Ripped off by tour guide to pay for their accommodation

Lviv-acious on 22/02/2016 - 14:19

I joined a private/personalised tour for 2-days in Tasmania recently. This tour operator has glowing reviews on TripAdvisor which was why I went with her.

Prior to the trip, I had agreed to pay her $500 per day (for our family of 4) PLUS pay for her 1 night accommodation on the 1st night.

Also prior to the trip, I asked her whether we could dine at this particular restaurant for one of the nights and she suggested that I book it in on the 2nd night.

Now, half way through the first day of the tour, she said to me that because I had booked the restaurant on the 2nd night and we most likely won't finish eating until 8pm at night, it would be silly for her to drive home so late (she lives a couple hours away from our final destination). She then asked if I mind her staying an extra night.

I had booked a cottage with a couple of rooms (I booked/pre-paid 2 nights for my family, and 1 night for her on my tab/invoice yet to be paid). But for her to stay an extra night there will be additional cost of $120.

I assumed she meant if we minded her being around in the cottage for additional night, but not whether we'd pay for her for another night.

I sort of shrugged and then she said she will think about it that night about whether to stay or not and let me know.

My family decided that we didn't want her to stay additional night, so towards the end of the 2nd day we told her that we didn't feel like going for dinner after all (our intention was that the tour could then conclude before 5pm - enough time for her to drive home).

She was fine with us not going ahead with dinner, but she asked again if we "mind that she stays another night". We were a bit stunned and didn't know how to react/straight away. Being very inexperienced (and naive), we didn't clarify with her whether that means we need to pay additional night for her. All I said was I had only booked her in for 1 night, so maybe her room might have been cleaned and made up already.

When she drove us back to our accommodation that day (before 5pm), she went to speak to the inn/accommodation owner. She came back to our room claiming that I had booked her in for 2 nights (which wasn't true) - but I was confused and wondered if the inn/owner made some mistakes with my booking. She also said that because she had used her annual pass for us to enter the national parks for free, which saved us around $80, she doesn't feel as bad staying an additional night. I was a bit shocked again and didn't know what to say except "okay" as she was so persuasive. She had a way of making us feel bad if we didn't let her stay and at same time acted like she's a good friend (talk about mind manipulation!). She also once again said that it's silly for her to drive home as it'd be very late.

So we ended up with no dinner, and she ended up staying additional night.

The next day, before checking out - I had a look at my invoice and as expected, it's been charged for 2 nights for her. I assumed she had spoken to the inn owner and the owner updated my invoice as the tour guide suggested to her.

I am a little upset - it's not large amount of money but I feel taken advantage off and wish I had responded differently and clarified with her at the start.

Can someone shed some light or advice on what they would have done? And whether I should write to the inn/accommodation now and tell them that I do not appreciate the fact that they amended my invoice without my presence? It is all too late because I've paid for everything already but just thinking about it last couple of days, I am frustrated at the tour guide's dishonesty and non-transparency. Wondering what are the etiquette/expectations for a personal tour guide?

Thanks guys!

Travel

Comments

  • mick123 on 22/02/2016 - 14:26

    I hope you at least got to tour her Map of Tassie

    • nocure on 22/02/2016 - 14:30
      +2

      @ $500 a day that would be expected.😁

  • ykwon10 on 22/02/2016 - 14:28
    +3

    If its me, I would have told the guide straight up that I will not be paying for her 2nd night's accommodation. She is free to stay at her own cost. You have all agreed to initial arrangement, why the change? You should blame yourself for having a soft ear.

    • viv-acious on 22/02/2016 - 14:31

      Yea I know - it's a lesson learnt for me.

  • toniyellow on 22/02/2016 - 14:39
    +7

    Her national park pass was not expensive, she probably got a 2 year pass at a cost of about $60/year http://www.parks.tas.gov.au/?base=914 and undoubtedly she uses it for many tours and gives them all the 'I saved you so much money' line. Her reasoning is pretty dodgy. That was not an unexpected favour she did for you, it is something she has already for her business.

    Did she choose the accommodation or you? It seems like a bit of a scam to get extra money from you, I wonder if she gets a commission from the hotel owner.

    I would have straight up said no. I can understand it was difficult in the moment, but now I would write an email saying you have thought it over and you are unhappy.
    She if she tries to make amends.Then post an honest review on Tripadvisor.

    • viv-acious on 22/02/2016 - 15:48

      Thanks for your response!
      I chose the accommodation/inn myself - but prior to the tour she emailed me and told me to choose a particular cottage at the inn as she heard it has better privacy for her as her room is further away from ours.
      Thanks for your advice too…I've just been curious as to how other people who respond. It was definitely very hard to say no to her at that particular moment - I will take up your advice and email her and see if she has anything to say about it.

      • djones145 on 22/02/2016 - 20:46
        +1

        Did she even stay in the room? Her room is further away from your room, sounds like she didn't stay, split the room cost with the owner!

  • Donaldhump on 22/02/2016 - 16:35
    +10

    anyone paying $500 for a tour guide, should de-register from ozbargain….j/k

    i would have told her to drive the f*** home

    • MadMaxBargainRoad on 22/02/2016 - 16:48
      +1

      Rofl exactly. $500/day for a tour guide. I would expect way more than just a map of Tassie from her! AND still gonna ask her to drive home unless she wants to stay for round 2.

      • Donaldhump on 22/02/2016 - 18:03
        +1

        maybe for a stripper and some coke id pay 500 a day… the tour guide sounds like a pig … i feel bad for other person

    • eatwell365 on 22/02/2016 - 23:38

      $500 a day - hope it all works out at the end,

  • bluedufflecoat on 22/02/2016 - 16:37
    +4

    You should definitely put up a review on TripAdvisor. First tell her you were unhappy (like you said you were going to do) and give her a chance to reply… so when you do post your review, you've already given her a chance to "repair" the situation.

