[Resolved]  Hellotravel — Fraud with Customers

Address:

Delhi

I would like to bring to your attention of a fraud and cheating of innocent people run by the travel portal HelloTravel (www.hellotravel.com) and its alias website http://greatindiatravels.in/.

Subject : Complaint of Fraud with innocent and unsuspecting consumers by Hellotravel.com and its alias Greatindiatravels.in and the company through which they are registered as One Tech Solutions Pvt. Ltd.

In detail :

On July 1st, 2011, I received an email (kindly see below) from [protected]@hellotravel.com. I was planning a 4 day trip to Phuket in october 2011 and therefore upon receipt of this unwarranted mail, I called upon on the number given below[protected] to enquire about the offer. They took my mobile number and said they would call me next day with details. Around a week later, I received a call from someone who identified himself as Ravi and a staff of Hello Travel.com and said that I had evinced some interest in their offer and which is why they have called me back. They made many promises and offered to give a 7 night/8 day accommodation in 3 star hotel in India or Thailand or above for the offer price of Rs. 6999. The offer seemed good to me and as they claimed to be part of a bigger company indiamart, it seemed an attaractive offer. Therefore I made a payment of Rs. 6999 on July 11 after they called me more than 10 times on the same day from the same person named Ravi. Calls to me came from the number[protected] everytime. I made the payment in good faith via my HDFC bank account net banking through the gateway on the website hellotravel.com and greatindiatravel.in. The receipt of the payment was confirmed by phone as well as email by Ravi from [protected]@hellotravel.com. This guy Ravi told me that after the payment, I will get an confirmation email from their company immediately (such as 5 to 10 minutes). When no call or email came to me, I emailed them next day at [protected]@hellotravel.com and he said that there might be some technical problem and that it will certainly come next day. But when no mail or call came for 3 days, I tried to call him at the number from which he used to make call to me but despite trying several time, upon dialling the number it would say, the number you have dialled doesnt exists. I called them on their number[protected] and the girl who would pick the phone would apologize on knowing the problem and would say the matter would be resolved by the end of the day for sure. I kept calling them everyday and everyday they would on knowing the problem would either discconect the phone or say, they will do something about it. I called them more than 20 times but on hearing my problem, they would discconect the phone and sometimes make promise that it would be resolved immediately but to no avail. After a few days, I called to the number given on hellotravel.com (91-[protected]). The person who would attend the call everytime identified himself as Krishna chaurasia and I spoke to him about the problem. On being told of the problem, he agreed to allow me to speak to his boss. A woman came on phone and accepted of the offer and said greatindiatravels.in is the promotional website of hellotravels.com and that if I have made a payment and received no call or email despite a peiod of 5 days, it will be taken care of and they will immediately address the concern but nothing happened. I called krishna chaurasiya on several days and he would everytime say, matter would be resolved and that I should wait. He would say his bosses are busy and so he cant put me on call with them but i should write him a mail and that he will immediately forward it to concerned person. I wrote a mail to him on krishna.[protected]@indiamart.com. No reply came. I called him many times across many days and wrote to him twice but he kept on making promise that I will get a call in one hour or by evening which never came. Finally when it was clear that there is something grossly wrong in the whole business, I called the number[protected] but they on hearing the problem would disconnect the phone. I called again and told the female attendent that if my call is disconnected, then I will take the legal recourse for justice and will approach the police right away if I am not made to speak to the man named Ravi who had called me several times for this offer and who after the receipt of payment never called or replied to any mail. The female attendent agreed to put me to the guy named Ravi, who on coming the phone started saying that he was unavailable for weeks, and he has just come today and that he is extremely apologetic. I reacted angrily but he like a man without integrity and spine kept on making cock and bull stories and apologizing. I told him that despite elapse of 2 weeks I have received no email , no call from them and despite trying innumerable times through different medium over several days, nothing has come to my hand except false promises which are never honoured or disconnection of my phone. He said booking ID will be immediately provided to me by the end of that day. I on the advise of the SHO tapped the phonecall which lasted more than 45 minutes through my mobile phone which permits me such an option in which he agreed to all the lapses. I wish it were the end of the trouble but another series of calling him after every day or two began but nothing came except false promises and it was after weeks he mailed me an email giving me a booking id number and asked me to send the form by filling the destination , date of travel and booking ID and everything will be taken care of. I couriered them the form but they claimed on the form and on phone that they themselve will get in touch within 3 days but when no call or mail came to me for a week, I wrote to them on email but no reply came. Subsequently I called this man named Ravi (Office Mobile Number: [protected]) many times and every day he would say its already been done and that I will receive a confirmation email in half an hour and that he himself will call me to check. Neither any mail came nor he ever called and after every day or two I would call and he would repeat the same and apologize like a typical unscrupulous salesman with no moral conscience and spine. After a few days he refused to come on phone and ask his collegues to say he is busy and that he will call back. We called him many times but he would not come on phone and if he himself would answer the phone, he would say I am not Ravi, I am someone else even though it was clear from his voice that it’s the same guy. Luckily I have tapped four of my phone calls to him which I will produce before the police alongwith their emails, my emails, bank payment receipt as proof of this fraud and forgery. I know that I have made a fool of myself for the first time in my life but I have set upon myself the task to ensure that justice be served to these unscruplous people and companies.

Therefore it is my humble request that to bring justice to me and to protect other innocent people from falling into this dupe that this person named Ravi be immediately arrested and put behind bars. I am sure that if a deep investigation is made then, there must be others like me who have probably been cheated as well and the whole fraud will be unearthed and the offencers will be booked to justice. In times when the entire nation is demanding for a corruption free india, fraudulent business dealing of these dishonest people and shady companies is blotmark on our society.

R.Bhatt
# [protected]