Mazada Tours

My wife recently took a tour with Mazada from Tel Aviv to Jordan. On the return, they simply dumped her at the border where there are no facilities.

Their excuse? They said she was late crossing the border!

In fact, she was the first in her group to finish the approximately half hour border crossing procedure.

Then they said she was returning to Tel Aviv, the others to Jerusalem... as if that makes her responsibile for their Tel Aviv driver leaving her like that!

Beware of Mazada Tours.

George

Hi Georges, welcome to the forum I hope you will like it here.

I am located in Israel and I think it is forbidden to leave people behind at the border when registered into a travelling group.

Do you have more info on this and can this be confirmed?

We have filed complaints with the credit card company, and also with the Israeli Board of Tourism (who haven't responded).

She did obtain transportation (for an extra $50) to Jerusalem, from where she found public transportation (sherut service) back to the Tel Aviv area where we were staying.

Mazada Tours has been reported by the Jerusalem Post to be in violation and have been investigated and given a chance to improve. However, it looks like they are not improving...

George

Well, it is good to be warned about them then. I never heard heard of negative complaints about them. I hope they will reinstitute your wife

Well it's definitely sad and unjust to see one of the typical
"Paranoid Americans" like George, slandering a reputable Israel-based company like MAZADA TOURS, when he loses his argument with both the Israel Ministry of Tourism and his Credit Card Company!

This company is well known here and provides safe and reliable services on a daily basis throughout the Middle East....
If you legitimately lost your claim, please spare us the badmouthing as ISRAEL has enough to deal with nowadays!

This company is well known here and provides safe and reliable services on a daily basis throughout the Middle East....

That was also my impression. And I have never had complaints when using their services. However,


it could very well be that he is right, no?

why not approach the case individually and explain what happened and who was right and who was wrong and why?

Mazada Tours returned my wife and another couple to the Beit Shean crossing after a tour in Jordan. She got through first and found her ride to Tel Aviv area had already left. The ride for the other couple was to Jerusalem, and for an additional $50 she managed to get a ride there, then returned to Tel Aviv by public service.

Mazada Tours insists it was her fault as 'she was late'. In fact, she was with Mazada Tours arrangements at all times, and completed the crossing procedures ahead of the others, so it is not possible that she was late, except by responsibility of Mazada Tours and their arrangements.

Mazada Tours spokesperson also pointed out to us that the they considered her late, as her ride for Tel Aviv was 'different' than the ride of the other couple to Jerusalem, hence again, she was late and at fault for not arriving in time to meet it. Note that Mazada Tours is responsible for all such arrangemetns, and are simply trying to pass blame to an the victim. It was totally up to them to make the arrangements; there was absolutely no delay on the part of my wife.

Further, it seems that there may have been deliberate agreement by Mazada Tours and their drivers to try to coerce an extra payment. They were fully aware that there are no facilities at the crossing, and she would be forced to accept whatever transportation was offered. In fact, the 2nd driver made a u-turn to return her dump her at the border again when she thought she should not have to provide further compensation... she had already paid Mazada up front.

So.. beware of Mazada Tours. Google them and see if there is any history of problems with them. We had a bad experience, and also realize that it could possibly be an isolated incident. However, isolated or not, it was still Mazada Tours at fault.

Yep. The way you describe it happened they sure were at fault. I hope you will be reimbursed and I understand after such experiences you wouldn't want to make use of their services again.

I never heard complaints about them, but this sure is one.

Funny how George seems to handle all the vindictive measures while his wife, the victim (?) is silent......is she just a little shy or insecure???? There are even plausible scenarios that could have occured such as she missed the ride and he was called away and then came back for her perhaps only to find that she panicked and decided to take the Jerusalem bus??
Do you want us to believe that there was NO transport sent to fetch her from MAZADA TOURS??.....Please, George, talk to your wife who might also have been in "paranoid" mode and in this part of the world, we too carry cellphones....why didn't she contact the office on someone's cellphone??

I find it disturbing to hear George persist in making accusations that were refuted by large official bodies as the Israel Ministry of Tourism and Credit Card Company!!!
Advice..............and STOP BADMOUTHING THIS REPUTABLE ISRAELI COMPANY!!!!...(in the "second person"!

Post edited by: JaFoEv, at: 2008/03/04 12:39

OK...
1. Our information is the Tel Aviv ride left about 15 minutes prior to her arriva. The Jerusalem ride remained and took their clients to Jerusalem, and my wife got a ride with them.

