, which was forwarded from our previous address in Cypress, CA. To date, the first notice has not arrived.Even though we have not received the first notice, below is our reply to Mr. [redacted]'s complaint:In March 2016, Mr....

[redacted] and his wife, Mrs. [redacted] booked the CFT Affordable Eastern Turkey Tour. On August 9", we informed them that because there were only three members booked on the Eastern Turkey tour, we could arrange a private tour for them instead. Through our Turkey agency, we proposed a private tour itinerary. After several E-mails, Mr. [redacted] agreed on August 30" to a customized itinerary for a private tour from October 5" to October 26, 2016.Our U.S. office initially received a complaint E-mail from Mr. [redacted] on October 31, 2016 while I was out of the country on vacation and was unreachable until my return on November 7, 2016. His E-mail detailed his complaints about his Eastern Turkey private tour experience. Mr. [redacted] states that two of the promised sites were not visited on the tour because they were closed. This issue was not brought up during the tour with his guide or our agency in Turkey. We were not aware of his grievances until he sent the complaint E-mail after his tour had ended. If it had been discussed during the tour, our agency in Turkey could've made arrangements to visit many other sites or events in Turkey because the agency had made all of the hotel and tour reservations.As also stated in our "Rules & Regulations' document, which Mr. [redacted] signed and agreed to, our policy on itinerary modifications is as follows:ltinerary Modifications: Every effort will be made by Cultural Folk Tours int' Inc. (CFTII) to carry out all tours as planned. However, itineraries contained in this brochure are subject to modifications and change, sometimes without advance notice.Mr. [redacted] ends his complaint message with, "We are requesting a refund of $400 for these deficiencies in the trip. please respond by November 4, or we will take appropriate action.". Our U.S. agent replied by E-mail the same day, stating that our office would further investigate his complaint. In the E-mail the agent also asked that Mr. [redacted] wait until my return on November 7", explicitly stating that no formal decisions could be made without Mr. [redacted]'s or my approval. On November 1, Mr. [redacted] E-mailed, "November 4 is our deadline for a response. I believe everyone can be contacted, cell phones, email, etc. I see no need to extend the time.". Please note that Mr. [redacted]'s deadline was on a Friday, our offices are closed on the weekend and my return to the office was on November 7", the subsequent Monday. Upon returning, I contacted our Turkey office to look into Mr. [redacted]'s complaints. Because Mr. [redacted] would not extend his deadline and was not willing to wait three days including the weekend until my return, I sent him the E-mail below" on November 9", explaining my absence and our position on the matter. informed him that we could not refund him the $400 because he had not allowed us enough time to investigate the matter. On November 9", Mr. [redacted] replied by E-mail, stating that he had already filed several Complaints.Sincerely,[redacted]Vice President Cultural Folk Tours*E-mail sent to Mr. [redacted] on November 9, 2016:Dear Mr. [redacted] and Mrs. [redacted],Please pardon the wait in my response. I was on vacation for a health check and was unable to respond by your deadline.Upon returning to our U.S. office, I spoke with [redacted] in Turkey and our Turkey office, who have looked into your complaints.1. About the two UNESCO sites, tourism in Turkey has been shaken up due to recent events andheightened security. [redacted] informed me that the hours and dates of operation of the two sites became unpredictable this year for the first time. The sites were opening and closing unexpectedly, often with no advance notice.2. In regards to the travel days on October 20th and 21st, please note that we had informed you that your schedule was flexible and could be adjusted to your preference because it was a private tour. If you wanted a different route or wished to visit specific sites, our A.T.T. Turkey office and/or the guide could've assisted you with suggestions and would've accommodated your requests. If you were unhappy with the schedule on those days, this matter could've been resolved if you had addressed it in Turkey.[redacted] also told me that he was delighted to meet you at the Cappadocia Cave Suites. He gave you our best suite (S300 per night value) during your stay at the Cave Suites and arranged a Mercedes Benz car for you to travel in with a private guide and driver. He was under the impression that you were enjoying your tour.Because your group tour was converted to a private tour, we arranged this tour for you at a loss. In addition, most of our tours have been cancelled this year and I have been working without pay at our office all through this year. For these reasons, we are unable to refund you $400.if you wish to discuss this matter further, please contact [redacted] when he returns back to our U.S. office