2/5
The only thing keeping this from being a one-star review is our guide, Lain, who was excellent: punctual, knowledgeable, friendly, and an all-around professional. Unfortunately, everything else about Viator and See Sights Tours was an absolute disaster. After our great Grand Central tour, Lain sent us our digital tickets for SUMMIT One Vanderbilt. When we arrived for our 9:00 AM entry, we spent 20 minutes going through security only to be told our tickets had been “returned to the purchaser.” We were then sent back through the crowded line to the front desk, where we learned the tickets were flagged for fraud and pulled back by See Sights Tours. Every phone number for both Viator and See Sights Tours either went to a disconnected line or left us on hold indefinitely. Meanwhile, the other two people on our tour walked right in with the paper tickets they had been given. We, on the other hand, were stuck being shoved around by hundreds of people in a packed lobby while trying to figure out whether we had been scammed. Nearly two hours later — after being kicked out of the line, forced to restart security, and finally receiving new paper tickets from a number we didn’t recognize that turned out to be Lain — we made it inside. By then, the crowds were crushing and the fog was so thick there was nothing to see. Even the elevator operator admitted no one was buying upgrades due to the weather. The “Ascend” upgrade we were given was useless. All of this could have been avoided if we had been given working tickets in the first place, or at least refunded so we could buy new ones day-of. Instead, we lost two hours of vacation time and ended up with a subpar, fog-covered experience. To make matters worse, See Sights Tours has ignored my emails for three days, and Viator refused a refund because we eventually received replacement tickets — completely ignoring the time lost and the chaos caused. I’ve spent roughly $8,000 with Viator over the years, but after this dismissive response, I won’t be booking through them again. If you take this tour, demand paper tickets. The two people who did got in on time. We did not — and paid the price for Viator and See Sights Tours’ incompetence.
