Conquest Vacations closes shop

[Doc Holliday]

Conquest ceases operations

Conquest Vacations has been vanquished by the economic downturn.

The 37-year-old company announced on its website today that it has ceased tour operations effective immediately leaving would-be tourists scrambling to get refunds on booked vacations.

A statement on the website blamed overcapacity and an ongoing price war among the major tour operators along with "unreasonable demands by the credit card processing companies."

The company also blamed the economic downturn for making it impossible for Conquest to continue in business, "even after weathering many storms over the past 37 years."

"Customers who are booked and paid using cash/check through a travel agency are requested to contact their respective agency who will assist you with respect to a refund or claim," the company states. "Customers who have booked directly with Conquest Vacations will be contacted or should they wish to contact Conquest, please email to [email protected] with a booking reference number."

The company advises anyone that booked future travel by credit card to contact their credit card company for a refund.

http://money.canoe.ca/News/Sectors/Consumer/2009/04/15/9122641-sun.html

 

[metoo4]

http://www.conquestvacations.com/

That's what's left!

 

[Ben Dover]

Has nothing to do with the economy.. that just pushed them over the edge. This is a dinosaur of a business that was on the road to failure for the last 10 years.


BD

 

[Doc Holliday]

Conquest customers stuck with resort bills

TORONTO - Several Canadians on Mexican resort holidays say they've been told by hotel managers to either pay a second time for their Conquest Vacations Inc. all-inclusive bookings or they'll be reported to police.

Toronto resident Bissoongai Seepersaud arrived at the Oasis Cancun resort on Saturday with her sister and their four children, and said the managers of the hotel were threatening to call police.

Seepersaud said the hotel told her "either they'll put me out or they put me in jail," she said by telephone from the hotel's lobby.

The problem developed after Conquest announced it was closing on Wednesday.

Seepersaud said the resort's management called her room and told her that plans had changed, even though her vacation was paid for before she left Canada.

"When I came down, they said we'd have to pay to stay here because Conquest went under," she said.

"Ever since then they've been bugging us to pay, pay, pay."

Unconfirmed reports have suggested that vacationers at other hotels were facing similar threats from management.

Hundreds of Canadians had their travel plans thrown for a loop when Conquest shut down without warning, blaming the credit crunch and price wars.

Vacationers who haven't left for their destinations have been promised refunds, and many are rescheduling at competitors.

But some said resorts were slapping them on the scene with surprise bills.

Seepersaud said she booked the week-long holiday using reward points accumulated on her TD Bank (TSX:TD) credit card, and paid for the remainder of the all-inclusive vacation. The bank booked the package through Conquest.

"I contacted TD and they told us to go ahead and pay," Seepersaud said.

Her concern now is getting the US$6,000 refunded.

TD Bank spokeswoman Kelly Hechler said that fewer than 100 of the bank's customers were affected by the Conquest closure, but that the bank is working to ensure their cases are taken care of.

"We are reaching out, calling them and assisting them with any other arrangements that they need to have made," she said.

"Everyone is going to be made whole out of this. No one will lose points or money because of what's happened."

http://money.canoe.ca/News/Sectors/Consumer/2009/04/16/9134241-cp.html

 

[hornypilgrim]

Hope they finger all the hotels doing this.

Moral of the story - down south, there ain't no morals. Only recourse left if if they finger all the hotels doing this blatant extortion so they lose enough business to make the rest wise up.

 

[Doc Holliday]

Moral of the story - down south, there ain't no morals. Only recourse left if if they finger all the hotels doing this blatant extortion so they lose enough business to make the rest wise up.

Other moral of the story: "If they know you're fucked, they'll do their best to fuck you ever more."

 

[metoo4]

One could reply: "Good idea! Call the police! It will save me the trouble of calling them myself to lodge a complain against you for attempting to extort me."

Seriously, this isn't the first time such thing happen and it's always the same: consumers are somehow left holding the bag. It's another of these situation where peoples complain the government try to regulate them too much but at the first occasion, they proove the government was right and they'll do whatever to cover their asses and employees/consumers are at the bottom of the priority list.