2. The Jerusalem driver refused to permit her to use his cell phone... he said the battery was low. She did reach me on her cell phone, and as you know, I proceeded towards Jerusalem to meet her in a private vehicle. I did, however, miss a turn on HWY 6, and ended up twards Beer Sheva ... my wife took public transport from Jerusalem to Tel Aviv area and I found my way back also...

3. We both visited your office in Tel Aviv, but the manager was unwilling to discuss the matter with us. He said he was fully aware of all circumstances, and insisted that my wife was at fault for 'being late'. As pointed out, this is incorrect since she actually crossed the border faster than the remaining people in the same group.

4. Our best understanding is that the Tel Aviv driver was either mis-informed or had other pressing business, so left early without his passenger. Since the office manager was 'fully informed' we can not understand why he did not instruct the Tel Aviv driver to wait, as he should have known precisely what time the group was returned to the crossing on the Jordan side. After all, the Jerusalem ride did wait.

5. I would also mention that the tour was to have an 'English speaking' guide. You might check your records and note that the tour guide at Jaresh appeared to be Jordanian/Italian but did not speak English, and the so called English speaking guide at Petra chose to let the group wander around under their own without providing guidance. I have not complained up to now about these items, as we can expect some imperfections. However, dumping a client in the dark at the border as Mazada Tours did in this case, is quite unacceptable.

So potential clients of Mazada Tours, beware! Google them and see if they have lived up to normal standards... Check the Jerusalem Post, the group to Egypt... To be helpful, here is a clip:

"Jerusalem Post - Mazada Tours to lose license for taking clients for a ride ... Advertising themselves as "Middle East experts," Mazada Tours offers a "

..........


please stop this -

Post edited by: JaFoEv, at: 2008/03/04 12:50

Yotamre, no matter if a client is late or not late, the ride should wait for her/him. Those are the regulations - You don't just 'leave' your clients on their own, specially not when they have paid up front for the services you provide.

I once in Paris forgot my passport at the hotel and the touringbus we were as a group using for the whole trip took a U-turn and the coach with the whole group in it went back to the hotel to pick up my passport (from the safe at the reception). A THREE-HOUR endeavour.

This is what gives travel agencies good names: their service.

Still this is the first complaint I heard about Mazada. However I would appreciate it if you wouldn't try to sweep it under the carpet. A travel agency is a service extending line of work and instead of being so agressive towards your former clients it would show a lot more character to understand this.

Who can certify here if it was the ride who didn't wait for the client or rather the client that didn't wait for the ride??????

With all due respect, this George is badmouthing an Israeli Tour Company which in turn has an impact on ISRAELI TOURISM in general.
He is also receiving the story 2nd hand as he sent his wife on this trip alone, right??....abandonement???...I really don't think so and Americans do enter into a "paranoid" syndrome rather easily, especially concerning the Middle East.

I simply don't think it's fair of George to seek revenge with intent to damage an Israeli image on the Internet because he lost his claims with the higher authorities.

PS- I heard a story of a young woman who lost her US passport in the Paris Metro and when she returned to inquire, it appeared that a drunk found it and gave it to the ticket cashier! ...but France is not the Middle East.

Now the client should wait all night for a ride? It was already late, and the Jerusalem ride was fully aware that the Tel Aviv ride had left. The Jerusalem ride said there was no one at the office any more to call. I think your Jordan side ride simply returned everyone somewhat later than expected to Bet Shean. The Tel Aviv ride elected to leave, and the Jerusalem ride decided to make an extra $50 US.

Like every where I know, there are good and bad in Israel. This is not the first tour, nor the first visit to Israel we have had, and we have now experienced good and bad.

I cry out a warning to others that Mazada Tours does not protect the interests of its clients, but prefers to abandon them at dark border crossings.

This is in return for the Israeli lady who warned me as a young man visiting Israel who saved me from being ripped off by a Sheister at a market in Israel go. She was an example of good in Israel and took care of me.

Thanks to the moderator who has edited some of your obscene comments, similar to the comments you have written about us to others... to our credit card company, for example.

Okay, let's get a few things straight:

Yotamre: to complain about a company isn't the same as to complain about a country. Please refrain from making this comparison. Also, the manner in which a company applies his customer services is more telling than the mistake it made. Politeness speaks louder than excuses to get out from under responsibility.

Also: "Americans do enter into a "paranoid" syndrome rather easily..." is the same as saying 'Jews do enter into a "paranoid" syndrome rather easily..." and then it would be called antisemitism - so please refrain from generalizing individual matters into clear cut racism. I won't stand for that.


