On Thursday March 30th, I booked a 9am tour on Tripadvisor.com for myself for a half-day visit to Robben Island that was scheduled for Friday, March 31st. As per the website, the cost was $104.18 and included a hotel pick up from my hotel which was within the eligible radius, a return ferry-ride to the island and a ticket for the tour. No contact info was provided. Soon after the online purchase, I got an email confirmation and the e-ticket. I did not however, receive any contact information about details of the hotel pick up. That evening, I got an email from Trip Advisor saying that I needed to meet "Enrique Chinyoka" at Cape Union Mart at the waterfront at 08.10am so that he could "give me my ticket for the tour." I emailed back immediately asking why I wasn’t being picked up from my hotel, as per my booking confirmation, and received an automatic
[email protected] response. As I was unable to speak to a representative from Trip Advisor prior to my tour, I got transportation (Uber) to the Waterfront. I went to the two Cape union Marts there in search of the representative who had asked me to come pick up my tickets, but was told by both Mart managers that they knew nothing of such an arrangement and that they had nothing to do with ferry tours of Robben Island. I frantically started running towards the ferries to see if I could find someone to speak to about which ferry I needed to take to Robben Island and was randomly stopped by a disheveled young man who asked me whether I was looking for my ticket to Robben Island. I responded "Yes" and he asked me whether my name was that which was on the printed tickets that he had in his hand. Although spelled incorrectly (an extra vowel), he was indeed holding my ticket to Robben Island. Confused as to the conditions under which I was receiving my ticket, I took it and he said he would lead me to where I was to take the ferry. Upon arrival at the building, the man sheepishly asked 2 visitors where people needed to line up to take the ferry to Robben Island! At this point, it was crystal clear that something was not right and that there was an issue with the ticket I had purchased. I asked him why he was unaware of the details concerning the logistics of the visit and he said the company was his father's and that he normally was not involved in handing out tickets nor showing guests the way to ferries. Once we confirmed that I was in the right queue, he left me. As I stood in line playing back everything in my mind, the official Robben Island signage caught my eye, and I decided to google how much tickets to Robben Island cost on the official website. The ticket for International adults costs the equivalent of $33 when I had been charged three times the cost of the ticket and was not picked up from my hotel. At that point, there was nothing I could do and I was furious. I showed my ticket to one of the Robben Island employees and he scanned my ticket, confirmed that I could get on the ferry and proceed with my visit, but quickly exclaimed that I had been charged an extra 1200 Rand (roughly $66). I am furious that this could happen on this site because I have always known Trip Advisor to be a site that provides accurate information about tours. I am requesting a refund of the difference of what I paid and what the ticket actually cost. I have all the tickets and emails that I can email to management. Very disappointing experience!