Complaint Review: Apple Vacations

On 7/22/03 I put a deposit of $1348.00 on a Apple Vacation Package to Cancun; at Apple's local contracted travel agency.(AppleVacation will only sell through their contracted agencies)
Included in that deposit was $98.10 to purchase Apple's AVOK Total Vacation Security Insurance. Apple's website states that with this insurance you can "CANCEL FOR ANY REASON" and "This plan allows for cancellation or change of your vacation up to the scheduled time of depature" and "For scheduled air vacation packages, refunds will be in the original form of payment".

The only documentation I was given was the invoice/itinerary which states nothing about my airfare being non-refundable if I should cancel.

On August 14, 2003 I called the travel agency where I booked my trip to cancel and was told that the majority of my deposit ($1185.46) was not refundable and that it states on my invoice/itinerary that my airfare was non-changeable and non-refundable!(She said, "It says here right on the computer, non-refundable and it should say so on your paperwork too") I informed her that nothing on my paperwork states this and that I expected my full deposit returned minus the insurance premium of $98.10 and a change/cancel fee of $45.00 per person (for a total refund due to me of $1159.90).

I asked for a phone number where I could contact Apple Vacations myself and was told that they only accept calls from their travel agents. I was told that I needed to talk with the agent who took my deposit.

So, I contacted the agent, she said that she told me that the airfare was non-refundable. I told her that I was not aware of this, I have nothing that states this in writing and this was why I purchased travel insurance because I knew I might cancel my trip. She told me she would have to call Apple because the refund of airfare would be at their discretion.

She called me back shortly and said that the tickets were still non-refundable but that Apple Vacations NOW is saying that I could change the tickets(to the same destination, different dates) for a fee of $150.00!

I then asked if the airlines considered my tickets non-refundable or Apple Vacations was refusing to refund my money and was told "Apple was refusing the refund".

I called again on August 16, 2003; at which time the agent tried to contact a supervisor at Apple Vacations and explain that I must cancel my trip; however Apple still refused my refund even though I had purchased their travel insurance!!!

So out of a $1348.00 I am to receive ONLY $162.54 back, which I have still not even been credited!! So much for " AVOK TOTAL VACATION SECURITY"!!! THEIR GOLDEN APPLE VACATIONS ARE REALLY ROTTEN, DECEIVING APPLES!!! BEWARE!!!!!

Erin
Phoenix, Arizona
U.S.A.