Vacation Store of Miami
Reviews and Complaints

This company is a scam and have refused to provide a refund timely. I purchased a vacation package to Riu Reggae in Jamaica on January 18th to travel from March 26th to the 29th. The total of my trip was $1356.00. Due to the COVID-19 numbers rising, my friend and I decided to cancel the trip in which we were asked by Giovanni to do via email. I sent that email on March 13th and was informed via email on that same to day to allow 5-10 business days for the funds to post back to my account, minus the $100 cancellation fee. Fine! I have been calling and emailing for the last 5 months with no refund and very poor customer service. They told me 3-5 months and now 180 days. You cannot continue to hold my money when I never took the trip and cancelled it timely within your policy. During my last call Ms. Olivera was very frustrated and she told me to take it up with my bank as their credit card machines were broken. What does my back (BOA) have to do with it? This reeks of SCAM. I hate that it happened, I really thought I was purchasing a vacation off the Riu Reggae site and not some posers. This company SHOULD ABSOLUTELY NOT have an A+ rating with the ComplaintsBoard.com. ComplaintsBoard.com, we expect you to do what you have been doing for years and hold these scammers accountable. I would not recommend this company to my worst enemy. I am very displeased and look to to take this to court if needed. I am not interested in a credit either.

We were not given our full refund of $300, despite our flight being cancelled due to the COVID19 pandemic. My fiancé and I were tricked into booking our honeymoon through the Vacation Store Miami website as their website is identical to the Ibero Star's website (and has their address listed as the Jamaica address). Their website will mimic whichever resort you're trying to book with. Due to the Coronavirus, not only was our wedding cancelled, but our honeymoon was too. Our flight was cancelled (which we received a full refund for). I contacted the hotel and they advised that no flights were scheduled into Jamaica at that time and that the hotel would not be opened either. I was advised by the Ibero Star that I should receive a FULL refund from the travel agent. This is coming from the resort directly! Their policies are a lot better than the Vacation Store Miami's and they were understanding of the situation. When I called the Vacation Store Miami, I was advised that we would only get $200 of the $300 back due to their "fees". I explained that this trip was cancelled out of our control. They didn't seem to care. They said I should just "change the dates". Unacceptable. The contract says nothing about cancellations due to flight/hotel not operating. We are extremely disappointed by how this was handled. We should not be penalized and withheld from our full refund due to circumstances out of our control. This is unlawful and I will seek additional measures to get this taken care of.

I was promised a refund for a trip that we cancelled due to covid-19; I'm now being told that I won't be getting a refund. My husband and I initially booked a trip to the Sandos Caracol resort in Playa Del Carmen in February; trip was planned for the end of March. When the pandemic hit the US in March, I called to cancel our trip and was offered the option to rebook at a later date. Since we didn't realize how long the pandemic would last, we rebooked the trip for August 31-September 6. As time went on and the severity of the pandemic remained, it became apparent to us that the best option for us would to just be to cancel altogether; we also found out that we'd be expecting a baby at the end of the year, placing me at an additional risk since I am pregnant. I called and emailed to cancel the trip in June, and was told that I would receive my refund in XX-XXX days. Since it is reaching the 120 day point, I emailed on Tuesday of this week to check on the status of my refund and received no response. I then called this morning, and was told that "the refund department was now closed, and I wouldn't be receiving a refund". I was then hung up on. This company's business practices are terrible; I cannot believe that it has taken this long and still no resolution. I would like my refund of $1776 to the card on which it was charged in no more than 5 business days. I have attached screenshots of my receipts from both the original and rescheduled trip, as well as of the email correspondence guaranteeing my refund.

