Review Time
We booked a 23 day Africa safari tour with AVG Travels in December 2024, to travel in October 2025. When we booked, we enquired about flight upgrades and an early arrival, and were told these could be accommodated but to talk with them in April when the flight bookings were open.In April 2025, AVG Travel’s price to upgrade flights was more than double the price we could buy the flights outright, so we said we would book our own flights. We just needed AVG to confirm the tour was going ahead before we booked – which they would not. After several weeks of hesitation and offers to move our booking to a later date (that we could not do), they finally cancelled the tour.We then spent the next 2 months chasing for a refund. While we paid all progress payments when they fell due, and AVG Travels had no outgoings, their ‘policy’ is that refunds won’t be processed in less than 30 days – even when they cancel the tour. Unfortunately, they do not even do it in 30 days! We had over 30 phone calls, 20 emails and endless hours of pain, stress and frustration dealing with this company. I’m sure they were just hoping we would give up. (They even asked us if we would take ‘a reduced amount’ to get the refund processed!) We will never even consider any dealings with them again.In our experience:• They cancel tours.• They inflate prices – a cheap deal to get you in, and then gouge you for everything once they think they have you captured.• They don't return calls.• They are just straight out dishonest.• The only person you can deal with is your particular consultant. If that person is sick or away, no-one else can help. We are so glad our trip was cancelled because if we needed help when overseas it would have been an absolute nightmare. • If there are problems or disputes, there is nobody you can elevate the issue to - just keep dealing with the same agent you are having the problem with.• If forced to make a refund, they procrastinate, make excuses, delay, make promises and do everything possible to avoid paying.• When refunds are due, you cannot talk with their accounts department – apparently even their own staff cannot talk with Accounts, but can only message them. • It took us over 30 phone calls, 20 emails, enormous stress, threats and endless patience to even get our deposit back, and more to finally get all our payments. Most others would have just given up...
I'm back to write another review. Unfortunately last year I booked 2 tours with AVG Travels. China in April, which was cancelled and a long battle with the company to receive my refund, and Sri Lanka for July 2025. I have just been notified that the tour is cancelled, and again I have requested a refund as I have already booked my flights to go to Sri Lanka, and I need the money to pay for another land only tour in the time I have booked my flight for. I am travelling this time on my own and feeling quite stressed to get this organised. I've been advised I'd be waiting 30 days to get the refund, however I'm sure they can process this quicker for circumstances like this. Paul Nicholson advises me through email he is not "Superman" and cannot make this happen as he does not work in Accounts. Paul will not take my calls even though I have tried 4 times in the past 2 days. I cannot believe this has happened to me again, and I need to go down a long process to get my money. I will be contacting Consumer Protection and A Current Affair as there are many complaints regarding customer service and people receiving their refunds back.I should not have to wait 30 days or more to receive a refund of money that belongs to me due to their cancelling of trips.UPDATE: David Dao - CEO of company has compensated the issue and apologised. He has assured me that my itinerary will go ahead as scheduled (at a loss to the company) to regain my trust in the company. I will do a review again after the holiday to advise customers of the outcome.
Under Dao’s leadership, the company has grown significantly, becoming known for its high-quality service, attention to detail, and commitment to customer satisfaction. His strategic vision and dedication to excellence have been pivotal in the company’s success and its reputation as a leading provider of immersive travel experiences beyond just Asia. IF ONLY THIS WAS TRUE.Dear David The above statement is on your Website. Unfortunately, your Company is struggling to provide commitment to customer satisfaction. I booked a 14 Day Endless Japan tour, it was a disaster. Every hotel was changed and the hotels were not similar or comparable. All the hotels were not in the tourist areas and it at times was very difficult to find places to eat because we were literally in the middle of nowhere.Example - Hiroshima Airport Hotel - 50 minutes from Hiroshima Hotel 2 places for dinner the Airport (OMG) or the hotel, HOW CAN ANYONE EXPERIENCE JAPANENE FOOD AND CULTURE if we are stuck in the middle of nowhere. I accepted the hotels would be around 10-20 minutes outside of the tourist areas but not in the middle of nowhere.Our tour was a group of 6, it was like we were the forgotten 6 sent to hotels in the middle of nowhere and given a tour guide which could not speak English and had very little knowledge of Japan. Maybe David Dao should change the wording on the website to this is a Non-Transparent Non-Communicating SCAM.
