Location/place: Chennai
Name of company/service: Southern Travels
Beware not to pay for troubling you.
Congrats Southern Travels! For being successful in cheating us.
Tour Name: Chennai – Tirupathi – Chennai (One day)
Date of journey: 24th Feb 2011 on Thursday. Ticket Pnr. No. 990220220114954265 Ticket no. EBK046580
Numbers we contacted: 044-25385253; 044-25364864; Mobile: 09841040906 And Customer care executive: Mr. Murali his number: 044-45126271
Travelled Bus Registration number: MH 43 H0210(Maharastra Registration bus)
Driver: Mr. Balaji
I am one of the unfortunate customers of Southern Travels. We had a pilgrimage tour to Tirupathi for our baby’s first hair shave. After surfing on internet we found southern travels very attractive and opted for it. But, we were wrong. It is a fraud travel agency. They didn’t meet any of their promises.
Southern Travels Ticket for Rs.900/- included Volvo bus journey, with Rs.50/- darshan, Tiffin and lunch, padmavathi temple darshan and return by 10p.m . Before booking the ticket we called them for confirmation if the amount was correct as all other travels were charging a minimum of Rs.1150/- . They explained that on Thursdays heavy rush will not be there and are going to take us for Rs.50/- darshan, that’s why their fare was less. On other days due to heavy rush they are charging Rs.250/- extra. This information is not available on their website. So, please make sure of all things before you book the ticket.
We had to follow up 5 to 6 times before journey took place about the timing and pick up point. But they were very wage in responding.
Finally, at 9.30p.m they gave us a false reason that the bus mirror was broken and said they will arrange a Tempo Traveler and the said pickup point was also cancelled. Having no choice we have accepted that and travelled to the main bus boarding spending another Rs.250/- taxi fare. But, they didn’t even provide the tempo traveller, to our shock they took us in a very old stinking small bus of some third rate travels with Maharashtra registration vehicle. This took 5 hours for us to reach Tirupathi from Chennai for 150k.ms. as they took us on small uneven roads to avoid toll free amount and to escape from RTO officials for running Maharastra(other state) registered vehicles.
They took us to a very bad mass hotel for Tiffin. Here they have changed the vehicle from old bus to brand old sumo for reaching Tirumala from Tirupathi since the their bus not allowed to the Tirumala hill. There was the other shock waiting. They have returned Rs.50/- and asked us to take Rs.300/- ticket for sheegra darshan as the timing for Rs.50/- ticket darshan is closed. At that timing, even after taking Rs.300/- sheegradarshan ticket we had to wait for 4 hours in the queue which was a hell to stand carrying the child.
After that they took us back to the bad old hotel for lunch. But, there was no lunch at 5.30p.m. They didn’t even organize before we reached there. With another disappointment they have offered us the morning left out chilled idlis as if we were beggars. After some fight and half an hour waiting they prepared chapattis with some bland curry and one sour dosa.
Then we were taken to Padmavathi temple and they left us there saying that driver was going to get the bus back in half an hour. By that timing ticket counter was closed and we came back in 5 min and waited outside thinking the bus to come back in half an hour. But the bus didn’t turn up even after 2 and half hours. When we called up to the office he was very reckless and least bothered about our suffering and hanged up the phone 2 times yelling at us. Here he made a clear point Rs. 50 darshan was impossible and agreed that it was a false promise. One of our co-passenger was about to go to police station and was called by another passenger saying that the driver has come back. Just imagine our situation after standing for 4 hours in the darshan queue and standing for other 21/2hours in a new place with bare foot at 9.30 pm in the night. There was no guide in the tour.
We started back at 9.30 pm and reached Chennai at 1.30 am from there it took us 1 more hour to reach home.
I’ve opted this for my child’s convince. But, this didn’t happen and upon that we have added lot of suffering for her because of southern travels. She starved the whole day without the food as she didn’t like the bad food of the hotel.
Even after all the pain the southern travels didn’t even bothered to apologize. Their executives want their job safety and the management only money. Business will not stand on false promises.
I am registering this in consumercourtforum.in, mouthshut.com and southerentravels websites. So that the other people will not suffer like us. And also I am sending mail to all my friends, colleagues and relatives to be careful in not choosing southern travels.
Thanks,
Murali
9884382363
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