UTO Vacations reviews and complaints

UTO is a SCAM. Don't get sucked in and lose your money.

My wife and I were excited when we booked a China/Japan tour. We had it planned to leave in 2022. COVID happened and delayed our tour. Then we rescheduled for March 2023. Same thing - COVID required cancelling. Now I am trying to book for 2025. Nothing but expensive add ons - ALL OF THE INCLUDED COST ACCOMODATIONS AND AIR FAIR ARE NOT AVAILABLE - requiring us to pay expensive upgrades for hotel and flights.

UTO is Bait-And-Switch.

So right now, I have a $3294 credit to use before 09/02/2023 or I forfeit my money. I'm certainly not going to invest more money with company knowing that if something gets cancelled, delayed or whatever that they get $3294 plus whatever else I pay to get a trip. So, this is probably an expensive lesson / loss. Cheaper to give up the deposit/credit than to pay more money and chase it.

FYI - I had travel insurance. Insurance would not cover the cost because trip was cancelled by UTO and they gave me credit. So don't think travel insurance will cover you with UTO.

BUYER BEWARE - YOU WILL BE RIPPED OFF.

I currently have some 3k on travel credit. This was from when I first booked in 2018 for a 2020 China package. When I tried to get money back, they are giving me a lot of excuse. Even when I told them about a friend who got their money back, they refuse to give me the same courtesy, saying different package different policy excuse.

I know the pandemic is not their fault, and I even tried to work with them for a 2022 Barcelona and 2023 China. But in both case, the trip was cancelled. And each time I call, I am given the same message. Policy is Policy crap, and everything is non-refundable.

They even tried to get me refer friends. How can I referr any friends knowing this is how they treat me.

Booked in july 2022 for a trip to China & Japan in November 2023 , made a deposit at date of booking and final payment in February 2023, and no news from UTO since then, no info about the flight, hotels...until late july this year , we decided to call UTO to confirm everything and be informed that our trip has been canceled because we didn't upload our passport in time they demand( 150 days before departure )

Here's what they replied to us :

"However, by the due date, you didn't upload your passport copies, and therefore we considered you are not planning to go this time.

Additionally, because the Tripadvisory level has become level 3 since June 2023, we have customers decided not to go and postponed their trips to later dates."

If we didn't call them that day, we never know that our trip has been canceled!, we filed a complaint to the company (UTO) and asked for full refund, they just can offer us a credit for the future trip, no refund.

Now they have our money ( group of 10 pers. more than $10K) since 12 months and we don't have our trip !

I paid in full of a China Japan tour in 2019. UTO Vacations cancelled the trip due to covid and forced me to take a travel credit. I then used the credit to book a Oct-2023 10-day China tour. In Feb-2023, they emailed saying China restricted trip to 5-days and offer me a cancel and refund choice, which I selected. They called me saying they would only give me partial refund if I cancel. I had to keep the trip. They said would call me when China visa situation changes. The last email I got from them in early March asking us to wait for their advice when China visa situation changes. I never got email nor phone call since then. In early July, I called them asking about the tour. They told me since I didn't pay $6 balance, I can't be added to the trip. No one emailed me nor called me to let me know the trip CAN take place and no invoice for $6 payment. Then they offered to reschedule me to next year with the same price. But when I got the invoice, it's one day less and I am asked to pay $98. I called and sent them my original trip. Then I still got one day less and I am asked to pay $498.

Booked a trip to China in 2021 for October 2023. I called to make final payment in February of 2023 and was told to wait until China opened up for visitors who would be staying more than 7 days. After no communication, I called back in June to be told we could go not go on the trip since we didn't make our final payment on time. It seems the trip to China was never actually going to happen. Their "fix" was to allow us to use the money we had already paid as a deposit and partial payment toward a MUCH more expensive trip. Beware and steer clear!

