[edited] DAE Thailand is Driving Me Insane

[kinghuang]

I've always had difficulty communicating with DAE Thailand, but my emails with them over the past week have been absolutely insane. They've somehow taken my request to double-check the AI fee at Grand Oasis Sens as instructions to cancel the exchange I made for Azul Fives months ago!

It all started last week when I emailed Grand Oasis Sens to confirm the AI fee for two adults, after seeing the property listed on the DAE website.

Hi,

I’m looking at doing an exchange to Grand Oasis Sens this fall in October to November. Can you confirm what the all-inclusive fee for two adults would be? DAE shows US$190/night.

Thanks,

King Chung Huang

The resort forwarded my email to DAE, and I got this response.

Dear Member,

I got this forwarded e-mail under the attention. Could you please inform the age of your child?
I will rehcekc with USA office about the all inclusives.


Regards,
(name #1 removed)

Children? Grand Oasis Sens is clearly an adult-only resort on both DAE's resort page and the resort's site.

Hi, I’m asking for 2 adults at Oasis Sens, no children. I believe Oasis Sens is an adult-only property?

Thanks,

King

So, DAE Thailand asks me to wait, then comes back with a long explanation about 2-bedroom units. And, tells me the AI fee is $192/person/night (more than double what the DAE website says), and to contact the resort for details (which is how this all started).

At this point, it's already been a few days, and I'm starting to get frustrated. I ask to confirm that they are saying the fee is more than double.

I’m very confused by this whole chain of emails. I only asked the resort to verify the AI fee for 2 adults. I don’t understand why you (DAE) then followed up asking me about the number of children, giving me the requirements of 2-bedroom units, and suggesting I contact the resort for details of the AI fees? Asking the resort for details is how this started!

Am I to understand from you that the AI fee is $192/person per day, more than double the $190 for two people per day specified on DAE’s website?

King Chung Huang

DAE Thailand comes back with more information about 2-bedroom units. I have no idea where this is coming from. DAE doesn't even list any 2-bedroom units available for exchange at Grand Oasis Sens.

Dear Member,

According to this all 2 bedroom units must have a minimum of 4 adults staying in the unit. We do have this reservation marked as 4 adults will be traveling. If there is not 4 adults traveling, the guests will still have to pay the AI fee for 4 adults.
You need to pay for 4 Adults.
Nov 1 - Dec 22: $192 this is per person per day fee. For more specific questions regarding AI fees, the guest would need to contact the resort as they do not provide us with detailed information for these fees.
Then you need to pay 192 USD per person per day fee.

Regards,

(name #1 removed)

I decided to give up at this point, and just email the resort again.

I don’t understand this insistence on telling me about 2-bedroom units. I did not ask for information about a 2-bedroom unit, nor are there any 2-bedroom units available for exchange! The site lists HR/2 units available, which is what I based my question on. And, I still don’t understand why the quoted fee is more than double the fee on the website.

I will attempt to follow up with the resort, as I originally did.

King Chung Huang

Hi,

Can you please verify the all-inclusive rate at Grand Oasis Sens in a HR/2 unit for 2 adults? I do not understand why my original request to you was forwarded to DAE. They are now instructing me to follow up with the resort for details.

DAE’s website says the AI fee is US$190/night for 2 adults. DAE's representative (see email chain) is saying it is US$192/night per person (more than double). What is the actual AI fee for 2 adults in October or November at Grand Oasis Sens in a HR/2 unit for 2 adults?

Sincerely,

King Chung Huang

Meanwhile, DAE continues with more confusion!

Dear King Chung Huang

Thank you for your email.
As I check from our history, we found that you request book 2bedroom / 4 +2 pax (You can see more information in the file : Bonus Week Booking P5065689)

Note:
1. we don't have any unit available for HR/2 unit for 2 adults as your request.
2. According to this all 2 bedroom units must have a minimum of 4 adults staying in the unit. We do have this reservation marked as 4 adults will be traveling. If there is not 4 adults traveling, the guests will still have to pay the AI fee for 4 adults. You need to pay for 4 Adults. Then you need to pay 192 USD per person per day fee.

From all information above, I will cancel and refund the booking fee to you (USD153.3). If you not accept to pay extra charge for 4 adults so please cancel booking with us within 27 Aug 2015. If so we understand that you accept to pay the fee directly with resort. After 27 Aug 2015, this booking can't change and non refundable anymore.

Best Regards
(name #2 removed)

Now, I'm really confused. I haven't made any booking at Grand Oasis Sens, and I have no idea what this new agent is offering to cancel. Since it's 1 AM for me, I just sent this in response.

