Christian
I definitely cannot recommend Costa…
I definitely cannot recommend Costa Rica Dream Vacations. My dealings with this company reflects that it is less than forthright and transparent with its business practices. The customer suffers as a result. For example, when our return flight to the US was changed, I contacted Costa Rica Dream Vacations and eventually talked with the owner of the company. All I needed was to change a hotel for one night and the transfer to the airport. Before calling the company, I checked out the changes necessary and confirmed they could be made easily. But when calling the company, I got absolutely no help and the reasons given were not legitimate. I was told that these simple minor changes were a cancellation of the trip, which is ridiculous (there was no impact on 12 nights in resorts), and that this was all explained in the trip materials I had received, which was not true (the trip materials simply did not state what was claimed on the phone). I was then subjected to a long condescending lecture on how the owner has “policies” and “business practices.” Of course, none of this had been disclosed. When I tried to explain the situation and how simple the change was, I was interrupted and the lecture continued. A conversation where the company owner interupts and does 95% of the talking to explain why a simple issue cannot be resolved says a lot about the company. This is not one of those situations where the details are buried in the fine print. Instead, it is a complete unwillingness to help a customer with a simple change. And what makes it worse is that the business practices and policies are unnecessary, unfair, and unreasonable to the customer. No one wins. From that point on I handled the rest of my Costa Rica trip myself. None of the businesses I dealt with treated me like Costa Rica Dream Vacations. They were open and honest with clear explanations and none had the unreasonable and unfair internal business practices like Costa Rica Dream Vacation. Our Costa Rica vacation was great. Next time I visit Costa Rica I certainly will not use Costa Rica Dream Vacations. The response by Costa Rica Dream Vacations is filled with inaccuracies and mischaracterizations and the assertion that I threatened legal action is a flat out lie. This is most certainly not a company for a visitor to Costa Rica who wants honesty and fairness.
Response from Costa Rica Dream AdventuresFeb 18, 2025
Dear Mr. Preus, We appreciate your feedback and would like to take this opportunity to clarify the situation. Your travel program was confirmed and fully paid in October 2024, with your itinerary carefully arranged based on the details you provided, including your departure from San José. On the day of your arrival, January 16th, you requested to make last-minute changes to your itinerary, including an additional night in Monteverde and a transfer to Liberia instead of San José. As we explained at the time, per the terms and conditions you signed upon final payment (35 days prior to arrival), changes to existing reservations were no longer possible without incurring additional costs. This is because all services, including hotels and transfers, had already been paid to our providers. You also confirmed that it was you who changed your departure airport, not the airline. While we understand that you had an urgent commitment back in the U.S., these changes were made on your end after all arrangements had been finalized. Your travel agent, who has worked with us for several years, was fully aware of and agreed to our terms and conditions. As you know, your itinerary was booked and confirmed in October 2024 for travel in January 2025. While you were in the country, we accommodated a request to reschedule one of your tours to the following day and even arranged to return an item you had left behind during a transfer—both as a courtesy. However, when you decided to change your departure airport at the last minute, we explained that modifications to your itinerary, including hotel and transfer adjustments, could not be made without additional costs. This is standard practice, as our agreements with hotels and transportation providers require advance payments and do not allow last-minute reallocations. Despite this, you threatened legal action in an attempt to bypass policies that were clearly outlined and agreed upon. We have been in business for over 25 years, providing travelers with high-quality experiences at competitive prices. Everything promised to you since October was delivered as agreed. It is unfortunate when individuals attempt to use their profession to pressure service providers into making exceptions that go against contractual agreements. We take pride in our transparency and commitment to customer satisfaction. While we regret that you were dissatisfied with our policies, they are in place to ensure fairness for both travelers and our valued partners.