ComplaintsforHatch River Expeditions

• Initial Complaint

  05/11/2022

  Complaint Type:

  Product Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  I went on a Grand Canyon raft trip with Hatch River Expeditions on June 21, 2021. Prior to signing up for this trip I discussed hiking with the phone answering employees multiple times and was told I would get to hike about 2-3 miles a day, even if it is very hot. Some people would not want to hike, however those that wanted could every day and the people that did not want to hike did not have to. Also, they sent numerous emails before the trip asking me "to get in shape to be ready for your hikes." Then after I pay and I am on the trip they told me we would NOT get to hike every day.

  

  Business response

  05/20/2022

  Guest S. booked and participated in a 7 Day Full Canyon Motorized Trip with Hatch River Expeditions that departed on June 21, 2021. Prior to the trip, Guest S. was provided with a trip packet describing what to expect and how to prepare for her trip. She also received email reminders in the months before her trip calling out important parts of the packet including preparing physically for rafting, camping, and hiking in the harsh backcountry environment of Grand Canyon. Guest S. further discussed details of her trip over the phone with our office staff.
  
  At no point in any of these materials or conversations was Guest S. promised a certain number or length of hikes. The stops made on each trip vary substantially based on a number of factors including environmental conditions, fitness of the group, crowding, and staying on schedule.
  
  During Guest S’s trip, there was a heat wave for which the National Park Service issued an excessive heat warning that made it unsafe to go on long hikes that did not have sources of water nearby. Instead, the trip’s guides elected to emphasize side canyon hikes and stops near cool water sources, to mitigate the risks of hiking during extreme heat. After her trip, Guest S. responded to a Hatch evaluation survey stating that her trip did not hike very much and she felt the pre-trip materials were misleading.
  
  Owner, Steve Hatch, spoke directly with Guest S. regarding her evaluation. He reiterated that no promise of a number or length of hikes was ever made and discussed in detail the need for our company to prioritize guest safety above all else. During this conversation, Guest S. requested a partial refund of her trip, and her request was denied. Hatch did not hear anything more from Guest S. and considered the matter resolved prior to receiving this BBB complaint on 5/11/22, nearly one year later.
  
  No part of our policy allows for a refund or partial refund due to unfavorable conditions on a trip. Guest S. is not entitled to any refund.
  

  Customer response

  05/31/2022

  Please re-open the complaint so I can reject the business correspondence 

  because the business is not being truthful.
  

  
  

  The office staff that answered the phone did tell me I would get a chance to

   hike every day. I was told we would not go to Phantom Ranch so 

  I specifically asked, will I still get to hike that day? The employee 

  said "yes the guides know lots of places to hike and they 

  can easily find another hike". I asked again if I would get to hike 

  every day even if it's hot and the employee said "YES". 

   

  I attached the Trip Overview with information about hikes. After reading 

  about the hikes I called Hatch and asked how much we hike and was told 

  every day. 

  
  

  I do not think the staff answering the phone should be telling people 

  this. I am not the only one being told we hike every day because other people

  on the trip discussed it.

  
  

  

  Business response

  06/01/2022

  This complaint has already been addressed. See the message from Hatch River Expeditions on 5/20/22. 

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