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Google translate:
Five people spent more than $20,000 to join a tour group to Europe, but unexpectedly the tour bus was robbed, and their newly bought branded bags and watches disappeared, resulting in loss of more than $15,000.
The victim, Ms. Huang (38 years old, secretary), told reporters that she and her mother participated in an 11-day 9-night European tour organized by EU Holidays travel agency last month, with a tour fee of $4,238 per person. Unexpectedly, something went wrong in Milan on the last night, and valuable items were stolen.
She said that the trip started on December 13 last year and ended on the December 23, with travels to France, Belgium, the Netherlands, Germany, Switzerland and Italy along the way, and a total of 33 people in the tour group.
Ms. Huang described that at around 9 o'clock in the evening of the incident, the group got off the bus to have dinner and put the items on the bus. Unexpectedly, when they returned to the bus at around 9:45pm, she found that her and her mother's newly bought branded bags were missing, including a YSL bag worth $2,734.
"I was sitting at the third row. When I got off the bus, I put all my newly bought bags in a luggage bag and put them in the storage box at the overhead top. As soon as I got on the bus, I found that the entire luggage bag was missing although a bag of snacks next to it was still there. I shouted, 'The bag is missing', and then another passenger noticed that his belongings were also stolen. It was the first time I bought a branded bag and I haven't touched it for more than five minutes before it was lost. It was really heartbreaking!"
Another victim, Li Meiling (52 years old, self-employed), said that she went on a trip with her husband and their 24-year-old son. Her newly bought Fendi bag, TAG Heuer watch, LV wallet, 350 euros in cash, headphones, power banks and other personal belongings were all stolen, with a loss of over $9,000.
"This is my first time traveling to Europe. I didn't expect to encounter such an incident on a tour bus."
They said that after the driver and tour guide asked about the situation, but as it was already late at night, they asked the group members to go back to the hotel to rest first, and they will bring them to report to the police the next day.
After the incident, the two of them contacted the travel agency, but the travel agency was not responsible for the lost items, which they found unacceptable. "We believe that the incident happened on the bus arranged by the travel agency, and the travel agency has an obligation to solve the problem."
The two victims said that the accompanying tour leader said on the first day of the trip that the tour bus was "the safest" and even suggested that the group members put their purchased items on the bus.
In addition, Ms. Huang said: "On the day of arrival in Milan, the driver said that the door was faulty. I think it is too coincidental, and the other party's statement is contradictory, which makes me suspect that something is fishy."
Ms. Huang pointed out that the driver said at first that he had never left the bus, but when he reported the case the next day, he said that he had left the bus briefly. "There are no signs of the doors and windows being pried open, which I think is very suspicious."
The travel agency pointed out that it has reminded customers to carry valuables with them, but it will still assist them in claims.
When asked, the director of EU Holidays, Huang Yaoxiong, clarified that the tour leader did not tell the group members that the bus was the safest, nor did he persuade everyone to leave valuables on the bus.
Huang Yaoxiong explained that the travel agency's terms and conditions and reminders before departure clearly stated that personal belongings were the responsibility of the individuals and that valuables should not be left on the bus.
"Although the terms and conditions state that personal belongings are the responsibility of the individual, we still tried our best to assist customers in handling claims after the incident to minimize the customer's losses."
The travel agency also reminded the public to take good care of their valuables when traveling abroad and not to leave them on the bus.
Both Ms. Huang and Li Meiling said that they would continue to pursue the matter and get the compensation they deserve.
Ms. Huang said that her claim was currently rejected by the insurance company, but she would appeal and said that if the negotiation with the travel agency failed, she planned to file a lawsuit in the Small Claims Court to recover the losses.
Li Meiling said that she knew in advance that the security in Europe was poor, so she chose the travel agency. She reminded the public to be cautious even if they traveled with the travel agency. "If we hadn't listened to the tour guide, I would have definitely carried all my valuables with me. If I was robbed on the street, I would have accepted it. I don't think that traveling with a tour group is safe."
In addition, she revealed that the insurance company only compensated $500 for each item, which was not enough to make up for her losses.
https://www.zaobao.com.sg/news/singapore/story20250112-5721939?ref=today-news-section-card-10
