Passports, Inc.

Requested refund of deposit for canceled school trip to Europe due to lack of coordination and communication from organizer. Refund not given.In May 2012, I enrolled myself and my daughter in a school travel abroad program to be held in June 2013. I paid a $495 deposit each by check ($990 total) to Passports. Upon signing up for this trip all of the parents were promised that there would be regular meetings so the kids could get to know each other, lots of opportunities for group fundraisers and individual fundraisers, etc. Several students that signed up went to another middle school as a result of a new school opening and we were assured that nothing would be different. Meetings at our school were never held. Communication stopped for several months at a time. I offered to help with our group fundraising and was told I would be contacted soon to discuss, and never heard anything from the organizer. I recently found out that all of the kids from our school canceled their trip likely due to the total lack of communication and support from the organizer. My daughter and I were the only people from our school still going. When I discussed this with the organizer, she offered to provide me with some information on room sharing and to advise Passports that we would take a 3 person room. I never heard from the organizer so I followed up to see if she handled it and she did not. I then decided to cancel the trip and request a refund of my deposits. On 2/22/13, I asked Passports to cancel the trip and refund my deposit and that was denied via email on 2/27 stating that the contract I signed stated that the deposit is non-refundable. I sent another letter on 3/5/13 asking for special consideration since there were circumstances that I was not responsible for and I also asked for the copy of the contract I signed. I was again denied via a letter from Passports. The verbiage in the contract is ambiguous regarding the deposit refund. It states that a full refund is not available. The response to my 3/5 letter did not include a detailed explanation of how my deposit was applied and why the entire deposit was held. I am asserting that I would not have canceled this trip had it not been for the total lack of communication and organization from the organizer. It is not due to me not having the money to go. I would have taken the trip and paid over $10,000 but I did not feel comfortable traveling out of the country with someone that is so disorganized and had a total lack of respect for people that were trusting her to take us on the trip. I feel that Passports should take these extenuating circumstances into consideration and refund my deposits.Desired SettlementI want a refund of my two deposits of $495 each in the total amount of $990.Business' Initial Response [redacted] and [redacted] enrolled on a 2013 tour on May 15, 2012. Subsequently, on February 22, 2013 she electively withdrew from the tour. The cancellations were processed in accordance with Therms and Conditions to which they agreed when enrolling on the tour. In accordance with said policy there is no refund due on their accounts. Consumer's Final Response (The consumer indicated he/she DID NOT accept the response from the business.)I am not asserting that the trip is not happening. I am saying that the children scheduled to take the trip that were transferred to a different school due to attendance boundaries were not provided with the coordination and all of us canceled our trip. I do not accept that a refund is not available based in the language in the contract where it states a full refund is not available. It does not state the deposit is non refundable.Business' Final Response The tour that [redacted] is referring to has not been cancelled as she states in her response. The tour is operating as planned in June. It was her choice not to travel on the tour. There is no refund due on the accounts.