This business promised to refund my money within 45 days; then moved to 120 days. I have not received my refund to my credit card. They are not comm My communication for refund because the business closed due to covid 19 and alerted us that they could not hold the obligation to have the wedding at their location (Majestic Colonial Punta Cana D.R.). I requested my refund on March 28. I was advised that my refund would appear on my CC within 45; it was changed 120 days. We are in September, and I have not seen my $606.00 refund. In the main time I am paying interest on these funds. I did not cancel this trip; the business did, and I should not be penalized for their cancellation. Others in the wedding party that use another agency in New Jersey have been refunded 100%. This is my compliant to you before I move it to the Consumer Protection Bureau. Please assist. The contact I am dealing with at the agency is Giovanna Olivera ***@vacationstoremiami.com SW 11th Street, Coral Gables, FL XXXXX Mon-Fri 9am-6pm, Sat 10am-2pm Toll Free 888.774.0040 Local 305.774.0040 MARCH 31 EMAIL Mrs. The refund for the amount of $606.00 will be processed in full. In light of the unprecedented Coronavirus pandemic we are working diligently with our hotel partners regarding refunds for our customers. Upon receipt of the cancellation notice, we shall immediately request a refund from the hotel. Refund time frame 120 days Please be assured that we are working to help in these unprecedented times. Thank you for your understanding. Regards, Giovanna Olivera Travel Specialist VacationStoreMiami(r) ***@vacationstoremiami.com cid:572D7745-E406-4DD0-B5A5-BCDXXXXXXAF7 4201 SW 11th Street, Coral Gables, FL XXXXX Mon-Fri 9am-6pm, Sat 10am-2pm Toll Free 888.774.0040 Local 305.774.0040 Fax 305.774.0044

The Vacation Store of Miami has not refunded me for a vacation that was cancelled in light of COVID-19 for 04/07/XXXX-XX/12. I had purchased an all-inclusive resort at the Grand Oasis Cancun through the Vacation Store of Miami for the time period of 04/07/12. My invoice number was XXXXXXXXXX, and my booking reference number is TQOV6I. Additional documentation is provided below. I originally purchased the resort stay 03/09, but then the COVID-19 situation became significantly more severe. As my sister and I were in epicenters of the pandemic, and I work in the hospital with COVID-19 positive patients, we decided that it would be best to cancel our trip and minimize the risk of exposing anyone else to COVID-19. I managed to get ahold of the company and was told that I could either get a travel voucher for another year or two years, or I could receive a full refund. As my sister had lost her job due to the pandemic, we opted for a full refund. I spoke with Eli, an agent at the office, as well as with their supervisor ***, who confirmed I would get a full refund to my credit card (our payment method) within 60-90 days. I was told I would be getting $1450.00 back to subtract the $50 cancellation fee. Although initially cancelling the resort on 03/18, the 90 day deadline for the refund came and went. I emailed Eli on 05/26, who responded on 05/28 and said the refunds were taking longer to process than usual and I could expect it within 120 days of the initial cancellation date. 120 days (07/18) has also come and gone, and I have still not received the promised refund. I emailed their office on 06/28 and did not receive a reply, and also emailed them today, 07/23, and have not received a reply. I have also tried calling their office multiple times and have not gotten a response.

Spoke with business about canceling a hotel stay and they stated the hotel stay was non-refundable and that was not communicated to me upon booking. On February 10 I booked travel through the organization for a trip to Cancun , Mexico. I received an email confirmation with the following language: /AGENCY POLICY: (UNLESS OTHERWISE SPECIFIED BY THE HOTEL) HOTEL CANCELLATIONS MADE 8DAYS OR MORE PRIOR TO ARRIVAL DATE WILL RESULT IN A $50.00 SERVICE CHARGE PER PERSON HOTEL CANCELLATIONS MADE 4-7DAYS PRIOR TO ARRIVAL WILL RESULT IN A TWO-NIGHT PENALTY FEE PLUS A $75.00 CANCELLATION FEE HOTEL CANCELLATIONS WITHIN 3DAYS BEFORE ARRIVAL IS NONREFUNDABLE ANY CHANGES MADE TO THE RESERVATIONS ONCE THE PREPAID HOTEL VOUCHER IS ISSUED WILL RESULT IN A $50.00 CHANGE FEE NO REFUNDS WILL BE MADE IN THE EVENT OF INTERRUPTION OR CANCELLATION BY GUEST AFTER THE ARRIVAL DATE ALL REFUNDS WILL BE MADE DIRECTLY TO THE CREDIT CARD ORIGINALLY USED TO MAKE THE RESERVATIONS when I asked them to cancel the reservation they said "read the policy - unless otherwise specified by the hotel the policy is as we stated" but the hotel said we can't cancel. This was a lie. I called the hotel in Mexico - they said they have no authority to cancel or refuse to cancel any reservations made by a third party. This erroneous agency statement is written in essence to cheat consumers out of their money if they need to cancel. The hotel in Mexico Grand Oasis Cancun also stated that third party reservations were made through their Panama office. I attempted to reach the Panama office but was unsuccessful. I am writing this complaint because I would like this company to be investigated. They currently have a ComplaintsBoard.com rating of A and that is why I used their company. Unfortunately the unprofessionalism and rude behavior I received from the staff that told me I am illiterate and I can't read makes me believe that this rating is not accurate.

