HK
35-50 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Scam of USD4968 from the company "Kenya Walking Survivors Safari"
We are reporting the scam from the company "Kenya Walking Survivors Safari" and the owner Mr. Otieno Lysaniash.
We paid an amount of USD4968 deposits to the company "Kenya Walking Survivors Safari" to book a tour to safaris in Kenya and Tanzania for the period 17 Aug 2019 – 30 Aug 2019.
After these payments, we lost the contact from Mr. Otieno Lysaniash, the owner of the company until 7 Aug 2019 that we received an email from Julius Muchiri saying that they failed to provide the required service. He claimed that the refund would be handled between 45-90 days. We replied him immediately to request chargeback to the same credit card that paid. However, we receive no responses from any of them so far since then.
How can we get the refund? Please help!
BM
35-50 years of age | Experience level: over 5 safaris
Worst experience ever
Terrible, terrible, terrible. Grateful I didn’t go with this agency. I had seen a different review and I fore looked it but guess they were right. Communication is bad, the guy communicating is impolite, the whole way they handle clients is just unacceptable.
IN
20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
any collective efforts to get the refund
Has any group/person has initiated any effort collectively to get their money back ? Can we register a complain online somewhere ? police, embassy, etc ? Pls do mention if anyone has initiated. I will get in touch and co-ordinate for sufferers from India.
DK
50-65 years of age | Experience level: over 5 safaris
Good until the last two days
KWSS' website is down and others write the phones are not answered. I guess they're out of business.
Our safari began on the 16th of July and ended the 28th. We had paid the full amount in advance.
After a visit to KWSS' office (O.T. gave a briefing) and we left for Samburu NR.
Zachary, our guide, was very, very good. Amazing wildlife spotting, service-minded, flexible and professional.
From Samburu to Nakuru, Masai Mara, Lake Naivasha, Amboseli, Tsavo West and East.
The minibus broke down the last full day. We had trouble teaching KWSS (did not pick up phone on any number, incl emergency no.), but finally, the minibus and guide were rescued and we were allowed to stay at the Man Eaters lodge where someone had brought us (rescued from the broken down bus). We did realize that there was no reservation at the promised lodge (Voi Wildlife Lodge) and even the emergency number wasn't picked up. Communication during July (before departure) wasn't that great too.
We did finally got hold of KWSS and they provided us with another guide and bus as the minibus could not be repaired. We arrived at the airport and caught our plane back home.
But after all, we were VERY lucky. I guess they closed down right after. A lot of people write SCAM, FRAUD - I think they ran into a liquidity problem. Many had paid in advance (full or 50%) and that money was used on 'something' rather than lodges and park fee etc.
The guide made our trip and I would have given 4 stars, but I don't won't to lead anyone on to believe there nothing wrong with KWSS.
DE
35-50 years of age
Totally unreliable, very bad communication
It was really bad, they didn't answer. We can't do the tour, because they didn't pick up us, the car was in service. They said we can also do the tour a day later or do it only 2 days, but we booked 3 days.
That's no way!
DE
20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Horrible
We are so sad about our Safari with this Organisation. Our honeymoon was an desaster. Ann promised a lot, but it was expensive for a holy shit trip. We booked a safari for five days in Kenia and we got three times to go safari. Our driver was drunken vodka on the drive, smoked a lot of cigarettes and fliped it out in the nature of the Nationalparks and filmed the street while he drove our jeep. We had an accident with another driver on the safari in Tansania. After this we wanted to cancel the rest of our safari, but they didn't get money back. Horrible, horrible, horrible...
US
35-50 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Tour CANCELLED three weeks before departure
Save yourself the headache and do not book with this company. Without warning, I received an email from the company saying that due to "technical reasons" they could not provide services, our tour was cancelled,
and we would receive a refund in 90-120 working days. No replies from them when I asked for more detail. This was exactly three weeks before we were supposed to leave! As this seven day tour included all transportation, lodging and food, we now only had the plane tickets we booked ourselves.
Our trip was saved by African Breeze Tours, who rebooked everything for us in 1 day and have been incredible to work with! We're off on safari with them very soon.
CZ
20-35 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Follow up on awful February safari, Contacted by Lilian, turned out to be more games
I will be brief this time. We were contacted by Lilian who wanted to apologize for what she did. She was asking for forgiveness, that she had learnt her lesson. It really didn't mean much to us because the damage had been done, ruined safari, stuck with driver, all that, not showing up to the police station. She said she would refund the money in full on the condition that we remove the reviews so the group something was up. We told her at least half of the amount because we are not cruel people to demand the whole amount, and based on the circumstances of our ruined safari, we were being unbelievably fair. She went on about how hard things were and of course we are human and were ready to put in a word for her attempt to right the wrong. She offered to give 300 dollars to take down the reviews and for our group of 7 is 42 dollars per person. a fraction of what we had to pay extra on those few horrible days. We weren't gonna start haggling over how much lower we could go but the haggling started again. It was simple, pay the refund she wanted to pay then we put in a good word over the attempt to right the wrong. She mentioned she had a few clients coming in August and that would help her get the money for refunds, (That is the excuse she will use to let you believe she will fix things). She sent the 300 dollars and asked that we remove the reviews??That wasn't even what we had agreed on but then she said that in her own way it was "giving us the money for park fees". She then said her conscience was clear since she had finally given us the park fees.How absurd!!! The other twist was that she had the rest of the money actually and that she would pay it in full only if we removed the reviews. We were done with the games and we told her she could run her business however she liked. I said i would write this here to which i received the reply "I have an alternative I will just pay $300 and have a new website"."Write as many reviews as you can my dear". She has quite the taste for mockery. It seems she has done it again to other tourists so avoid Lians Travel.
IN
35-50 years of age | Experience level: over 5 safaris
Keep Off
We a group of 6 make an African safari almost every year and we got to know about this operator through internet search. We were happy initially as we felt the owner himself Mr. Denver Mbewe is dealing our travel arrangements, but the shocker came after our lower zambezi leg when we were supposed to fly from royal zambesi to Mfuwe for our South Luangwa, but Denver informed us at 9.30pm the before night that the flight is unavailable (not booked to save moneh) and so we need to drive to Lusaka. As we didn't have any other option, we were driven for 5 hours in roads riddled with potholes at break neck speed, starting at 2.30am!!!!!
We had a good time at South Luangwa and Mr. Denver struck again. He was trying to arrange a vehicle for us at 10am, for a trip to Nfesu which was supposed to start at 9am. Ultimately he got some money from us(not part of package??? ) and arranged a vehicle at 2pm.. Nfesu was great and Mr. Denver struck again to deliver the final nail on the coffin.... He had not paid the entrance fee to Nfesu sector with the park authorities and we were stopped for more than an hour on our way back and the park management was magnanimous enough to pardon us. This guy hasn't invested any money for his travel company and arranges with the money of the customer at the last minute to save money and this seriously backfires on seasoned travellers. So Keep off this guy / company? if you really wanna enjoy Zambia in peace
US
65+ years of age | Experience level: over 5 safaris
poorly organise and managed.
very poorly oganised, and managed.hotlel resevation asked for perticular lodge not provided.park fees not paid in advance also comunication was big problem. every where we went we have to call for reservation . also resevation done at wrong lodges. driver provided excellent custmer service. i would suggest before you go and paid deposit please make sure all services provided are confirmed and paid.