Firm told to compensate for cancelling Dubai tour

Forum President Sneha Mhatre and members Madhuri Vishwarupe and N D Kadam found fault with the Ratnagiri-based tour operator Saffron International Holidays Pvt Ltd, and said there was deficiency in its services as it had not intimated the tourists about the cancellation of the tour. In their complaint, the ten claimants from three families informed the Forum that it was in December 2012 they had booked a Dubai tour to be undertaken between May 15 and 18, 2013 and also made a payment of Rs 20,618 each which included service tax also. 

After the payment of the booking amount, the tour operator obtained the photographs from them on several occasions for getting the visa. However, he never got the visa and also did not pay any heed to their queries about the tour. 

Finally, they were informed that the tour had been cancelled and they would get their money back in October 2013 which was never refunded and hence the complainants had to approach the Forum seeking compensation. In the complaint, they claimed an amount of Rs 20,168 paid as advance and interest at the rate of 10 per cent for the period December 2012 to June 2014 (when they filed the complaint) and also Rs 10,000 as compensation for mental suffering and Rs 5,000 towards legal expenses to each of them.