Due to coronavirus travel restrictions, I cancelled a trip on March 15 ,2020 (3 months ago) and have not yet received a promised refund. We paid Vacation Store Miami $1410 with Visa on February 24 for a trip to Punta Cana. My Visa card was charged immediately. Due to new international travel restrictions, I had to cancel the trip on March 15. We were offered a full credit for use within 12 months, but due to job/paycheck uncertainty, we needed our money back. We were offered a refund minus $50 per person on March 18 by Yaid Garcia, who added that it would take 60 to 90 days to process the refund. When asked why it would take such an excessive amount of time, the reply was "because of the emergency situation the credit card are taking longer to refund the money to the credit card." Which is interesting because Southwest Airlines refunded my money the same day as I cancelled our flights. I have sent 11 emails trying to get this resolved and usually receive an "out-of-office" returned reply, or, once, a form letter stating they are experiencing extended hold times and delays in email responses. I tried calling after 30 days of waiting and no one ever answered the phone. I tried again after 60 days and was told that their accounting department is only working one day a week, but she would look into the problem and let me know. I never heard back from her. I tried calling again several times today after 90 days of waiting and got a voice message saying to call back during normal business hours. It was 3:30 in the afternoon. Their website says business hours are 9am to 6pm. I feel I have been more than patient dealing with this company to get my money back. I cancelled the reservation within their cancellation period. I've tried multiple times through phone and email to get the problem resolved. Yet, here it is over 3 months later and I'm still waiting and I don't know any more than I did 90 days ago. Oh, except that they still have $1410 of my money!

Vacation Store Miami is not honoring refund as agreed; charging $50 penalty fee per person (6 adults, 1child) on cancelled reservation due to COVID-19 On 1.18.2020 confirmed and paid (DEBIT) for 7 family members to celebrate our 40th Wedding Anniversary in Punta Cana, land package managed by Vacation Store. Due to travel restrictions brought on by U.S. government in response to COVID-19, reservations were cancelled by us and communication went as follows: 1. 3.25.2020-Phone call-Diego *** called agent to cancel reservation and request refund, was offered voucher for future travel, declined verbally. 2. 3.25.2020 Recieved email from Yaid stating "Reservation Cancel, In light of the unprecedented coronavirus pandemic we shall be temporarily changing our cancellation policy to insure minimum financial impact on our customers" 3. 4.2.2020Email- Diego *** submits written cancellation request stating reason for cancellation is COVID-19, declines voucher for future travel 3. 4.06.2020 Email-cancellation is confirmed by Vacation Store Agent YG on with additional comment related to $50 cancellation fee per person and 120 day wait. 4.8.20.2020 Phone call generated by Diego ***, he was told to take it up with his bank if he wanted his money back since it was a debit 5. 8.25.2020 Phone/fax claim filed with Bank of America 6. 9.22.2020 Letter issued by Bank of America redirecting us back to Vacation Store 7. 9.24.2020 Phone call-Diego *** outreached agent Yaid, was told it is out of her hands 8. 9.25.2020 Phone call- Diego outreached agent again, spoke to Claudia, informed her he would be filing a complaint; response: " do what you have to do that is not going to change anything." We are way passed *** 120 days, today makes it 180 days exactly. We have been patient and understanding, did not make a fuss initially. These are difficult times for many, but we've had enough. We have called several times and feel vendor is stalling. Vacation Store Agents Elena, Yaid, Claudia claim we are still on the "wait list"? They cannot provide a realistic answer or time-frame for a full refund.

