Very strange first post???

I rented a car from this company for Uganda (Sept. 2010). NEVER AGAIN. We got a 4WD delivered - as promised - but the car broke down before we even started our trip. Lost one day while waiting for a new car. This was only a 2WD and the company claimed that it would be at the same price as the 4WD. Further, as soon as there is a problem, the ability to speak English by Mr. Nyagah is gone. R&N Xplorer is either incapable or a fraud.

These are both strange first time posts. We used R&N in Sept 2008 and had an amazing time. We used them because of all the great word of mouth by other Fodorites. Is this some competition trying to give them a bad name?

No, I am not trying to give anybody a bad name. Before my trip I informed myself on this forum about Rwanda / Uganda and therefore it is just fair that I share my experience with others. Whether the management has changed since 2008 or whether business partners are trying to outsmart each other - I cannot care! Months before I ordered a RAV4 (downpayment and everything). I get a Landcruiser which does not start on the first day, as replacement I get a Toyota Ypsum which is clearly not a 4WD. The driver who delivers the car has not clue about when and where to deliver or to pick it up. During many phone calls the company insists that an Ypsum is a 4WD and should cost as much (which by the way makes the locals in Uganda laugh). And finally after the trip I am being told by the company that according to their files I had a RAV4 all along (besides my vacation pics which prove the opposite)!

R&N Xplorer Africa Safaris has always and will continue to offer high quality service to all our customers. We have done it before and we will continue. From Rwanda, we have now extended our business to the whole of East Africa to include-Kenya, Uganda, Tanzania and Burundi. The positive testimony from a majority of the guests shows clearly that the company is not out there to defraud clients. Things do go wrong but desire as a company is that everything goes as planned. Cars have broken down and we are quick to replace them. In some cases it will take time depending on the location of the breakdown from our nearest office. This life is a learning curve. We cannot pretend that we are 100% perfect. When customers give us thumps up, we are happy, but we do not rest on that. In service delivery there is always that feeling that it could have been better. And we promise a future of better service delivery in all our destinations.

Doest that mean I am getting the money back that you over charged me? I paid 120 $ for a 4WD and got a Ypsum which is clearly a 2WD (for which you charge 60$ on your website)! And later you have the guts to tell me that I had a 4WD all along because your partner in Kampala told you so. Obviously you were cheated by your business partner and there is no way that you can prevent this from happening again! So can I expect to get my money back ?????

SCAM!!! AVOID!!! AVOID!!! AVOID!!!

Or google for their company name and read the reviews yourself!

I got personally scammed for a large sum of money!

Once you send any money it's 50-50 chance you'll get any services but most certainly you want see any of your money ever again.

The following is a serious complaint about R&NXplorer Safaris. I booked a 20 day Kenyan safari with Nyagah Mbae for June. Two days before I was to leave he told me that he had cancelled my safari and that he would refund my money in late August. No other information was provided.

He continued to confirm this arrangement, but recently he has failed to respond to my emails. Yes, I have written to agencies in Kenya, but they didn't even have the courtesy to acknowledge my complaint. Whether he ever had any plans of booking my hotels or returning my money or not, is unclear, but doubtful. As much as East Africa is locked into using cash, I would always look look for a vendor who takes credit cards and is a member of an association of travel agents.

It is now early September and I am still arguing with this man. He has failed to return any of my money which is a huge amount totally over $8000. His comments are getting more strange as he tells me it is my fault that he hasn't repaid me. As the other traveller wrote, he is scamming the public and my take is that he and his company are gigantic FRAUDS.

I believe it is okey to name names since others are naming our directors name. Thank you martin Severa for letting customers know that we own luxury Class Toyota land cruisers with 6 airbags and that we can deliver them where ever they are needed. Also it is good that we warn car hire owners what to expect from you.

Martin Severa is a conman and a blackmailer. Besides that rumours are that he is a car thief pretending to be a client. We rented him an expensive luxury class 4x4 Toyota Vx in Mombasa. The charge was USD 2100. He paid a deposit of USD 500.00 and the rest of the balance as you can see from a copy of his email "rest" of balance 1600 was to be paid upon pick up. On arrival he refused to pay the balance of 1600 USD till our manager took the car keys and decided to drive off.

His trick is to blackmail you that he is an SEO and he will post bad report about your company if you do not cooperate. Ofcourse anybody in business does not fear bad reviews because they are coming whether you like it or not.

Just ask him whether we delivered a luxury Prado with 6 air bags as per his specification. Also ask him what in his email he reffers to rest of balance USD 1600