This company is unethical. I signed up for a $299 China Buster deal in the midst of covid that was to happen in 2023. We selected a more favorable date and and added a side trip so it brought up the price up and I put down $1,200 deposit for the 4 of us. They canceled the trip and are only willing to issue a credit. I requested a refund, and they said "No. Read the fine print. We keep your deposit even if we cancel the trip". I was willing to take the same trip in the future, for the same dollars, but they said sorry, the trip is now 4 times the cost I signed up for. I would advise to stay far away from these thieves that stole my $1,200. They have given me nothing in return. They have outlaid no $'s themselves. Not sure why they do not just return my money and do the right thing? I did not cancel the trip and I did not decide not to go. I received an email from UTO stating my trip was turned into a credit due to the situation in China. This was not my choice. When I contacted them about this they said that I can use the credit for future travel. I told them I only signed up for the trip due to the pricing and timing of the trip. I cannot, nor want to do any of the other UTO vacations and the pricing of the trip I signed for is now far greater than I originally contracted for. I have spoke to several representatives in the organization and they refuse to issue the refund. They say I can only have a credit towards another trip. The terms of the contract state "An alternative departure date will be offered for no extracharge." I asked for an alternative date at the same price and was told that is not possible. They said that the deal may happen in the future so until then I need to pay the higher rate or wait. The current price of this package is close to $2,000 per person more than what I paid. $8k total more on a $4.5k trip. My deal was favorable due to the timing of my purchase (Mid-covid) and now they are reneging on my deal and trying to force me to pay more for same package. I am seeking for a full refund of deposit as UTO has not fulfilled the original contract and are failing to replace the trip at the same rate I originally signed up for. They took my money and are now canceled my reservations and are demanding I pay more for the same trip. All I am asking for is to have my deposit returned as they are the ones that changed terms and pricing of the itinerary for the same trip.

BEWARE. It looked like such a good deal. We booked in Nov 2022 for a trip in Nov 2023. Per documentation (we have copies) last payment was supposed to be May 2023. One month (April) before last payment I contacted them to get status on visas process. They claimed they had sent an email in February (that email was never received) and was told that I was dropped by the list and couldn't go to the trip (I have the chat conversations). They didn't even had the courtesy to send an follow up or send email to let us know we have been dropped. The are claiming that I "cancelled" the trip by not responding to that email and refuse to return our money. The would not admit that they cancelled us. BEWARE of this company. I have traveled to China before with another company and those deceiving practices were not used. Search the internet for other similar scams from UTO. Report them if you are one of their victims. They have been suspended by their local BBB.

We needed to cancel 82 day in advance as they don’t even have all our paperwork and have not issued any d comments. We paid $798 extra for worry free travel but find that it is of no value. I just want a refund or credit for the future but the refuse and say I have lost everything. My travel partner has a best friends child who has been waiting on donor one marrow and has had 3 unsuccessful matches. We are not comfortable traveling right now as we need to be here for this child and they don’t care. We paid $3000 + $798. I don’t know what to do next. Traci Coffman

I booked this trip two years ago and paid my deposits totally $299 in good faith. I rescheduled due to Covid. However, due to China’s Zero covid policy, the war in Ukraine and numerous other issues, I decided to cancel my trip.

I requested a refund as this company, despite their policy, DOES issue refunds. However, when it came to me, they decided that they did not have to. They said that I could not cancel and receive my refund. We went back and forth and I told them I wanted to cancel but wanted my refund.

Today I get an email from Carmen notifying me that she has canceled my trip without my authorization and that I would not be receiving a refund. She also threatened to charge additional fees to my card unless I replied and stated not to. Last I checked, companies did not get to unilaterally cancel trips, to keep the monies paid to date and to steal money from customers for services not rendered.

Stay far away from this company.

I purchased a vacation package to China for 7 people from UTO vacations. After giving them two deposits, they cannot deliver on the promised vacation. They are refusing to refund my money, and instead are trying to get me to change my dates. I don't want to change my dates. It is hard enough to get 7 people to coordinate a trip. They are trying to say that they are entitled to keep $299 deposit per person, but it is they who cannot deliver on the trip.