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Ride L.A.R.A. Laos tours - my experiences - read before booking... Ride L.A.R.A. Laos tours - my experiences - read before booking...
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Photo by Lois Pryce, schoolkids in Algeria

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Photo of Lois Pryce, UK
and schoolkids in Algeria



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  #1  
Old 27 Mar 2015
Lex Lex is offline
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Ride Lara, Eric Wasson & "Don"
I have been doing some additional research and it is hard not to conclude that at some point Ride Lara operated a legitimate business but that does not excuse the fact that more recently "the wheels have come off" leading to significant monetary losses to more than one group.

Don Duvall aka "Midnight Mapper" seems to be quite a well known figure in Laos so I am surprised that Eric has not been able to contact him to try and understand where the missing funds have got to.

I have searched for an ombudsman in Laos or a place to file consumer complaints which may provide us an avenue for investigation into malpractice. The link is here: ACCP :: Consumer Redress

I am not clear if this encompasses tourist gripes or is a resource specifically for Lao / ASEAN nationals however will enquire and perhaps they will have a view on where else to register our experience.
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  #2  
Old 27 Mar 2015
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I have searched for an ombudsman in Laos or a place to file consumer complaints which may provide us an avenue for investigation into malpractice. The link is here: ACCP :: Consumer Redress
Looks like a very long shot. Eric's moved lock, stock and barrel back to the US so it would be difficult to get redress. That's not to say I'm going to sit on my hands either.
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Old 27 Mar 2015
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Don Duvall aka "Midnight Mapper" seems to be quite a well known figure in Laos so I am surprised that Eric has not been able to contact him to try and understand where the missing funds have got to.
Yeah, he's very well known. And every ex-pat we spoke to who knew him said he was rock solid and a stand-up guy. I haven't met him personally but if verbal references are anything to go by, it would seem out of character for him to be involved in anything dodgy.

Personally, I don't think there was any sinister motives from Don. I think it was a case of Eric not planning his exit from Laos properly, selling his business on a whim without due consideration for how the forward tours were going to be handled and not coming to a formal agreement with the buyer.

Then, when he realized what was going to happen, instead of manning up and dealing with his responsibilities, he stuck his head in the sand and left it to the last minute to tell his clients what was about to happen to their tours. I mean emailing people to tell them their tour is f**ked when you know they are the flight over is pretty bloody piss poor in my books and implies either cowardice or blatant deceit. Especially when you consider this behavior by Eric was repeated.
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Old 27 Mar 2015
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Anyone up for redress through legal channels? Possibly all affected and interested parties pooling resources to investigate the likelihood of a successful claim being launched in the US??
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