Lynott Tours, Inc.

The [redacted] refund was ex gratia.  It was NOT included in your oriiginal program.The highight of the program was the Visit to [redacted], and you received that as well as a 3 star hotel, and everything else that was included in the program.As a small group tour, which was oprated above your cost, our only alternative would have been to cancel the tour entirely.  I don't think that was the best solution for you, and the way we were able to operate it was the best solution.We regret that we cannot come to a mutually satisfactory conclusion.

Revdex.com:
I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID# [redacted], and have determined that my complaint has NOT been resolved because:
  The private transport option was never discussed with us.  The price listed in the [redacted] Company vehicle advertises 55 pounds to the airport and 10 pounds for parking fee.  This is far less than $227.00 or $268.00.  Lynott was responsible for our safe transport from Heathrow to [redacted] Hotel and this was not done.  Plus the bribery charge we had to come up with because the horrible man that drove us was so reckless and drove as to endanger our lives.  Given the very poor instructions on the green Lynott Travel Sheet ; it's a miracle we did as well as we did.  We were doomed and set up for failure the minute we landed at Heathrow. Then to have a horrible room, terrible food, no welcome dinner, and had to pay our [redacted] fee and spend our entire last day at the airport is not what any vacation should be.  The fact that 11 people cancelled has nothing to do with us or the Landrums.  Just because you only have 4 people left doesn't mean all accomodations have to be seriously downgraded.  We shouldn't be punished because the others cancelled.  Yes, [redacted] was very nice but the rest of the tour was seriously lacking.  
 
 
 
In order for the Revdex.com to appropriately process your response, you MUST answer the question above.
Sincerely,
[redacted]

Revdex.com:
I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID# [redacted], and have determined that my complaint has NOT been resolved because:
The itinerary states admission fees will be paid; not just certain ones.  We did not get transport from Heathrow to the hotel.  Our travel agent never discussed any options for being transported from Heathrow to the airport.  We were given the green Lynott Travel letter and that was it.  We never could have made it to Delta Terminal 4 within the allotted time.  We arrived at 0630 took over 2 hours in customs and the Heathrow website states we need to allow 105 minutes to travel from Terminal 5 to Terminal 4 .  Our departure time from terminal 4 was to be 0930.  0830 plus 105 minutes doesn't equal 0930.  Why didn't someone answer the contact phone at the airport?  Why didn't someone announce our names over the intercom system?  Why were we just left there.?  Where were the bellmen we paid for?  What happened at [redacted]?  Everything was done using a pauper's budget but we paid a tremendous price for it.  It was really false advertising.   
 
 
 
 
In order for the Revdex.com to appropriately process your response, you MUST answer the question above.
Sincerely,
[redacted]

Here is the email sent to your agent:From: Lynott Tours[redacted]Sent: Monday, August **, 2015 11:58 AMTo: [redacted]Subject: [redacted]  DATE:           August **, 2915 TO:                Susan-Liberty Travel E MAIL:         [redacted] FROM:           Ellen Quote#[redacted]
[redacted]Pleaserefer to this quote number when contacting usPleasegive us the names as they appear on passports Dear [redacted], The cost fora private transfer in a car is $227, and in an MPV $268, each way, per car, notper person.Reservations -Lynott Tours Inc since 1970[redacted]
[redacted]
[redacted]  [redacted]  [redacted]
[redacted]
[redacted]  [redacted]Website:  [redacted]
[redacted]  [redacted]Our email to your agent today:It is always a dilemna whetheror not to operate a tour which is too small.  Do we inconvenience theclients and cancel it?  Do we operate it? We already had Highclere tickets – which was the highlight of the tour and thereason the clients went.  I am sure your clients enjoyed that, althoughthey did encounter problems elsewhere.

Revdex.com:
I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID# [redacted], and have determined that my complaint has NOT been resolved because:
  We were never offered a private transfer from the airport to the hotel at added cost.  My travel agent, Susan Byrne can attest to that and she has stated that fact to Ms M[redacted] in an e-mail sent last Wednesday on Sep **, 2015.  We wouldn't have been in the situation we were in if we had.As far as $18.75 being credited to us as a gesture of good will that is ridiculous since we are owed that money.  All entrance fees and admissions were already included in our prepackage price of $1992.00.  We also prepaid for tips for bellmen and there were no bellmen at the [redacted] Hotel .  When we asked if bellmen would take our luggage to the room the receptionist said there is no such thing as a bellman there and she pointed me to the elevator.We prepaid for 3-4 star accommodation at the lovely [redacted] or similar or the [redacted] or similar.  The definition of a 3 star hotel offers spacious rooms including well appointed rooms with decorated lobbies.  Quality, style and comfort; along the lines of a [redacted] or [redacted].  There was a serious downgrade of accomodations by placing us at the Queen's Park Hotel.  There was no air conditioning, broken tv, cheap noisy broken down fan and a very tiny room difficult to maneuver.  The shower door had gaps in it and was made of the cheapest material and there was no soap dish in the shower and no hook on the back of the door.  The hallways were very narrow and the rugs in the hallway were filthy and old.  We felt unsafe and felt the whole place was a firetrap.  We were supposed to have single rooms but after the harrowing experience with our transport to the hotel from the airport we decided to stay together.  We were never refunded the difference between the single room supplement and the double room supplement.  We should be refunded the difference between accomodations at the [redacted] Hotel and accomodations at Queens Park Hotel.  We should be refunded the money we spent on transport from Heathrow to the hotel.   
[Your Answer Here]
 
