JOHOR BARU: A couple’s dream to see the breathtaking sights of Jiuzhaigou in China turned into disappointment when the tour they signed up for never took off despite having paid RM14,000.
The couple’s 27-year-old daughter, known only as Wong, said her parents had been looking forward to the nine-day, eight-night holiday with two of her aunts.
“They booked the trip in November last year through a local travel agency recommended by a neighbour.
“It was an attractive deal priced at RM3,599 per person, which was advertised as RM1,000 cheaper compared to what others were offering,” she said when interviewed.
Wong said she advised her family to reconsider as the price was too good to be true, but since their neighbour claimed to have travelled with the agency without issue before, they decided to go ahead.
In December, her parents and aunts paid RM14,396 for the trip that was scheduled for April 19.
After months of anticipation, it was only on April 4, about two weeks before departure, that Wong’s family members and more than 20 other participants were added to a WhatsApp chat group.
The organiser promised to share their flight details three days before the trip.
Bad news came on April 13 when the agent informed them that the trip would be postponed due to some issues.
“The departure date was pushed to April 24, but that day also came and went without any updates,” she said.
Her parents then asked for a refund, and the agency promised to return the money by May 19.
“We later found out through social media that other customers, including those who signed up for trips to Tibet and Vietnam, also faced similar issues.
“Some said they had paid over RM10,000, while others claimed they were pressured to accept last-minute price hikes or risk losing their bookings,” she added.
One of Wong’s aunts also transferred RM2,000 to the tour organiser under the impression that they could help her get a good currency exchange rate.
Wong accompanied her parents, two aunts and three neighbours to lodge a police report on April 26.
She also found out that many others had faced similar problems with the same agency.
“Many of those affected are senior citizens who were excited about travelling to China now that there is a visa-free policy.
“I hope more people will come forward to lodge police reports so that the agency can be held accountable,” she said, urging consumers to do thorough checks before committing to seemingly attractive deals.
After Wong posted the story on social media, others also shared similar experiences with the same tour organiser.
Johor police chief Comm Datuk M. Kumar said a total of 34 police reports have been lodged against the travel agency involving a value of RM338,080.
“The victims who had purchased the travel packages felt they were scammed after the tour operator could no longer be contacted.
“We are looking for two women – Low Siew Hwa of Taman Nusajaya Mas and Lim Zhi Xuan of Bukit Indah – to assist with investigations,” he said.
The case is being investigated under Section 420 of the Penal Code, which carries a jail term of one to 10 years, caning and a fine for cheating.
Meanwhile, Malaysian Chinese Tourism Association’s Johor chapter chairman Edwin Tay reminded consumers to be cautious of unrealistically cheap travel packages.
“In this case, the advertised package was about 30% to 40% lower than the market rate.
“The agency in question is not a member of our association, and checks revealed it is not registered as a travel agency and its business address is at a residential unit,” he said.
Tay advised consumers to verify travel agencies through the Tourism, Arts and Culture Ministry website at https://www.motac.gov.my/semakan before making any bookings.
