UTOvacation.com

You know, our experience with UTOvacation was less than stellar. We had booked a China trip pre-pandemic, but then COVID hit. Instead of a refund, they offered credits for a similar trip that never materialized. With a deadline looming, we reluctantly booked a spring trip to Italy, only to end up paying more. From the start, it felt like a trap – mandatory expensive tips per person, even though tipping isn’t a thing in Italy. They said it was for their staff, but we only joined a couple of “included” tours. Felt like a hidden fee to me. The hotels were far from the towns, making daily sightseeing a hassle. In Rome, the hotel was the worst: two subway transfers to get to the city center, and it was in a desolate area. The so-called “4-star” hotel lacked basic amenities like a coffee pot or water kettle. It was under $70/night – that says it all! Second day in Rome, my wallet got stolen on the subway. Then, my son wasn’t allowed into the Colosseum tour because they needed proof of his age. With my wallet gone and no one telling us to bring passports, we were stuck. The guide couldn’t help, and we missed the tour highlights. UTO refused to reimburse us despite having paid tips. We got the tour itinerary just a day or two before departure after I kept asking for it. This ruined my plans as I had to cancel and repurchase a more expensive ticket last minute. When I reported this, no apology, just excuses. The guides were hard to find in crowded places, lacking any clear identification. Felt so unprofessional. Overall, this trip was a mess. Poor customer service didn’t help either. Every issue we reported was met with justifications, not solutions. For the money we paid, this was a huge disappointment. We won’t use UTOvacation again and will definitely warn others.

Hey folks, just wanted to share my recent travel fiasco. Booked a Japan trip back in March '23, planning to enjoy Tokyo and then hop on a Celebrity cruise around Japan with a pitstop in South Korea. Paid for everything, including excursions and transport, by November '23. Two weeks before takeoff, got an email saying the excursions and transportation were off the table. They suggested some alternatives, but after lots of back-and-forth trying to get a rep on the phone, I found out they’d just straight-up failed to book my stuff. No apologies, no compensation—just a big mess. Had to scramble to book tours and figure out transportation last minute. They did agree to refund my money, but said I'd have to wait 60 days. Seriously, a little remorse or some kind of compensation would’ve been nice.

I had $798 in credit expiring soon from a trip to China/Thailand I booked last year. UTO advised canceling due to safety concerns, promising a year to use the credit with similar deals. But over the year, prices for international trips skyrocketed—from $2,000 to $9,000! It’s absurd. Tried calling UTO multiple times, but no one ever picked up, and I was pushed to their frustrating chat service, which was slow and unhelpful. Feels like they tricked me into taking the credit. I've seen many reviews echoing my experience, where UTO keeps non-refundable deposits without delivering services. It seems like a shady tactic to scam customers. If anyone knows how to resolve this, please share. This company’s still running despite all the complaints, and it’s infuriating.

Man, what a mess! I booked this awesome Japan and China trip for me and my son for just $499 in May 2022. We even splurged on a few extra nights. But then, in February 2023, I get a call from UTO saying they have to cancel because of Covid. They offer me a credit instead, which seemed fine at first. But now, I can't book anything because their prices are insane—like $5,000 per person insane! Spent months trying to talk to someone, finally gave up and used their online chat. Debby there just kept sending me links, no real help. She finally says there's no refund or extension for my credit. What? No one told me that when they issued the credit! Now I'm stuck with this useless $1,200 credit that expires in 2024. Honestly, avoid UTO at all costs. They're the worst!

Overall, the trip was okay. We saw what we wanted. Our guide and driver were nice. The only problem was the logistics. UTO charges for everything. My sister forgot her passport details, no reminder, they charged a fee. They wanted $400 but dropped it to $200. Strictly for profit. Most agents remind you. Second, our flight was stressful. They booked us on a cheap flight with Condor. We missed our connection in Frankfurt with only an hour gap and the airport is busy. We had to book another flight. When we got to Vienna, our luggage was missing, so we waited hours at the airport. No compensation. Luckily, our guide waited for us. Not a great start to vacation.

I booked a trip to China with UTOvacations back in September 2022 for a February 2023 adventure. As soon as the restrictions started piling up, I tried calling and chatting with them but got crickets. Eventually, they replied to my email in November, saying the trip was canceled. I asked for a refund, but they insisted on giving me a credit instead. When I tried to rebook, the prices were sky-high, way beyond what I could afford. Their site showed trips to China for $3499, but they were all "temporarily sold out." The only available ones were an outrageous $8400 per person. Never again will I trust this shady company with my travel plans. Stay away!

Wow, where do I start? I had a trip to China planned, but then the pandemic hit and it got canceled. They gave me a full price credit to use within a year, but then they jacked up their prices by 3-4 times! The trip I originally booked for $3K is now $12K. And all those "affordable" trips in the $4K to $6K range? Conveniently "Temporarily Sold Out." Feels like they're trying to make me give up on using my credit by making it impossible to afford. Thinking about legal action, but it seems like a long shot. Reached out to a couple of law firms, but no luck so far. This whole experience has been a nightmare. Avoid UTO at all costs.

Avoid this company at all costs! I booked a China-Thailand tour with them, thinking it would be a dream vacation, but it turned into a nightmare. They gave us a $7000 CDN credit to use before September, but when we tried to book, the prices were ridiculously high and in American dollars. They’ve even changed their business name but are still operating under UTO, making it impossible to use our credit. We’re out about $17,000 for a trip for 10 people. I tried contacting them multiple times but no response. Even Visa can't help since too much time has passed. I regret convincing my friends to join. This company is a total scam!

