Way to Russia Talk Lounge

hunter001 · Just Starting Joined: 19 Oct 2007 Posts: 8

Please beware intergroup used to trade as connect russia. they robbed me and others of $1000s and ruined holidays for loads of people and they are now trading as intergroup (same address and telephone number)
check out the reviews on this website now. type connect russia in and read the horror stories.

why way to russia have let him trade again on they website is beyond me as i still have not received my $1500 they stole

thank you

WayToRussia · Posted: Thu Dec 27, 2007 4:50 am Post subject:

Hi, we're dealing with it at the moment, I posted the latest update at
http://www.waytorussia.net/TalkLounge/conversation9197.html

All I can say is that if you don't get your money before 21st Jan 2008 we'll take a collective court action against iGroup (ConnectRussia) and you'll get your money back.

I know that Alexander is not stealing money, he just received too many orders, couldn't cope with them, submitted refunds to the bank and some of them didn't get back to the clients. It's totally his fault, so I gave him a deadline a few days ago. Let's see what happens. I'll ask him to add interest at 10% annual for the money he was holding in refunds as well. The reason ConnectRussia is still on the website is because they offer the best price and fastest service and we want to give them the last opportunity.

I'll post more updates in this subject I pointed out above.

hunter001 · Just Starting Joined: 19 Oct 2007 Posts: 8

Well why did he not just tell me via email that he could'nt handle my order? he had every opportunity to contact us as we called him at least 10 times a day plus emailed him everyday.
I lost $200 in russian visa fees $220 in mongolian visa fews and i had to pay $35 cancellation charge for my hotel in russia. add to that the stress
of not recieving tickets plus an extra $1200 flight tickets to bejing. The excuse 'he coud'nt handle it' is not good enough in my book. so i will carry on leaving negitive feedback as well as trying to find ways to take this matter further. ok the money does matter but what concerns me is. if this guy is allowed to trade again how many other people will be put through the same stress as me and my wife over this?

pbrito · Just Starting Joined: 02 Jun 2008 Posts: 1

Who can explain this to me...

"This is Alexander from Inter Group team.
Thank you for using our service.
Please note that all the prices and timetables on waytorussia.net website are outdated, they are valid to 2006 year and old USD exchange rate. Below we provided you the valid final prices for the period on what you will travel with the all the commissions and taxes."

I have used Waytorussia site to get train tickets from Ulaanbaatar to Beijing this summer and I got this email from Alexander from Inter Group. Is that true? How is this possible? Outdated information from 2006!!
Shocked

MTEI · Just Starting Joined: 06 Jun 2008 Posts: 1

I have received the same answer from Alexander: "This is Alexander from Inter Group team.
Thank you for using our service.
Please note that all the prices and timetables on waytorussia.net website are outdated, they are valid to 2006 year and old USD exchange rate. Below we provided you the valid final prices for the period on what you will travel with the all the commissions and taxes."
In spite of this, I was decided to buy the tickets, but I coudn't do it because the link they sent me did not accept none of my international credit cards, and I don't know why. I used them many times, including through a russian agency website a couple of weeks ago. After that, I read this forum and asked them to cancel my order. I think it is not safe, and I ordered again to another agency, but the reply of this agency was a surprise for me.
According to waytorussia website, the price for the tickets I need are 80 USD and the surcharge for Svezhy Veter Agency service is 10 to 30%. So, the maximal price should be 104 USD instead of 156 USD (ALMOST 100% SURCHARGE...... 97,5%.... PLUS 5% BANK SURCHARGE.......)
Could you please explain what is wrong? Is it true that the site is outdated?

WayToRussia · Posted: Sat Jun 07, 2008 3:53 am Post subject:

Hi,

Yes, it's true that the train prices on Way to Russia are outdated – although we try hard to keep them up-to-date – it's a manual job, so it's hard to keep pace.

However, during this month we will be implementing a new train ticket reservation system, and will update all the prices.

InterGroup really has low prices, so if you can buy from them – do. They won't overcharge you – just a commission to cover the service and credit card fees.

