My Nonprofit Reviews

In January 2020, I purchased a river cruise to Portugal from Vantage Deluxe Travel with a deposit of $500.00. At the same time I bought "cancel for any reason" insurance for $899.00, which included coverage for pre-existing conditions. The trip was rescheduled to 2021, then to 2022 because of CoVid. By 2022, my traveling companion's arthritis had progressed to the point where she could not walk fast enough to keep up with the pace of group travel. We cancelled the trip.

That cancellation on Feb. 17, 2022 began a year-long dispute with Vantage Deluxe Travel and TripMate insurance. After providing medical proof of my friend's health, her refund was approved. At the same time, TripMate insurance insisted that I was traveling alone, in spite of the fact that every invoice from Vantage Deluxe Travel stated that I was "sharing accommodations" and listed my friend's name. I scanned, uploaded, and emailed those invoices to TripMate, along with verification of my friend's medical disability. The response was that Tripmate would refund only $300.00 of my deposit. The remaining $200.00 would have to come from Vantage Deluxe Travel.

Thus began six months of phone calls and emails to both agencies. Ultimately, my cancellation was approved. But no refund was paid. By either entity.

ALERT: THESE COMPANIES ARE MASTERS OF PASSIVE-AGGRESSIVE NICENESS. All representatives were friendly and polite and promised payment, but "there was no time-line" for the refund. I was "in a queue" and would have to wait my turn, but they had no knowledge of the length of the queue. All representatives were sympathetic and polite and understanding of my dilemma. But my deposit was not refunded.

In November 2022, I contacted Elliott Advocacy and provided copies of my many emails, along with a timeline of my phone calls and and emails to Vantage Deluxe Travel and TripMate. Finally, action! On November 30, Vantage Deluxe Travel refunded $200.00 of my money. But TripMate Insurance did NOT pay its $300.00 share, claiming that it needed approval from Vantage Deluxe Travel. Multitudinous phone calls produced nothing.

Back I went to Elliott Advocacy. On January 26, 2023, TripMate Insurance emailed me a check for $300.00.

For three years, Vantage Deluxe Travel and TripMate held my $500.00 deposit for the trip and $899.00 for insurance coverage. I doubt that they would ever have returned my deposit without the intervention of ELLIOTT ADVOCACY. As it is, they have a clear profit of $899.00 that I paid for the insurance.

Thank goodness, Elliott Advocacy helps individual travelers who are powerless when dealing with Big Business.