I am having issues getting a full refund for a canceled trip during COVID. They will not answer the phone or return emails.I've left numerous calls. I was booked for a trip 3/17-3/22. On 3/15 (at the start of COVID) I canceled my trip as I am in healthcare and had numerous exposures to COVID and didn't think it was wise to travel. I was told I could likely get a full refund. Once Giovanna (the rep for The Vacation Store/The Travel Club) responded, she said Iberostar would charge me one night and give me a credit for the rest. I received an email stating I had a credit for $3350 not not for the full amount. I reached out to Giovanna numerous times through email and phone calls with no response on rebooking. She did respond a few times but weeks later and with a significant increase in price. On 6/17 I spoke with her manager who said she (the manager) would return my call on 6/18 or 6/19. I did not hear back from them so I have called every day but their recording said to call back during regular business hours (which it was) or leave a message. When I pushed a button to leave a message it disconnected me. I called Iberostar and they said they granted a FULL REFUND but my travel company was holding this. I called the parent store (Best Day Travel) but it was in Spanish. I tried 6/22 through today (6/26) to reach Giovanna/The Travel Store but was met with the same message to call during regular business hours (which it is). Today I got through to someone and when I told them what this was in regards to, I was placed on hold and no one ever picked up. I am owed just over $4000 and no one there will a) respond b) refund or c) even let me use my credit. After reading the reviews on here, I am worried this is not even a reputable business. When I booked this originally, I had used the Iberostar site and somehow it took me to their website-I (stupidly) thought I was booking through Iberostar. These business practices are not responsible. I understand there has been a delay in handling things due to COVID but I have been trying to recoup these losses/credit since March. My travel voucher is XXXXXXXX. Thank you for your time.

This company refuses to give me a refund. I have patiently waited 30-90 business days for them to "process" my refund request and still nothing. On 2/10 I made a reservation through the Travel Club Vacation Stores of Miami to take a trip to Jamaica to celebrate my birthday. The trip was scheduled for the following dates 4/29 thru 5/6 and we were supposed to stay at the Grand Palladium Jamaica Resort Spa. I originally thought that I was booking through the hotel itself, but after booking I noticed that a confirmation email came from a third party, so I immediately reached out to them and asked questions just to make sure the company was legitimate. I spoke to a "travel specialist" named Tania Saban, who basically told me whatever I wanted to hear at the time. I was a little concerned about the confirmation email I got, which made me feel incredibly apprehensive, but since our trip was two months away, I stopped asking questions and just waited to see how things would ply out. A month later on 3/13/ 2020, I called The company and asked to speak to Tania so I could cancel the trip. Once I mentioned that I wanted to cancel the trip, she because aggressive, trying to convince me that a refund was not possible but instead that I would get a vouch that would allow me to use the reservation within two years. I was adamant with about not wanting a reservation voucher, but instead, I wanted a full refund! Due to the Covid-19 outbreak, there should be no problem with issuing me a refund. So Tania said she would process a refund, but I had to pay a $50 cancellation fee per adult. There was another adult coming with me on the trip, so that was a $100 cancellation fee. This brought my $2,200 trip, down to a refund credit of $2,100. Tania told me she need an email confirming that I agreed to cancellation fee, and once she got that email she would send me a notification email cancelling my reservation and processing a request. The email said it would take 30-90 business days for the "credit to appear" on my credit car statement. I got the email on 3/23, so it has been well over 90 days and have still NOT received a refund that I an entitled to for a trip that I had to cancel due to a pandemic. This company is complete trash and is robbing people!