Passports put me in a known bed bug infested hotel. I was bitten and became extremely ill, ruining my entire trip. They refuse any responsibility.I sent the following letter to Passports in August 2013. They didn't even respond.It has now been two months since my return home from traveling to France with Passports. In that time I have missed work, spent thousands of dollars on medical bills, and suffered tremendously. I have had to wear long pants and sleeves in Southwest Florida in the summer where the average temperature is well into the nineties because the scars on my hands and legs were horrible and humiliating. All of this happened because your company put me in a hotel with a known record of bed bugs and mites. Your response that it could have happened anywhere is irresponsible. It happened at [redacted] where your company housed me. It's not even a mystery as to when during the trip it happened. I woke one morning with a bite mark, and my skin reaction started right after.I checked with my dermatologist who informed me that while it can take four weeks to show signs, it can also happen overnight, especially for someone with sensitive skin such as me. The fact that my sister showed signs after only a week is also proof that it doesn't take a month. He also suggested that it could have been misdiagnosed at the walk-in because no skin scraping was taken. Bed bugs and scabies have similar rashes. I have decided to publicize my experience in social media in the hopes of avoiding this problem for someone else. [redacted] has several cases of reported bed bugs already, something I wish I had known before I went there. I mistakenly assumed that Passports would have checked this and I paid the price. I would like to be reimbursed for my trip, as well as my son's trip because neither of us was able to enjoy ourselves because I was so ill. Also, I would like my medical bills, medications, and lost wages. Enclosed you will find receipts for my expenses as well as graphic pictures of my horrible ordeal. I sincerely hope that Passports is willing to step up and make things right. I would like to be able to include a positive response in my postings.They never responded.This company put me in harms way. I became extremely ill and had a miserable vacation. I had to miss work and spend thousands of dollars on medical bills. People need to understand what kind of company they are entrusting their children to. Passports provides travel arrangements for students. It is clearly in the hotel's history that is has had issues with bed bugs. Passports never should have tried to save money by using a sub standard hotel. I can only hope they are more careful in the future and no one has to suffer what I went through.Choose your travel company very carefully!Desired SettlementI am seeking $10,463.77.This includes my trip costs, my son's trip cost, medical and hospital bills, and $1000 lost wages. Business Response Contact Name and Title: [redacted] Contact Phone: [redacted]Contact Email: [redacted]We responded to [redacted]'s concerns both verbally and by letter dated July 3, 2013. Our response remains the same; there is no refund due and we consider the matter closed. The letter is attached for you to review."Dear [redacted] and [redacted],Thank you for your day-by-day reports of your recent European tour, and for the copy of your doctor's recommendation of treatment for a Scabies skin disorder. We also have received detailed accounts from your courier, [redacted], and from our representative [redacted].In neither of your reports did you indicate that either of you have ever been diagnosed with a Scabies infection in the past.Not being health professionals, we have taken advice on this matter, and have learned that first-time Scabies infections take four to six weeks before any symptoms are shown. This suggests that your infection by the Scabies mite took place well before your departure on your European trip, and not during this trip overseas.Even if either or both of you had been diagnosed with Scabies infection in the past, it is still unlikely that the signs of re-infection on the trip would have been seen by [redacted] less than 24 hours after her arrival at the Paris hotel, and the source of that re-infection would be very difficult to pin down, since the possibilities would include all the automobiles, motorcoaches, airplanes, rest rooms, etc. used in transit, in addition to the final destination [redacted]. Infection and re-infection generally involves prolonged skin contact between the infected and non-infected individuals.We are chagrined that your European trip was marred in this manner, and upset if you feel that Passports was in any way responsible for your discomfort. Please let us hear from you if we could be of any additional help.Cordially,"Final Consumer Response (The consumer indicated he/she DID NOT accept the response from the business.)I am shocked that Passports has the audacity to say that they only use 'reputable' hotels that coincide with their excellent track record.When I returned home so ill, I checked the [redacted]'s reviews online. I was mortified to see that there were many reports of filth, bad neighborhood, and most importantly Bedbugs in the hotel that Passports so willingly housed me in. The bedbug reports ranged from March 2007. April 2011, and even June 2012. Clearly, [redacted] has had a long history of cleanliness issues and bedbugs.I wish that I had not trusted Passports to do their homework and check on [redacted] for me. If I had know the truth, I never would have agreed to stay there.Passports may consider this case closed and brush me off because I am just a teacher but I feel that parents and other teachers need to know that Passports thinks it is acceptable to house innocent students in cheap, dirty hotels with known bedbug problems to save themselves a few dollars. If I found these reviews in only a few minutes, clearly Passports found them too. Final Business Response We are very sorry that the customer did not accept the response we provided earlier both here and directly to the customer via U.S. Mail.We regret that the customer may feel it necessary to "share her story with other people". Passports has enjoyed nearly half a century of operating high-quality tours for teachers and their students, and we utilize only reputable hotels that coincide with our own excellent track record.The company has addressed this matter and has no further comment. We consider the matter closed.Thank you,