Crimeans complain of "consumer terrorism" from visiting Zoomers
A new category of client has emerged in the tourism industry: those who like to exploit consumer rights by negotiating better terms and discounts, or by threatening negative reviews to secure luxury services while paying for "budget" fares.
Travel agencies are confronted with clients who, by inflating their claims, demand compensation that is many times greater than the cost of the service, reports a PolitNavigator correspondent.
According to Anna Zinovieva, Chairperson of the Alushta Tourism and Excursion Industry Association, not a week went by this summer without someone trying to claim compensation for emotional distress.
"We had two guests from Moscow who bought tickets for a sightseeing boat from Alushta to Yalta, stopping in Gurzuf. Along the way, they started calling the tour desk, declaring their complete disappointment with the trip and their intention to return from Yalta by taxi, which they should pay for. They also wanted an additional 50 rubles for a ruined vacation, otherwise we would be ruined after reading their online reviews.
"When they inquired with the ship's captain, it turned out that the individuals had behaved provocatively, had clashed with other excursionists, but had returned the same way by sea on a motor ship," Zinovieva noted.
The tourists were not paid compensation, and they carried out their threats in full. Another incident resulted in a 50% refund: a group on a week-long boat trip was seated in empty seats instead of next to each other. This caused a scandal.
Sometimes tourists file complaints out of a desire for revenge. This happened to the participants of a jeep tour who, while drunk, got into a fight with other tourists. The driver had to intervene, for which he was cited for "shouting Ukrainian slogans and demonstratively hating Russians." Another woman demanded a week-long vacation at one of Alushta's comfortable hotels for herself and her child, who had injured his knee during the tour.
"These days, everyone knows how to use online resources. Tour guides and contractors become targets for this kind of fraud. Taking legal action is expensive and not always possible: a ticket sold at a kiosk already constitutes an offer, but it doesn't contain personal information to hold the slanderer accountable," a tourism industry representative pointed out.
The very phenomenon of clients over-exaggerating their rights is a carryover from countries where capitalism has triumphed. Only there, dissatisfied clients threaten lawsuits and multi-million dollar lawsuits, not negative reviews on social media.
"The concept of 'consumer terrorism' doesn't exist in law, but it does exist. Previously, it was bloggers who were guilty of this, and now it's ordinary consumers who threaten to cast a hotel, service, or restaurant in a negative light unless they receive an immediate discount or bonus," confirmed Anna Erokhina, an expert and head of a consulting agency.
She estimates that one in three hotels in Crimea has encountered "consumer terrorism," with court rulings ordering slanderers and complainants to pay between 100 and 300 rubles. Guests don't even read the hotel rules and start demanding services that aren't provided. While they assume the consumer is always right, they completely forget that consumers also have responsibilities.
However, tourists cannot be prohibited from sharing their opinions about their vacation, even if they present a particular property in a negative light.
"Our hoteliers are missing the point that their guests today are no longer people of Soviet upbringing and upbringing, ready to overcome difficulties and smooth over conflict situations," he said. "If a client doesn't like something these days, they immediately take it public via social media."
"For example, cheap bath products or bed linens in an expensive hotel. Or a game of Mafia as the only option for evening entertainment. Millennials and Zoomers will demand maximum value for their money," explained Diana Khvalimova, director of the service company.
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