I’m really into TV shopping these days. Recently, ETMall shopping on channel 47 advertised a 5-day trip to Japan.
My husband and I were interested and decided to make a reservation for two. You can imagine my surprise and anger when I was told that my husband could go but I couldn’t. I needed to be a Taiwanese to avail of any tour packages they offered.
My ARC was ignored.
Does anyone know anything about this?
Sounds like a travel agent with a bug up their arse.
I once went to Bali with a Taiwanese tour group and my Taiwanese ex. We told them we were recently married and didn’t want to join the grilling round of daily tours. They were cool, just had to sign a statement saying we accepterd responsibility for anything that happened to us outside of their care.
HG
[quote=“ping_ngoseng”]I’m really into TV shopping these days. Recently, ETMall shopping on channel 47 advertised a 5-day trip to Japan.
My husband and I were interested and decided to make a reservation for two. You can imagine my surprise and anger when I was told that my husband could go but I couldn’t. I needed to be a Taiwanese to avail of any tour packages they offered.
My ARC was ignored.
Does anyone know anything about this?[/quote]
That’s BS. Ask them what’s wrong with your money! Tell them TVBS loves these kinds of stories, that is, about racism and stupid business practices.
Agree with what the others said. I’ve been on several tours: Once where we were (in principal) joining all the tour activities, once when we just had the flight and the hotel, and once where we just got the flight tickets but didn’t use the same hotel.
One thing to check: maybe they can’t be bothered to worry about visa issues for non Taiwanese. Do you need a visa? If so, can you get it yourself? If not, do they know you don’t need one? It’s just as likely to be laziness on their part as it is a “we don’t want no foreigners” attitude - so maybe convincing them that it’ll be no hassle for them may help …
That’s BS. I’ve joined many tours using my US passport and my dad no longer even has residency established in TW anymore so he used US passport and when asked for ID number we told them he doesn’t have it, so they would have to deal with his foreign passport number for insurance purposes.
May it be noted that depending which passport you have, at least US doesn’t even need a Visa to go to Japan.
I was actually told today booking a trip to Europe that they would have to check if they could accommodate a foreign passport – after 20 minutes, no problem. I was about to scream that I went to both Cambodia and Bali with other travel agencies as part of package (both airplane and hotel check-in) without any issues whatsoever. What you should now do is kindly bring up that “my friend” was able to do this and kindly threaten that you will “look into this matter” and they better not be “screwing you over or else” Even better to have a local call and scream at them if they are being unreasonable. I’m quite interested in this post as my coworker has just bought some package from ETmall and I will prob be going with her in January. If they pull this foreigner crap on me … damn.
I, too, have been on a Taiwanese tour group in Bali, no problem. I wouldn’t do it again though.
I’ve been on Taiwanese tours.
Be prepared for:
My wife is a tour leader and regarding to her it is definatly no problem to join. It is even possible to take the tour but just use the flights and go 10 days of your own way. You just need to sign something or so.
Actually most time it would be cheaper to book such a tour and just use the flight than booking just a flight.
If you join the tour it self I just can agree with the above said. But if the tour leader is my wife I might do some positive influence on her so that you can do some stuff your own.
Oh and if you get a group of foreigners together you even might be able to organise the thing differently. They mainly have just a budget for the mail but where to go they could decide them self (the tour leader). Just have to deal things in advance to be quick because you know yeasterday the neatherlands, tomorow belgium and the next day paris or so. 
So if anybody needs some information or so just contact me.
I hope that’s no unallowed advertisment or so, otherwise just delete the last sentence.
I called ETMall again and again and mentioned that my friends were able to do it but they said it was impossible. Each time the customer service representatives gave me the same answer: No foreigners allowed!!!
I tried Champion Travel Service and tried booking a trip to Thailand and was again refused. Why? I have no household registration number. My ARC (based on marriage) is useless.
Could it be because I have a Philippine passport? I offered to apply for my own visa but was still denied by both ETMall and Champion Travel.
What’s going on? Has anyone ever joined a tour group sponsored by ETMall Travel Agency?
PLease help…
Sounds like a bandwagon for me to jump on.
Righto, I’ve sent in a complaint.
So, who’s up for getting a draft together for the papers?
[quote=“Chris”]I’ve been on Taiwanese tours.
Be prepared for:
