Review for Iconic Travelers
I recently booked a Europe trip through Iconic Travelers, and it turned out to be a complete disaster. From the moment we landed in Amsterdam, the issues began. Our transfer was missed because the agent, Shaan Saifi, booked the time for our transfer at the exact same time our flight was landing. Despite informing them immediately, they did nothing to rectify the situation, and we were stranded at the airport.
The problems didn’t stop there. The agent provided incorrect addresses for our pick-up points, leading to further confusion and missed connections. We were constantly calling and reminding them, but nothing was resolved, making our trip a nightmare.
We had 5 pieces of luggage, but the agent only listed 3 medium bags for all our transfers. We ended up paying extra to transport our luggage at every stop, despite repeatedly asking the agent to correct this error.
In Paris, we missed our train to Switzerland because the transport booked by the agent did not arrive on time. This resulted in us having to purchase new tickets out of pocket. Furthermore, they shared the booking details for our Eiffel Tower trip but failed to provide the actual tickets. After an hour of arguing at the counter, we were forced to buy new tickets, and the agent only agreed to refund the missed transfer and the Eiffel Tower tickets after much hassle.
In Belgium, our trip to Mini-Europe was mishandled due to the agent’s lack of knowledge about the excursion timings. They then changed our itinerary to a Hoppy Tour, which was essentially just a book reading tour and not what we wanted or expected. The agent had no idea about the details or activities of the tours they booked.
We had a terrible experience at the Belgium railway station where we were denied boarding because we didn’t have valid tickets or assigned seats. Despite paying for the tickets, we had to beg the train manager, show our passports, and explain our situation. This was incredibly humiliating, especially with kids in tow, and we had to stand the entire way.
Despite requesting to stay at Thon Hotel Central, they booked us at Thon Hotel EU without informing us, which was far from the central location, costing us additional taxi fares. In Lucerne, Switzerland, we were denied breakfast at our hotel because it was not paid for, even though we had been charged for it.
At Titlis, our Swiss pass was not properly issued, forcing us to wait in long queues to get our tickets sorted by the agent. Throughout the trip, we experienced significant mental trauma and inconvenience, ruining our vacation.
After returning home, we requested a refund for the services not provided and the service tax charged on them. The agent, Shaan Saifi, is now refusing to honor the commitments he made before and during the trip to refund our money. He is manipulating the amounts and refusing to refund us, stating he will only refund once he receives the money from his agent.
The language he used during our conversations was threatening and unprofessional. He sounded like he is an expert at fooling his clients and even said, "Dekh lunga, mera kaun kya bigad lega" when we asked for his address.
Moreover, while booking the package, he charged us an exorbitant amount for excursions, and now during the refund process, he is quoting half the price he originally charged. This malicious intention will ruin his future business. If my money is not refunded, I will not spare him.
Iconic Travelers, under the management of Shaan Saifi, is by far the most unprofessional and rude travel agency I have ever dealt with. They have no knowledge about Europe travel or how to book train tickets properly. I am considering filing an FIR and taking legal action if they do not refund our money. I would strongly advise against using their services.