Academic Tours and Travel Malta and Sicily Delight Tour
 

Please read and offer any suggestions you may have.


Below is a chronology of my experiences dealing with Academic Tours and Travel, 68-33 Dartmouth Street, Suite #2, Forest Hills, NY, 11375 (Telephone Number 718-690-3055) and its Managing Director, Walter Boden.

After a series of emails between Walter Boden and myself. from June 13-21, 2013, my wife and I signed up for a September, 2014, three week tour--adding one week in Sardinia to their advertised two week Malta and Sicily Delight Tour. In an email dated June 19, 2013, Boden stated “As previously mentioned everything is fully refundable up to 30 days prior to departure, minus a $100 per person administrative fee.” The land cost of the trip was $8950 and a deposit of $3300 was mailed to Academic Tours on June 21, 2013. On June 29, 2013, Boden emailed “just a short note to let you know we received your check and invoice. Thank you.”

On November 3, 2013, I mailed a letter to Academic Tours cancelling the trip because of pressing health issues and concerns. I asked for a refund of my deposit minus cancellation fees. On November 18, 2013, I emailed Boden asking when we could expect the return of our deposit. In response, Boden on the same day emailed “We have submitted claims to all of our various suppliers for them to refund your money as expeditiously as possible. As soon as we receive the money from them we will forward it on to you in the form of a check.”

I emailed Boden on January 19, 2014, April 21, 2014, and on May 5, 2014, inquiring about the status of our refund. NO RESPONSE.

I called Academic Tours on July 1, 2 and 8. All three calls were forwarded to voicemail with the same message: “We are unable to take your call. We are busy assisting other customers. Your call is very important to us. Please leave a detailed message and one of our agents will return your call as soon as possible. Have a blessed day.” There has been NO RESPONSE.


I emailed Academic Tours and copied Walter Boden on July 9, 2014, inquiring one more time on the status of our refund and possible actions I would take if “Academic Tours has not returned our money by Wednesday, July 16, 2014”. NO RESPONSE.

You can contact one of the NYC news stations that pursues consumer issues or you can sue them for a refund. It is unlikely that they will respond to your emails. Put your demands in writing and sent a certified letter return receipt requested. rather than an email so you have additional documentation.

Academic Tours is listed as with the NYS Department of State Business data base as Academic Tours and Travel LLC. The site is online and anyone can look it up.

Thank you maxima for your response. I did send a certified letter return receipt requested this morning. I also do plan on contacting NYC news stations. In addition I did file a formal complaint with the BBB in NYC yesterday.

I would hire a lawyer to send a demand letter. Depending on the dollar limit in New York, you could also file suit in small claims court.

in New York, small claims court has a monetary liveimit of $5000.00 If you only paid the deposit you can sue in small claims.

for information about suing in NYC small claims the website is
http://www.nycourts.gov/COURTS/nyc/s.../general.shtml
if you live in New York but not in NYC you can bring a lawsuit in the county where you live you do not have to sue them in NYC. Most people who sue in small claims are unrepresented.

I would also contact the NYC Dept of Consumer Affairs and the NY State Attorney General's office.