LAMBAST of Your Man Tours (YMT)

cncden · Posted: Sat Jun 09, 2007 8:27 pm Post subject: LAMBAST of Your Man Tours (YMT)

You are not going to believe this!
This is *not* a forward - this happened to *my* MIL (S Denny of North Louisiana)
I have been dealing with it since yesterday afternoon...
Feel free to forward to anyone you like - I want this word to spread!!

http://www.ymtvacations.com/

Copy of the letter I sent to them (YMT):

To: Your Man Tours (YMT)
CC: Frommer's Budget Travel, ASTA, USTOA

You post the positive reviews... how about a negative & what you did to resolve it?

I just finished writing the BBB about my mother-in-law's experience with your company (Your Man Tours) - in the process of posting on http://www.complaints.com/ as I write this to you. I have copied this email to Frommer's Budget Travel, American Society of Travel Agents, and United States Tour Operators Association - all names I collected from your website. Then I will do an on line search posting this complaint to anyone & everyone who will publish it (I already belong to 2 national message boards, and several local ones - today am looking for more to listen).

My husband spoke *in person* via phone with YMT VP Chuck Supnick earlier today, who, believe it or not, commented "that's unfortunate" to the issue as explained to him. I am appalled & so mad I could *spit nickels* (as my dear grandmother was fond of saying)! And I am a woman spends a lot of time online!!! I WILL find a way to spread this account!! For you, YMT, This will be "UNFORTUNATE"!

My mother-in-law (60+ year old widow) has never traveled. After this experience, she will probably never travel again. She and three of her lady friends booked a tour with an agent in Mississippi through Your Man Tours... looked forward to this vacation for over six months, spent her Christmas money on the deposit. Finally the day (8 June, 2007, yesterday) comes and the ladies are whisked away by loving family and friends to the Monroe, LA airport (about an hour drive from where they live).

Who would have? Who could have? ...Known that would be the day some fool programmer wrote bad code into the air traffic control computers, shutting down Atlanta, and overloading Salt Lake City? (http://www.foxnews.com/printer_friendly_wires/2007Jun09/0,4675,FlightDelays,00.html) Okay, things happen, flights get delayed/canceled... the airline rerouted the missed connection, and although the ladies had to travel all night, they finally made it to Boston (with all of their luggage, believe it or not).

The problems didn't end there! Last night, my husband called the hotel where the ladies were supposed to stay. He was assured someone would come to collect them in the morning when their new flight arrived and ferry them back to the hotel, no problem. This morning... no shuttle. They called the hotel and were told no one could help them and were advised to take a taxi to the cruise ship terminal at the Port of Boston. Pay for a taxi? Everything including all shuttle transportation was to have been handled through YMT! They totally missed the bus tour of Boston... Okay, never mind that - taxi to cruise terminal. Arrive at Holland America to be told the ship wouldn't be boarding for several hours. They'd have to wait... which wouldn't have been so bad IF they hadn't been traveling all night, IF they had had a decent meal, IF they had rested... and IF they had a decent place to wait! From what I understand, they waited on a bench, outside, all morning and half the afternoon with their baggage around their feet - and with dead cell phones.

We finally got hold of Holland America who went through several channels to try to confirm these four elderly ladies eventually actually boarded the ship. They did - no thanks to YMT - who basically took their money, made reservations, and then washed their[color=] [/color] hands of the rest - saying "that's unfortunate."

In the online form for my complaint with the BBB, they ask "Desired Outcome"...
I wrote -
First - an apology (WRITTEN & SIGNED by Pres & VP of YMT) to *each* of these 4 ladies!!
Second - minimal reimbursement for at least hotel, shuttle/cab, missed bus tour of Boston & meals incurred due to extended travel situation.
Above & beyond - these ladies will probably NEVER travel again due to this experience... the trauma of 4 seniors (who've never traveled before) may well be worth the reimbursement of the trip in full!
Your Man Tours, Boston Courtyard Marriott & Holland America Cruise are all responsible for the happiness of these patrons and let them down, but especially YMT!!

Respectfully, C Denny
(Baton Rouge, LA)

You see, it's *not* the fact that the flights were delayed, that they had to travel all night, even that they didn't eat well - it *is* the fact that, though promised, they got not shuttle from the airport to the hotel and then to the ship... that they sat for hours on the dock with their bags around their ankles... and that the G.D. VP of YMT said that all of this was "UNFORTUNATE"!!!

BenKenobi · Joined: Jul 31, 2004 Posts: 6 Status: **Offline**

Wow.. that's pretty bad ... A google search of Your Man Tours pulls up a good bit of bad vibes from them ...

In a week or so, this will probably be another result on google Smile

YMTVacations · Joined: Dec 03, 2007 Posts: 1 Status: **Offline**

RE: "LAMBAST of Your Man Tours (YMT)"

YMT Vacations feels that this post by "cncden" (and the duplicate ones posted on various other sites) is mostly inaccurate and designed to mislead the reader. This is chiefly due to leaving out key facts relating to the efforts made by YMT to address these problems and concerns. Most importantly, we feel that "cncden" is propagating an unfortunate disservice herein to the traveling public at large.

