The Mark Travel Corporation

Thank you for forwarding Mr. [redacted]’s complaint regarding his December trip to Cabo San Lucas.  I am sorry that he and Ms. [redacted] had a disappointing time at Riu Santa Fe and that they are unhappy with our services. Allow me to first clarify that with most hotels, bedding types in the rooms...

is not guaranteed unless the room specifies it offers only one type.  In the room category this party chose, we indicate in our online description that it will be either one king or two double beds.  We also state that bedding is not guaranteed and is based on availability.  As such, bedding is not something we would compensate for, or in this case, take in to account as it relates to the request for a refund of the last night.  As to the restaurants, each hotel books their reservations differently.  We understand that this couple was disappointed with how the reservations were handled at Riu Santa Fe and with the subsequent reaction of the hotel manager when they complained.  For that they have my apologies.  Unfortunately, however, they never contacted our 24-Hour Traveler Assistance Center or our Destination Management Company to request assistance while they were in Cabo.  We would have been more than happy to intervene on their behalf to try to allow them to stay or to negotiate the refund of the last night at that time.  It is much more difficult to secure a refund after the fact and that is exactly what happened.  Riu has denied our request.  Nonetheless, as a courtesy we will refund 50% of the last night in the amount of $108.11 in place of the Travel Credits previously offered.  Upon receipt of the attached release form, the refund will be credited to the Visa account originally used for payment.  The cardholder should be able to see it on the account activity 6-8 business days after the release is returned. Thank you again for contacting us.  Sincerely, SOUTHWEST AIRLINES VACATIONS Operated by The Mark Travel Corporation   [redacted] Customer Services Supervisor

[A default letter is provided here which indicates your acceptance of the business's response.  If you wish, you may update it before sending it.]
Revdex.com:
I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID [redacted], and find that this resolution is satisfactory to me. 
Regards,
[redacted]

Thank you for contacting us regarding the complaint filed by Ms. [redacted].  As her reservation was made by a travel agent, it was that agent’s responsibility to advise her of any penalties and policies.  We did not have direct contact with Ms. [redacted] during the booking process.  That...

being said, as a courtesy, a supervisor in our pre-travel Customer Care area was in touch with the travel agent and agreed to waive the fees.  The refund was done on February 8. 
 
Sincerely,
 
FUNJET VACATIONS
 
[redacted]
Customer Services Supervisor

Thank you for your email regarding the complaint filed by [redacted] as it relates to her party’s July trip to California.  I am sorry they were affected by the Southwest Airlines’ system outage.  As Ms. [redacted] contacted us directly, we advised her last week that her information had been...

forwarded to the Customer Relations Department at Southwest Airlines.  To clarify, Southwest Airlines contracts with The Mark Travel Corporation to offer vacation packages to their Customers.  We combine their air seats with hotels, ground transportation, and other optional land features.  This group’s experienced was air related so Southwest Airlines contacted Ms. [redacted] on September 28.  They have advised us they will be refunding the unused flight leg in the amount of $209.49 per person.  Ms. [redacted] should be able to see that on her Visa account in 5-7 business days.  With regards to their out of pocket costs, airlines rarely offer reimbursement.  However, as Ms. [redacted] mentions in her complaint, she and her party have travel insurance.  They can file a Trip Delay claim with Aon by either calling 800-527-3522 or going to www.travelclaim.com, for further consideration. I have attached a screen shot from the website FlightAware showing that the Burbank to Las Vegas flight was canceled.  She should include this along with a copy of the original Southwest Vacations itinerary when she files the claim.  There will be a section of the forms asking for a breakdown of some vacation package costs but Ms. [redacted] does not need to complete that.  If Aon wants that information they will contact our Accounting Department.  I trust that the information above has resolved this matter but if Ms. [redacted] has questions she may contact me at [email protected]. Sincerely, SOUTHWEST AIRLINES VACATIONS Operated by The Mark Travel Corporation   [redacted] Customer Services Supervisor

I am sorry that Mrs. [redacted] is unhappy with my previous reply but I am unable to offer her a refund of $1445.00.  As I indicated in my last email, the hotel provided a substantial upgraded to Mr. and Mrs. [redacted] and this couple never made us aware of their dissatisfaction during their stay.  Their concerns could have been alleviated had they simply contacted us during their trip.  In addition to the hotel’s upgrade, we already offered a $200.00 Travel Credit for a future vacation package, a refund of $308.68, and the [redacted]’s travel agent gave them a $50.00 onboard credit for a cruise they were taking and personally delivered a bottle of Champagne to their home.  The value of the compensation they have been offered and/or received, far exceeds the value of the difference in room categories for the first night and is reasonable compensation for not receiving a king bed and some of the other concerns they had with their room.  As they chose to attend the timeshare presentation, we would not compensate for that.  If the [redacted]s decide they want to accept the refund, they may return the release I previously attached.  Sincerely,FUNJET VACATIONSBeth [redacted]

