Help Contacting Pira Tours, Please!

[caazcruzin]

It seems Pira is the only tour group with a license to go to Estacion Harberton. We have been trying to reach Pira but have gotten no response. I tried 3 different phone numbers today and no luck. No response to emails. I notice that there are posts on this board re: Pira that are fairly recent. For those who have gone with Pira...how did you contact them? Any advice? Thanks in advance.

[Northern Aurora]

We went to Harberton Ranch with Pira Tours in both February and March 2015 (we were on a B2B2B). I dealt with them by e-mail using this address: info@piratour.net.

 

Hope this e-mail helps as we were very pleased with the tour. Great bird guides both times.

[PerfectlyPerth]

Yep thats the email address I have used.(without the full stop at the end which may just be a typo by Northern Aurora).

 

Are you dialling the correct country codes ? removing the first Zero ?

 

They may well be closed for a break between the summer and winter tourist seasons, or they are just operating on "Ushuaia Time" which is slightly more relaxed than "panicked cruiser time". ;)

Email the Tourist Office and check with them - both of their offices are diagnally opposite the two Pira offices so I am sure it wont be difficult for them to check.

http://www.turismoushuaia.com

[caazcruzin]

Thanks for the assistance. That is the email address I used. The phone number I used has a Spanish message so I had a friend of mine who is fluent listen to it but the message is so fast it was a bit difficult to understand. I will call back and leave a message in English...nothing to lose! Good idea about emailing the tourist office. I'll follow up on that.

[bluenose2]

I have left several messages to no avail. Terrible service.

[pickypicky]

I have sent three emails and have filled out their on-line request for information. I also tried to "friend" their Facebook page so that I might contact them that way. I have had no response to any of this (and I have checked my spam folder). I can't imagine trying to do business with someone like this, however wonderful their product may seem.

[PerfectlyPerth]

You need to respect that tourism works differently in some countries. Argentines work best face to face.

 

And do take into account that this may well be their off season in between the busy summer and winter seasons.

 

Contacting the tourist office - which is staffed all year round - may well be easier.

[ptrpanpens]

It would be helpful if they put a note on their website as to when they might be unavailable so people would not waste alot of time emailing over and over and filling out requests as I suspect many people have done from the sound of it. I know I have personally tried to contact them five times including requests on their web page. Calling gets no response either and again it would help if they could at least post a voice message that they will be unavailable at certain times.

 

There is really no excuse for this but they obviously are not that concerned about loss of business since they have a monopoly and people have no alternative if they want to get out on the island.

 

People i know have contacted the Tourist office and they said they didnt know anything. I have dealt with several other Argentinian tour operators and they all respond quickly regardless of whether it is offseason or not so I dont consider that a viable excuse. It is just so disappointing...

[pickypicky]

With all due respect to their culture, I have booked my tours with several of the many tour operators who responded to me in a timely manner.

Edited June 8, 2015 by pickypicky

[D&K travel]

I had problems reaching them as well. I emailed near the end of May and in July and didn't received a response until Aug. Then, no problems getting multiple responses.

 

It may be due to a change of seasonal activity. Who knows! It's all part of traveling and dealing with other cultures.

[ptrpanpens]

I had problems reaching them as well. I emailed near the end of May and in July and didn't received a response until Aug. Then, no problems getting multiple responses.

 

It may be due to a change of seasonal activity. Who knows! It's all part of traveling and dealing with other cultures.

 

The operators were away for the winter which is why they did not answer. Although it would have been nice had they indicated that on their web site or voice mail.:eek: Anyway, we were also eventually able to reach them and I feel certain the tour will be worth it and probably the highlight of the cruise, at least based on the photos I have seen and the reviews.