WalksReviews of takewalks.com

Response from WalksMar 29, 2023

Dear C Povernmire, Thank you for reaching out to us. We are terribly sorry to hear you had such a bad experience with us, and cannot apologize enough about it. Unfortunately when the pandemic hit we were taken by surprise and were not at all prepared for its consequences, especially the economical ones. We were at the peak of our business expansion, when all of a sudden we were forced to downsize considerably and let go most of our staff. It was something we were certainly not expecting. Everyone was affected by what happened, but tour operators were among the categories that suffered the most. The last thing we wished was to disappoint our customers and did all that was in our power to keep our word, but it was just impossible for us to refund everyone, as we honestly did not have sufficient funds. That's why we decided to issue future tour credits of a much higher value than what was originally spent as our first option. Many clients gladly accepted, and we are very grateful for their generosity and kind heart. As a matter of fact, we are still honoring them to this date as they are still a large percentage of our bookings. They allowed us to keep going and find the necessary resources to refund all those who did not accept our offer. There were some delays of course, and it took even months for us to process them, but it really was the most we could afford at the time. Again, we cannot apologize enough about what happened, but hope you understand the critical condition we were in. We would be very happy if you could give us a chance to make things right to you, so please contact us at [email protected]. We promise we will not disappoint you again. Sincerely, Gaia

Response from WalksMar 29, 2023

Dear Mandy, Thank you for reaching out to us. I am very sorry you encountered difficulties redeeming your credit. Did you try doing so online and experienced a glitch perhaps? I am sure there are ways to overcome the partner tour issue by contacting our call center directly or writing to [email protected]. Please feel free to do so at any time, our staff will be glad to assist you. Looking forward to hearing from you. All the best, Gaia

Response from WalksMar 29, 2023

Dear Vicky Online, Thank you for reaching out to us. We are very sorry to hear you did not find our guide on your tour date, and can only imagine the disappointment! However, that is very strange as we always run our services unless there is an unexpected closure. Even then, we send a staff member to greet our customers and offer them all the available options. Could you have gone to the wrong spot or arrived late perhaps? Unfortunately the Uffizi tour is time sensitive as we have very strict reservations, so our guides cannot wait more than 5 minutes past tour departure. Again, we are sorry you missed our tour, as we are certain you would have had a great time. Please feel free to contact us directly at [email protected] with the confirmation email and any further detail you might be able to provide, and we will be glad to help you. All our best, Gaia

Response from WalksMar 29, 2023

Dear D Davis, Thank you for posting on our page. We rely on our guests' s direct experiences to monitor our services, and are always grateful for their comments, especially negative ones, as they help us improve the most. First of all, let me apologize on the company's behalf for not issuing a refund for your tour immediately, even though you were well inside our cancellation policy. That is not something we are proud of, I can assure you. Unfortunately we were not at all prepared for a pandemic and its economical consequences. We had just expanded the business to include many new markets, when everything "crumbled". Many businesses were affected, but our category was among those who suffered the most. We pride ourselves in always putting the customer first, but we simply did not have the necessary funds for all our guests. That unfortunately is the honest truth. That's why we decided to offer future tour credits of a much higher value than what was originally spent as our first option, and refund only when necessary. This of course caused many delays, also because we had to cut down costs and were understaffed but eventually we did honor our word and refunded all those who did not accept the credit. We understand that was not great customer service, but it really was the most we could afford at the time. Again, we cannot apologize enough about what happened, but hope you understand the critical condition we were in. We would be very happy if you could give us a chance to make things right to you, so please contact us at [email protected]. We promise we will not disappoint you again! Sincerely, Gaia

Response from WalksMar 29, 2023

Dear Karrie, We are terribly sorry to read how disappointed you were with us! We have always honored our policies and still have very flexible cancellations, but unfortunately our company suffered great losses during the pandemic and we were the first ones not be refunded hefty operational costs we had already sustained to offer the services(cancelled tickets and premium reservation fees are only some examples). As a result, the only thing we could do at the time was offer tour credits for values much higher than what had been originally paid as a first option, and refund only those who did not accept. Unfortunately, given the circumstances, the refunds were not processed in a timely manner, and sometimes it took months for us to credit the money back. But we did honor our word in the end, even though there were some delays. Again, we are terribly sorry about what happened, but beg you to understand the "emergency" we were under. We also hope that if you ever find yourself visiting any of our destinations, you will take up on our offer and give us another try. Kindest regards, Gaia

Response from WalksMar 29, 2023

Dear Lawrence, Thank you for reaching out to us. We strive to provide only the best possible experiences to our guests and feel terrible when we are not able to do so, like in your case. I am sure that by now the issue has been solved, but I would like to apologize for the delays you experienced to receive your refund back in 2020. The pandemic really hit us bad and we were flooded with refund requests and no income, so we had to let go most of our staff. That's one of the reasons we took our "sweet time" getting back to you. From a company of over 100 employees we became less than 20 in just 2 weeks. It was not easy. Nor was it simple for us to find all the funds for our clients, as we had incurred costs as well, which in turn had not been refunded. But we did manage in the end, although many of you had to wait a long time, which we are not proud of. Please believe us when we tell you this is not how we usually operate, and wish that if you ever get the chance, you will give us another try, as I can guarantee you will not be disappointed again. All the best, Gaia

Response from WalksMar 29, 2023

Dear Casey, I apologize for what happened to you and for the delays you experienced receiving your refund. Our company suffered great losses during the pandemic and we were unable to refund all our guests in a timely manner. As a result, we tried offering future tour credits of higher value as a first option, and refund only those who did not accept. But it did take months for us to honor our word, it's true. It's not something we are proud of, but we beg you to forgive us as we had no other choice. We wish you all our best and hope that if you ever find yourself visiting any of the locations we serve, you will give us another chance. Sincerely, Gaia

Response from WalksMar 29, 2023

Dear Linda, We are very sorry about what happened. Unfortunately we suffered great losses during the pandemic and had to cut most of our staff, which caused long delays. We do hope however that now that we have overcome the emergency and are able to travel once again, you will give us another try. Sincerely, Gaia