Sally Whiteside,

Unfortunately I was unaware of the 10 day follow up deadline of my complaint, Case #4000539 about
Ducar International Wholesale. In my complaint I described poor treatment and insult from the upper
management and lower employees of the family business toward I (Thomas Meiners) and my girlfriend
Jessica Crawley, and asked for monitary compensation. In all truth the money is the smallest issue that I
have. Although I did recieve an appology for the way I was treated, the responce to BBB was filled with
further insults and lies.

I feel the dire need to point out the grossly misleading statements in their responce to BBB. Firstly, Ducar
International mislead the BBB when they said that Jessica Crawley and Thomas Meiners did not indicate
they wanted to travel together. In reality there was no option given for traveling together. When I called and
asked if there was any thing I needed to do to make sure I could travel with Jessica Crawley they said there
was not. Secondly Ducar International lied when they said that Jessica and I signed up for the $200 bus
ticket from Lynchburg VA to NYC at "different times". In reality Jessica and I went in together as we always
did (except for the first time each of us registered, which we did alone) and discussed traveling together with
the travel agents. We asked them what we needed to do to travel together and the bus to NYC was all they
mentioned. I paid for half of her bus fare which can be proven with a credit check of my credit card with
Chace Visa Bank (It would look like a $300 dollar charge to Ducar International Tours). In hindsight I realize
that Duke Westover is correct in saying the trip did not cost $2,400.00. The Two Thousand dollar trip, with
the two hundred dollar Buss was all it cost. However I originally thought $2,400.00 because as I said, I paid
for Miss Crawley's Buss ticket when we were there together, not apart.

Ducar International lied again in the following paragraph when they say, "The busses traveled together to
each site simultaneously. The only time the busses were not together was on four occasions when different
restaurants were used for lunch." In fact there were times when busses spent entire days apart from
eachother, and each tour group/bus was seperated even when they were at the same site and not allowed
to intermingle.

I only wish this was the entirety of Ducar Internationals lies to the BBB. What they say about Crawley
getting angry and threatening to defy the bus travel plans is true. However, her tone and demands were
only brought to aggressiveness after Ducar International travel agents raised their tone to her and stated,
"we could help you but we won't".

Finally Ducar Internationals Duke Westover lied again to the BBB in his responce saying, "she went to his
bus and was turned away. He went to her bus and was turned away. Finaly on the last day I told someone
else to ride on another bus and I told them they could ride together." This is a complete fabrication. Why
they would lie about this is beyond my understanding. Duke did allow us to ride together as he says (my
fondest memories come from that day), but it was not at the expence of making another person switch
busses. In fact nobody else switched busses except Duke himself and Dr Ergun Caner, who frequently
switched busses. Duke actually rode on my bus because there were extra seats, but Miss Crawleys bus
had one too many seats and even had one person named Nathan (Nato we called him), who had to stand.
By switching to my bus everyone had a seat.

The same day they allowed Miss Crawley to switch to my buss, the tour took on an ADDITIONAL member
who was not on the tour, an Israeli soldier that knew a member of my tourgroup. He also sat on my bus.
One person, my roomate, was also dissatisfied with the travel arrangements and had a friend on Miss
Crawley's buss who had been forced to travel alone like many others we met that week. He tried to switch
to Miss Crawleys buss to be with his friend but could not because of the +1 seat surplus on her buss (+0
even after she switched). This not only illustrates the lie of asking individuals to switch busses to make
room for our requests, but it illustrates the neccesity of complying to our request, the stubbornness of Ducar
International and NOT the Tour groups/guides, and also the untruth about Miss Crawley and I as the only
dissatisfied individuals.

Finally, when Jessica Crawley tried to switch to my bus she was NOT turned away by the drivers, as Duke
Westover from Ducar International says, but rather was asked to get permission from Ducar International,
which was repeatedly denied. I myself never attempted to switch busses by force, only through calm,
respectful inquiry. Ducar also lied about Ergun Caner, the trip organizer and host confronting Miss Crawley
and myself individually. His only address was to the group in which he said, "Some of you, 3 or 4 of you,
have complained about travel arrangements. I don't care." Duke Westover makes it sound as if we were
confronted several times individually for an isolated problem, ruefully disobeyed, and "brattishly" made issue
about a single event. On the contrary the admission by Ducar that they could help but would not and the
existance of so many others with our same unattended grievances only validated and necessitated my
decision to remain vocal.

The accusations that I made of Ducar International Imployees of them calling Miss Crawley and myself
"Spoiled and Smart Mouthed". Statements like, "Life is hard, learn to deal with it", and "We could have
helped you but did not because we wanted to teach you a lesson" were not addressed because they are
true. Ducar appologized for its manner but contradicts its sincerity when they again call us, "Spoiled Smart
Mouthed Brats" in their responce to the BBB itself. Surely this proves their manner and incencerity. All this
could have been prevented by offering an option to choose travel companions rather than forcing study
partners to travel with their roomates. No option was given or hinted at. When issue was brought up,
particularly as Ergun Caner reported, "three people complained before the trip" we were told, "nobody
cares". This was supposed to be an educational expedition, but Miss Crawley was seperated from her #1
tutor, myself, and was unaware when she was standing on the same ground that christ walked. This is the
fault of Ducar International Tours, who could have helped, and were made aware of issues several weeks
before the trip, but did nothing but insult us. If nobody cares, who does? If not the BBB, than who?

Money is not what I am after. A second chance to experience Israel the right way would be nice. But
honesty from Ducar International and admisson to neglegance and insult would suffice. Thank you for your
time. I understand that this responce is almost a month after I was notified by Email of the Ducar Responce.
I realize that it may be impossible for anything to be done. I responded as soon as I read this message from
BBB. I only hope that is enough to send a message.

Thank you friends at BBB,

~Thomas N Meiners

On Mon, 21 Aug 2006 08:26:49 -0400 "Sally Whiteside" <swhiteside@roanoke.bbb.org> writes:

> BBB OF WESTERN VIRGINIA
> 31 West Campbell Avenue , Roanoke, VA 24011-1301
> 540-342-3455 FAX 540-345-2289 info@roanoke.bbb.org
> www.vabbb.org
> August 21, 2006
>
> Mr Thomas Meiners
> 313 Pearl St
> Gardner , MA 01440
>
> RE: BBB Case #4000539 - Ducar International Wholesale
>
> Dear Mr Meiners:
>
> The Better Business Bureau seeks resolution to marketplace disputes
> through voluntary efforts. Most companies are interested in
> resolving
> legitimate complaints and cooperate with the Better Business Bureau.
>
> Enclosed is a copy of the response from the above referenced
> company.
> If there are additional issues which were not addressed in the
> company
> response, please let us know, in writing, within ten (10) days.
> Please
> keep in mind that we cannot re-contact the firm if the issues were
> addressed in the response. If we do not hear from you, we must
> assume
> you are satisfied with the outcome.
> Thank you for your time and concern in this matter.
> Sincerely
>
> Sally Whiteside
> Dispute Resolution Administrator