Gate 1 Travel
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Gate 1 Travel is a really BAD company
I made a reservation for a trip for my wife and I which was recommended by Travel Zoo. We paid $1764 including $316 for two cancellation coverage plans. The company provided a "cancel for any reason" plan which they now call a waiver. They made it sound like insurance but now claim it is not. After almost a month I found that the United States State Department had a warning about travel to the location we had chosen so I cancelled the trip. I then received an emailed cancellation invoice indicating that the trip was not refundable. The cancellation was still 5 months before the trip was scheduled (Sept. 20, 2018) . Gate1 then referred me to the company providing travel insurance Arch Insurance Solutions($178). I asked about our "cancel for any reason" coverage ($138) but got no answer on that issue. Gate1 said I had to apply to the other insurer for trip cancellation first. This took about a month and was declined. So I again asked about our "cancel for any reason" coverage. The company put me through a number of hoops only to conclude with the statement that I would be given a credit for slightly over $1070 after a deduction of around $400 for making reservations. That means over $716 had been paid for nothing. They sold a plan which provided no protection for me with only a partial credit to be offered. When I asked how they would have handled the credit if I had not purchased the coverage they did not respond. The assumption is that the entire payment would be lost. What protection was provided by the coverage? Gate1 Travel offers what looks like a scam and provide no refunds for cancellation. I paid for this trip (online) immediately upon making the reservation I had no contact with Gate1. They have indicated that their many web pages provide specific information on the various aspects of making a reservation with them but I merely followed the directions provided while making the reservation. There was no indication that "cancel for any reason" meant other than cancel for any reason but we will only credit you for a partial amount. Gate1 has indicated in contact with the BBB of Metropolitan D.C. and Eastern Pennsylvania that I have $1700 (where that amount came from I do not know) on account with them. I have checked my account page which Gate1 had previously referred me to and the balance is $0. So I have paid over $1700 and have nothing to show for the expenditure. They will not refund and have indicated that I will need to book another trip to use any balance or forfeit it all. Since the balance indicates $0 it appears I have already lost it all. I have filed complaints with the Better Business Bureau, the Pennsylvania and Missouri Attorneys General and every other consumer protection agency I can find. If you choose to travel using Gate 1 I would be sure to read all the many pages of fine print. Do not assume anything they will take you payment and refund nothing. Do not buy the "Cancel for Any Reason" coverage as it provides no coverage other than a credit which should be offered at a minimum without the coverage. Refunds do not exist. -------------------------------------------- As you can see from the response by Gate 1 Travel they did not answer any of the questions raised and decided to further obfuscate the issues. Their responses to each complaint filed have been misleading, confusing and in some cases simply not true. Who would want to do business with a company which will simply not refund monies paid? I am expected to book another trip with them to get use of my money paid in good faith. With a booking fee of $400 resulting in a total of approximately $1100 paid for nothing. I would never do business with such a company. If I had only known. Now you do.