SOTC — sharing my experience

I am writing my experience so it can help others especially folks who plan from India with an agent who they meet online/ad’s/local branch.
I would like to say that dealing with SOTC initially was very pleasing i.e. going back and forth with prices, packages and all that... after the initially payment (‘so called token amount’)..We realized that their whole intent and agenda was to just force the customers to go on the trip. They are just beyond horrible. I highly suggest to stay away from this money-snatching people/company.
We were a group of 10 or so family members wishing to go on an international trip by using one of the packages sotc was offering. We were given a quote for complete trip per person and 15000 RS per person was collected in the name of “Token amount “in order to reserve a spot on the trip date we were looking for. These quotes were provided over email and nothing official to assure us. Things started to get clear when they started mixing the prices as an how they wish (this was cause we changed agents and each one was just trying to make their commission, typical work politics) this is where we realized that there we no ethics or company standards when it comes to customer service. We informed them that we no longer wanted to go with them and the money that was collected be refunded. And the guy (who was apparently the Manager) stated that per the cancellation policy the amount would be forfeited. This guy was a complete joke, till date I wonder -is this how such people survive? No conscious what so ever. We had the issue escalated from that so called “booking” team manager to customer service manager, and was i surprised – 1000%- that customer service dept was even worst .. They had quite the guts to just keep dragging and put us through mental stress… just writing some random excuse in replies to keep pushing us. In my entire life experience in customer service by any company- this team takes the credit of being the worst. I don’t think I will find any other company meeting this standard set by them. Below cheap, low, name the worst level. They are it . Absolute shameless. After 30 days or so, countless emails asking them for an update, the CS rep informs (over a call, not in email) that they can only do a travel voucher as a favor. So the next thing I did.. was write to managing director of the company and another person from board of directors (this was a first for me) .. Just imagine the service by the employees so far that I had no choice but to write to MD:Vishal suri.within 30 min of this email came the email stating amount will be refunded in full from CS head..and there goes the cancellation policy which was completely made up by the whoever we interacted thus far. the experience dint end here, .. the refund process took easily a month.. God knows why. After two months or painful ordeal, mental harassment, countless emails we were able to get our hard-earned money back.
Suggestions:
• Firstly donot even consider this company but in case you are already decided then..Before you decide on a tour and the price – please ask for the tour brochure, booking form, booking rules, term and conditions, every paper or form that they need to give you, BEFORE YOU MAKE ANY PAYMENT (THIS SHOULD BE DONE EVEN BEFORE YOU PAY THEM A DIME). They will push you saying prices will change, don’t fall for it. Please read each and every word carefully on all of the forms you get, please communicate everything in writing or have then mention whatever they speak over the phone in an email. Trust me they make promises that sound amazing but they never give in writing .if you don’t understand, ask them to once, twice.., till it’s clear to you. Do not hesitate.
• Before they ask you to pay the ‘token amount’.. have them give in writing why they are collecting it, its purpose, is it refundable, why is it not refundable, where is this condition mentioned in the official brochure/ website to make sure of this payment is valid. I have read the all the rules, terms, conditions forms..out on google, their website, everywhere possible .. There was no mention of any token amount or its reference and as to why it’s being collected. If only I wish had done the homework before I paid the token amount. Life would have been easy.
• They have something called a booking form which is THE CONTRACT BETWEEN (along with couple other forms) the company and the customer, the agent and the customer sign on it, it has all the details of the tour, amount, cancellation charges -THIS IS EVERYTHING.. BEFORE YOU SIGN THIS PLEASE MAKE SURE YOU KNOW WHAT YOU ARE SIGNING UP FOR. We haven’t signed this form and it made the whole difference. Because we dint have this form we got our money back. (per booking rules of the company). Before you sign any form please double check as to why. Also please DONOT SIGN BLANK BOOKING FORM .. these agents will try to get you sign this at the beginning so you are left with no choice but to go on the trip or lose the money you paid. Also do not forward any photo copies of your information this early.. all they need is a name (per passport) to make a reservation. It while filling the booking form you would need your complete details.
• If you have change of plans after you have paid the token amount and haven’t signed any forms, as a courtesy please reach out to the CS reps to know when they will refund the amount.
Do not hesitate to reach to the highest level of the management if you don’t get any answers from the lower management.
• I would suggest if the matter is beyond 30 days or so then simply file a case with consumer court of India, this is very important and helpful portal and would save a lot of time and drama since the company would be accountable per the law without a contract.
https://consumerhelpline.gov.in/
There are govt consumer helpline even for each state which could help too.
• Imagine how much unaccountable money they make with such lies, cooked up rules mentioned no where. Fooling the customers. They put us through this night mare without we having any contract – such is the company standards. These people just dint want to let go of the token amount or business. All through the experience all I was thinking was..how do such people exist ?Do they have families? Does the family know what kind of work they do.. Cheating, blackmail, harassing people? How do they sleep at night? How can they make a living out of this?. No humanity what so ever.