  • purplelady on 22/02/2016 - 16:43
    +4

    Definitely put up a review on TripAdvisor. Be honest though. At least you can warn the other travelers if this case happens to them.

  • ItsMeAgro on 22/02/2016 - 17:12
    +6

    I'm struggling to understand why anyone would need a $500 per day tour guide to visit Tassie…

  • 2ndeffort on 22/02/2016 - 17:26
    +8

    Tour Guide might well have taken advantage of the situation for a free night's accommodation BUT shrugging shoulders and dropping hints is not a refusal to her. You should have looked her in the eye and told her straight up that there is no miscommunication, there is no ambiguity, she can only stay 1 night, you will not be paying for her to stay a 2nd night. Because you did not do this there is some confusion about your instructions. The guide may well have recognised your 'hints' but without clear instructions both the guide and the hotel owner will claim confusion. The fault here is with you for not giving clear and unambiguous direction, the penalty for giving those bad instructions was the cost of the hotel room for the night.

  • Donaldhump on 22/02/2016 - 18:07
    +1

    honestly this tour guide needs a good solid roasting on trip advisor…. if she is honestly getting $500 a day to show you around, and still needed you to pay for accommodation at last minute is disgusting. Did she not feel at all awkward about this, I think she sounds like a bum, she might even be in cahoots with the accomodation, and ended up getting paid to sleep there, ie splitting the $120… I sniff a rat, id roast the cr*p out of her on tripadvisor.

    I also think by her/him using their national parks pass to get you into national parks whilst getting paid to do so, could be fraud.

    And anytime your on the g.c. ill show you around for $50 a day just to cover the fuel….

  • try2bhelpful on 22/02/2016 - 18:53
    +1

    I agree with others here. Just post what happened up on Trip Advisor. Don't get emotional just explain the facts and indicate that people might want to ensure that communications with her are unambiguous. I would be willing to bet she has done this trick on other people in the past.

  • bluesky on 22/02/2016 - 19:56
    +3

    I agree with the others about posting a review on TripAdvisor. But as per bluedufflecoat's comment, contact her first, so that she has a chance of making amends. As 2ndeffort said, maybe your shrugs etc were misinterpreted as "whatever, not an issue", and she is unaware that you are that unhappy.

    When contacting her, perhaps make her aware you will be posting your experience on TripAdvisor. Especially if there is misunderstanding, she can weigh up and choose between a) suffer a bad review or b) reimbursing you. If you do not mention this, she may feel that what's done is done, apologises, moves on, and then gets the shock of a bad review. Which will be a bit unfair, if it is a misunderstanding to begin with.

  • altomic on 23/02/2016 - 00:32
    +1

    I would've shown you around Tassie for a slab of cold beer per day.

  • Geewhizz on 23/02/2016 - 07:11
    +2

    What you should have done was told the person you were dealing with at the accomodation that they had incorrectly billed you, and that the debt wasn't yours to pay for the second night in the cottage.

    • kima on 23/02/2016 - 07:50

      I agree the same but this would still lead to confrontation with the lady which op is avoiding and the reason it put the office in that position to start with

      but you can't pin it on them when you just let it happen knowingly. Op just needs to be more assertive to the lady. Could've nipped it in the bud but didn't, let it drag out and let third party to get involved to defer blame to them.

      You either need to tell her no or pay for it. You didn't tell her no. Its was too hard for you to do because of your own personality, then do you think $120 is worth the stress its causing you?

  • [Deactivated] on 23/02/2016 - 08:14
    +1

    You had agreed to pay for the first night and she asked you if you minded if she stayed another night. I would have thought that it was obvious that she was asking you to pay. If she was paying for herself then she would not need to ask your permission.

    I assume that you did not want to make the decision to say no and now you have to foot the bill. You said you were inexperienced and naive, so this is a valuable learning experience.
    We all make the odd error, but coming on here to whinge about it is not the way to deal with it.

  • monharb on 23/02/2016 - 09:29
    +1

    It's a bit frustrating reading your story. She was certainly taking advantage of you. But you had so many opportunities to speak your mind and tell her clearly NO I'M NOT PAYING FOR IT. It's not like she's a friend and doing you a favour showing you around. She provides a paid service and you as a customer has every right to say what you want and dont want.

    Especially when you travel in foreign places, look after your own interests and always ask questions when in doubt.

  • arcticmonkey on 20/01/2018 - 10:37

    I’m not sure how you can be so unassertive/passive (shrugging your shoulders) and then put the blame onto the other party/parties.

  • MITM on 21/01/2018 - 13:44

    For 2 days “work” she gets $1000 + 1 nights accom at her recommended Inn + 1 dinner (which presumably no one got to eat) and she wants more ?
    I’d say a 2 hour drive home is little sufferance for the payment she received.
    It’s more likely she wanted drinks with her dinner so she didn’t have to drive home.

    OP, apart from the $120 extra cost, was the service she provided worthwhile, informative, enjoyable, thought out, unique, memorable ?

  • Toons on 21/01/2018 - 14:25

    If everything is as it happened here i'd post the review.

    You won't get any resolution on the extra you allowed to be charged to you. the lodge deserves a bit of a roast for changing your bill without your authorisation

    You should have asked the lodge for clarification as they shouldn't be allowing other people to change your booking for you. it was clear you had only booked the one night for her above since she was asking to stay the extra.

    I've got little time for people who are there to take advantage of others. post your review and ensure it's 100% accurate i'd also post a review at the lodge too. I'm not sure how they can amend your booking without talking to you.

    If you go fishing for an apology your giving her the chance to control the narrative $1240 plus whatever else was squeezed out of you….

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