1st Class Visa Run. Not so 1st class Management

[tru]

1st Class Visa Run. Not so first class management.

Went on a visa run with aforementioned visa company on Sunday.

Got to Queen Vic had breakfast bus arrived, lovely 6 seater plenty of leg room DVD player. Great, away we go.

 

2 hours into the journey the bus stops and the driver starts looking around the front then the back and making plenty of phone calls. 20 minutes later a 9 seater bus pulls up with ‘EXACTLY’ 6 seats spare on it, so we are told to get on this one. Convenient one thinks. No problem at least we are getting there and getting our stamps for our visa. Get back around 15:00 and order meal.

 

Now 6 of us have paid the 2,500 for a VIP 6 seater bus and we are taken on a 9 seater which we think should be given some sort of refund as we could've paid 2,000 baht for the same service if we had wished to do so. Asked the lady at desk in Queen Vic and told no discount as we got there and back, yes, we did, but not on the service we paid for.

 

Told we could speak to the manager, a guy called Pat. He came on the phone and told us we couldn't have any money refunded as his bus had broken down and he was going to have to spend alot of money repairing it and having it towed back in. Now I sympathise with this but this is in no way my problem and that is the ups and downs of owning a business. When I asked about some sort of refund as I can get the same service which I received for 2,000 baht I was rudely asked If I'm that hard up for 500 baht and then told that I had a f*$cking cheek asking for it with all the expense he had with his broken down bus.

 

Now I'm sure if anyone for example was flying home business class and then told they couldn't, but you can fly economy then you would ask for a partial refund.

 

Now I'm not bothered or hard up for the 500 baht but I thought that some sort of good will gesture would have been nice instead of insults down the phone but anyway won't be using again and neither will my mates and possibly the other 5 guys too.

[Mike Asia]

I used them for a laos tourist visa run and everything was great. But i fully agree with you, they should give you 500 baht back, it is not your problem if the van broke down(if it really did) and talking to you like that is bullshit.

[Al.]

Welcome to the board tru I see this is your first post.

 

Al.

[adiggity]

Wow, I've used 1st class visa runs for my last 3 trips because I hate using those 9 seater buses with hard seats and poor suspension. If this happened to me I would be pretty choked. That is totally unacceptable about being asked about being hard up for 500Baht.

[arbiez]

Seems to me that if he can't afford the 500 bhat refund, they might at least give you a credit for the next trip.

 

That kinda sucks, but it's better than dropping you off and leaving you there.

[layow]

seeing as this is your first post

 

verification would be nice

 

you could easily be another business trying to advance it

 

not saying you are but it happens

[tru]

seeing as this is your first post

 

verification would be nice

 

you could easily be another business trying to advance it

 

not saying you are but it happens

 

Yes, I can understand you suspecting this but I can assure you that I'm not another business just a normal guy doing the usual visa trips.

I have used them before also and had no problems. But first time I encounter a problem I was rudely spoken too down the phone.

I'm sure if any other guys on that trip are fellow members then they will tell you the same if they happen to read this thread.

[tru]

Welcome to the board tru I see this is your first post.

 

Al.

 

Thanks.

Yes 1st post but I thought that it should be posted.

Don't usually moan about things but being spoken to in this manner was unacceptable to me.

But it's over and done now.

[sbcp]

were there NINE seated in the bus or SIX ?

 

if it was a nine-seater & there were only six, I understand that the other six-seater bus must have broken down

 

if they went ahead & booked 3 more candidates that would just be rude

[tru]

were there NINE seated in the bus or SIX ?

 

if it was a nine-seater & there were only six, I understand that the other six-seater bus must have broken down

 

if they went ahead & booked 3 more candidates that would just be rude

We were in a 6 seater to start with then a 9 seater turned up and we joined the 3 already on that one for the rest of our journey.

[dudebrah]

Did you try emailing the owner ?

 

the managers reponce was completely offside

[tru]

Did you try emailing the owner ?

 

the managers reponce was completely offside

 

Apparently the manager is the owner and the guy i spoke to on the phone.

[Newton]

I had a similar problem with them lasy year . I booked my trip turned up .and was put in the passenger seat in the front next to the driver, I could not watch the TV or stretch my legs , i booked this 6 seater because i have syatica and i like to stretch my legs, Me being me just went along with it because i do not like to be seen to be a moaner, but when i got back i asked why i had been put in the front seat , the manager apologized and blamed the Thai Lady . he gave me some money back,

[JomtienCafe]

I have used 1st class before and never had a problem, this was after trying out a 9 seater from a different company and realising that 9 seaters are not designed for human comfort, especially liked the idea of individual headphones so you were not forced to listen to a film you have no interest in.

[tru]

I had a similar problem with them lasy year . I booked my trip turned up .and was put in the passenger seat in the front next to the driver, I could not watch the TV or stretch my legs , i booked this 6 seater because i have syatica and i like to stretch my legs, Me being me just went along with it because i do not like to be seen to be a moaner, but when i got back i asked why i had been put in the front seat , the manager apologized and blamed the Thai Lady . he gave me some money back,

 

Seems the owner isn't always so rude and can be polite at times.

Maybe caught him on a bad day when, as he said he had a lot of expense with breakdowns and recovery.

Still no need to be so rude though.

[JomtienCafe]

I don't think passengers on a minibus should be held financially responsible for breakdowns tru.

[hazze]

Customer service never really made it to pattaya.

 

Still I see you point. I'd be pissed if I paid to get the nice bus and ended up on the crappy one.

Managers attitude just annoys you more.

[Crusader]

.....2 hours into the journey the bus stops and the driver starts looking around the front then the back and making plenty of phone calls. 20 minutes later a 9 seater bus pulls up with ‘EXACTLY’ 6 seats spare on it, so we are told to get on this one. Convenient one thinks. .....

 

Tru - you say the bus stopped a couple of hours into your journey. Did you have any inkling that it was going to break down after being on the bus for a couple of hours. I would be interested to know if you thought it had really broken down. Were there any signs of engine trouble during your 2 hours on board (e.g. clanking sounds, crunching of gears, intermittent loss of power etc) - or did it seem to be working fine until the driver decided to stop?

 

I wonder if this was just a wheeze to save the company a bit of cash on petrol etc and to fill up the 9 seater. The 9 seater did not seem too far behind and had just the right number of seats available for the 6 of you on the 6 seater.

 

Sorry to hear you had a bad experience. Other posters suggest the service is usually OK so I hope it was not another scam and the breakdown was genuine. It could have been worse you might have ended up on a sarmlor.

[cazzer]

I have used this company for several years now and never had any real problems. You do get stuck with the odd passenger you would choose not to travel with given a choice, but that is just me been fussy.

My last trip was on a fairly new bus and it had wifi available, which was pretty cool.

I also like the idea of having headphones to watch the movies, this makes it a lot easier to get some sleep.(also a great way to avoid speaking to the annoying passenger)

Breakfast is decent, don't usually bother with the food in the afternoon.

Will definately use later this year when I am back to Thailand.