UTO Vacations review: Paid for the trip but canceled by UTO without notice

Booked in july 2022 for a trip to China & Japan in November 2023 , made a deposit at date of booking and final payment in February 2023, and no news from UTO since then, no info about the flight, hotels...until late july this year , we decided to call UTO to confirm everything and be informed that our trip has been canceled because we didn't upload our passport in time they demand( 150 days before departure )

Here's what they replied to us :

"However, by the due date, you didn't upload your passport copies, and therefore we considered you are not planning to go this time.

Additionally, because the Tripadvisory level has become level 3 since June 2023, we have customers decided not to go and postponed their trips to later dates."

If we didn't call them that day, we never know that our trip has been canceled!, we filed a complaint to the company (UTO) and asked for full refund, they just can offer us a credit for the future trip, no refund.

Now they have our money ( group of 10 pers. more than $10K) since 12 months and we don't have our trip !