Conquest could have said "Ok, we're in trouble so we won't take new bookings from now on but we'll honor the current reservations for peoples already away. For the remaining customers, we will offer full refund. 15 days after the last customers are back from their trip , we'll close shop and declare bankrupcy."

Could "chapter 11" and it's Canadian equivalent allowed them to do this?

The law should be such that, as soon as a company make such declaration, creditors can't do anything till 15 days after the last customers are back from their trip. If the last customers coming back encountered problems while on vacation, their claim should be put at the top of the bankrupcy claim if it's not solved within 15 days of their return.

The law should also ensure the money paid by the customer goes 100% into a "holding" account" from the payment date until he's back. This would ensure money is avaliable for a refund. I know Québec already have something similar where a fund is constitued but it doesn't include the full payment so, it's usually not enough to cover a bankrupcy.


Yhea, I know, I'm dreaming...

 

[hornypilgrim]

Boycott em!

Cuba and Mexico, Golden Parnassus & Oasis.... http://ca.news.yahoo.com/s/capress/090418/national/conquest_vacations

But really, since all the government officials 'down there' are on the side oif the hotels, it really shows what that 'warm people, sunny weather, welcoming smiles' are all about underneath - that IS the culture down there.

Again, moral of the story - there ain't no morals 'down south'.

Self-disclosure... went and lived 3 months in a central/south american city once.... will NEVER go there again, now that I know more about what is underneath.

 

[metoo4]

HP, Nothing in the link you provides point at governments "down there" being on the side of these hotels. For them to do so would be totally ridiculous since their economy is largely based on tourism.

 

[hornypilgrim]

sorry, wrong link

http://ca.travel.yahoo.com/news/capress/090418/utravel/conquest_vacations_9

"Late Thursday, a group of Canadians staying at the Golden Parnassus hotel clashed with security guards when they tried to leave the premises after disputing their bill, according to one of the travellers.

Vacationer Christopher Lee said pushing and shoving ensued as the situation escalated and the hotel prevented them from leaving for the airport until they paid their bills.

"If we tried to leave they would physically push us back into the building," Lee said Thursday in an interview.

Four local police officers were called in by the hotel staff and the group of Canadians was forced to pay, he said. "

 

[metoo4]

Ha! That's good!

Hotel management at these places are plain stupid and don't realize they'll now loose way more than they would have lost if they would have kept their mouth shut instead of threatening customers. These management teams should get fired.

 

[daydreamer41]

http://ca.travel.yahoo.com/news/capress/090418/utravel/conquest_vacations_9

"Late Thursday, a group of Canadians staying at the Golden Parnassus hotel clashed with security guards when they tried to leave the premises after disputing their bill, according to one of the travellers.

Vacationer Christopher Lee said pushing and shoving ensued as the situation escalated and the hotel prevented them from leaving for the airport until they paid their bills.

"If we tried to leave they would physically push us back into the building," Lee said Thursday in an interview.

Four local police officers were called in by the hotel staff and the group of Canadians was forced to pay, he said. "

Mexico is a very bad place. Police run the joint.

 

[Regular Guy]

It is possible to voice your opinion!

Any who feel strongly can make their point directly. The following link gives e-mail contact information:
http://www.goldencancun.com/eng/Contact.html

Perhaps if they become aware that this story is all over Canada they just might begin to realize the PR nightmare they have created. Laying hands on guests is completely inexcusable-I don't care what the reason.

 

[Doc Holliday]

Mexico is a very bad place. Police run the joint.

.......and drug lords run the police.

 

[Doc Holliday]

Hotel management at these places are plain stupid and don't realize they'll now loose way more than they would have lost if they would have kept their mouth shut instead of threatening customers. These management teams should get fired.

I wonder if the same thing could happen if either Priceline and/or Hotwire went bottoms up prior or during a hotel stay.