What? No! I simply asked for the AI fees for 2 adults at Grand Oasis Sens. What booking fee are you referring to? What are you offering to cancel? I don't understand why a
2 bedroom unit keeps being brought up! The DAE site clearly shows only HR/2 units at Grand Oasis Sens. Why is this so difficult?

King Chung Huang

Sent from my iPhone

Seven hours later, I wake up to find they've canceled the exchange I made for Azul Fives! WTF!?! How did my request for information for Grand Oasis Sens get interpreted as cancelling an exchange I did months ago at a totally different property and month?!?

Dear King Chung Huang

Be informed that normally we will not refundable booking fee for all bonus week. But this case we give you as special as you misunderstand our resort information. So we will cancel this booking for you and refund money back to you. Because your booking is “Azul Fives a Gourmet Inclusive Hotel / 2 Bedroom unit on 14 – 21 Nov 2015” The condition of this resort is “2 bedroom units must have a minimum of 4 adults staying in the unit. We do have this reservation marked as 4 adults will be traveling. If there is not 4 adults traveling, the guests will still have to pay the AI fee for 4 adults. You need to pay for 4 Adults. Then you need to pay 192 USD per person per day fee.” Although, you have 2 adults but if you not cancel booking so you must pay fee for 4 adults. You must pay directly with resort because this is resort’s fee, not DAE fee.

Note : The DAE site clearly shows only HR/2 units at Grand Oasis Sens, I’m not sure where do you find this resort as I not found any unit as you inform.
However, for avoid the problem you can cancel “Azul Fives a Gourmet Inclusive Hotel / 2 Bedroom unit on 14 – 21 Nov 2015”, and then you can consider another unit on DAE website later. If you not cancel so this is mean you willing to pay the extra fee for 4 adults when you check in.

Best Regards
(name #2 removed)

[deleted]

Why is my booking at Azul Fives being brought into this? At no point have I asked for anything related to my existing booking at Azul Fives, nor for you to cancel this booking. I only asked for you to confirm what the AI rate at Grand Oasis Sens would be for 2 adults!

Do not cancel my exchange for Azul Fives.

King Chung Huang

 

[Ask DAE]

Why be like that using such bad language?

I'm really sorry for your frustration and at the same time disappointed to read bad language in this public forum. "F" is for fun, friends and family, nothing else with DAE.

Would be so much easier to simply ask for a person to call you to confirm the details of your confirmed reservation. You are indeed CONFIRMED (original confirmation back in May 2015) into the Azul Fives Resort in a two bedroom unit (which will accommodate the four people travelling) with a check-in date of 14 November 2015 and check-out 21 November 2015. This original reservation still stands and has never been cancelled. If you have any further questions, let us know and one of the Team can call you.

Francis Taylor

 

[DeniseM]

kinghuang - The pseudo-profanity that I edited out of your post is not acceptable on Tug.

You spent an enormous amount of time writing the post - wouldn't it have been more logical to just pick up the phone, and call DAE directly, for a fraction of the time and energy?

 

[kinghuang]

kinghuang - The pseudo-profanity that I edited out of your post is not acceptable on Tug.

You spent an enormous amount of time writing the post - wouldn't it have been more logical to just pick up the phone, and call DAE directly, for a fraction of the time and energy?

I apologize for that. My bad.

Phoning is difficult, as I'm in Canada now, but the account is with DAE Thailand. The time zone differences make emailing much more convenient. However, it is very frustrating trying to communicate with the Thailand office by email. I often have great trouble getting them to read and understand my requests.

 

[kinghuang]

I'm really sorry for your frustration and at the same time disappointed to read bad language in this public forum. "F" is for fun, friends and family, nothing else with DAE.

Would be so much easier to simply ask for a person to call you to confirm the details of your confirmed reservation. You are indeed CONFIRMED (original confirmation back in May 2015) into the Azul Fives Resort in a two bedroom unit (which will accommodate the four people travelling) with a check-in date of 14 November 2015 and check-out 21 November 2015. This original reservation still stands and has never been cancelled. If you have any further questions, let us know and one of the Team can call you.

Francis Taylor

The point, which you seem to have also missed , is that I did not ask about my Azul Fives reservation at any point in this whole conversation. I was thinking about doing an exchange for the Grand Oasis Sens, and wanted to double check on the all-inclusive fee. This has nothing to do with the exchange that I made and confirmed many months ago for Azul Fives. And, for DAE to offer to cancel the Azul Fives exchange as a response to my inquiry makes absolutely no sense.

 

[Jimster]

DAE

There is a perfectly good DAE office in Phoenix. Why don't you call them?? I am sure they can contact the Thailand office on your behalf. I rented through DAE to Thailand and had no problems.