Rating: ★★☆☆☆ (2/5)We booked a “Flights Included” tour, but were advised 28 days before departure that our flights had been cancelled. We were given three options: delay our trip, cancel, or proceed on a land-only basis. As this was our honeymoon and we had pre-approved leave, postponing was not feasible. We chose to continue and paid for our own international flights at a personal cost of over $2,900 — nearly five times the partial refund we were offered (which took nearly two months to receive).Communication around this issue was confusing and stressful both before departure and after our return when we sought clarification. We were initially told all Australian travellers were affected, which we later discovered was not accurate.The land component of the tour was well-organised, and the local guides were knowledgeable and helpful, particularly with language support. The itinerary included high-pressure shopping stops, which are common for this tour style. The land tour alone was a solid 3-star experience, but the unresolved flight issue and poor communication significantly impacted our overall satisfaction.We hope our experience encourages improved transparency and customer care in the future.
I booked a 17 day Vietnam small group tour as surprise birthday trip for my husbands 50th birthday, it would be 2 adults and a 15 year old.We were told there would be 12 people in our group. We flew into Hanoi and were picked up by a driver and taken to a hotel that appeared to be well out of the tourist area. It was in fact a 10 minute taxi ride to the city area where most tourists stay.We were picked up the next morning for our transport to Halong Bay where we were to spend the night aboard a boat with our tour group. There were 24 people in the tour group (double the advertised and confirmed amount). Upon arriving at the harbour we were then told we would be joined by 14 other people from another group. We now had 38 people on board a ship that originally was meant to be 12. The first night our rooms were ok, the second time however, the floor in our room sagged and I was worried we would actually fall through and our sons room smelt strongly of urine. We were not able to change rooms.When our booking was made, I was very clear that our son had a disability and would need to stay in a room on the same floor, preferably close to us. ( The tour company advised there was no triple share rooms so he would need to stay in his own room at an additional cost). I had advised our booking consultant who was a direct employee of AVG that due to his disability he would not be able to climb up onto a bunk in a sleeper carriage for the train to Hue. I was assured this would not be a problem. We arrived at the train and we were told by our tour guide, that it was tough luck about our son, but he didnt have a choice he would need to go on the top. The other person in our group could not climb up either, and she was told the same, climb up too bad. She ended up going and finding another carriage and paying additional money to the staff on board.We arrived in Hue on the sleeper train and taken to our hotel, a 2 or 3 star hotel with no facilitiesI asked our tour guide about a money changer in Hue as the hotel rate was very low at 1400, and the street/bank rate was 1600. He said that the bank was a long way away and he could offer 1500. I said no thats fine, tell us where the bank is, it turns out the bank was 300 metres around the corner from the hotel. I didnt like the idea that he appeared to want to take advantage so I gave him the benefit of the doubt.However, I was under the impression that we were paying for guides that were there to assist and help. The other traveller in our carriage on the train became very unwell and needed to be admitted to hospital and our guide just gave her directions to catch a cab. She was in hospital for 3 days with Influenza A and remained very weak for the rest of the trip. At no time did he check in on her. When we arrived by coach to Hoi An, we were taken to a place of accomodation that does not even have a star. The beds were broken, the curtains were torn, the bathrooms flooded and there was no restaurant nearby and it was in the middle of nowhere, they said the pool and gym were being repaired. A google check revealed the pool has been under repair for over a year. Several guests complained to their travel agents and we were moved the next day to a lovely hotel that was about a 15 minute walk from the city of Hoi An. I emailed our consultant Paul regarding the dismal accomodation but never received an answer. They also tried to put our son and us in separate hotel buildings and when I objected our guide told me to just deal with it.I asked our travel guide Hoang about organising something special for my husband on his 50th birthday, and he said he could help. He told me it would cost 1 million VND for the hotel to help decorate it for me. I accepted this amount. I went to see Reception about paying the money and they told me that it was no charge, it was their pleasure to help celebrate. I made sure twice that this was ok, as I was happy to pay. Both times I was advised it was no charge. On the morning of my husbands birthday we went out and I keep receiving messages from Hoang about the money.He keep saying I needed to leave him 1 million VMD in an envelope or the hotel would not be able to decorate. I told him I had sorted with hotel, and he asked for the money again. It was not until I told him they had said no charge did he stop messaging for the money. I cannot believe how dishonest this man is.Our flights were changed and we were split up some on Vietnam Airlines and some on Vietjet, the ones on Vietjet were delayed by 10 hours. We were taken to a hotel in District 10, where there are no facilities and no one speaks English, and a 20 min taxi trip to District 1.We value honesty above all else and found that this tour did not provide what was promised, there was no follow up and the employees are dishonest and would steal from the guests if given a chance
AVG have major issues with financial management. I paid one of my payments twice in error (payment gateway) in December 2024 and am still waiting for my refund in May 2025. Another family on my tour was also owed a significant amount. This lack of trust worthiness unfortunately overshadows a reasonably good trip. My advice … Do Not use this company.