 
 
 
In order for the Revdex.com to appropriately process your response, you MUST answer the question above.
Sincerely,
[redacted]

Review: I paid $1,992.00 to Lynott Tours and I did not get what the package included. There was no one to drive us from the airport to the hotel. Despite repeated phone calls to the contact number we had to pay for our ride. The driver tried to obtain more money from us and succeeded by driving so fast as to endanger our lives. Our hotel, [redacted] Hotel couldn't possibly be a 3-4 star hotel that was stated in the itinerary with lack of air conditioning, broken tv, very small room to try to maneuver and very cheap furniture. The breakfast of powdered scrambled eggs, canned mushroom, canned tomatoes and canned beans and sausage couldn't be considered 3-4 star quality. We did not receive a welcome dinner. We had to pay admission charges to Basilcon Park on 9/*/2015. We paid for bellmen services but there are no bellmen at the [redacted] Hotel. We paid for 2 single rooms but because of all the horror we experienced we were afraid to be alone and ended up sharing a room and not getting a refund of the difference. Fellow travelers had an early departure from Heathrow to Boston and our's was about 5:00pm. Lynott wouldn't pay the driver to make two separate trips to the airport so we had to go with the early departure couple and spend the entire day in the airport.Desired Settlement: Would like a refund of $1992.00.

Business

Response:

[redacted]

[redacted]Dear Susan:First, allow me to apologize that your clients were not completely satisfied with their tour. We have been arranging group tours for more than 40 years, and we are pretty well experienced at it.This tour was originally planned as a group tour, and we secured [redacted] (Downton Abbey) tickets for 15 persons. Due to the small number of people confirmed on the tour due to a group cancellation, the tour you received was not the one you originally inquired about. However, it was our decision to operate a tour with just 4 people on it, including your two clients, rather than to disappoint your clients. In hindsight, it may have been the wrong decision. Naturally, compromises in itinerary needed to be made with the small group. Basildon Park was not part of the original tour. The admission fee was $18.75USD per person, and we are refunding this as a gesture of goodwill.We had arranged for a dinner for the group at a nearby Italian restaurant, with an allowance of 25 pounds per person. They have been refunded 38.38 usd per person for this already.The clients were offered a private transfer at added cost, but chose not to avail of this service. Group transfers only were included in the price paid.We were unaware that the ladies were frightened and shared a room. At no time during their stay did the clients contact us. In fact, we contacted you when they did not show up at their designated pickup point at the airport.The great majority of the costs for this tour were for the driver/guide and the minicoach. The actual cost of operating this tour was $ 2006.59 per person, plus $431 single supplement, which greatly exceeds the cost they were charged of $1561 per person, plus $431 single supplement I cannot apologize enough for the extremely poor treatment you received. The situations you describe is not one we are proud of, and we thank you for bringing it to our attention so that we can avoid a similar incident in the future. We hope that you will not consider your problems to be indicative of the level of service we normally provide. We are happy to offer the clients an ex gratia discount of $50 per person towards their future travel with Lynott Tours. This offer expires two years from today. Please accept and extend our appreciation for the patience you have shown.Sincerely yours,

Consumer

Response:

I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID# [redacted], and have determined that my complaint has NOT been resolved because:

We were never offered a private transfer from the airport to the hotel at added cost. We wouldn't have been in the situation we were in if we had.As far as $18.75 being credited to us as a gesture of good will that is ridiculous since we are owed that money. All entrance fees and admissions were already included in our prepackage price of $1,992.00. We also prepaid tips for bellmen and there were no bellmen at the [redacted] Hotel. We also pre-paid for 3-4 star accomodations at hotels like the lovely [redacted] or the [redacted]. There was quite a serious downgrade of accomodations by placing us in the [redacted] Hotel. We should be refunded the money we spent on transport from Heathrow to the hotel. No one answered the phone at the contact number we were given on the green Lynott Tours Inc sheet. There has been no explanation given by Ms M[redacted] as to why that happened. We arrived at Terminal 5 British Airways and had to get to Terminal 4 of Delta Airways which is clear across the airport to pick up our ride to the hotel. The Heathrow Airport website states a person needs to allow 105 minutes to do this. We spent over 2 hours getting through customs, It is not possible to get to Terminal 4 in time.No one at Bella Italia restaurant knew about our supposed included welcome dinner. I even talked to the manager. This was also pre-paid in our tour price.