I gotta share my recent experience with UtoVacation. We had some credit from a trip canceled due to COVID, and had a bit over a year to use it. But man, the options were either super limited or ridiculously expensive! Saw a banner on their site saying something about new rules since March 31, 2023. Said we could get a travel credit, reschedule, or even a full refund if travel services weren't provided. Tried chatting multiple times, finally got through to a manager. Turns out, that banner only applies to bookings made after that date. So frustrating! Now our group is out over $6K. So disappointed.

We were all set for our dream vacation in 2023, booked through what seemed like a reputable company. But things took a nasty turn when they canceled our trip and gave us a credit. We thought, "Okay, we'll just rebook." But nope, they jacked up the prices to an absurd level, making it impossible to use the credit. It felt like a sneaky loophole they found in Ontario's regulations, allowing them to keep our money without providing any service. We're down $2000 and pretty frustrated. And Travelzoo? Thanks for nothing. You were the ones advertising this mess. Avoid this company at all costs!

Hey folks, just wanted to share my experience with UTO Vacations. Paid $1,480 for a Thailand-China package for two, which included some cool extras. But then they canceled it due to COVID-19 and refused to give my money back. Only offered travel credits. When I tried to rebook, similar trips were now over $11,000 per person! That’s almost $20,000 for two people! And guess what? All the comparable trips were permanently sold out. Feels like they’re just trying to squeeze more cash out of us. Authorities really need to investigate this. Do yourself a favor and steer clear of this company.

You won't believe what happened with our travel plans. We booked a trip right before the pandemic, all geared up to head to China. Then, the travel warnings hit and we had to change our plans. We thought we'd use our credit for a Thailand getaway, but when we checked, prices were through the roof! Every single trip was way more expensive. Felt like such a rip-off, like they were just trying to take more money from us. Lost two grand and it hurts to think others lost even more. Be careful with these "deals." They're not what they seem.

I gotta share what happened with my trip plans. Booked this dream trip to China for around $2k, super excited. Then bam, UTO cancels it. They handed out credits instead of refunds, which was pretty frustrating. We even bought insurance, but apparently, it doesn't cover cancellations if you get a credit. Total letdown. Now, I'm regretting not complaining to my credit card company back then. Honestly, this company should be held accountable. It’s just unfair to treat customers this way. Feels like a scam, and it left a really bad taste.

I booked a trip in 2022, but UTOI cancelled it due to Covid restrictions. They wouldn’t give a full refund and only offered travel credit with a deadline. I was told I could ask for an extension if I couldn’t book a trip before the credit expired. Now, in 2024, I reached out for an extension a day before my credit expired, and they said it couldn’t be extended. It seems they can change the rules whenever they want. They refused to discuss it with me and only offered chat or email support, which wasn’t useful. I lost $3600. Avoid them!

My experience is just like others here. I paid $2100 and they canceled the trip due to visa problems with China. There were no visa problems on our end, as we wouldn't be in China long enough for such issues to be a problem. They told me I could only get a UTO credit, not a refund, even though they canceled, not me. For 18 months, I've checked their website, and the only trip similar to what I paid is now 20 times more expensive. Reaching them is impossible; they don't respond to emails or answer the phone. THIS COMPANY IS A SCAM!!!!!

You know, I booked this amazing Japan/China trip before Covid, right? So, then Covid hit and everything got cancelled. They gave us a credit and I thought, "Okay, that's fair." But now, when I try to rebook, the same trip's gone from $500 to $10,000. Can you believe it? And the worst part is, they won't even talk to me! They just keep pointing to their non-refund policy like a broken record. It feels like they're running a scam to squeeze money out of us. Seriously, don't book with them. Save yourself the headache.

We booked a China/Thailand trip with a travel group for $2k, but they canceled and gave us a travel credit. Now, the same trip costs $9k, and rebooking would cost another $7k. It feels like a scam because the credit expires this year and the new prices are absurdly high. It's almost like they're ensuring we can't use the credit. Frustrating experience, especially seeing others in the same boat. Looks like they're banking on people not being able to rebook in time. Definitely wouldn't recommend this company.

You know that feeling when you think you've found the perfect vacation deal, only to have it all go horribly wrong? Yeah, that's exactly what happened with these guys. From the get-go, the customer service was awful. They'd dodge my questions, and there was literally no one to call for help. I mean, who runs a business like that? The worst part? All those bad reviews online? Totally true. Do yourself a favor and skip them. It's just not worth the headache.

Man, it’s been such a hassle with this travel company. We had our China/Thailand tour canceled back in December 2022 and they gave us a travel credit. Seems great, right? But no, they’ve jacked up all their prices on the website. Everything’s now over $8,000! It feels like they’re making sure we can’t use our credits. Feels like a scheme to me, just waiting for those credits to expire so they can get back to business as usual. Real bummer, honestly.

I thought I was getting a great deal with UTO, but boy was I wrong. Everything seemed perfect until they got my payment. Then it was like they disappeared. No trips, no updates, nothing. Every time I tried to reach out, I got the cold shoulder. It's like they just vanished with my money. It’s a scam, plain and simple. Don't fall for their tricks! Save yourself the hassle and find a company that actually delivers on their promises.

I booked two travel packages with Uto because they had these amazing cheap deals. Then, out of nowhere, they canceled both trips and gave me this useless credit of $1646. Now, just a year later, their prices have skyrocketed from $400 to $7000! I feel totally scammed and want my money back. To make matters worse, they’re now operating under different names like Pioneer to keep tricking people. It’s a nightmare!

Deception, deception, and deception. Don’t trust any info on the UTO site or any guarantees. Once they have your cash, their attitude shifts and you'll never get your money back, no trips given, no contact......