Steer away from Asia Vacation Group! It's a scamAdvertising for 10 day Incredible China. The trip was only 9 days in China not 10 days.If I have to do it again, I would take my money to a full 10 day China tour supply by others, such as Flight Center, Tripadeal...Very low quality, unorganised tour. Hotels located very far away from the center. For example, It took our bus 2 hours drive from our hotel in Shanghai to Shanghai CBD. Tour guiders confirmed that there's nothing to do around the hotels where we stay, so that, all of us should buy optional tours.Older people and little kids beware! Constant extremely late checkin. During first day in China, we have checked in the hotel in Beijing at 1:30am (yes 1:30 in the morning of the second day). It meant we didn't do anything on the first day.On other day, we checked in at hotel in Wusi at midnight, 00:30am. Bullet train arrived on schedule at 10:40pm. We had to wait 45 mins under the rain to wait for the bus coming to pick us up.Took money, did not provide the service. We bought optional tour at the same time with booking in Australian. When we were in China, local tour said they didn't received the money for those optional tours. We had to pay again. They promised a refund when we got back to Australia. After almost 2 months, no refund has been made.
DO NOT BOOK WITH THIS COMPANY!!!!If I could give a ZERO rating I would. AVG travels canceled our tour as they could not 'secure flights' three weeks before we were due to travel! We paid them fully in Jan of 2025. We were told in mid March that we would receive a refund within 30 days....6 weeks later and NOTHING!I am beyond frustrated - they have our MONEY and no refund appears to be processed. When you ring, you speak to a different person every time. ALL WE WANT IS OUR MONEY BACK AS WE HAVE RECEIVED NO SERVICE FROM THEM!!!! We have been patient and reasonable - but it is now beyond a joke and we are contemplating taking legal action as they are in serious breach of Australian Consumer Law!
I have travelled with other travel agencies before, but AVG disappointed me. Firstly, they changed the travel dates just a few weeks before the trip, which caused my son to cancel his plans to travel since the new dates conflicted with the start of school. Secondly, most agencies provide the itinerary immediately after full payment, but AVG requires full payment at the time of booking and only sends the itinerary weeks before departure. Why is there such a delay? China was a wonderful, beautiful destination, but our experience in Beijing was disappointing. We were forced to purchase an additional tour of the Hutong villages, with the guide insisting it was a must-see, claiming we would see a river and visit poor families. We weren’t interested in this, and upon arrival, we only visited one family—wasting our money. The guide’s poor time management also affected the tour, as no lunch breaks were scheduled. Things improved when we moved away from Beijing and joined a new guide, David. He was well-organized and made the tour more enjoyable. We felt more engaged and had a better experience. However, we noticed that more time was allocated to paid attractions like the Pearl, Silk, and Jade factories, encouraging us to spend money, while free attractions like the Great Wall of China were given less time. Overall, I am not very pleased with the agency’s organization and planning.
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