Beware!!!
We advised Snowdrivetransfers whilst we were still in the UK, that our flight was delayed by 3 hours due to a technical issue with our plane, and were told by them that the drivers could only wait for a certain time period, after which they would need to leave to conduct other bookings. When we arrived at Lyon airport and contacted Snowdrivetransfers, we were told that they would come back, but that we might have a 2-3 hour wait. During this waiting period, we spoke to them twice, firstly to be told that the wait time estimate would be closer to 5 hours and that we should explore alternative transfer arrangements such as taking a train. We explored this option and other transfer options but being a change over day all over ski resorts in France, there was no availability. When we spoke to them again we were told that the wait would be in excess of 5 hours and that only 1 driver could possibly come back on that day, but that this could not be guaranteed and that 1 driver could only transport 8 of our party of 12! We were effectively stranded at Lyon airport. Snowdrivetransfers did at this point agree to refund us the 600 euros we had pre-paid for the transfer and with this offer of a refund, we paid 2 taxi drivers 800 euros to transfer us to the resort. In spite of the agreement to refund us, which was also provided in writing, Snowdrivetransfers have since contacted us and withdrawn any offer of a refund. We sat at an airport on the promise they would return for 4 hours with tired children in tow. We only took the decision to fork out 800 euros for taxi transport because we were promised a refund. We understand they have a business to run with and that we were not the only customers they had to transfer on that day. However, it is totally disingenuous to have left us at the airport for hours on the promise they would return, and absolute thievery to have pocketed the full 600 euros we paid, in spite of not fulfilling the contract to transfer us to the resort. Be very careful if you are planning to use this transfer company. If delays which are out of your control happen to you, you will be left stranded!!!
Reply from Snowdrivetransfers
Hello Mr Raj Phull,
I will have to say again - extremely dissapointed about this! You seem to be completely oblivious to the fact that the situation you described is your own responsibility to resolve. It is becoming clear that your group didn't have a travel insurance and this is way you refuse to accept the fact that this is you own fault, not ours.
I'll just copy/paste the email I sent you to clarify the situation to anyone you are trying to deflect with this review:
Hello,
It is extremely disappointing to me as well, as You and your group are trying to seek compensation from the only party that actually fulfilled it's end. You can go ahead with the chargeback -I have sufficient evidence to prove my case(emails, communication with driver, tracking reports from the vehicles). FYI you will freeze the money for 120 days on both ends until the "investigation" goes on. Good luck!
It is also extremely disappointing that a group of adults do not realize that it is your own responsibility to organize alternative transportation in case you haven't been able to show up to prior arrangements . On the phone I explained the situation and that I do not give any guarantees for the time, but that we will try to transport you without any extra charge(which we always try to do). It should of been a clue when I asked you to check the train schedules for you to get closer to the resorts. It being new years weekend, there was insane traffic heading to the valleys, so any vans that I could of possibly sent to get you were arriving to their previous drop off much later than previously planned. All the drivers were working next day, so sending an already fatigued driver to pick you up after a full days would of been wildly irresponsible.
For your clarification about the "contract" - you ordered 2 minibuses both ways on times that were specified beforehand for a group of a specified amount of people - all of this is information you have in your email as well, so it is a bit weird you are trying to argue this. Two drivers woke up at 5:00 to go to Lyon for your pick, which they did. Me and them waited for the last possible moment to give you a chance to get out of the terminal with your lugagge and carry on on your journey. All of this costs money - fuel, tolls to get to the airport and driver work hours. The call from Mr Raj Phull about the fact that your group had collected baggage was 3.5 hours after the originally scheduled arrival time of 9:50. Do you think a 10 hour delay would be fine as well? The vehicles had to start moving in order not to collapse the entire schedule.
By this logic - if your flight would of been simply cancelled and you could not get to your hotel at all for a day or more - would you seek compensation from the hotel?
Also, it is hilarious that you are saying that this is not a travel insurance situation - It is an open and shut case in 99% of these kind of situations and your insurers would have a easy time to recover this money from the airline. Did you have a travel insurance? From experience - you would only need to send over our invoice and our contact(explaining that you need to recover 50% due to a airline issue) and after that the insurance company would contact us. If they determine that we are at fault, our professional liability insurance goes to work.
I will not be refunding the amount, so you can go ahead with the chargeback case. I do apologize for going back on my words, but the initial conversation was after a long days work and I was far from a suitable mindset to handle this kind of issue. Putting the pressure of that decision on somebody who is thinking about 50 other things while working is the reason I had to go back on my words. Only after going over the situation with a clear head I understood that is was a completely incorrect move to promise any kind of refund without actually looking at the situation as just facts.
You can try to keep people from business with me, but then you'll have to fabricate something, because this story isn't keeping anyone away.
Regards,
Tom Marcinkevicus