ToursByLocals: Read the fine print if you might need to cancel!

I know we often think that a written refund should only apply to the other guy because I have a good story. So I am never sure of the appropriate response to this situation. We lost an airline ticket under some similar conditions because we didn't read the fine print close enough. Now if we think there will be a problem we buy the cancellation insurance after reading the fine print several times. Now if they don't have a fine deadline, how do you control last minute cancellations?

Your travel insurance should cover it.

Tours by locals is an agency that acts as a middleman between local guides and customers. When you make a booking you first need to select the local guide you wish to guide you around. So your booking isn’t really with Tours by locals, it’s with the local guide you selected. A local guide who reserved the time in his/her calendar for you. A local guide who may even said no to other requests because of your booking. A local guide with bills to pay and who may very well won’t get another booking on such short notice.
As unfortunate as your situation is, the local guide is not responsible for your medical issue. So I don’t think it’s unfair that the local guide isn’t the one who has to suffer the financial consequences of it.

Dutch is correct. The guide would have earned $675 from someone else if you had not filled their schedule. So in effect you are asking them to take the loss instead of you. Or, they find a last minute replacement for you and they get a bonus for the day? Hmmmm. But rules are rules.

Ruth, I'm sorry about what happened.

It sounds like you are aware that you were at fault for not reading the fine print, but it was very generous of you to come here to tell us your story, so that others will be aware and make sure to check cancellation clauses before they book anything (especially high-priced services).

I'm sure your story will persuade others to read through the contract before purchasing. Kudos to you!

Sorry for your disappointment, Ruth, but this....

"Cancel up to 15 days before the start date of the tour and get a full refund, including all fees. Timing is calculated in accordance with the time zone of the tour."

...is clearly stated on the TBL website under "View our cancellation policy" for a standard booking. Consider it a legal contract for signing on the line. They also offer a "Any Reason (Flexible) Policy Option" which, had you chosen it, would have refunded the full amount you'd paid for the cancelled tour, less any service fee, provided you'd cancelled ahead of the tour start time.

It does appear to be the policy of TBL and not their individual guides as it links to all the tours I browsed at random, although it sounded like they at least contacted the guide to see if they'd be willing to provide some sort of refund.

https://www.toursbylocals.com/policy/toursbylocals-cancellation-policy

It's not at all unusual for a guide service, hotel, etc. to strictly hold to their cancellation policies. You said above that you never buy trip cancellation because you're willing to risk losing the $ and betting that you wouldn't? Unfortunately you just lost that bet. Yes, a very good reminder to read the fine print and not expect any exceptions. Again, so sorry for your disappointment, and I sincerely hope the medical emergency is past and all is well in that dept! :O(

Was not my intention to be critical of the OP, I would have asked for mercy too. Never hurts to try. And if I had a dollar because I lost a great sum because I didn't read the rules, i would have enough for a RS tour.

Mardee, thanks for understanding my intent in writing this. Not a whine, but a cautionary tale. I do think 14 days is a longer window than one would expect for canceling. I wrote the request to negotiate a refund not really expecting much but knowing that saying nothing would get me exactly that.

Agreed, Ruth, that it never hurts to try! Especially as you did so kindly.

How about the standard travel insurance that comes with most credit cards, have you checked that policy? Maybe there is something in that to help recoup.