I am unable to get a refund or credit for my vacation to Jamaica that could not happen due to COVID-19. On January 6th I booked a holiday to Montego Bay, Jamaica staying at the Grand Palladium. On March 13th the global pandemic occurred and the government announced non essential travel to be cancelled therefore I was unable to take my 6 day trip to Montego Bay, Jamaica. I was to be leaving for my vacation on March 15th. I contacted the resort to inform them that I was unable to make my trip. I was transferred to the reservation centre where they took my booking reference number. After attempting to call many times and on some occasions unable to get through due to the high demands of calls they told me due to me not booking through them directly they couldn't assist. I asked for them to inform the person I need to inform at the resort that I am unable to make it due to COVID-19. I then emailed the resort as well as my travel agent at Vacation Store Miami, both informing them of my inability to travel to Jamaica. I booked my flights through West Jet separately to Jamaica which I got a full credit for. My travel agent is now informing me that the resort said I was a no show and therefore unable to get a credit or refund for my money. This was incorrect as I called the resort numerous times as well as emailed Then to inform them that I had to cancel my trip due to travel warnings. I have email evidence and phone records of my attempts to contact the main stakeholders. My travel agent said I contacted the wrong provider and I was supposed to contact GoGO Vacations which I had never heard of this company. She told me she sent me a travel voucher for my trip which I never received and this had GoGo Vacations number on it. At this point I have contacted every possible avenue that was possible as a customer booking through a travel agent. I am not sure where my money is and who is keeping it for a service that was not provided to me. My inability to travel was completely out of my hands due to the global pandemic of COVID-19 occurring. On the resort website it states: if having a reservation with an arrival date up to July 9th, we will allow you to change the date. I have asked my travel agent for this to happen and to receive a credit for my trip and she said it is not possible and I have lost my money.

Vacation Store of Miami is refusing to process my refund in a timely manner for a trip that was required to be cancelled due to the COVID19 pandemic. My name is Dr. ***. On 2/18 I booked a vacation to Cancun, Mexico through Vacation Store of Miami for 4/11 - 4/16. I have a confirmation email with the reference number of TVLZG3. The booking was for myself, Dr. ***, and my companion Wesley Garrity for the amount of $1398.00. I have been working with Yaid Garcia as my Travel Specialist with Vacation Store of Miami. On 3/18, I was notified of the Public Health Order restricting travel across the US/Mexico border due to the COIVD19 outbreak. Following with mandates in place, I emailed Yaid Garcia and requested a cancellation of the trip and a refund for the paid amount of $1398.00 due to being unable to travel as pandemic travel restrictions were in place. 3/18, I was told by Yaid that I would be given a credit to travel, for which I responded that I wanted a full refund, considering we will not be travelling internationally during the pandemic. Yaid responded that there would be a $50.00 cancellation fee per person and that I would receive a refund for $1298.00. Yaid also told me the refund would be processed in 60 - 90 days. I agreed to pay the cancellation fee and accepted the refund timeline. I have yet to receive my refund. I have called the office phone number listed for the company and have not received a phone call back. I am constantly checking in with Yaid via email, who either does not return my emails or responds saying the following: "Refund are taking longer than usual because of the volumeCredit card are taking around 120 business days to processAs soon as the refund is made I will send the copy by email" I was initially told that the refund process would be 60-90 days, not 120 business days. This change in dates appears to be a way for the company to hold onto my money. I believe it is unethical for the company to keep my money during these times, for a trip I was mandated not to take by our government. My reservation dates have come and gone without me being able to travel, yet I have paid as if I took the trip. This company keeps putting off refunding me my money, and now won't get into contact with me regarding my concerns. I have all email communications available if needed for reference.

