The Ultimate Getaway Scam: How I Almost Got Duped by Tuya

Hello everyone!

This fall, my friends and I decided to give Tuya a try. We found a package deal on their website, which is used by many tour operators, but we wanted to visit their official office since we were told we could pay with a card. The package wasn't cheap, so we wanted to get some cashback.

The office hours were really convenient - they're open until 8 pm, and they even work on weekends.

I found the package deal, made arrangements with the tour operator, and then paid for it. I'll attach a screenshot of the payment below.

They printed out a contract with the operator, confirming that the package was paid for, and gave me a voucher and all that. Everything was explained pretty clearly, but the next day, a girl called me and said that the booking hadn't been confirmed. Yeah, it happens. The thing is, by that time, prices had skyrocketed, and we couldn't get anything for a reasonable price.

I went to the office to get my money back, but the girl was in no hurry to give it to me and tried to sell me some hotel.

When I was on my way to the office, I had a few options picked out, and she said everything was available, so just come on over. In theory, the other options I had were fine too, but when we started booking, all the rooms were taken. It was really frustrating.In the end, we had to book a more expensive hotel with a departure from a different city. It's not exactly convenient to get to Moscow, and to make things worse, we had to book a hotel for the night before our departure and another one for the night after our return, since our flight was in the morning and we didn't want to drive at night, and our return was late in the evening, so we didn't want to drive home at night either. Plus, the road takes around 10 hours with traffic.

I opted for a room without dinner, which was supposed to be a better deal, but the package was really pricey. The girl said the hotel had been renovated and refurbished by the owner, and they also had evening snacks, which they'd give to everyone regardless of their wristband.

But it turned out to be the opposite - they were super strict about the wristbands, and since we didn't have one, we had to buy a new one at the hotel, which was a real bummer 😒

So, in reality, the hotel wasn't as great as the girl had described it. It was a bit worn out, the food was pretty basic, and they didn't even have the evening snacks they'd promised. I mean, I knew about the limited food options beforehand, but the travel agency had painted a much rosier picture.

What's more, they'd printed out all the necessary documents, like the voucher, transportation to the hotel, flight tickets, visa, and so on. But here's the thing - they told me they only accepted cash for the COVID test, which cost 15€. In reality, it was 19€, and you could pay by card. So, if we'd taken 30€ for both of us, we'd have been left with nothing.

I'd recommend booking your package directly on the website and only using this travel agency for paying the package and printing out documents. Those who say they book themselves on the spot, I'd say, think twice - the transfer is never included in the package price, and when you factor it in, it's the same price.

Another important thing - when I paid with the terminal, I was sure I'd get my cashback, but no cashback at all, not even a single ruble. I'm positive the girl at the agency knew about it and didn't warn me.

I was really looking forward to meeting our tour operator at the hotel, but they were nowhere to be found. They were supposed to greet us, escort us, and provide all the details, but we had to track them down through another tour operator just to book an excursion. And let me tell you, the cheapest excursion they offered was 5,000 rubles - that's just ridiculous. The organizational aspect of this trip was a major letdown!