Holidayiq.com — service promised but not offered

Address:	Bangalore, Karnataka, 560008
Website:	www.holidayiq.com

I the undersigned am writing this on behalf of our entire group, who recently visited andaman for a trip from 24th. May to 31st. May, 2017.
We started searching for travel agent for andaman tour. Finally holiday iq.com, a renowned online agency recommended us one agency through an email dated 21st february, 2017 (Vide enquiry no - d2219086). The name of the agency was, boutic travels pvt ltd having address 4, west ghosh para road, shyamnagar, dist - north 24pargannas, pin – 743125 contact number being - [protected] to us.in good faith we accepted holiday iq.com’s recommendation for our andaman tour. We were 22 members in total from 10 families, out of which three kids of 10, 11 and 17 years, 9 ladies of 50+ age group and 10 adults of 59/60 years. They decided the packages of rupees 19575/- per person and asked to pay rs.189000/- for booking of tickets. We paid accordingly to boutic travels pvt. Ltd‘s account with state bank of india (A/c no-[protected] a/c holder – boutic travels private limited & ifsc – sbin0018132) through online transaction on 2nd. March’17.
Subsequently we paid the whole contracted amount as they claimed in another three installments (Rs.78000/- on 03rd. March’17, rs.35000/- on 4th. March’17 & rs.103990/- on 17th. May’17) before our start of journey from kolkata, without having our return tickets from port blair for which they claimed and accepted money almost two and half months before. We asked for return tickets time and again but the representative mr. Goutam chakraborty of boutic travels pvt ltd denied and told us you will get the tickets before the end of your tour. But finally on the date of our proceedings to kolkata for return the representative failed to deliver the total tickets. Out of 22 he only provided 15 air tickets for us. When we helplessly requested time and again to mr. Goutam chakraborty for other tickets he simply avoiding us by switching off his cell phone and by other ways. Finally we were compelled to purchase seven air tickets with much higher cost for which we made payments much earlier. We think this is nothing but a fraudulent act from that agency.
Before starting we asked for hotel booking receipts and papers, they sent only names of the hotels at port blair and havelock island. After arrival at port blair one representative of the agency took us to a hotel named island cove with reservation for four families and for other six families they arranged in a hotel named hotel aries 3 kms away from this hotel. This arrangement was not at per of the agreements mentioned by the agency. After two days, we left for havlock island and were accommodated in a hotel named moonlight sands there. But in the early hours next day we were literally thrown out of the hotel as there was no reservation for us. After requesting mr. Goutam chakraborty, representative of boutic travels pvt ltd profusely, he made an arrangement. After waited for almost three hours in an open field with all members including kids and ladies, they made arrangement in a hotel named gold star, which was 14 kms away from that place. Adding more pains to our agony, the travel agency did not arrange for our return tickets from havlock. At the last moment they somehow manage to send us in two batches in two separate ships from havlock island. Despite neil island being part of the itinerary the travel agency did not arrange for our neil island tour. After our returning back to port blair, the representative of the agency took us to hotel aries. But to our shock, the hotel management told us the travel agency has not paid the lodging charges for us. Not only this, the hotel staffs informed us they will not allow us to stay there if they not be assured of the payment of hotel charges. We were in a very helpless state. So we were compelled to make commitment that we will pay their dues if not paid by our travel agency. Only after then they allowed us to stay. We stayed there three days. During these three days we made enormous appeals to mr. Goutam chakraborty, representative of boutic travels pvt ltd, over telephone for making the payments of hotel dues. Finally he failed to do so. On the day of our departure the hotel management refused to allow us to leave the hotel if their dues are not paid. We made a complain at the local port blair police station. That agent mr. Goutam chakraborty assured the officer in charge of port blair police station mr. P. K. Pandey, that he will refund the money within a week, when contacted over telephone. But he didn't. So again we compelled to pay rs.65000/- to the hotel for release from hotel. Our return flight was on 2.55pm from port blair. Our travel agency committed to make fooding arrangement and droping to air port. But they denied our lunch at the last moment. So we have to catch our flight without taking our lunch from port blair with the kids and ladies, who were with us. After returning back they committed that they will refund the money within 3 july, 2017. But they failed to return the full amount. They made some partial payment. Again they committed that they will finally made the total payment within 25 july, after citing some excuses. But again they failed.
Sir. It is a clear case of defraud and breach of agreement from our tour agency. We did not expect such unprofessional manners and mental as well as physical harassment from the travel agency recommended by an esteemed agency like holidayiq.com. That agency, recommended by holidayiq.com, despite receiving the entire payment in advance, forced us to face severe agony, numerous hardships during the tour. Eventually this was the worst tour experience by all o[censored]s, with lot of hardships. Actually our tour of excellent land like andaman virtually ruined by this fraudulent tour operator like boutic travels pvt ltd. Our tour is totally spoiled by these crooks. We made a complain to the officer in charge of pragati maidan police station in kolkata also. We think holidayiq.com also equally responsible for our agony and harassment, by recommending such a fraudulent agency. The total episode of our agony and pain during this tour is also published in a leading daily at port blair “the echo of india “1st. June issue. I would request you to take necessary steps against this travel agency and holidayiq.com both for this cheating us and forcing us to pay more money over the contractual amount, irritates in inappropriate way and tries to take undue advantage o[censored]s being polite to them.
Thanking you
Yours sincerely,
Pradip kumar bagchi
Contact no - [protected]