Vacation Store of Miami has failed to promptly refund a $1,760 charge for a Punta Cana resort that closed down during my travel dates. This is the first ComplaintsBoard.com action I've ever taken, but the unresponsiveness and poor customer service of Vacation Store of Miami has left me no choice - and they have ignored several emails in which I requested a response or I would be filing a ComplaintsBoard.com complaint. The company owes me a very clear cut refund of $1,760, which I paid via credit card on Dec. 2, 2019, for a five-night vacation (April 7-12, 2020) at Majestic Mirage resort in Punta Cana, Dominican Republic. The invoice number on the order is XXXXXXXXXX. It should be pointed out that this company uses a website intended to mask the official resort websites in order to deceive customers. I discovered this after already placing the order. I have seen reviews online from other customers who arrived at resorts booked through Vacation Store, only to discover their reservations were mere vouchers that weren't honored because the hotel was already full. I haven't experienced that, but worth noting for your investigation. As for my individual need for a refund: On March 16, I requested a refund due to the need to cancel travel plans because of the coronavirus. On March 17, Giovanna Olivera at Vacation Store of Miami wrote back that the reservation had been canceled and that my original form of payment (Mastercard ending 7633) would be refunded $1,660. This deducted a $100 cancelation fee. On March 24, I saw that the Majestic Mirage resort has closed down for several weeks - including our travel dates. I wrote to Giovanna that my card should be reimbursed the full $1,760 without any cancellation fee withheld. On March 27, she wrote back that due to high volume of changes, the time frame for refunds was extended to 120 days. (She at first had told me 30 days, then 60, and now this keep in mind, Vacation Store of Miami has incurred no expense from us as the trip was never taken and, in fact, was canceled by the resort). After this I sent several messages to the agency, none of which were responded to except for out of office responses on a couple occasions. On April 9, I called Giovanna's manager, named Rosana, and raised the concerns about the refund. She told me that the April refunds would be processed within a week. It has now been more than a week, and I've seen no refund post. In addition, I've sent five emails to Rosana and the general email address for the agency - including one yesterday and another this morning. Not a single one has generated a response. (I'm happy to provide any email documentation ComplaintsBoard.com might require for its investigation, though I didn't attach them in this complaint). I also have read reviews online from customers who struggled to get refunds. Based on all the phone calls and emails that weren't answered, along with experiences of fellow customers, I felt the only course was to reach out to the ComplaintsBoard.com, which somehow has listed this company with an A-plus rating.

Requested refund on 3/16. Still no refund. Also holding back $100, when we had to cancel due to the virus and not being allowed to travel. I booked a hotel through this company on 2/7 for a total of $1122. I payed in full that day. My trip was supposed to be from 3/29-4/2. The corona virus than took over at which point travel in and out was restricted by the president and the government. On 3/13 I contacted the representative Yaid that I had been dealing with and advised we would need to cancel due to what was going on with the virus. On the 3/16 the representative confirmed that my reservation was cancelled, but didn't provide me any confirmation of it, just stated we would get a copy of the cancellation when the refund is issued, not that it does me any good then. On 4/17 over a month after requesting it be cancelled and that I be refunded, I reached out via email again as I still hadn't received my money back or any valid confirmation. I sent 5 emails over a course of a few days before finally getting a generic template response. None of my questions in my emails were answered. I asked why I was only receiving $1022 of my $1122 back as it appeared we were being penalized $50 per person for cancelling when we had no choice to cancel due to the virus and travel not being allowed. We didn't cancel by choice, we were forced to. So I asked for that to be waived and to issue us the full $1122. That request was ignored 5 times, no response made to it what so ever. So at this point we began calling. At first we were told they dont have us in the system, then they found us but said she couldn't help us because Yaid was the person I booked with. I advised that Yaid doesn't respond to my messages, she said call back in a week shes here on Monday. I said I've waited long enough I'm not waiting another week. So this woman said she'd speak with Yaid about refunding us in full and call back the next day. Next day came no call back. I called the office and was given the manager/owner Rosana who was rude and not helpful. Made excuses about why we haven't been refunded yet and blamed a merchant, I asked for their info so I could speak with them and she said it doesn't work that way and she'd call me back tomorrow. I also told her I want a full refund and she started making excuses saying she cant because they already put in a request for $1022, I said this isn't acceptable and I want it in full. She said she can't put in $1122 request because it would cancel or interfere with the first request. So at this point I said than put in another request for $100 separate of the first request, to which I was met with an attitude and resistance, claimed she'd call me back tomorrow with a status update from the merchant, and made no mention of the $100 they are withholding on their end. Next day came guess what no phone call. So I call and get told I'll call you tomorrow. Tomorrow again comes and guess what? No phone call. So I call and a representative says Rosana will be in at 4:30 and took my info and message and said she'll make sure she calls me. 4:30 rolls around no call so at 4:45 I call, and get a message that they are closed and can't take messages. This is beyond unprofessional at this point. They are dodging my emails and calls. They aren't following up like they promise to. They are stealing my money from me and withholding it for an excessive amount of time, it's almost 50 days at this point that I requested to be refunded. And will go beyond that as its now a weekend and still no contact with Rosana. This is ridiculous, I had no choice but to pay for me trip in full the day of booking. Yet I cancel my trip and don't get refunded that same day instead here were approaching 50 days and on top of that they are withholding money. Mind you the airlines refunded me in full minutes after my call to them about cancelling on the same day that I contacted this unprofessional business. Nothing short of a full refund of $1122 will be acceptable and that needs to be done immediately not another 50 days from now.