WayToRussia · Posted: Sat Jun 07, 2008 3:56 am Post subject:

Regarding the old orders dated back to December 2007 when some people paid the tickets, but they were not delivered, ALL the customers were refunded. We took extra care to go with Alexander through all the orders and threatened to sue Connect Russia if they don't pay back the customers until 31st January 2008. Everybody was paid. The problem happened because there's a delay between getting the money from the credit card and actually buying the tickets. Obviously Alexander can't buy the tickets before the client paid (as the tickets are not refundable), so he has to wait until clients pay and sometimes the tickets are gone especially during the high season. In this case he refunds the money back to the credit card.

dak50 · Posted: Thu Jul 03, 2008 10:27 am Post subject:

Just a quick note ... we're just home in Ireland after a trip to St Petersburg and Moscow (a great time was had by all) and I used the Intergroup to buy our train ticket for the overnight sleeper between the two cities.

I found that communication with Alexander (through the WayToRussia site) was prompt and efficient and the tickets arrived here in Ireland within 36 hours of dispatch from Moscow, which we thought was nothing short of a miracle.

I know there was some bad feedback left about Intergroup previously, but I would have absolutely no reservations about using them again and would be happy to recommend them to fellow travellers.

charlesduchesne · Just Starting Joined: 24 Jul 2008 Posts: 1

Alexander service was perfect!
Quick answer to the e-mail
A Tracking number for the shipping wich arrive three days after the shipping date (In Canada!!!) and way before my departure date!

Would never hesitate to use or recommend Intergroup.

I know there was bad experiences before but mine was perfect!

Thank you Alexander!

Charles

esperanza · Just Starting Joined: 24 Jul 2008 Posts: 2

I should have read this forum before I ordered train tickets through interrussia group. Way to Russia said the group was very reliable and unfortunately, I believed Way to Russia. I ordered a train ticket last may 13 for use of ticket on June 26, 2008. My card was debited immediately so there is no excuse of late receipt of payment. The ticket was supposed to be delivered on June 21 in my hotel in Moscow. Upon arrival, I tried contacting Alexander of interrussia but the phone says it is not in service. After several emails, Alexander says it can only be delivered on June 25. By that time I was no longer going to be in Moscow and would already be in St. Petersburg!! I had to pay an additional $90 to get a rent a car to personally pick up the train tickets from the courier company in St. Petersburg. The worrying on how to get out of Russia on time put so much stress and totally destroyed my Russian vacation. Companies like this should not be allowed to fool innocent tourists. So please BEWARE.

Inter Group · Frequent Guest Joined: 02 Jun 2008 Posts: 27

esperanza · Just Starting Joined: 24 Jul 2008 Posts: 2

Prompt delivery is critical to any service, especially if it is for tourists whom you should assume is moving around and is not going to wait in a hotel waiting for the delivery of a parcel. For your information too, the hotel did not accept the parcel since the room number in the address is different from the one i provided you. Also in your email communication to me, you had said that you had already given to the courier company Monday the tickets for delivery but the records on the parcel clearly shows it was only done Tuesday one day fter you inform me it was already done. So you assure me that it was already done when in reality it was not.

You say that the ticket has been fully refunded. To this date, I have not received any refund through my card or any means.

Inter Group · Frequent Guest Joined: 02 Jun 2008 Posts: 27

msullivan@berwind.com · Just Starting Joined: 19 Aug 2008 Posts: 1

InterGroup is the worst service provider I have ever used. Please remove them from the waytorussia website - they are thieves. We paid for 4 train tickets from Moscow to St. Petersburg and paid for international delivery service. We never would have received the tickets if we did not consistently chase InterGroup (I sent over 20 emails total) for a tracking # and complain to Greg at waytorussia who tried to help. The UPS was sent 1 or 2 days after Alexander told us it was sent. We received the delivery today which contained only 2 of the 4 train tickets we ordered and the 2 tickets we did receive were for the wrong train. I have never heard of such incompetency. I await a response from InterGroup but must warn you never to use them.

Does anyone know if there is an agency to which we can report them for deceptive trade practices?

Inter Group · Frequent Guest Joined: 02 Jun 2008 Posts: 27