Lonely Planet™ · Thorn Tree Forum · 2020 |

# Warning - the fraudulent tour company Exotic Holidays Fiji, Mrs.Kalo Baravilala Country forums / Pacific Islands & Papua New Guinea / Fiji
jirikoo 01:09 UTC 28 Apr 2018 | Warning. The dishonest company Exotic Holidays Fiji (represented by Kalo B. Baravilala) residing in Lautoka embezzled/stole our money and we are currently taking legal actions as well as having lodged a report to the police here in the Fiji. We can provide all the documents, money transfers and email communication to prove our claims if needed. We are not some rookies and we even have worked in the tourism for many years. We contacted this company by email earlier this year from our country to provide transport to Koroyanitu NP to our group of 16 people (friends and family). They offered us a resonable price and responsive manner, so we agreed on the deal. They also got good reviews on Google, Tripadvisor and the Facebook. Mrs.Kalo Baravilala is even mentioned in an edition of Lonely Planet guide book on Fiji as a contact person for Koroyanitu tours. Later, we extended our inquiry and booking also to providing a bus transport around Viti levu and the Seaspray tour organized by South Seas Cruise company. They seemed very attentive and responsive at first, but between the times also a bit pushy as, they said, quick booking was required otherwise it would have been too late. We paid an amount over 5.000 FJD. After they received our money they changed the attitude slightly, and it took them a longer time to reply to our emails. We were not suspicious until the South Seas Cruise Company could not confirm the subject company had booked and paid the Sespray boat tour on our behalf as was agreed upon. The SSC company also informed us the subject company does not communicate, and if so they are are evasive as for the payment. We pressed the subject company to make the payment as SSC company's tour was being sold fast. The subject company eventually admitted to not paying for the Sespray tour but at the same time made numerours lame excuses why they could not pay for it ranging from not having enough cash to its colleague who can authorize the payment being out on another island etc. We ended up paying for the Seaspray tour again, this time directly to the SSC company, since we could not afford to ruin our whole tour to Fiji (and Samoa) and because we were quite on a tight itinerary. The subject company was aware of that and one again agreed to pay the excess and damages directly to us in perosn on a specific day and time as soon as we land in Fiji. Until recently we also thought if the company had paid us the excess, we would have gone ahead with the other part of our ageement which was providing us the bus transportation around the island. Here we are in Fiji being played by the company. After several false pretenses, misleadings, delays from their side and even our travel to Lautoka for meeting, they evaded us and did not catch up with us even in their home country. We gave them an ultimatum to pay all the debts by today's morning, but their only response from them was the same lame excuses and eventually blocking our phone calls and facebook communication (we were connected on the Facebook). |
jirikoo 23:18 UTC 07 Jan 2019 | Let me guys follow you up on the progress with these scammers. Unfortunately there is nothing positive to say. We ended up filing two reports and myself visiting a Kalo's shack in Lautoka, where she lives. In both cases it eventually proved to be fruitless. I am in occasional contact with police investigators, claiming they are going to charge her, nevertheless, and they have not responded to my inquiries lately. I had also visited Kalo in person in Lautoka in her 'house', which was itself, in its state, indicative enough of the state of her 'company'; however she obviously concealed herself from our sight as she was ashamed to talk to me. Instead, she set her daughter(?) to talk to me. Above all, we will not stop until we get our full satisfaction or Kalo out of business. Anyone who wants to cooperate in some way with this company or lady, you have been warned. | 1
Thorn Tree 01:00 UTC 08 Jan 2020 | This topic has been automatically locked due to inactivity. Email community@lonelyplanet.com if you would like to add to this topic and we'll unlock it for you. | 2