A cancellation is honesty, not a scam

Essential vocabulary

• se canceló: it was cancelled The verb that opens the problem. Reading it calmly (instead of panicking) is the first skill of this chapter.
• ¿qué pasó exactamente?: what happened exactly? Asks for facts, not apologies. It moves the conversation from bad news to information you can act on.
• ¿está confirmada la cancelación?: is the cancellation confirmed? Separates a final decision from a maybe. You only start choosing options once the cancellation is definite.
• el depósito: the deposit Your money in this conversation. Naming the exact amount you paid (factually, without accusation) is how adults handle it.
• ¿cómo queda...?: how does ... stand? / where does that leave ...? THE neutral money-status question. It asks what happens to your deposit without accusing anyone of anything.
• el reembolso: the refund Option one on the table. Knowing the word lets you compare both options calmly instead of grabbing the first one.
• queda a cuenta: it counts toward the payment / is carried over How your Bs 50 moves from the cancelled tour to the new one. This little phrase is what makes the arithmetic work.
• al inicio: at the start When the remaining Bs 40 is paid. Pinning the moment of payment in writing prevents any doubt tomorrow morning.
• el punto de encuentro: the meeting point The detail that replaces the hostal pickup: the new tour starts somewhere, and without this line in the confirmation you don't know where.
• avisar a tiempo: to give notice in time What the agency did right. 'Gracias por avisar a tiempo' closes the problem warmly and names the behavior you want from any operator.

Bolivian Spanish terms

• está feo el camino: the road is in bad shape 'Feo' about a road has nothing to do with looks, it means mud, ruts, risk. After highland rain it's the everyday way operators and drivers describe an unpaved road that shouldn't be attempted.
• con lluvia o con sol: rain or shine The operator's formula for a tour that doesn't depend on weather, a walking tour through the paved historic center runs; a dirt-road trip to waterfalls doesn't. Hearing this phrase answers the question you were about to ask.
• quedamos atentos: we remain at your disposal / attentive to your questions A fixed formula of written service Spanish in Bolivia, the warm-formal close of an agency or office message. It signals 'ask us anything'; answering with a concrete question is exactly what it invites.

Useful phrases

• Tengo un depósito de Bs 50. ¿Cómo queda?: I have a Bs 50 deposit. How does it stand? Ask about your money first, factually, state the amount, then the neutral status question. No accusation, no drama.
• Prefiero cambiar al tour del sábado en vez del reembolso.: I prefer to switch to Saturday's tour instead of the refund. Choose one option explicitly, in writing, naming both the choice and what you're declining leaves zero ambiguity in the thread.
• Entonces el total es Bs 90: Bs 50 ya pagados y Bs 40 al inicio, ¿correcto?: So the total is Bs 90: Bs 50 already paid and Bs 40 at the start, correct? Nail the arithmetic in the chat itself and get a written 'correcto' back, that line is your receipt tomorrow morning.
• ¿Me confirma por escrito el día, la hora, el punto de encuentro y qué incluye?: Can you confirm in writing the day, the time, the meeting point and what's included? The full written-confirmation request, name every item you need so the agency's reply becomes a checklist you can verify line by line.

Learn this in the app

Hotels, Tours and Reservations in Bolivia, Spanish

More guides from this notebook

• Two quotes, one decision
• Softeners open doors; imperatives close them
• Greet first, ask second: how counter problems dissolve in Bolivia
• Flyers sell, questions inform
• Read it, fix it kindly, keep it in writing

Words from this guide in the glossary

• está feo el camino: the road is in bad shape
• con lluvia o con sol: rain or shine
• quedamos atentos: we remain at your disposal / attentive to your questions