Steve Murphy and his wife were among a group of travelers from central Massachusetts who were supposed to be on a 16-day European river cruise that set off from Amsterdam in April before it was canceled.
“The point that we're at now, I don't know when I'll feel safe traveling again,” Murphy said.
He paid more than $12,000 to Grand Circle Travel in Boston for the trip. He wanted a refund, but, after making numerous calls to the company, said the only option he was given was to reschedule.
“Because I had paid for a trip, they felt that money was theirs to keep, and if I wanted to travel, I had to travel on their terms,” said Murphy. “I was very upset to say the least.”
Paul Johnson was also wary of future travel and wanted his money back.
“That new trip was too far in the future, and things are so uncertain here,” said Johnson. “I wasn't even sure that trip would come off.”
The majority of the couples in the group chose to rebook the trip, but in addition to Steve and Paul, we heard from four other couples who also wanted their money back.
NBC10 Boston Responds reached out to Grand Circle Travel on their behalf and the company issued refunds for all six couples, returning more than $71,000 to them.
Grand Circle Corporation tells us they are either rebooking travelers or providing a refund, and are working to improve processes to better address the needs of each traveler whose trip was canceled or postponed due to this unprecedented situation.
The company said: "We have implemented a risk-free booking policy allowing travelers to change their travel dates to 2021 or 2022 based on their individual needs and circumstances. In addition, we are offering all travelers a $500 per person future trip credit, which may be used toward any trip through December 31, 2022. We take our responsibilities to our customers very seriously and continue to navigate the time-consuming process of dealing with traveler issues fairly and equitably in the midst of the pandemic. "
“I would like to thank you for our efforts in getting my money back,” said Johnson. “It makes me feel a whole lot more comfortable financially.”
If you have a consumer problem that you need help with, reach out to us on our website: https://www.nbcboston.com/consumer-form/ or call 1-888-521-NEWS.