I feel we should be given the opportunity to investigate this matter because this is the first actual detail we received in writing from Ms. [redacted].  However, while we are waiting for a reply from Palladium, I would be happy to address some of what is in her first and second disputes to your office.    Based on the information we have from our conversation with Ms. [redacted] in February, she advised our agent that she had been corresponding directly with Grand Palladium but was not happy with the results.  That is when we asked her to send an email with an explanation of her complaints.  The only other information we have about a complaint is from when this customer was still in Jamaica.  We never received any correspondence from Ms. [redacted] or Palladium.  As I indicated previously, this is not something that will be resolved in a phone call.      As to some of the concerns about the property and reservation, I have confirmed that we did have a notice in our online Palladium description that there was construction going on at the time these customers traveled.  There was also a construction advisory on their travel documents.  Although we are more than willing to transmit room requests, we cannot guarantee a hotel will be able to fulfill those.  I can see in Ms. [redacted]’s reservation that they requested extra pillows, towels, a king bed and to be close to the beach.  There is no mention of any medical need nor is there anything about being adjacent to restaurants.  Nonetheless, we do know from comments during travel that Palladium moved these customers to a different room when they expressed dissatisfaction with the first one.  I noted from their itinerary that their flight arrived in Jamaica at 10:30am.  Being that Palladium’s check-in time is not until 3:00pm, it would not be unusual that these guests had to wait for their room. I can also see in our hotel description that the aerial photo of the resort clearly shows coral formations on the beach and in the water.    We are now considering the above matters addressed but we are still working on the other portions of Ms. [redacted]’s complaints and those have been forwarded to Palladium who advised us they are looking in to it.  If she would like to share the emails or letters she had directly with the hotel, we can forward those to our Palladium contact also, which might be helpful to us in resolving this.  She can send those to [redacted] at w[redacted]@marktravel.com.  We will work on this as quickly as possible but I cannot guarantee it will be resolved by May 22.    Sincerely,   FUNJET VACATIONS   [redacted] Customer Services Supervisor

Thank you for forwarding Mr. [redacted]’s comments about his recent trip to Florida and for your patience in waiting for our reply.  On behalf of Southwest Airlines Vacations Mr. [redacted] and Ms. [redacted] have my apologies for the inconvenience they encountered in Orlando.  We want every Customer...

to have an enjoyable trip from start to finish and I am sorry that we were not able to meet their expectations.  Based on everything I can see and the comments from our 24-Hour Traveler Assistance Center, we did transmit the reservation to Discovery Cove so I am currently unable to explain why they did not have this party’s reservation.  Ultimately, our 24-Hour Traveler Assistance Center was able to resolve this issue.  However, based on the phone recordings I listened to, there was not only a longer than normal hold time for our call center but we also had to hold for Sea World when we called them.  Between the two, it meant that Mr. [redacted] and Ms. [redacted] had to wait for the ticket problem to be fixed so, again, I am very sorry.  As for the amount billed to Mr. [redacted]’s credit card, it appears that Doubletree charged him directly for a small portion of the room cost.  We are unclear why as they billed us for the remaining amount.  Our Accounts Payable Department is currently working with Doubletree to ensure that this gets corrected, if it has not been already.  I also noted on this couple’s reservation that we refunded $108.00 at the request of their travel agent because they purchased transportation to the theme parks with their package but the hotel included it as part of resort fees.  As a gesture of apology for the confusion over the Discovery Cove tickets, I have processed a refund of $50.00 per person which will be credited to the same MasterCard that the transportation refund went to.  The cardholder should be able to verify the credit on the account activity in 5-7 business days.  I understand that Mr. [redacted] indicates that they will never travel with us again but I would be happy to also issue $50.00 per person Travel Credits for a future Southwest Vacations’ package, should this party reconsider.  Mr. [redacted] can reach me directly at b[redacted]@marktravel.com if he and Ms. [redacted] would like the Travel Credits.   Sincerely,   SOUTHWEST AIRLINES VACATIONS Operated by The Mark Travel Corporation   [redacted] Customer Services Supervisor   Cc:  Erin Roberts, AAA East Central Lockport New York

