SOTC — bad tour experience

Ankit 84 Agarwal

from Gurgaon, Haryana

Website:

SOTC

I had travelled on european splendor departue 13 sep from delhi.

Would like to provide feedback and my horrible experience:

1. There were so many sales call at the time of enquiry but after paying booking amount, there was no proper follow up on the visa. Always i had to call and enquire and push for visa process.

2. At time of booking, i was told that money for jungfrau can be given in india also. I asked for the same to be taken from me in india only. Then after booking i was told it would be taken in switzerland only.in switzerland i was asked to shell out only cash and that too in euro only

3. How can you not accept card or online payment in europe when all payments done in india were online? To add to that, i was told by your agents as well as matrix tie up person that card will be used everywhere and is accepted at all places, so no need to carry much cash.

4. As a result i was not carrying enough euro and dollars were also not accepted. So i had to exchange money in venice where i was charged 40 dollar for converting 120 dollars as conversion fees. Which turns out to be close to rs 2500 which is complete waste had i been informed earlier to carry cash.

5. Being a group departure, no online checkin facility was available. However seats could have been blocked by you.
As a result while departing from delhi, i and my wife had to travel separately. Borading pass attached for reference. How could you not block seats. This is very basic.

6. My booking had 1 jain meal. On delhi-rome flight we were served jain meal where as on paris-delhi flight, no jain meal was served. On enquiring from air-india officials, they told there was no such special request received by them.
As a result we were left with no meal option on return. How could this be a miss?

7. Our itenary had 3 days stay in same hotel at switzerland. But at run time, we were told that for 1 day we will stay at interlaken and only 2 days in the original hotel.
The 1 day hotel arranged was a very small room with separate individual beds like a make shift adjustment room booked in hurry. Pics attached for reference where ceiling is slanting and also beds are separate. How can this be done to a honeymoon couple. On compaining to hotel, it was told that no rooms were available

8. On last day, our flight was at 10 pm and we were checked out at 11 am. There was no proper arrangement for us till then and we were basically owandering on streets. How could you treat us like and leave us to sit in hotel lobbby for more than 6 hours.
Do we deserve such a treatment. Why could not a proper arrangement or early flight be booked.

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Dec 11, 2017

Updated by Ankit 84 Agarwal also find attached their reply which is not at all inline with the complaints.

Also to add to the joke they are ready to refund around rs 700 which means they acknowledge their was a lapse from their end.

Dear Mr. Agarwal,

We would like to take this opportunity to thank you and your wife for traveling on our SOTC Group International Tour to European Splendor - 2017. We are in receipt of your feedback dt 16th October 2017 addressed to us and our subsequent conversation thereafter.

At the very outset it indeed is our pleasure to have your presence on our tour and we thank you for the same. While we have noted your points we politely we have also taken a note of your feedback regarding your pre tour experience and wish to clarify as follows:-

Jungfrau Optional Excursion:-

With regards to your query on Jungfrau optional excursion, passengers are given the flexibility and the freedom to choose what sightseeing and attraction they wish to visit based on their preference and enjoy at a nominal cost paid to the supplier directly on tour. Our tour manager confirms that she had given an option to all passengers who wish to avail the said optional tour to pay in Euros as well as USD.

Flight Seats:-
With regards to your query on the flight seats, we wish to inform you that the airline had allotted seats and issued boarding passes accordingly post which changes were not possible. Our operation team confirms that for inbound journey the seats allotted were together.

Flight Meal:-
With regards to your query on in Flight Jain meal request, we have noted your feedback and as a gesture of goodwill would like to offer (without prejudice) a refund of Euros 5 x 2 @ 76 = INR 760/- totally for you and your wife . Kindly give us your acceptance for us to action accordingly.

Hotels:-
With regards to your query on Switzerland Hotels, we wish to state that as a tour operator we accommodate our guests in hotels that offer good value for money. We have mentioned in our brochure that the hotels depending on the city and the day to day itinerary, your hotel may be confirmed either in the city center or away from the city center or in the surrounding areas. We wish to state that all hotels are subject to availability and the best available options were provided accordingly for the group.

Hotel Rooming:-
With regards to you query on Interlaken Hotel room, in European hotels rooms are smaller in size as compared to other destinations. On persual of the world wide web City Oberland Hotel, Interlaken is a 3 star category hotel with facilities and amenities accordingly.

With regards to your feedback on two separate beds we wish to inform since the hotel was running full no spare rooms with double beds were available however we have noted your feedback.

Check out time:-

With regards to your query on check out time, We would like to inform you that that the Standard International check – out rule for all parts of the world permits passengers to check out at 1100 hrs accordingly. Also our tour manager confirms that she has advised to keep your luggage at the hotel concierge and explore the city on your own post which transfers were scheduled to the Airport.

With this we trust we have addressed the queries raised by you, we would look forward to having the privilege of you and your wife travel with us

Feb 07, 2018

Updated by Ankit 84 Agarwal update on the complaint is that i got a call from SOTC some days back trying to persuade be in accepting a Rs 10000 SOTC voucher to be redeemed for future travel.

I refused them saying why dont you accept the lapses and mishandling done by you and talk for suitable compensation.

What would i do with your voucher when i wont like to travel with you again.
It is of no use to me.

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SOTC Customer Care

from Mumbai, Maharashtra

Dear Mr Agarwal,

We are in receipt of your e-mail dated 11th December 2017, and have noted its content.
We have responded to all your queries vide our email dt 26th October 2017.

Thanking you,
SOTC Customer Care