Dear Travel Troubleshooter: Last year I wanted to book a trip to Turks and Caicos. My trip advisor recommended Apple Vacations and said they had a promotion offering a $200 resort credit. I booked the trip, but when I checked out the hotel rep told me the $200 credit was invalid. It had expired a month before my trip.
In the end, Apple gave us a $200 credit towards a future Apple Vacations trip and said it had to be used within a year. This was unacceptable to us since we have no intention of booking another trip, much less one with Apple. If this had been properly applied as promised, the $200 would have been deducted from our bill at checkout.
It’s a small amount in the grand scheme of things, but offering $200 only if I book the trip again next year is just completely disrespectful. Can you help me?
— Kathy Barswich, Evergreen Park, Illinois
answer: A resort credit would have been valid, and as you say, a $200 voucher that expires in less than a year is not an acceptable solution.
But wait a minute, the terms of the resort credit should have been clearly disclosed when you booked your trip through a travel agent. I checked the offer made to me through a travel agent and it did not have an expiration date.
Frankly, this should have raised alarm bells with the travel agent — all promotions have expiration dates and the agent should have looked into whether there were any conditions that might have applied to the booking — but ultimately, it was Apple Vacations’ responsibility to properly disclose this issue and correct it if necessary.
You may have also asked about the expiry date of the voucher, but you’d be forgiven for not asking – that’s why you asked a trusted travel advisor – a travel pro who can review the booking and make sure you didn’t miss anything.
You should have sought help from your travel advisor. The agency has insurance that protects against errors and omissions, and you may have been able to get a quicker resolution through your travel advisor. Your travel professional may have negotiated a settlement with Apple Vacations on your behalf.
When I suggested pressuring the travel agency for a solution, you said that your advisor runs a small business in your neighborhood and would like to work with you as a customer. That’s a great attitude, but you’re helping the travel agency by holding them accountable.
I have listed the names, phone numbers, and email addresses of Apple Vacations executives on the consumer advocacy site Elliott.org. A short, polite email to one of the executives could have quickly resolved this issue.
I contacted Apple Vacations on your behalf, your travel agent met with Apple separately, and you emailed the company. That’s teamwork!
Apple Vacations agreed to refund $200.
Christopher Elliott is the founder of Elliott Advocacy, a nonprofit that helps consumers solve their problems. Email him at chris@elliott.org or contact him at elliottadvocacy.org/help/ for support.
(c) 2024 Christopher Elliott
Distributor: King Features Syndicate, Inc.