Thank you for your email regarding Mr. [redacted]’s experience at [redacted].  Unfortunately, we are unable to assist as he is not a customer of The Mark Travel Corporation.  To clarify, he emailed us at [redacted] on November 8.  We replied to him on November 9,...

explaining that he was not an MGM Resorts Vacations’ customer.  We let him know that we operate this company for MGM Resorts International, packaging their hotel rooms with flights, car rentals, and other land features.  Since he was not booked on a vacation package through us, we advised Mr. [redacted] that we were forwarding his email to [redacted] who would reply to him directly.  Below is a copy of that response.  I am sorry if [redacted] has not been in touch with him but Mr. [redacted] needs to contact them at either [redacted] or by calling ###-###-####.    Sincerely,   MGM RESORTS VACATIONS   Beth [redacted]     Dear Michael,   Thank you for your inquiry regarding your stay at [redacted]. Based on the information you provided, you are not an MGM Resorts Vacations’ customer. Allow me to further clarify that The Mark Travel Corporation operates MGM Resorts Vacations under an agreement with MGM Resorts International. We combine hotel rooms from MGM Resorts properties with airfare, car rentals, and other optional land features to provide packaged vacations for their guests. Being that your reservation was not made through us, we are unable to access your records. Therefore, we have forwarded your information to [redacted] who will reply to you.   Sincerely,   MGM RESORTS VACATIONS   Customer Services

Thank you for contacting us regarding [redacted]'s canceled flight.  Prior to reading the complaint, a supervisor from our 24-Hour Traveler Assistance Center had already emailed this Customer to let him know that we were processing a full refund.  Within a few days of his flight being...

canceled we also received a credit card chargeback.  Because we had previously determined that a refund would be issued, we did not dispute the chargeback.  Mr. [redacted] received his full refund on July 25.Please let me know if you have any questions.Sincerely,SOUTHWEST AIRLINES VACATIONSOperated by The [redacted] Travel Corporation [redacted]Customer Services Supervisor

Revdex.com:
I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID [redacted], and have determined that this does not resolve my complaint.  For your reference, details of the offer I reviewed appear below.This company's response is not correct and does not list the accurate reason or inquiry of my calls. I called within 24 hrs  after discovering their website error requesting correction. I requested my initial flight be corrected not return flight. 
[To assist us in bringing this matter to a close, we would like to know your view on the matter.]
Regards,
[redacted]

Mr. and Mrs. [redacted] made their reservation online and as a result, they were accountable for reviewing all the information we gave them during the booking process.  They chose not to read the instructions under the “Pre-Pay Baggage Fees and Save” link during the booking process.  Had they done so, they would have been well aware of what the procedure was.  We agreed to cover half the cost due to any confusion these customers experienced but they need to take responsibility for not having looked at the baggage explanation before completing their reservation.

[A default letter is provided here which indicates your acceptance of the business's response.  If you wish, you may update it before sending it.]
Revdex.com:
I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID [redacted], and find that this resolution is satisfactory to me. 
Regards,
[redacted]

Because this customer has filed a credit card dispute, we will not offer any additional responses through the Revdex.com.  Sincerely,UNITED VACATIONSBeth [redacted]

Revdex.com:
I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID [redacted], and have determined that this does not resolve my complaint.  For your reference, details of the offer I reviewed appear below.
[To assist us in bringing this matter to a close, we would like to know your view on the matter.]
Regards,
[redacted]
 
I did not pay by credit card so I should not have to accept a refund by credit card - especially a card that I do not have.  My issue is that I paid [redacted] by check so I am expecting that my refund should be made by check.  I have copies of all emails to Mary M[redacted] if you need them - she told me I paid by credit card so refund could only be made that way - I DID NOT PPAY WITH A CREDIT CARD SO REFUND SHOULD BE THE SAME WAY PAYMENT WAS MADE - BY CHECK!!!!  Please help!!!!!