Vacation Store of Miami Making customers wait 4-5 months for a refund is unacceptable. The name of the agency is VacationStoreMiami, located at 4201 SW 11th St, Coral Gables, FL XXXXX with a phone number of (XXX) XXX-XXXX. I booked a reservation with them in November for the Majestic Elegance in Punta Cana, Dates (April 4th-7th). Due to the Corona Virus Pandemic, we called on March 16th to re-schedule our reservation to (June 27th-30th). On April 8th we decided to cancel our trip to the Dominican Republic. The same day the travel Specialist Giovanna Olivera emailed us the following: "Please be advised, due to the Corona Virus, your hotel reservation has been canceled. You will have a FULL travel credit for the total amount of $1302 to use until December to any destination/hotel we service. Please contact/email us back when you are ready to book again and refer to this email." We emailed her back the same day and told her we want a refund instead. We were told via email that there will be a cancellation fee of $50 per person which brings the total refund to $1038 and we were okay with that. What I find unacceptable is that they are making us wait 4-5 months to get the refund where most companies like Expedia send your refund within 30 days (as of today it has been almost 3 months since April 8th). I called the hotel in Dominican Republic and I was told that there are no reservation under our names and that the refunds were sent to VacationStore of Miami. Even the Airport in Dominican Republic is closed until July 2nd and Jetblue didn't wait 4-5 months to get us our money back. I emailed and called them today 6/25. I was promised a call back with a status, but no one called. The right thing for them to do is to get the $50 per person that they already taking from us and refund the remaining $1038. I think this agency needs better customer service policies. For them to make a un-official website to trap customers that think they booking reservations with the actual hotel is more than enough to raised a red flag and on top of that the way they treat their customers is unacceptable. *** //AGENCY POLICY: (UNLESS OTHERWISE SPECIFIED BY THE HOTEL) HOTEL CANCELLATIONS MADE 8DAYS OR MORE PRIOR TO ARRIVAL DATE WILL RESULT IN A $50.00 SERVICE CHARGE PER PERSON HOTEL CANCELLATIONS MADE 4-7DAYS PRIOR TO ARRIVAL WILL RESULT IN A TWO-NIGHT PENALTY FEE PLUS A $75.00 CANCELLATION FEE HOTEL CANCELLATIONS WITHIN 3DAYS BEFORE ARRIVAL IS NONREFUNDABLE ANY CHANGES MADE TO THE RESERVATIONS ONCE THE PREPAID HOTEL VOUCHER IS ISSUED WILL RESULT IN A $50.00 CHANGE FEE NO REFUNDS WILL BE MADE IN THE EVENT OF INTERRUPTION OR CANCELLATION BY GUEST AFTER THE ARRIVAL DATE ALL REFUNDS WILL BE MADE DIRECTLY TO THE CREDIT CARD ORIGINALLY USED TO MAKE THE RESERVATIONS TRIP CANCELLATION INSURANCE NOT INCLUDED BUT IS AVAILABLE FOR INFORMATION CALL TRAVEL EX AT XXXX-XXX-XXXX OR VISIT WWW.TRAVELEXINSURANCE.COM*** VACATION TOURS INC ACTS ONLY AS AGENT FOR THE CLIENT IN ACQUIRING TRANSPORTATION,HOTEL ACCOMMODATIONS,SIGHTSEEING AND OTHER PRIVILEGES OR SERVICES FOR THE CLIENTS BENEFIT AND ON THE EXPRESS CONDITION THAT VACATION TOURS INC SHALL NOT BE RESPONSIBLE FOR ANY LOSS ACCIDENT INJURY DELAY DEFECT OMISSION OR IRREGULARITY WHICH MAY OCCUR OR BE OCCASIONED WHETHER BY REASON OF ANY ACT NEGLIGENCE OR DEFAULT OF ANY COMPANY OR PERSON ENGAGED IN OR RESPONSIBLE FOR CARRYING OUT ANY OF THE ARRANGEMENTS OR OTHERWISE IN CONNECTION THEREWITH VACATION TOURS INC SHALL NOT BE LIABLE FOR ANY INJURIES OR ANY DAMAGE TO ANY CLIENT OR BE SUBJECT TO ANY CLAIM DEMAND INJURY OR DAMAGES WHATSOEVER INCLUDING WITHOUT LIMITATION THOSE DAMAGES FROM ACTS OF PASSIVE *** ACTIVE NEGLIGENCE ON THE PART OF VACATION TOURS INC ITS OFFICERS EMPLOYEES OR AGENTS.CLIENT DOES HEREBY EXPRESSLY RELEASE AND DISCHARGE VACATION TOURS INC FROM ALL SUCH CLAIMS DEMANDS INJURIES DAMAGES ACTIONS OR CAUSES OF ACTION.CLIENT ACKNOWLEDGES THAT RII HE/SHE HAS CAREFULLY READ THIS PARAGRAPH AND FULLY UNDERSTANDS THAT THIS IS A WAIVER AND RELEASE OF LIABILITY

