Ananda Travel, anyone?

[metta]

Tale,
don't worry too much abt negative comments. if u take it to heart, then u will jump at everything little thing that goes wrong during the trip. Just relax and open your heart to the Taiwanese culture. My pkg was not categorized as 'floral' or any particular theme. it was just a normal 7d explore taiwan pkg. Have fun!

 

[lsbb13]

Metta,

Thanks a lot.......You have been giving great informations..........Not to worry ...
i will enjoy myself......hee...looking forward liaoz.....

 

[jozy]

Hi Tale,

yeah, they claimed to need only 10 to travel , but then ended up when i called, they said europe is standard 15 to travel one. so at that time the number of confirmed passenger kept changing. One moment say 5, one moment say 7, one moment, 4, ended up with only 2 of us.

 

[lsbb13]

Hi Ryes,

Me too...so scare...now they say my trip only have 6 pax......and they going to inform me only 1 week plus beforehand....and refund only 30-60days...How can they do that???

Now i got to monitor..if any need , may need to change my date......So bad of them....

 

[jazzyuppie]

Hi Tale

I am facing the same problem as you... before natas fair, they said they have 6 confirmed pax for the group that i join. after natas still at 6! i very doubtful they can meet the minimum... hardly see them advertise on papers lately...

where are u going and when? like u, i may have to change plan liao... =(

 

[jazzyuppie]

oops! just see that u r going taiwan. =P

 

[jozy]

Hi tale, oh dear, initially they told u have how many pp?

to date I am still waiting for my refund....

 

[lsbb13]

Hi BK,.....

Yah...Me going to Taiwan....The best part is i called them up yesterday..then they told me..my tour is cfm..with 12 pax now...I ask them when can cfm ar? If not, i already applied for my leave....Then they said usually 2 weeks........
Cant stand....Maybe you have to call them up every now and then to double cfm..

Hi Ryes...

They told me this is cfm tour....tats why i book..if nt.. i will not ...But now...its like nt the case....

Infact i seldom see Ananda's advert....SIGH...
should have signed with HT for Taiwan trip...

 

[jazzyuppie]

Hi Ryes
How long have u waiting for your refund? i was told they take 30 - 60 days to process payment and i have paid 2k as deposit!

Hi Tale
Are you from NCQ thread too? I am so stress over the service standard of NCQ... a fellow NCQ bride email me her bad experience with the hotel... now this ananda give me more stress.... like u, i also applied leave liao.... now dun know how....

 

[lsbb13]

Hi BK,

Yeah...Me from NCQ thread too....no wonder i found your name familiar...

I know that NCQ bride bad experience....But...i think you don't have to worry....Since there is this case, you highlight to them abt the service standards....during your meetups...For mine, service was not an issue, only some dishes are not that tasty...and minor issues....

Where are you going for Ananda?
Cfm cancel trip? Why don't u double cfm ?

 

[jozy]

Hi Tale,

since they say is confirmed, then you dont need to worry lah. But have to keep calling to ask when confirmed lor. I've been calling and calling Chan brothers to check if my tour confirmed or not, coz need to apply leave also mah. Then saw advert that it's confirmed liao, so can apply.

HI BK, yeah, they also said 2 months on avg to get back deposit. Did you know their deposit is one of the highest among the other agencies? The other agencies only take 1K deposit $500 per pax.
You must ask and ask okay if confirmed or not. I now worry cannot get back deposit only...It has passed 1 month..

 

[jazzyuppie]

Hi Tale, we book my HM to turkey with them. i think the earliest that they will tell us if its cfm only end of this mth...

Hi Ryes, that's our worry also... if we can't get back our deposit how....

 

[jozy]

Hi BK,

Once they say confirm cancel tour due to insufficient pax, go down straight to sign this letter for refund, then they will send it to their operations to do the refund...

 

[lsbb13]

Hi BK and Ryes,

So..you all have already look for alternatives..that's good...if i got a chance ,..i think i will not choose ananda again...if i know..i will choose HT for Taiwan trip....OR CHAN...instead.....SIGH...

Anyhow...dun worry..sure you 2 can get back the deposit.....

 

[jazzyuppie]

Hi Ryes
Thanks for the info.

Hi Tale
I have made enquiry for my backup plan... but the thing is as long as ananda didn't confirm their group is cancelled i also can't book with other agency. and what if by the time they confirm cancel and other group is full liao... i also don't know how...

 

[jozy]

Hi Tale,

yeah, have to look for alternative lah, coz I dun want to delay my HM...

so you gonna look for alternative>?

