No dream vacation in Tahiti

Q: My boyfriend and I recently took a trip to Tahiti, purchasing a vacation package from Tahiti Vacations. The booking representative told me that our hotel had snorkels and outrigger canoes free of charge and available for our use. When I got there, I found out they didn’t have the outriggers, and the snorkels were rented for a “nominal fee.” Because the only store that sold any snorkel gear was on the other side of the island and expensive, we really had no choice but rent the hotel gear.

Then we got two dine-around vouchers with a list of participating restaurants given to us in our itinerary. Well what do you know, the very first night we went to one of these restaurants – a fine seafood joint – we were told that they didn’t accept the voucher. But we were in the middle of ordering, had traveled one kilometer and were not about to get up and search for another participating restaurant. So we just ate there and paid for it out of our pockets.

Please tell me if you think I handled this the right way. I wrote and faxed a letter to Tahiti Vacations after speaking to a representative there and logging a complaint. I explained everything that had happened, and faxed copies of the hotel charge for the snorkel gear, and a receipt from the restaurant. I asked to be at least reimbursed for these costs, but is it likely they’ll do that? Is there anything else I can say or do that can ensure we can be compensated for our inconveniences?

– April Pennington

A: I contacted Tahiti Vacations on your behalf to see if we could sort things out. John Bell, the company’s operations manager responded almost immediately to my inquiry and tried to address both of your problems.

Regarding your “free” snorkeling gear, Tahiti Vacations agreed that it told you the equipment wouldn’t cost anything. “It seems that the hotel changed its policies and failed to notify us,” Bell says. Tahiti Vacations contacted Greg Hardie at the property in question and he authorized a refund on your gear.

So far, so good.

Bell promised to investigate the restaurant issue. But after more than a month of back-and-forth between you, Bell and me, we’re no closer to a solution. “I am not sure about the restaurant,” Bell confessed in his last e-mail. “I will look into the file and get back to you.”

I’m afraid that you’re going to have to eat the bill on the restaurant charges. I can only badger Bell so many times, and I suspect that if he had good news he would have given it to us by now.

I think you handled your complaint properly. As far as I can tell, your correspondences with Tahiti Vacations were professional and your request for compensation was reasonable. In other words, you did everything you could.

Your experience offers a useful lesson to the rest of us. No matter what the brochure says, or what your tour operator tells you, never assume anything when you’re on vacation. Before you go snorkeling, diving, sailing or just rent a beach towel, you have to find out if you’ll be charged for it. Similarly, if you’re at a restaurant, check with the staff before you order a meal to find out if your meal voucher, credit card, or currency will be honored. Nothing is more embarrassing than having to run to the nearest ATM to pay for your meal – especially on an island where the closest cash machine may be miles away.

If it makes you feel any better, I’ve made the same mistake many times. Only, I never had a travel troubleshooter to help me fix my problem and got stuck with the bill. Your case is a reminder even to me that I should always ask before I order anything on vacation.

Christopher Elliott is the author of Scammed: How to Save Your Money and Find Better Service in a World of Schemes, Swindles, and Shady Deals. Critics have called it “eye-opening” and “inspiring” — it’ll “grab your attention and won’t let go.” Order your copy now on Amazon, Barnes & Noble or iTunes.

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