I have requested a refund after realizing I wasnt going to rebook my vacation due to covid-19. They told me it would ake 5 months for a refund. On January 2, I paid $600.00 deposit for my vacation that was supposed to be on April 3. On March 6,2020, I paid the remaining $1269.00.Totaling $1869.00. Due to Covid-19 we had to cancel our vacation because no traveling was permitted due to the resort and Airlines being shut down due to the virus. I called to receive a refund but was recommended by Eli, Customer Service Rep who booked the vacation for me, that I just receive a voucher for the vacation and re-book when the wedding we were going to reschedules before a year or I can wait for 5 months to receive a refund. She informed me that within the year, if the wedding gets called off, I can still at that time receive a refund at that time. This way their travel agency wouldn't go under due to all the refunds they had to provide. I agreed to the voucher and agreed that I will re-book the vacation to help small business like this one during that very hard time. Well a few months later, I was notified that the wedding we planned to attend is not going to reschedule this year due to a death in the family so I reached out to receive a refund at this point.There was no answer on any phone for 2 weeks. I finally called and the Customer service rep Giovanna, and she said I will receive the refund in 5 months. She then emailed a confirmation email stating I will receive my refund in 5 months. l called back and spoke to ***. I explained that an email is confirmation that I will ever receive my refund, and I expressed my concern about what happens if they shut down for good. What confirmation do I have that ensures I will receive my money? She then told me to call my bank and dispute the charges. I called Suncoast Credit Union and they said I can not dispute a charge after 60 days of the purchase date. They recommended I contact the vacation store where the purchase was made from. I called the Vacation staore back and informed them that my bank refused my dispute and she just kept saying I will recieve my refund in 5 months. She told me the whole accounting department is out for the virus. 3 weeks later... I called again, they all are still out for the virus? How are they actively still taking new reservations and collecting funds for $$ with no accounting department? How could they process any payments at this time but can not refund payments at this time? I have emailed and called 1000 times over the course of his whole time and never once received an email back other than the original refund email which had the incorrect amount on it. I am entitled to my money back as it states in the cancellation policy. It is so wrong to do this to innocent people and this business needs to shut down if they can not refund the customers that they processed payments for vacations they never went on. I work in a credit card processing company, I know exactly how long it takes to process a payment and how quickly it takes to refund that same payment. This is an outrage and they need to be held accountable for the money they have stolen from so many people. I am sure they received that small business government grant to stay open so they should have the funds. I also reached out to the resort- Grand Palladium Jamaica and they said they don't receive any funds for the resort until after the guest checks in to the resort. This means the Travel agency never had to pay the resort a dime unless we checked in, which we never did. So why would it be so hard to give us a refund since they never paid for the vacation yet anyway. This is a terrible business and it doesnt deserve to have the ComplaintsBoard.com accreditation because they are thieves and belong in jail for what they have done. I want my refund NOW for the $1869.00 I paid for a vacation I never received. Please help! I am a single mother and worked 3 jobs, nearly 87 hours a week to pay off this vacation for my family and now I did it all for nothing. Especially because I should have just disputed the charge originally but felt bad for th