Not in the promised land...
Day was going to write this report, after writing a complaint to the Russian Foreign Ministry and the Union of Tour Operators of Russia, she is already ready to share her impressions with the Internet community. This story is only about purchasing excursions abroad, a report about the hotel itself is posted separately on my blog. The tour operator was Coral Travel, the host was Odeon Tours. Judging by the number of their buses and their guides scurrying around the coast, we can conclude that this company is clearly the leader on the Turkish coast. Immediately upon arrival on the bus from the airport to the hotel, we were "gifted" information booklets with information about the excursions provided and the service company. The front side of the booklet contains information about the "information cocktail", which is assigned with the hotel guide for the morning of the next day.
At the same time, orders are strictly given regarding the purchase of excursions from other tour operators and / or travel agencies, saying that such a country is deceived, your only friend here is Odeon Tours. He will not leave you here and will always come to the rescue. Well, we are an obedient people in the morning with a dozen of the same obedient "cuties" wandered to meet with a hotel guide named Oktay. I’ll immediately note the place of the meeting with the hotel guide for some reason is always classified, that is, it is not known where you will be taken. We were taken to some room with desks, where they all sat down, collected vouchers for registration, after which they began "processing", everything according to a given scheme: your only friend here is Odeon Tours, etc. , everyone else will be deceived, etc. And that the most important decision to purchase excursions is made here and now, "dad, mom, lawyer do not need to call", then you will not find our guide, do not buy excursions, you will buy from others, and there you will be deceived. We are in Turkey for the first time
Previously, where we were, they didn’t frighten us like that, but they never deceived us either. And then VONA HOW SCARY, AND HERE IS A FRIEND - ODEON, as Chip and Dale rush to the rescue. The most memorable and the most expensive (309 dollars / person) was an excursion to Israel, which was supposed to take place on June 18.2012, there were supposedly only 5 places left for it, and the decision to purchase must be made URGENTLY. We had only 7 days of rest and of course, if we go somewhere, then on the most expensive and most memorable excursion. Before that, I heard from someone that the requirements of the Israeli side regarding the validity of a passport are very strict - almost a year, and our passports expired after 4 months. We voiced our doubts to Oktay, but he publicly dispelled everything, saying that our information is incorrect - 3 months is enough, backing up our information with a call to the Odeon Tours office from a mobile phone, where they confirmed to him that they say everything is correct, you need a validity period of up to 3 months. Let me remind you
that no one needs to call anywhere - "dad, mom, lawyer. " Many (perhaps those who are not in Turkey for the first time) took the vouchers and stomped home. We hung our ears and decided to buy this excursion anyway, especially since Oktay publicly assured us that if we had any problems, he would return the money to us in the amount of 100%, i. e. 618 dollars (309 dollars * 2 people . ), punched the check, but crossed out the time of departure on it, explaining that the plane takes off from Antalya to Israel in the morning at about 6-7 in the morning and he will inform about the exact time of departure from the hotel the day before, he made the corresponding inscription on the top of the check " 17. to 17.00 to the duty officer. On the seventeenth, after visiting another excursion (Troy Water Park), we went to the reception of our hotel and clarified the time of departure for the excursion, we were announced - "13.30", I was still very surprised why there was such a big transfer of time, and doubted if we had any problems with the passage of passport control to Israel, but Oktay assured me
that everything is in order and at 13.30 we will go to Israel, the excursion program will be fully completed by plane back at 23.00. In the evening we planned our trip, what we would ask for and pray at the Wailing Wall. For us, this excursion was supposed to be symbolic, because we dedicated our vacation to the 10th anniversary of our wedding. Early (about 10 pm) we returned to the room, I went to bed and my husband, anticipating the future trip, did not sleep until three in the morning and fell asleep only in the morning. In the morning, around 10.00, at the reception, I saw an employee of Odeon and went up to her to clarify if anything had changed since our departure. She looked at me in surprise and said that the tour left at two in the morning. It became bad with me, I was old to yell, cry, demand explanations of how this could happen at all. To which she shrugged her shoulders and gave me a piece of paper for me to write a complaint to their office. I wrote a complaint
took a copy of it (at the reception they kindly copied it for free even) and handed it to her. She was going to fax it to their office in Antalya. Later, my husband and I approached, talked with Oktay, by phone with the office of their company, demanded explanations and compensation in full (because it was not our fault) or the provision of services at another time - the next departure was planned on June 20th. We were told that they called the room, at first they said that they even went, but then they confessed that they did not go anywhere. Note - our room was next to the reception, the phone worked, we were in the room from 22.00 and my husband did not sleep until three in the morning, SILENCE!! ! We were informed about the departure time orally, the time on the check was crossed out. After my tantrums and showdowns with Oktay, we were offered two compromise options (instead of the previously announced compensation in the amount of $ 50 / person):
1.2-day excursion in the remaining two days we have in Demre-Pamukkale at a cost of $ 140 / person.