Hey BK, that's exactly the same worries I had when I booked with ananda and then like left hanging midair! Lucky thing they called and say cancelled, then we faster switch around liao.

 

[lsbb13]

Hi BK....

I ask Ananda b4..they said ...they will inform cxl ..2 weeks before...so ..you have to somehow ...monitor ur alternative ...if really no choice...then u got to postpone date... i also didn't noe it's like tat..that time during booking....the lady said is cfm tour....now..is not like tat.....Felt cheated....

Hi Ryes...

For me..i nv really look for alternative...cos last fri..they said more or less cfm with 12 pax now...will call tmr again to check....

Sianz...like gambling like tat....other tour also like tat?

 

[jozy]

HEY TALE,


just keep pestering them lor. if they say more or less confirmed then good for you. for mine, the number of pax kept changing each time I call, so i know sure cant make it liao.

btw, u gg taiwan ah? i went to taipei 04 dec, very very fun leh.

 

[lsbb13]

Hi Ryes....

Yah lor...i called today but nobody pick up..SIGH..sianz one...just now someone pick up..but they said have to check and get back to me...why they can't just cfm ...so poor system...

Yah...i also excited..tis is my 1st time to go ...
You join which tour? Where did you go? What are the 'must not miss out' ? Please let me know....

 

[jozy]

Hi tale,

har? why check and get back to you? they can check immediately and tell u one leh.

I didnt join tour, i went F&E, we went for 8d7n solely in taipei only went lots of places of interest..Very very fun, but tiring...

go the usual place lor, xi men ding, shilin night market. You join tour? I'm sure they will bring u to the popular places one. Must go is fisherman wharf, very nice place.

 

[lsbb13]

Hi Ryes,

Oh...i called again...and ask for answer..then they said yah..confirm..then i asked them when is the briefing date..they can't cfm..wah pianz...they very jiat lak wan....

Thanks...yah i joined tour..cos no time to do research lor....the itinery have this fisherman wharf...heee.....very happy....

So how's ur tour now? You cfm with other tour liao?

 

[jozy]

hey, then that is good news they have confirmed! so you can fang xin liao.

my tour ah, confirmed liao, with chan brothers, departure on 12th may but I extending and so need 2 weeks before dept to confirm if I have the return flight or not yet..so still waiting..

 

[lsbb13]

Hi Ryes...

Just went down to ananda yesterday...mine is cfm trip with 14 pax..

But..the thing is ...they still not able to provide the actual itinery..with timing etc...and actual hotel that we will be staying...My god..why need to cfm still? Cant understand....
So angry with them....

 

[jozy]

Hi Tale,

wah, then good good, at least confirmed liao. which dept date?

Mine just changed to reversed itinery ah. and I have yet to receive my refund yet!!! This 28th will be 2mth month liao!

 

[lsbb13]

Hi Ryes,...

Mine is this sun dep....

Huh?Still not yet receive? Wow, they take $$ very fast...return so slow one ... Ayoi..

 

[mooniiie]

i went to korea in dec 05 with ananda too... tour guide in korea is good, but service provided by ananda here is very bad.
tink they are in some kind of debt, that's why take super long to confirm the trips, hotels and timings, etc.
we and other tour mates requested compensation from ananda after we came back coz change in schedule, and they said will contact us again..
sigh till now still never hear from them.
anyway, we have already given up liao.. don't wanna waste our time and effort in pursuing this matter.
wat's worse, they promised us a travelling bag each.. but didn't even give us. kept saying no stock, when actually the rest of the tour mates had gotten their bags =(
i'll just take it as a lesson learnt not to travel with them anymore

 

[jazzyuppie]

Hi Ryes & Tale

I got a call from ananda last wk. My group confirmed cancel liao... =(

Ryes, have u got ur refund back already?

 

[jozy]

OH dear!!!!! then how now??? U gonna find another agency? Quick go down and sign this letter to get back ur refund.
I yet to get back my refund okay! So hopping mad with them.

Everyday I live in fear of not able to get back my deposit. Scare to open up papers and read that they have closed shop or what.

 

[jazzyuppie]

Ryes, I booked the same destination with chan brothers liao. lucky still got seats. imagine chan brothers can get 30pax and yet ananda has problem with just 10 pax!

The lady that called me said we don't have to go down to sign anything leh. She said it will be refunded to our credit card. Have u called them to check the refund status?

 

[jozy]

precisely. Where u gg har? I also with chan brothers. this 1st May gg briefing.

For those big agencies I'm not afraid that they dun have enuff pax one. So it's not surprising to know they can get so many pp.

