Holiday plans dashed but victims to get their money back

Asri at the Johor Baru Consumer Claims Tribunal

JOHOR BARU: An engineer who wanted to be known only as Shaji has learnt his lesson and plans to be more careful in the future when planning holidays.

He had booked a 11D/8N tour package for him and his wife to visit several Western European countries from April 18 to 28, costing RM7,980 via online transactions.

However, the 48-year-old said he received an email from the company in February informing him that all tour packages by the company from February until June this year had been cancelled.

“We were attracted to the package as similar tour packages normally cost more,’’ Shaji said when met at the Johor Baru Consumer Claims Tribunal at Menara Ansar here.

He said he paid RM7,980 in instalments, beginning from October 2017 until June 2018, by depositing the money into the company’s bank account.

Shaji said prior to booking the tour package, he had checked with the Tourism, Arts and Culture Ministry and found that the company was registered with the ministry.

“My wife and I were also convinced by the testimonials on the company’s Facebook page from holidaymakers who went on tours with the company,” he said.

He said the company promised to return the total sum in five instalments up to August but had failed to do so until now.

He said a newspaper report in February stated that the chief executive officer of the company was arrested by the police at his office in Taman Sentral Kajang, Selangor.

It said the 34-year-old suspect was detained after one of the victims lodged a police report.

The victim had deposited RM27,133 into the company’s bank account for a group tour to Turkey and France but found out the tour was cancelled after arriving at KL International Airport.

Consumer Claims Tribunal president Khairul Azreem Mamat ordered the company to refund RM7,980 paid by Shaji in 14 days.

In another case, construction supervisor Muhammad Asri Abu Bakar, 30, said he was approached by a salesman promoting holiday packages at a shopping complex here on March 3.

“I was attracted to the 3D/2N package for four to Terengganu at RM999,’’ he said, adding that he had planned to go on holiday with his wife and their two children to Terengganu in December.

Asri said he paid RM399 on the spot to the salesman using a debit card and a week later called the company’s office in Seri Petaling, Kuala Lumpur for updates on the family holiday itinerary.

However, the company’s representative said the tour packages had been cancelled.

He said the company refused to return the RM399 deposit paid.

Asri said he decided to file a case with the Johor Baru Consumer Claims Tribunal to get his money back.

Khairul ordered the company to return the RM399 paid by Asri in 14 days.- Star