Russia trip scam
Last month a promotion advertising the 14th annual Oxbridge/Imperial Russia trip was circulated to all Imperial College students claiming the excursion was a university tradition and open exclusively to Imperial students, staff and family. The trip organised through a company known as Russia!Tour seemed very inviting; promising applicants a chance to "experience the intrigue of Russia and go behind the Iron Curtain". Highlights included a ballet performance at St. Petersburg's world-renowned Kirov Theatre; a guided tour of the KGB Museum; a questions and answers forum with a former `spy'; meetings with two of Russia's leading politicians and a string of guided tours around the historical cities of Moscow and St Petersburg. The circular promised "unbeatable prices" and claimed to be "too good to miss". However, Felix can reveal the package may be little more than an unauthorised `scam' specifically targeted at university students.
Last week Oxford and Cambridge student newspapers; Cherwell and Varsity, featured an exposé on the Russian trip after the Oxford Union was inundated with negative reports from past participants. Details of the upcoming 10 day tour, which will run from 25 March to 4 April this year, were circulated via the Oxford Union United Nations Association (OU-UNA) mailing list. The message prompted an immediate response from former Oxford student, Amy Buenning, who had taken part in the Russian Tour in Easter 2004. Buenning urged the OU-UNA President to warn fellow students "not to go on this trip and to cancel any involvement." Further research amongst Cambridge and Oxford students revealed widespread dissatisfaction. Participants claimed that the annual excursions "took advantage of students".
Buenning paid £899 to take part in what promised to be "10 unforgettable days in Moscow and St Petersburg". Unfortunately the experience remains etched in her memory as an entirely unpleasant ordeal. Recounting an extensive list of grievances Buenning describes the accommodation in St. Petersburg as "by far the worst I have ever stayed in", the sheets were full of holes, the water was "brown" and if that wasn't horrifying enough the lodgings were "complete with dead water-logged rats on the road outside". Apart from the unsanitary conditions Buenning has accused the tour of being poorly organised, overpriced and "at times extremely unsafe."
Several former participants have echoed these sentiments citing the lack of organisation and communication as their main concern with the tour. Many feel the tour organiser, Bassilios Papantoniadis, neglected his duties, frequently abandoned the students, left no contact number on which to reach him, over-charged for entry fees and transportation costs and generated an atmosphere of unease by acting generally `shifty'.
Buenning recounts several instances in which Papantoniadis' lack of responsibility directly resulted in disaster: A number of students left unescorted were involved in a road accident when their bus hit an oncoming logging truck; four senior group members were mugged and ten students were accidentally left behind in the town of Pushkin and subsequently advised to make their own way back to St Petersburg.
Rachel Phillips, a Cambridge student, who travelled with the tour operators the following year, made similar claims against Papantoniadis stating "there was a very distinct atmosphere we were being conned in some way, mainly because of the way Basillos was acting" adding "he met us on our arrival and then disappeared ...and that was the case for the remainder of the trip. He organised someone to look after you, and they were great but they didn't know where he was either."
In response to the accusations from Oxford and Cambridge students Papantoniadis has assured student reporters that "we take this very seriously" expressing concern that "those who have complaints resulting from the trip have not used the formal mechanisms to make their voice heard" and making clear his desire "to quell this rumour which strikes us as very odd when the vast majority have benefited from the unique experience".
Felix contacted the College's International Liaison Officer, Dr Ilya Eigenbrot, to enquire through what means the `Oxbridge' Russia!Tour email had been circulated. However, Dr Eigenbrot was totally unaware of the promotion responding, "I'm afraid I know nothing about this at all, and I had not heard of the Oxbridge-Imperial Russia trip."
The Imperial Press Office confirmed the tour operator's independence from the university stating, "The College has no knowledge of, or connection with, this tour company " and advised students "to be cautious about how they respond to any unsolicited mailing."
Felix asked College how the promotion had achieved such wide distribution when the tour company has no affiliation with the College. We were informed that although "the College does not give out email addresses or any other details about staff or students to outside organisations without permission" it is apparently "impossible to prevent all unwanted emails getting through" despite "a spam filtering service in place".
Felix would be interested to hear from any Imperial students who have participated in these tours regarding their experiences, as well as from anyone with any knowledge of how Russia! Tour obtained access to all College email accounts.
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