NOT CERTAIN AS TO WHY YOU POSTED THIS REVIEW TWICE. BUT, SINCE YOU DID... HERE IS OUR REPLY TWICE.
Thank you for making the time and effort to provide your review. Although we have been fortunate that the vast majority of the TripAdvisor reviews of our tours are very positive, we also need to know when our guests are not satisfied.
I appreciate your having included enough detail concerning your displeasure so that other TripAdvisor contributors can understand your issue. I read it fully. Hopefully, you will afford me the same courtesy of reading my input also.
I presume you booked your tour with us because you saw our marketing materials and substantial number of positive reviews on this site.
We are a small company with a proud history of providing services that larger companies do not. Among our unique offerings is that we often take early morning arriving cruise passengers on an 8 hour, nearly 100 mile tour of Los Angeles and get them to the airport for their late evening flights. Being small with 14 or fewer passengers gives us the option to provide that benefit.
Being small, however, does put us at a disadvantage against the mega companies.
Our cancellation/refund policy is an industry standard. Airlines, hotels, cruise lines, and tour operators all have their own similar restrictions.
Our being small, however, does not allow the flexibility that large volume companies have. If cancelation of 4 seats on a 200 seat airplane, 60 seat tour bus, or 2 rooms in a 300 room hotel is needed, the large companies can, although seldom do, make compassionate adjustments and absorb the loss in exchange for positive “good will” or favorable TripAdvisor reviews.
Cancellation of several seats on a 14 passenger bus is a very different issue. We are not heartless and without compassion. Your situation was indeed unique. But how do we select which situation deserves compassion while another does not? Do we waive the policy for a missed plane? Bad weather? Itinerary change? Over sleeping? How can we be fair to all issues? We, unfortunately need to apply it to all cancellations uniformly.
It is somewhat like the David and Goliath story, but in this situation, David loses and is pummeled with a negative review which, for some reason, was actually published twice to add insult to injury.
I do not expect my explanation make you like our policy. As a matter of fact, I do not like it either. But unfortunately it is a necessary evil if we are to continue providing our services. Hopefully, you understand our plight. Thanks again for your input.