No need to sign? We paid via credit card and we went down to sign this form to say we want a refund. Hubby kept calling their accounts office ,but no one answer the phone.

 

[jazzyuppie]

I am going turkey on 10 May. going for my briefing on 2 May. ya lor... they said most of their June package sold out liao. really impressive!

Jia lat leh! like that stressed liao. i hope they won't run away with our $$$....

 

[jozy]

I also nearly like u fly on 10th may one, but then last min they chnged to 12may.

yes lor, next time go with reputatble one.

 

[jazzyuppie]

Ryes, u going to turkey too?

 

[jozy]

Im gg to spain & portugal...

 

[slog]

Hi, I booked a trip with Ananda during the NATAS fair for 7 days Japan. On the paper it is written need 11 pax for confirmed departure.

When I called up to check 2 weeks earlier, the agent told me that for Japan need 15 pax to confirm and now only got 12 pax.

Then I sent an email to check and some other agent called up and told me it is confirmed departure with 10 pax to go.

But till now ananda hasn't gotten in touch with regard to making full payment or briefing and I am getting panicky cos the tour date I booked is 11 May.

When is the latest time they should give us a reply? And is there any other number other than the people's park branch number to reach them at because no one seems to pick up the phone or retun my emails?

Thanks alot

 

[jazzyuppie]

Hi Slog
What an odd no. of pax to confirm departure! They should call u latest 2 wks before departure date to inform u if they have enough ppl. For my case, i suppose to depart a day before u and i have rec'd their call already. So I guess they will call u very soon. I usually call them at the ppls park branch no. too. usually after few attempts then they will answer...

Hi Ryes
They finally fax me the form for us to sign for deposit refund...

 

[jozy]

Hi Slog,

Precisely they keep changing the number of pax to depart! First they claim 10, then when I called, they said 15 and now is the same case to you. But at least u have proof on the paper, so you can complain to them.

By right, if your dept is 11th May, they should inform u 2 weeks in advance, ie this Thursday is the latest time they should tell u if this tour is confirmed or not.

Hi BK, yeah, that's the form to sign. make sure they counter sign and ask them fax back to you. You safe keep one copy.

Hubby called and chase them, they gave us the headquarters branch number, but forever no one answer the phone. We are going down tomorrow to ask them.

 

[slog]

Hi BK and Ryes,

I got through to the People's park branch after trying for 1 and a half hours *faints*. Some guy picked up the phone and told me now they got 13 pp to go but still cannot confirm departure. He got to check with head office and get back to me. I can't ever get through to the head office.

Ryes, what a nightmare...I was almost going to go down during lunch before the People's Park guy picked up the phone. Other travel agencies don't have a problem picking up phone calls...grrrr. what's with ananda? I guess you are right that the only way is to go down and ask them personally.

 

[slog]

Oh gosh, just 2 minutes ago I got a call from that guy. He was very nice to call back and let me know that even though with 13 people, the trip is only 90% confirmed. I told him the paper wrote 11 pax to confirm and he said very very sorry this is what HQ said.

He said by Monday latest he will confirm. I will be in China so i think I will leave my SO to take care of it...

Next time I will book with Chan bros and save myself all this stress.

 

[jozy]

Hi Slog,

My god, did you tell them off or not? At least u got proof that 11 to confirm, you can fight back one. I dont have proof, coz stupid hubby chose to believe that tour guide's words and till today I regret so much.

Tomorrow we are heading down liao, this wait is too long for us to get back our deposit. My gf regrets not informing me not to book with them leh.

 

[jazzyuppie]

Hi Slog
Agree with Ryes. Since u got the black and white, all the more u should tell them off! really ridiculous kind of service. i will tell all my friends not to take their package. their service sucks!

Hi Ryes
They sign and fax me. all i did was sign it and fax it back to them... should be ok hor?

 

[slog]

Hi Ryes and BK, I guess we just have to move forward and spread the word about ananda. Do let us know if you managed to recover your deposit.

Hope we all manage to have a safe and enjoyable trip despite of this incident.

 

[jozy]

Hey BK and Slog,

Just to update you all har, yesterday we went dwn to their HQ at OUB Center. Wah I tell u, i so shocked hor, you know the whole counter hor, only 1 lady there leh. The counter i talking about is like Chan brother's office counter like that, you can see many staffs seated at the counter serving people right. But over at this office, only 1 lady hor, seated right infront of the main door then whole office nobody one leh. Quite dark dark. But behind the counter, got a authorised personnel office can go in only. Not sure how many pp inside lah, but is the accounts dept.