George S. - you said: "I cry out a warning to others that Mazada Tours does not protect the interests of its clients, but prefers to abandon them at dark border crossings." -

Perhaps your personal experience was bad, but opposite that are maybe thousands of clients that have been very satisfied - so don't go overboard by condemning a whole company, by the (bad) experience you had.

Amen. 'A soft answer turns away wrath' it says in the Good Book.

My trip to Egypt arranged by Mazada Tours turned out to be a rather awful experience. While already in Egypt, I found out that the second half of the trip I was to travel completely alone. I did have a guide every day (for the whole of 4-6 hours), but the rest of the time I was left to my own devices. It was quite unpleasant and at times downright scary. To add insult to injury, I specifically requested Efraim the travel agent to make sure that I stayed with a group at all times, and he assured me that that was going to be the case.
Also, they charged me extra couple of hundred dollars for using a credit card. That too I had not been informed about until just prior to the commencement of the trip.
Do get all the specifics in writing if you choose to deal with this agency, but, better yet, stay away from them.

I had some major problems with my trip to Cairo, using the travel agency Mazada

I had my holiday from the 10/5/09 to the 24/5/09. I bought the tickets about 3 weeks in advance for these dates. I was assured by the stuff of Mazada that the bus is going (already 28 years as they told me, every Sunday and Thursday), the secretary put me on the computer on the 10/5. When I came home, I saw there is no date on the ticket and phoned the office. The same secretary told me, she forgot to put the date on the ticket, but everything is OK I am on the list for the 10/5. Three days before my trip I phoned to Mazada office and was told that the bus is not going on the 10/5, and I had to make my travel alone to Cairo.
( I repeat I phoned them, I didn't get any message from them even though they had my phone number !!!!)
When I asked for part of the money back, they told me they are not responsible, if the bus is not going. I have no date on my ticket, so I have to go with them when they have a bus.
The owner got angry and I almost got the feeling, it was my fault that the bus is not going.
.
For returning from Cairo to Tel-Aviv one should contact the "Misr travel" agency, which is responsible for the bus of Mazada from Cairo to Eilat.
While in Cairo I tried to find the "Misr travel" agency in the Sheraton Hotel, as it was written on the ticket but there was no any office of them in the Sheraton (at least I couldn't find one). By luck I found one of the workers of the Sheraton, who told me they moved to the Piramisa hotel. The phone number of "Misr Travel" on the ticket was wrong (only 6 digits instead of 8 in Cairo, so there is a small chance to find them).
The people in "Misr travel" told me I have to confirm the bus back 3 days before the returning date, cause till this time they are not sure if the bus is going at all.

The guy responsible for the minibus back from Cairo to Eilat charged from each tourist 15 US Dollars, telling us it is for the immigration. I know there is nothing like this for the Egyptian immigration. When I asked him in the end for a receipt, he could not give me any and just wrote on my ticket that he charged 15 Dollars.
Till now I have no idea if they should charge this money or not.
While back in Israel, I phoned Mazada tours for asking about the 15 Dollars, as usual the owner got angry with me and told me it is not their responsibility, what the Egyptian are charging.

I got the feeling Mazada tours is not taking responsibility for nothing, they are happy and treat you well till they got your money, after this if anything goes wrong it is not their business.

So if anybody wants to buy a ticket with Mazada, please consider that you could get the same experience I had. Either you don't have a bus from Tel Aviv in the date you closed or you don't have a bus back from Cairo, or maybe both.

The easiest way to do this trip is going from Tel-Aviv to Eilat (you could get the visa in the Egyptian embassy in Eilat, about 30 minuites), take a taxi to Taba (about 10 minuets from the bus station of Eilat) cross the border and take the bus from Taba to Cairo.
There is a bus at 10:30 arriving at Cairo at about 16:00 (much better time than if you took the Mazada bus, which arrives at about 22:00), the whole trip will cost you about 35 US Dollars and at least you can define your dates of going there and coming back.
I made this way and I think it is quite safe, there are a lot of Egyptian police stations and barriers in the way and it looks like they really take care.

Ran ---
Mazada was responsible for the worst vacation of my life, but I was able to recoup some money paid to them by disputing their charges with my credit card company.
Incidentally, those who are yet to deal with Mazada, keep in mind that the amount they tell you they are charging you credit company card is considerably lower than the one you will actually see on your credit card statement. In my case it was almost $200.