Steve Swapp, a tour guide who operates his business out of St. George, Utah, entered into a contract to provide a group of students, parents and a teacher with tour services through various European countries. While his planning was thorough and impeccable, on day 1 of this tour, he became very controlling and inflexible in his provision of services, despite the fact that he had assured the teacher that he would be very flexible with this group once he had a plan in place. He was not flexible, and in fact, punished the group for its desires to shop along the way by refusing to take the group to other desired tourist sites that were on their list. He had been paid in full in advance of the tour, and even controlled the money allotted for snacks, tolls and gas, saying that the group was to pay for them out of their spending money which he would later reimburse - something he never did. By day 5, his narcissistic behavior had caused students to ask to return home. In trying to reason with him, the group asked that he continue with them as a tour participant and allow the teacher to guide the group. Instead, he demanded that the teacher and one of the parents return home while he continued the tour. No one in the group agreed with his proposal, so he attempted to abandon the group without a fair resolution. His exit was blocked and the police were called in to negotiate with him. Their attempt to compel him to transfer the remaining funds was unsuccessful and he ran away with one of the vehicles, leaving the group stranded without their money and some of the necessary information to continue the tour. Rather than abandon the tour, the teacher asked her husband to travel to Europe with credit cards and cash to rescue the group, which he did, at great expense to them. Steve Swapp has somehow justified retaining most of the funds and refuses to issue a proper refund. He has also falsely accused the group of criminal activity and of threatening him, none of which can be substantiated. read more
