Awaiting a refund for a canceled Vantage cruise

Q: Back in 2019, I made a reservation for me and my wife to go on Vantage Travel’s “Croatia & Culinary Gems of the Adriatic Coast” tour. Other members of our family were also planning to join us on this trip. I made the final payment of $20,655 for our trip in October 2019.

As part of the cost of the trip, I paid $999 per person for a“cancel for any reason”travel insurance policy from Trip Mate. Part of the reason I had booked it was in case my sister-in-law’s cancer returned. Unfortunately, it did, and she died before the trip.

In early 2020, we canceled our tour and initiated a refund request through Vantage Travel. I also submitted a claim to Trip Mate. Because of the pandemic, Vantage canceled our tour before its scheduled departure.

Trip Mate reviewed the claim and approved it in mid-2020, but said payment would be made by Vantage.

I have emailed Vantage multiple times and have made several phone calls. Twice on those phone calls, a representative provided the projected dates of when we would receive a refund. However, we have not received any refund or a written assurance as to when we will receive one. Can you help me get my $20,655 back?

— David Maddox, Arlington, Virginia

www.elliott.org/companycontacts/vantage-deluxeworld-travel/. A brief, polite email to one of them might have “un-confused” the process.

Bottom line: You should not have to wait years for a company to refund your purchase.

I contacted Vantage on your behalf, and it refunded your cruise.

Christopher Elliott is the chief advocacy officer of Elliott Advocacy, a nonprofit organization that helps consumers resolve their problems. Elliott’s latest book is “How To Be The World’s Smartest Traveler” (National Geographic). Contact him at elliott.org/ help or chris@elliott.org.