Twinkle Star Tours & Safaris Limited Staff Photo
Twinkle Star Tours & Safaris
- Located In:
-
United States
Taiwan
- Size:
- 10-20 employees (Founded in 2017)
- Member Of:
- KATO, Eco Tourism Kenya & KTB
- Tour Types:
- Custom mid-range & luxury tours that can start every day
- Destinations:
- Price Range:
- $60 to $500 per person per day (USD, excl. int'l flights)
Reviews
DE
Email Alex Kishko | 35-50 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Operator cancelled trip one day before departure date!
I rested with my family on Zanzibar and we decided to go on a four-day safari in Tanzania.
Through the www.safaribookings.com I found several companies that do safaris in the Tarangire / Ngorongoro / Serengeti.
I made a request, more firms answered me.
Among them was the company Twinkle Star Tours and Safaris.
They gave me the best price and a perfect program, we agreed everything to the smallest detail.
To save money, I decided to buy tickets by local airlines from Zanzibar to Kilimanjaro myself.
When I bought the tickets, agreed with Twinkle Star on the dates and times of transfer, right on the day before of our departure from Zanzibar, Twinkle Star said that he could not conduct a safari, but his acquaintance from the company Inno African Safari would hold it.
He gave me the contact of this other company and no longer answered my questions in the WatsApp.
I contacted this new company and he set me the price exactly twice as high as we agreed with Twinkle Star.
And this is the day before the start of the safari!
It was good that I had contacts and agreements with other companies and we quickly agreed on a safari with another company.
I warn all people on the www.safaribookings.com, do not mess with the company Twinkle Star Tours and Safaris.
MX
Email yuvie | 50-65 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Be Careful, are they incompetent? or Scammers?
Incompetence? Or FRAUD?
I booked an 8-day, late December safari with James of Twinkle Star and made my 40% deposit, with the balance due 7 days before the tour starts.
On Sep 27th, James confirmed the itinerary and receipt of my deposit.
Just two days later, he emailed me asking for the balance. Since that was not what we agreed on, I declined.
Over the next two weeks I received several more requests by email, by text and by phone for immediate full payment more than 3 months early. I obviously lost all confidence in James and Twinkle Star and canceled my trip with them.
According to their terms and conditions, they promise a full refund if cancelled more than 60 days in advance. Although I canceled well before this, James is not honoring his refund saying how he wants to refund my money, but “We just don’t have the money”
I don’t know if Twinkle Star are scammers or just plain incompetent.
Reply from Twinkle Star Tours & Safaris
Posted on Nov 20, 2024Reply from Twinkle Star Tours & Safaris
Posted on Nov 20, 2024
Subject: Clarification Regarding Client Yuval's Safari Trip.
Hello Yuval:
Thank you for reaching out again for clarification on this matter.
The issue was raised by our client, Mr. Yuval, who mistakenly referred to us as fraudsters and incompetent.
Mr. Yuval confirmed his safari with us, scheduled for late December 2024. He paid the usual 40% deposit required for reserving all accommodations in advance, which is standard policy to avoid any inconveniences during the safari.
We have retained all the payment slips from the hotels as proof that the advance payment was used appropriately and not for anything unrelated to his safari.
At one point, we discussed with Mr. Yuval the option of topping up his balance to lessen the remaining 60% due 14 days before the safari. Unfortunately, he responded only with an email stating he had cancelled the safari with us.
Sometimes, in the interest of keeping the company afloat, it is necessary to request such additional payments in good faith.
We regret having to ask Mr. Yuval for this, and we subsequently apologize. We encouraged him to reconsider the safari, which had already been paid for, reserved, and booked.
As a result, Mr Yuval published a defamatory review across ALL our platforms. We addressed the issue on all platforms, including Safari Bookings, and Trip-advisor and managed to reach an amicable resolution.
We have agreed with Mr. Yuval to issue a partial refund around this mid-month, with the remainder to be paid towards the end of the year, however before the date of his safari if it were to happened.
This is an agreement he has accepted, and we are making an effort to ensure we maintain our promise.
We are dedicated to fulfilling our commitments to Mr. Yuval without any issues.
We have his bank details and will start processing the first partial refund this-November, as per our agreement with him and agreed with him NOT to go against this and to continue publishing the same already overtaken event to any other platforms he has reported this issue to.