As would be expected from any reputable travel company, YMT has completed our research and investigation into this matter in detail. We did so in order to re-confirm that our efforts were swift, professional and effective. Our Vice President of Tour Development responded to "cncden's" concerns (AKA "C Denny" on other chat rooms and forums) in a proper and timely manner, that is to say within days of the tour departure. In this letter he extended apologies that this trip did not begin with a smooth start even though these problems were in no way caused by YMT. He went on to account for all the decisions YMT had made (and their rationales) pertaining to the travelers’ situation. In short, because the group of four would not arrive in enough time to meet the motor coach tour the morning they were scheduled to do so, the best option was for them to head directly to the cruise terminal. The tour guides on the motor coaches were instructed to check and make sure that the group had made it on board when they arrived, which they did; the tour did not get to the terminal until around 12:30 PM, and to their knowledge the four were already on board because embarkation had already commenced. (The Vice President’s letter recounted the chain of communication that ensued from this situation, and has been summarized for privacy.) As our Vice President mentioned in his letter, “not knowing all of the behind the scenes efforts can also make it appear as if there was no effort made to assist these passengers, when in fact, there was constant communication about these passengers and what would be the best case solution.”

As noted in the end of the letter, a member of YMT’s consumer affairs department was assigned to the file; the matter was followed-up accordingly. Our consumer affairs representative explained that because the airlines were the source of the delay, the matter of reimbursement for expenses incurred needed to be directed to them. Moreover, each of the four members in this group was issued a $100 voucher for a future trip as a means of customer courtesy and satisfaction.

YMT feels that this matter with "cncden" has been addressed appropriately and is a closed matter.

** To read other comments from our customers, see - http://ymtvacations.com/customers.asp

** Our commitment to our customers, see - http://ymtvacations.com/whyymt.asp

** And for our latest exciting YMT TV Video (with more customer comments), see - http://ymtvacations.com/tours/ymttv/ymttv.htm

** And our blog at - http://goymt.blogspot.com/

Thank you,
YMT Vacations

“America’s First Choice for Affordable Travel… Since 1967!”

1-800-922-9000

cncden · Posted: Tue Jan 22, 2008 3:13 pm Post subject:

I find it interesting that a carbon copy of this exact "reply post from YMT" is found at most of my comment sites - almost amusing, in fact.

FACT: YMT has not contacted me more recently than July 10th of last year, to ask for more details regarding the matter, which I provided.
YMT has not contacted any of the travellers - by phone or mail - to inquire or follow up in any way.
YMT has my home phone & cell phone #'s on file - and may call (and reach) me anytime, day or night - they have not done so.

They (or whomever is posting on their behalf) may consider the matter closed, but I will continue to campaign against their VP for his bad attitude - which was the entire point of this complaint in the first place!
Not the unavoidable airline difficulties, or the fact that YMT dropped the ball transporting them from the airport to the hotel & cancelling (without reimbursement) their bus tour of Boston prior to boarding the cruise... these are easily forgiven - the attitude of the VP spoken to that day on the phone & the comment "THAT'S UNFORTUNATE" are inexcusable in my opinion & worthy of my efforts, regardless of the negative impact my posts are having on the travelling public.

BE WARNED: YMT thinks "THAT'S UNFORTUNATE" if any of your loved ones become stranded on one of their tours!!

Addendum:
RE: Response to the post by user alias "Ymt Vacations"

To highlight my main complaint - for any who might've missed the point...
(quote from above) My husband spoke *in person* via phone with YMT VP Chuck Supnick earlier today, who, believe it or not, commented "that's unfortunate" to the issue as explained to him. I am appalled & so mad I could *spit nickels* (as my dear grandmother was fond of saying)! And I am a woman spends a lot of time online!!! I WILL find a way to spread this account!! For you, YMT, This will be "UNFORTUNATE"! (end quote)

A quote from another complaint - sounds a whole lot like my original post!!
**I know that YMT has been in business for many years, but recently complaints about them and their sloppy business transaction to websites have sharply increased. Management seems to be in a state of flux. They seem to believe that they are untouchable and will not answer to anyone for botched travelling arrangements and "misunderstandings".
A very unprofessional approach to customer relations!**

They (YMT) also have a "carbon copy" response to all posts - positives get the "We pride ourselves" speech & negatives get "Pass the buck" excuses... (See user aliases "ymt vacations" & "yourmantours")

Notice on consumeraffairs.com link - the company responds only abruptly & with nothing but excuses, if they respond at all... my post, however, merits pretty much the same lengthy, weak reply you saw here. (as well as any of my other complaint posts you may run across, received the same carbon copy dismissive reply)

I thank you all for your attention & interest. I HOPE this (and all the other) post(s) reach those travellers that YMT is so concerned about being misled. My complaint about YMT's abuse of travellers' trust stands. They are not good a consumer relations group.

Reference links:
http://www.complaintsboard.com/complaints/ymt-vacations-c14158.html
http://www.consumeraffairs.com/travel/yourman.html
http://www.epinions.com/166160864129-Your_Man_Tours/display_~reviews
http://www.frommers.com/cgi-bin/WebX?224@4.hQ6fcJITeFd^0@d82fa@.eec3656/5
http://www.my3cents.com/showReview.cgi?id=22964