In order for the Revdex.com to appropriately process your response, you MUST answer the question above.

Sincerely,

Business

Response:

Here is the email sent to your agent:From: Lynott Tours[redacted]Sent: Monday, August **, 2015 11:58 AMTo: [redacted]Subject: [redacted] DATE: August **, 2915 TO: Susan-Liberty Travel E MAIL: [redacted] FROM: Ellen Quote#[redacted]

[redacted]Pleaserefer to this quote number when contacting usPleasegive us the names as they appear on passports Dear [redacted], The cost fora private transfer in a car is $227, and in an MPV $268, each way, per car, notper person.Reservations -Lynott Tours Inc since 1970[redacted]

[redacted]Website: [redacted]

[redacted]Our email to your agent today:It is always a dilemna whetheror not to operate a tour which is too small. Do we inconvenience theclients and cancel it? Do we operate it? We already had Highclere tickets – which was the highlight of the tour and thereason the clients went. I am sure your clients enjoyed that, althoughthey did encounter problems elsewhere.

Consumer

Response:

I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID# [redacted], and have determined that my complaint has NOT been resolved because:

The private transport option was never discussed with us. The price listed in the [redacted] Company vehicle advertises 55 pounds to the airport and 10 pounds for parking fee. This is far less than $227.00 or $268.00. Lynott was responsible for our safe transport from Heathrow to [redacted] Hotel and this was not done. Plus the bribery charge we had to come up with because the horrible man that drove us was so reckless and drove as to endanger our lives. Given the very poor instructions on the green Lynott Travel Sheet ; it's a miracle we did as well as we did. We were doomed and set up for failure the minute we landed at Heathrow. Then to have a horrible room, terrible food, no welcome dinner, and had to pay our [redacted] fee and spend our entire last day at the airport is not what any vacation should be. The fact that 11 people cancelled has nothing to do with us or the Landrums. Just because you only have 4 people left doesn't mean all accomodations have to be seriously downgraded. We shouldn't be punished because the others cancelled. Yes, [redacted] was very nice but the rest of the tour was seriously lacking.

In order for the Revdex.com to appropriately process your response, you MUST answer the question above.

Sincerely,

Review: I paid $1992.00 to Lynott Tours and I did not get what the package included. There was no one to drive us from the airport. The hotel was not 3-4 stars. It had no air conditioning, a broken tv, a broken down fan and was extremely small like a cheap room on a cruise ship. The full breakfast was not that of a 3-4 star hotel with powdered scrambled eggs, canned grapefruit slices, canned mushrooms, canned tomatoes and canned beans. We did not get a welcome dinner. We paid for some admission and entrance fees. We paid for tips to bellmen but there are no bellmen at the hotel. We paid for a deluxe private motorcoach and it was a very small black cab with uncushioned seats and 4 seats with 2 facing the other 2 which made for little leg room and discomfort on a long ride. We were not able to enjoy our London tour on the first day because we spend so much time at the airport and trying to check into our rooms which weren't ready at 2pm like promised that by the time the London tour started we were so exhausted we asked the driver to cut it short by 1.5 hours. We were forced to go to the airport with the early departure people on our last day because Lynott Tours would not pay for 2 rides to the airport in one day. We spent the entire last day in the airport waiting for our flight which left around 5 pm. The agent said we were so early that she couldn't do anything with us and suggested we go to the pub and come back 3 hours before the flight was scheduled. Since there was no one to pick us up at the airport we were forced to negotiate with unscrupulous Indian men to get to the hotel. They charged us an outrageous price and then had one of their men try to extract more money from us and succeeding because he drove so fast and so recklessly as to put us in grave danger. We ended up giving him more money and then he calmed down.Desired Settlement: Would like a refund of $1992.00

Business

Response:

First, allow me toapologize that your clients were not completely satisfied with their tour. We have been arranging group tours for morethan 40 years, and we are pretty well experienced at it. This tour was originallyplanned as a group tour, and we secured [redacted]tickets for 15 persons. Due to the smallnumber of people confirmed on the tour due to a group cancellation, the tour youreceived was not the one you originally inquired about. However, it was our decision to operate atour with just 4 people on it, including your two clients, rather than todisappoint your clients. In hindsight,it may have been the wrong decision. Naturally, compromises in itinerary neededto be made with the small group. BasildonPark was not part of the original tour. The admission fee was $18.75USD per person, and we are refunding this asa gesture of goodwill. We had arranged for adinner for the group at a nearby Italian restaurant, with an allowance of 25pounds per person. They have beenrefunded 38.38 usd per person for thisalready. Theclients were offered a private transfer at added cost, but chose not to availof this service. Group transfers onlywere included in the price paid. Wewere unaware that the ladies were frightened and shared a room. At no time during their stay did the clientscontact us. In fact, we contacted youwhen they did not show up at their designated pickup point at the airport. Thegreat majority of the costs for this tour were for the driver/guide and theminicoach. The actual cost of operating this tour was $ 2006.59 per person, plus $431 single supplement, which greatlyexceeds the cost they were charged of $1561 per person, plus $431 singlesupplement I cannot apologizeenough for the extremely poor treatment you received. The situations you describe is not one we areproud of, and we thank you for bringing it to our attention so that we canavoid a similar incident in the future. We hope that you willnot consider your problems to be indicative of the level of service we normallyprovide. We are happy to offer the clients an ex gratia discount of $50 perperson towards their future travel with Lynott Tours. This offer expires two years from today.

Consumer

Response:

I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID# [redacted], and have determined that my complaint has NOT been resolved because:

We were never offered a private transfer from the airport to the hotel at added cost. My travel agent, Susan Byrne can attest to that and she has stated that fact to Ms M[redacted] in an e-mail sent last Wednesday on Sep **, 2015. We wouldn't have been in the situation we were in if we had.As far as $18.75 being credited to us as a gesture of good will that is ridiculous since we are owed that money. All entrance fees and admissions were already included in our prepackage price of $1992.00. We also prepaid for tips for bellmen and there were no bellmen at the [redacted] Hotel . When we asked if bellmen would take our luggage to the room the receptionist said there is no such thing as a bellman there and she pointed me to the elevator.We prepaid for 3-4 star accommodation at the lovely [redacted] or similar or the [redacted] or similar. The definition of a 3 star hotel offers spacious rooms including well appointed rooms with decorated lobbies. Quality, style and comfort; along the lines of a [redacted] or [redacted]. There was a serious downgrade of accomodations by placing us at the Queen's Park Hotel. There was no air conditioning, broken tv, cheap noisy broken down fan and a very tiny room difficult to maneuver. The shower door had gaps in it and was made of the cheapest material and there was no soap dish in the shower and no hook on the back of the door. The hallways were very narrow and the rugs in the hallway were filthy and old. We felt unsafe and felt the whole place was a firetrap. We were supposed to have single rooms but after the harrowing experience with our transport to the hotel from the airport we decided to stay together. We were never refunded the difference between the single room supplement and the double room supplement. We should be refunded the difference between accomodations at the [redacted] Hotel and accomodations at Queens Park Hotel. We should be refunded the money we spent on transport from Heathrow to the hotel.

[Your Answer Here]

In order for the Revdex.com to appropriately process your response, you MUST answer the question above.

Sincerely,

Business

Response:

The [redacted] refund was ex gratia. It was NOT included in your oriiginal program.The highight of the program was the Visit to [redacted], and you received that as well as a 3 star hotel, and everything else that was included in the program.As a small group tour, which was oprated above your cost, our only alternative would have been to cancel the tour entirely. I don't think that was the best solution for you, and the way we were able to operate it was the best solution.We regret that we cannot come to a mutually satisfactory conclusion.

Consumer

Response:

I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID# [redacted], and have determined that my complaint has NOT been resolved because:

The itinerary states admission fees will be paid; not just certain ones. We did not get transport from Heathrow to the hotel. Our travel agent never discussed any options for being transported from Heathrow to the airport. We were given the green Lynott Travel letter and that was it. We never could have made it to Delta Terminal 4 within the allotted time. We arrived at 0630 took over 2 hours in customs and the Heathrow website states we need to allow 105 minutes to travel from Terminal 5 to Terminal 4 . Our departure time from terminal 4 was to be 0930. 0830 plus 105 minutes doesn't equal 0930. Why didn't someone answer the contact phone at the airport? Why didn't someone announce our names over the intercom system? Why were we just left there.? Where were the bellmen we paid for? What happened at [redacted]? Everything was done using a pauper's budget but we paid a tremendous price for it. It was really false advertising.

In order for the Revdex.com to appropriately process your response, you MUST answer the question above.

Sincerely,