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River Expeditions prefers greed over treating customers fairly, in my experience. My family is out the considerable sum of $921 to River Expeditions (RE) for a rafting trip never taken. Below is the story of our most unfortunate experience with RE - you can judge for yourself.
- I made a reservation with River Expeditions (RE) for a rafting trip for July 3 2012 for 10 members of my family as part of a family reunion July 1-5.
- A derecho (wall of severe thunderstorms) occurred in West Virginia the evening of June 29, causing major power outages and long lines at gas stations in the Fayetteville area. It also necessitated the relocation of my family reunion because our reserved lodging facility lost power and could not accommodate us, as communicated to us on June 30.
- We tried to contact RE by phone for two days, June 30 and July 1, to discuss their status and ours and could not reach them; it was unclear whether they would be open by July 3; and even if so, it wasn’t clear it would be wise to travel into the area.
- We resorted on July 1 to informing RE through their web site and by email that given the situation we wanted to cancel and felt a refund was appropriate and asked them to confirm back.
- RE did not respond to us until the morning of July 3, indicating that they were still expecting us, at which point it was too late to show up for the trip (a 3 hour drive).
- RE afterward offered us a rain check that is simply not feasible for my family group because we come from all over the United States, our reunions only occur every three years, the same people don’t come to each one, and the location of a reunion is determined in part by who is coming to share the burden of travel. All of that was explained to RE, yet they maintain that their offer of a rain check is a ‘fair and equitable resolution”. How disingenuous!
- RE is keeping the full price of the trip, $921. Given RE’s lack of response before July 3 and the ludicrousness of a rain check ‘resolution’ in our case, I regard RE’s behavior as morally equivalent to theft.
If RE responds to this review, they may politely say that they regret our dissatisfaction, which would be mere lip service compared to our loss of $921. And they may refer to their strict adherence to their ‘no refunds’ policy, as though it is inviolable. But will they acknowledge that they always have the option of making an exception when it’s the right thing to do? Will they take any responsibility for being non-responsive? Will they admit that there is no practical way we can utilize a rain check? They may also cite the outcome of my credit card company’s dispute resolution process, which decided in favor of RE, with the reason “the merchant was willing and able to provide the service but was prohibited from doing so as a result of circumstances beyond their control”; but that puzzling assessment merely indicates to us the limitations and mysteriousness of that process (i.e., a half-hearted pseudo-legal evaluation, rather than the credit company advocating on behalf of the customer for what is actually fair).
Posted by
GaryM
| 12/18/2012 @ 4:06:PM
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River Expeditions
Experience real adventure in the scenic, historic New River Gorge National Park in West Virginia. Discover amazing rafting, rock climbing, mountain biking, ATV touring, horseback riding and more. Let River Expeditions host your trip for memories that last a lifetime. Our affordable vacation packages include lodging, meals, adventures and attractions. Rafting is a must… something the entire family can enjoy together for years to come.
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