Revdex.com:
I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID [redacted], and have determined that this does not resolve my complaint.  For your reference, details of the offer I reviewed appear below.I have spoke to Funjet vacations, the Mark corporation many times. I have been directed by this company back to Grand Palladium which is in another country, Jamaica and cannot get anyone involved to remedy what has occurred. This is yet another run around to prolong this matter. It has almost been a year since I have been discussing this matter. I want a follow up call and this remedied with a full refund within 10 days as just getting an answer from them that they "will let me know" once they have more information will not suffice at this point. I will follow up legally and with the Missouri and Wisconsin Attorney General's office if there has not been a refund by the 22nd of May, 2017. Funjet Reservation # 2M3270FJ
[To assist us in bringing this matter to a close, we would like to know your view on the matter.]
Regards,
[redacted]

Revdex.com of Wisconsin
Attn: [redacted]
Re: ID [redacted] [redacted] [redacted]
Dear Mr[redacted],
Thank you for contacting us regarding the complaint filed by
Mrs[redacted]. I am sorry she is
unhappy
with our service
Allow me to first clarify that Payment Card Industry compliance
rules do not allow us to refund in any form other than the credit card
originally used for payment. If a
customer pays their travel agent with a check and the agency pays us with their
credit card, then we refund the agency and they in turn refund the
customer. In Mrs[redacted]'s case, we
refunded [redacted] at the end of March.
Had she called Starship as soon as she realized that she had paid them
by check, she would most likely have her refund already. Unfortunately, she attempted to contact Mary
M[redacted] who retired on April and would not have been here to receive the
emails.
As we have already refunded in the only manner we can, we
are unable to comply with Mrs[redacted]'s request for a refund by check or
cash. However, I called [redacted]
yesterday and talked to Mrs[redacted]'s travel agent Len. He advised me that he would look in this and
contact her. She is also more than
welcome to call him.
Sincerely,
FUNJET VACATIONS
Beth R[redacted]
[redacted]

I am sorry that Ms. [redacted] had an unacceptable experience on her recent trip to [redacted]. Unfortunately, I am unable to find a Southwest Airlines Vacations' package under her name. If she would be so kind as to provide the 8-digit/letter confirmation number ending in 04 or 4W, I would be happy to...

see how I can assist.
Sincerely,
SOUTHWEST AIRLINES VACATIONS
Operated by The Mark Travel Corporation
Beth R[redacted]

Revdex.com:
I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID [redacted], and have determined that this does not resolve my complaint.  For your reference, details of the offer I reviewed appear below.
[To assist us in bringing this matter to a close, we would like to know your view on the matter.]I don't think it is fair we were told that there was no expiration date on the tickets and now we find out there is . I think this company is a fraud because they just take people money and we dont get what we want. The company want us to settle for something we don't want . I mean we want our tickets but we need to be able to use them when we want not when FUNJET want us to.
Regards,
[redacted]

I am sorry Mr. [redacted] is unhappy with my previous reply.  He is correct; we should have given him more information on the phone about seating and check-in. That does not, however, equate to a refund of 50% of his trip when he and his wife used all the components.  Further, as consumers this couple had a responsibility to ask questions if they had never flown Southwest Airlines before since not all airlines have the same seat assignment or check-in processes.    As a courtesy, I will refund a total of $100.00 in place Travel Credits we previously offered.  Upon receipt of the attached release form the refund will go to the Visa originally used for payment.  With regard to the hotel deposit requirements, we will not be addressing that again or compensating for it.  Sincerely,  FUNJET VACATIONS   [redacted] Customer Services

Dear Ms. [redacted], Thank you for your email regarding the complaint filed by Ms. [redacted].  I am sorry she is unhappy with our service. Allow me to first clarify that anytime a modification is made to a reservation, the customers are subject to the current price.  There are occasions when...

we can honor the original rate if our suppliers will authorize it, but other times when they deny our request.  Further, the per person price of triple occupancy in a hotel room is generally higher than the per person price of a quad occupancy.  As a result, when a reservation such as this one starts with four travelers in a room and that room is reduced to three travelers, the three remaining will pay more per person for their hotel than they would have as a quad.  You cannot simply divide the original price by four and use that same per person cost for triple occupancy.   Specific to this case, in May we were asked to cancel one airfare and for a quote on what would happen if the party removed a traveler from one room.  Delta Airlines charges a cancellation fee if a ticket has been issued so that amount would be deducted from any payment made.  Removing a person would not affect anyone else’s airfare, but as indicated above, it would affect the hotel cost for the remaining travelers.  As recently as yesterday, Ms. [redacted]’s travel agent asked us not to remove anyone from the room yet as this group is attempting to find another traveler to take the place of the canceling party.  One additional note; the reservation in question was never paid in full.  To date we have received a total of $5001.13 in payments but the current gross cost is $5842.58.  Ms. [redacted] needs to continue to work through her travel agent.  Sincerely, FUNJET VACATIONS [redacted] Customer Services Supervisor