Apple Vacations lied, lied about lieing charged us $ 500.00 to leave a fully paid vacation Newton Square Pennsylvania
Here is yet another case of APPLE VACATION taking another hardworking family to the cleaners instead of on vacation.
Apple has already taken so much from my family and I that I must keep this complaint short. I don't want to give them another moment of my energy. We book every year for a trip in December. Same Agent.
This past year apple shortened our trip by 2 days by changing our departure time to 11:59pm and our return flight to 4am. The changes were made the day before we left. The one minute of vacation we survived through sitting on a stinky plane with no a/c waiting to leave the local Airport counted as one day. So did the dark and disoriented hours between 1am and 2am when we blindly packed our things to make the Apple shuttle back to the Airport in Cancun for the 4am flight home. O.K. Buyer beware. Read the small print and technically they reserve the right to call them "days" on vacation.
What is not legit is the troughs of old food, terrible service, and customer service reps trained to decieve.
Our first night, we looked around the resort on our way back from Denny's (or what seemed like Denny's but was called fine dining in Apple talk}. We strolled around the pool where an unlit walkway sent me tumbling down a jagged rock waterfall. I was bloody, my clothes were ripped and I was soaking wet.
I made my way to the lobby. There I was totally ignored by all staff. Yes, I was bleeding profusley, wearing shredded long pants and a sweater and soaking wet but no one batted an eyelash. I said at least give me a towel, but they claimed not to have one. My parents, kids and husband urged me to go dry off while they took it from there.
Next day-waited in line for 2 hours to talk to someone about incident. The food and beverage manager, the only one who would see me, graciously invited my family to dinner that night to make up for their negligence. It was an ALL INCLUSIVE RESORT.
Unable to swim, sun bathe or play any sports due to the fact that all the skin on one palm, one elbow and one leg had been removed during my fall, I was upset but didn't want to ruin things for the rest of the family.
I bit my tounge through mosquito infested rice, the large palm print on the orange jello dessert tray and the waiter's insistance that they did not serve coffee that was hot but rather that they "warmed" cold coffee with warm milk as a Mexican Tradition.
We wanted to leave but they would not let us out until we had somewhere to go. Apple agents said the only place was one of their other resorts but we had to pay $500 MORE if we wanted to "get in". Yes, we paid. Anything to get out of there.
As soon as we got home it was off to the doctor for X rays. I still suffer neck pain almost a year later. Apple will not return my calls. My medical insurance company will not pay the bills for my neck because they say Apple should pay. I have never been involved in any law suit before. Im not trying to get rich. Just would be nice if they would at least aknowledge that they messed up or that I lost a lot more that day than a new outfit and some skin.
Melanie
Brunswick, Maryland
U.S.A.
2 Updates & Rebuttals
Jay
Farmington Hills,Michigan,
U.S.A.
Melanie, did you use a travel agent
#3Consumer Suggestion
Sun, October 08, 2006
Melanie,
I am a travel agent and have been using Apple Vacations for 20 years. Because I work for a very large company ( AAA ) and our production with Apple is on a large scale, if any of our members encounter a problem with Apple, they have a very limited time to research and return with a conclusion. Since Apple only works with travel agents, I am assuming that you did book through some form of a travel agency. If you used the internet, ( Travelocity, Orbitz ) you basically are going to be on your own. If you used one of the "Club" agency, (Costco,Sams) you are going to be on your own. One may save money using those type of agencies, and if nothing goes wrong, you're fine,you most likely received a great deal, but when something goes wrong, your concerns will fall on deaf ears.
Here is my suggestion:
If your current travel agent did not respond or assist you, or if you did deal with the onlne agencies and we already know they won't help you, this is what you need to do.
1) Go on to www.applevacations.com and find where you can "locate" a travel agency. All the agencies that are listed under your zip code are "Golden","Plat",or "Premier" Apple Agencies.
These are the high rollers and produce a lot of revenue for Apple.
2) Pick one, and call the agency, and let them know that you are having a problem communicating with Apple, and request that they help you with a contact. Each region has a district sales manager, ask them if you could give them your name and contact, and ask if they would be kind enough to have the DSM call you. Coming from one of us (my agency) included, I assure you, someone will call you, and take notice.
As a travel agent I would take complete control, and I would be the one contacting Apple, not you.
I am wondering who you booked through?
If there is anything else I can try and assist you with, please send a rebuttal, I sincerely feel for you.
Good Luck..
J P
Michigan
Melanie
Brunswick,Maryland,
U.S.A.
APPLE FRUSTRATIONS- one year later...
#3Author of original report
Mon, January 10, 2005
I wanted to update my report on the misery of my apple vacation. After filing my written complaint in August of 2003, i got a post card dated Jan,29 2004 from Apple Vacations saying that they got my complaint and would be investigating the incident. In March I called to ask how the investigation was going and was told that they were having a hard time contacting the resort and to wait a bit longer. In September, it was the same story. They were waiting for a response from the Resort. Today, Jan 11,2005 a full year after the fiasco, I spent four hours being transfered, holding, getting cut off and bouncing from the Chicago office to the P.A. office and back. Each time I was asked for my booking number as I had been on previous calls. After supplying it to each of the many staff I spoke with and asking them for their name and to hold on the line until I was connected to the correct person I still only got the run around. I kept trying to reach the consumer relations dept. to find out what was going on with the investigation and used a new technique. This time I asked for the name of the person I was speaking to, their direct # and extension (should we get cut off)and the name,number, and extension of the person to which they were transfering me. In the end, Ms. Ienday Warren connected me to Ms. Cathy Tezzuoli who was happy to inform me that they DID mail me a "sorry letter" on April 3rd. Needless to say, no such letter was recieved and believe me ,I was looking for it. I asked for the address of where it was sent and who exactly sent it but they didn't know. I asked Cathy to fax me a copy of the letter as well as mail me a copy. I will wait to see if that happens. I asked her when I can expect to receive it. After a few hems and haws, she said she just didn't know.