The lady checked for us and said they received the form from people park branch on 1st March and has processed it. Payment should be estimated to be mid of May then can receive. The thing is hor, I think when we receive the refund, it is a credit to our credit card, so is not in $ right? We have already paid the 2K to the credit card company already in March.

So ah, in any case, is a wait and wait game now for us. We will be on HM liao by mid May so can only check when we return in late May.

And BK, the phone kept ringing non-stop when the lady was entertaining us and she also nv answer one. Maybe she busy, but then hor, hubby said he called many times since last week nobody pick up one.

 

[jazzyuppie]

Hi Ryes
Sound very jia lat leh. the last time i went ppls park at least can few ppl there. i called both branches b4. though have to call many times b4 someone picked up but still someone answering it after a while lor. what time did u go down yesterday?

For the credit card issue, we chk with our credit card co liao. they said they can issue us a cashier order when we rec the refund... so that one not to worry... at least we know bank don't normally close shop. =P

Slog, has ananda called to confirm ur dept already?

 

[jozy]

HI BK,

people park still got lots of pp, is the OUB centre there bo lang one. I was there at 1030am like that.

The thing is, UOB said we have to chase the merchant and not them, coz it is the merchant who owns us the money.

 

[slog]

Dear Ryes,

That sounds pretty bad. There were 3 pp there when I first went there after the NATAS fair to pick up the free luggage bag & 1 of them really got attitude problem - see us walking towards him (his counter empy) and then he pick up his ph start dialing and wave us away. Luckily the girl I booked with at the NATAS fair was there and quite helpful. I guess UOB is right though that it is Ananda who owes you the refund not them so must chase Ananda. Keep calling, sending emails and go down to chase.

Not that bad if they don't pick up phone but can leave message for them to return call. The thing is can't even leave message cos mailbox always full! Why don't they delete their messages???!!!

Hi BK, Ananda still hasn't confirmed the tour status. We got 13 pp now and paper states 11 to confirm yet they now change tune and say 15 pp!

Do you know how many weeks in advance we must book with another agency (Chan Bros, CTC, Hong Thai etc) to go for their package tour?

I'm so exasperated with Ananda! They don't even advertise (today, yesterday), how to get pp to go down and book their tours?!!!

 

[jazzyuppie]

Hi Ryes, That's what we are worrying now... will they be like ken-air just shut their door overnight??!!

Hi Slog,I have no prob when i went chan bros last wk to book my tour to turkey dep on 10 may. why not gave them a call to check if its still available? i find chan bros service is so much better compared to ananda. really gave up on them. u r right abt their advertisement... i also notice that they hardly advertise. few wks ago i monitered if they place ads in the classified and the only day i saw it was fri. u mean they didn't place ads today??

 

[lsbb13]

Hi All....BK, and Ryes, and Slog...


I am back from my Taiwan trip with Ananda..my tour only have 12 pax...luckily they said min 10 to go....Acutally , me and my hubby had an enjoyable time in Taiwan....We were very scared at first....But luckily it's not that bad....only bad part is the tour confirmation part...cos they can only confirm 2 weeks before depart..which my leaves us no time to react.......

But the tour guide in Taiwan also not that good...quite lazy ..i can say..kept telling abt her family story...But luckily..we know how to enjoy ourselves without her.......

But slog...i think you need to call them up again...their status kept changing in no. of pax..perhaps you need to check again...call this no. 68538300 (often have ppl to pick up)

Maybe you can look for a huy named Terrence..he is a nice guy....Hoped it helps...

But i also would not want to sign ananda again..for my next trip...

 

[jozy]

Hi slog, bk and tale

Slog, I emailed them also no reply until today one. Hubby say he will handle this case, so i leave it to him. $2000 leh, put in bank also can earn interest leh. And moreover, we paid $2000 to be sitting with them for nothing. The guy who made us sign up with them, still dare to say he knows we are going for honeymoon and dont want us to quarrel. See, so this is what he mean by being good hearted? By lying? I really think someone should bring it up to the mgtment. Dont even know if the mgt knows abt the ever changing min number of pax gg for tour or not.

wei wei BK, dun scare me also ah. I also scare scare they just shut down overnight. If they dun advertise how pp go and book???

Hi Tale, glad to know ur tour went fine and fun. Taiwan nice right? I'm looking fwd to my hm next fridayliao...my tour group very huge, 40 pax leh. but mostly is aunties uncles...

 

[lsbb13]

Hi Ryes....

Taiwan was very fun...i would like to go again...if i have chance.....

Tour gp big also have it's disadvantage...cos it would be too pack..and waitings here and there...
but dun care lah....so long...it's fun...

Hoped u enjoy ur trip too.....