I hope this clarification meets your understanding and cooperation as we strive to ensure we do not fail Mr. Yuval.
Kind regards,
James Collins Oketch.
We are fully committed to ensuring that we provide a refund to our brother Yuval.
We have been working on securing a replacement for the hotels for which we have already paid; however, we have not been successful so far.
We have concluded that if a solution does not materialize soon, we will find alternative means to secure the funds for this refund before the date of his Safari coming next month 21st December 2024 to be precise.
We have not mishandled Yuval's money in any way.
His funds remain with the hotels.
Kindly bear with us, we are working around the clock to make sure you DON'T lose your money.
We have made a commitment even before the Safari bookings on the same.
Yours Faithfully,
Your Tour Consultant,
James Collins Oketch.
BR
Email Deborah | 35-50 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Amazing nature, inappropriate driver
The safari was satisfactory, as was the hotel, the food and the car.
However, a few days after the trip ended, I received messages from the driver (Branson) asking if I was ok, saying that he could not sleep and asking if I had saw the “African cork”.
For context, I travelled alone. Maybe this person thought I was available for harassment because of that.
That is inadmissible.
(images removed for privacy reasons)
Reply from Twinkle Star Tours & Safaris
Posted on Sep 19, 2024Hello Deborah,
When the Trip has ended, We have no control over a Hired and unpensable Guide.! As such, we contract them, and once the Contract is over, we have no control over them.
This happens everywhere in the world.
Reason.!
Almost in the whole world.!
Guides are not pensionable and therefore we hire them since at times we get overwhelmed.!
1): We advise all our Clients not to change their numbers with the Guides, and for such to happen, You CANNOT come back and hold Twinkle Star Tours and Safaris Ltd as a company responsible for such indecency words, and getting your way to publishing this as review.
All our Clients and their reviews are flowing, which means, all the attachments are centrally controlled from the office, and we are fully and wholeheartedly responsible.
We communicate with the Client upon their arrival time, a meet one-on-one happens, at times by Myself, if you may ask others, and an introduction is always done on the details of your program and what you could expect along the way before and after.
This is an area we always take very seriously, and we do it perfectly since we are aware of the consequences and the repercussions. It's an area we have extremely excelled in very well.
To prove this, some of our Clients, could even confirm from our Sister representative company from and in New York City (USA) and get ASSISTED there and then.
Why didn't you communicate this during the Safari, if it was an ongoing harassment as you put it, and always contact us with minimal proof that this was happening during the Safari, and yet went further to praise how the Safari was great, the Hotel even to the extent that the driver was as well super great.
What's the change of heart to publish such derogatory language?
To our best understanding, you were out for something, and if NOT, we then apologize for a mission which never accomplished.
I will urge both our platforms to think otherwise and PULL down this exchange spree because Twinkle Star Tours and Safaris Ltd cannot be held responsible for whatever happened after the Safari ended and you continue exchanging words with the Guide on a hired Contract of your Safari.
You don't have to share your Number with the Guides and only if you have been directed by the office for a specific reason.
This is NOT a Twinkle Star review, and we take it, and kindly pull it down.
We have taken also the following steps in good faith.!
-When I checked the company's main Email mid-last night and saw that review.!
-That was the End of this Guide with us).
-We have held a meeting in the office with all our other few Guides, who are permanently with us), with the view to bringing sanitary and hygiene in our Company.
We have apologized loud and clear, and we hope this humble response will meet your maximum consideration and cooperation.
We promise even to improve on matters that are related to what has happened, and to deal with them perpendicularly.
Otherwise.! forgive us for once, we no longer have him.
Decency and respect are something we cherish with our customers and as the Twinkle Star family. Kindly, forgive him (US), and Don't proceed to put us out on the internet for the sake of the sensitivity of our business and the whole Twinkle Star Family.
He has refuted the claim, however though, that the internet never lies, and so neither You.
We have shown him all the communications, and he feels so wasted and for such, we have relieved him from his duties with immediate effect.
This has come as a warning sort to all our Guides, whom we have called for a meeting, and we must get the solution.
Otherwise, I hope this humble request will meet your maximum forgiveness.
Thanks for your time.!
Good Evening and be blessed.!
Your Tour Consultant.
James.