At the same time, the difference is 169 (309-140) dollars / person. no one was going to compensate!
2. pay $118 and still go to Israel.
My categorical refusal to bear any additional costs in connection with the SERVICE ALREADY PAID by me Oktay was perplexed. How so?!! ! In the first case, you will only lose $338 and not $618!! ! and in the second, pay extra - $ 118 in the absence of any guarantees !!!
We didn't see Oktay that day. I reported the incident to my travel agency, to the Consulate of Russia in Antalya and the Union of Tour Operators of Russia in Moscow. And you know?!! ! Neither the Consulate nor the Union of Tour Operators were surprised at my story about what happened! I say - how so?? ? This is a scam, go to the police! To which I was told that it was pointless to go to the police, if my complaint was accepted, then after my departure they would simply be thrown out. By purchasing a service in Turkey, I am not protected by anything. Leaving the country
they will generally stop responding to my appeals and complaints, and even more so they will never return my money. Having purchased the same service in Russia, I would have had a chance, I would have been protected by the Law "On Protection of Consumer Rights" and I would have already arranged a showdown in Russia with a Russian tour operator, but here I'm sorry - I made a deal (purchased a service) in Turkey from a local tour operator. Later, after thinking everything over, we concluded that it is possible that no one was going to send us anywhere at all, because the requirements of the Israeli side regarding the validity of the passport are really at least 6 months (the information is on their website, but they confirmed it to me by phone, at my request sent through the Russian Foreign Ministry, they will give an official answer), they simply wouldn’t let us in and that’s it and there would be a scandal at the first passport control, a bunch of witnesses, it’s possible that the whole group would have been wrapped up, THE MOST IMPORTANT THING - WE WOULD HAVE TO RETURN THE MONEY 618 Doll. ,
and here everything is simple - he called the time orally, incorrectly, and then he himself accused the tourist, saying that the fool did not understand anything, he mixed everything up himself.
We did not see Oktay for the next few days, on the last day I asked their girlfriend if there were any changes in the position of their company regarding us - she replied that no, and I can take back 50 dollars per person by giving them our check. I said that I did not agree and intended to continue the proceedings, to which I was calmly answered from the series that I could “even break my forehead” and would never prove anything. At about 3 at night, when leaving the hotel, I personally observed the procedure for collecting tourists for an excursion. The Coral (Odeon) bus drove up, and they drive up periodically. The guide came out and, without leaving the bus, informed those who were interested where the bus was (Demre-Pamukkale). There were four people sitting at the reception who, according to conversations, were waiting for this bus, I could not stand it, I went to them and said that the bus was already here and was about to leave. One woman proudly declared, "They WON'T LEAVE WITHOUT US!!!
"(well, remember -" ODEON YOUR FRIEND HE WON'T LEAVE YOU "). Sat down. I went up to the guide and asked what measures she was taking to collect tourists, to which she replied that the time was on the check (remember in our case - it crossed out) wait 10 minutes and leave. I say how so? She says - we call the number once, but we don’t go there, we don’t run after everyone !! ! This time, too, it feels like someone was not there after 10 minutes she went to the reception, went to the phone, called (or pretended to call, because I followed her around and watched) literally, probably, without waiting for a beep, she hung up. Fortunately, the lost tourists had already come up and were waiting for her at the bus. I don’t know if there is a human factor here, the day before we went to Belek to the Troy water park, the guide ran five times from the bus to the water park, the bus was delayed for half an hour until the whole group gathered.
And the fact that Odeon "throws" tourists upon their return, I read on the Internet and reviews of other tourists. For someone several times, the bus on excursions in Thailand simply did not stop at the hotel and that's it !!!
Thank you for ruining our tenth anniversary holiday to Odeon. The "wailing wall" for me was the wall in the hotel. And my hopes and dreams are so apparently not destined to come true...
I won't go to Turkey again. Judging by the fact that Odeon also works in other countries, I will be interested in advance who the host is and most likely I will purchase excursions in Russia.
