It's an annoying thing that gnaws at the heart of
a diver who has to cancel a trip: not getting your
deposit back, even if you cancelled far in advance
of the start date. It hurts even worse when the dive
operator gets full fare from someone else who took
your vacated spot.
Subscriber Ralph Bishop (Ithaca, NY) wrote us to
complain about Big Fish Expeditions, a dive trip outfitter
based in British Columbia. He had booked a trip to
Scotland to dive with basking sharks, but had to cancel
due to unforeseen retirement. Even though Bishop canceled
more than six months in advance, Big Fish did not return his $500 deposit. "This despite the fact that
the trip is sold out already, and doubtless they will sell
my place," he says.
Unfortunately, Ralph, I checked the Big Fish website
and in its FAQ page, it says the deposit is nonrefundable
and non-transferable. Truth is, I myself
hate these kind of rules, but they are everywhere in the
industry, and regardless of whether they resell your
spot, the rules are clear. I think it's a black mark on the
industry, but that's what we as travelers face. It stinks
and we're stuck.
However, for the rest of you, Big Fish has one
spot left on its July 12-18 Scotland trip to see basking
sharks. Big Fish won't say whether that's Bishop's old
spot, but it's now up for grabs. Try not to cancel.