3,935 reviews
AI reviews summary
Pros
Verdict
The platform is highly regarded for its user-friendly interface, diverse range of activities, and the flexibility of its five-year voucher validity. While some individual instances of booking sync issues and refund difficulties occur, the overall sentiment is positive due to efficient delivery and helpful customer support.
Purchased a gift voucher for a Christmas gift. Super easy website to navigate, great choices, loved option to have voucher sent with a card. The Black Friday "special" was a great bonus.
I stumbled across Frequency Lab on RedBalloon. Immersive sound medicine wasn’t something I’d ever heard of before, but I am so glad I gave it a try! I had an incredible experience at Frequency Lab. From the moment I arrived, Kim was incredibly warm and welcoming. She gave us a thorough, clear explanation before the session began, which set my… Read more
expectations and made me feel completely at ease. The session itself was deeply immersive and relaxing. The combination of sound, vibrations, and light created a truly unique sensory experience that allowed me to completely unwind. I enjoyed it so much that I’ve already booked my second session!
There's so many different experiences to choose from that anyone will find something good. Takes the hassle out of arranging activities. The hard part is choosing which ones to do. Show reply
Reviews with attachments
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We had a wonderful winery lunch and really enjoyed the food. Everything was delicious, and we had a lovely time enjoying our meal in a beautiful winery setting. It was a great experience, and we would happily recommend it to others! Show reply
Had the chance to experience so many things through red balloon. Flying a plane and driving a V8 would be my favourites. Bought vouchers for friends as gifts and those were best gifts. Show reply
We had a great fine-dining experience! Rescheduling and booking were hassle-free, and the food was absolutely delicious! Definitely rebook this again Show reply
Love using RedBalloon to give gifts/ experiences to my family and friends and I love getting them myself, I’ve had the photograph ones and hot springs and it’s amazing. Show reply
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We have made use of Red Balloon experiences on several occasions, either as a received gift, a gift to others, or simply booking an experience. When we had to cancel an experience due to bad weather or personal circumstances, staff had been incredibly helpful and accommodating. We can highly recommend them - it is the perfect gift for any occasion. Show reply
Our family really enjoyed this cruise for my son’s birthday. Couldn’t recommend it more and a different way to see beautiful Melbourne. Our captain was awesome too Show reply
Having been gifted a voucher I put it to good use whilst visiting Sydney. The site was super easy and made booking tickets for attractions really easy and fast. No issues at all. Show reply
The sea was rough but the crew worked hard to ensure the trip was enjoyable. Show reply
Stayed at Hunter Valley Resort and Farm. Great experience, venue and staff were wonderful. Highly recommend! Show reply
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Easy to navigate Fast email communications Straightforward policies Detailed description Likes the reviews of others Show reply
I thought I had booked a 10.00am flight on the website however they only do sunrise! I'm looking forward to it Show 3 replies
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Booking was easy & information provided covered everything you need to know. The actual tour was way better than expected. The tour guide was very informative & we learnt a lot. Thoroughly recommend this tour & would love to do it again. Show reply
Perfect for a gift idea.the jet skis on the Gold Coast were amazing Show reply
Fantastic and seamless booking. Will definitely use red balloon again! Show reply
Great options for a special occasion such as an anniversary picnic in the Royal Botanical Gardens. Show reply
Latest follow-ups
Our experience got cancelled because of poor weather. Awaiting refund. Easy to book through them and access via afterpay. Show reply
Follow-up · Following up- Got my Refund. Thank you.
I had a issue with a voucher that the establishment had sold their business, and had to have it cancelled and to receive a new voucher. This was issued immediately and the Staff was very helpful. Show reply
Follow-up · This was delivered by email, it was a replacement voucher.
Wr used our Red Balloon voucher at Maleney Botanic Gatden and Birdpark. The voucher was easy to redeem and our experience at the park most enjoyable. It included lunch and buggy hire, the latter being necessary for the not so young to get around the… Read more · 1
garden's steep slopes. Everything ran smoothly and the bired of the Glasshouse mountains magnificent.
Follow-up · The buggy experience was very good as the site is very steep and as elderly citizens there is no way we could have walked around the garden The lunch had 3 choices. While I can't remember what they were we chose a very nice bagget style sandwich, a citrus tart (which we ate later because we were full after the sandwich ) and the choice of any… Read more
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Positive reviews
It was fantastic to be able to book 24 hours in advance to go to the hot springs. It was handy to check the website when booking to see what times were available. It was such a relaxing and rejuvenating experience. Would recommend! Show reply
I have bought many experiences for my family as gifts, and they have loved them all. They get excited opening the red folder wondering what experience they have got. So exciting on special occasions Show reply
The ultimate gift of memories—experiences over clutter for our loved ones every time! When it comes to spoiling our family and friends, we are all about creating core memories rather than giving "stuff" that just takes up space in the house. That’s why RedBalloon is always our go-to for gifts. Whether we’re treating loved ones to a special… Read more · 1
weekend getaway, a relaxing spa day, or an exciting adventure they can experience for themselves, RedBalloon consistently has the right gift waiting. The booking process is seamless, the variety is incredible, and giving someone the chance to step away from the everyday routine to do something genuinely memorable is the best feeling. If you want to give a gift to family and friends that gets them talking, laughing, and making lifelong memories, you can never go wrong with RedBalloon. Highly recommend! ✨
Negative reviews
Wanted a refund for a voucher that was gifted to me as moving away. Do you think this company offered any help or solutions? No. Zero empathy, zero customer service
The online and phone assistance expedited by remote means (Third party) in effect can only offer guidance for an online booking process and thereby cannot help with the all important and actual `Hands on` finalization of the order. Cheers! (Taronga Zoo) `Roar and Snore`
Hi Chris, thank you for your feedback, we're sorry for… Read more
A great gift idea with lots of different things to do. Unfortuanately if you want to use a gift card any valid coupon/discount codes are unable to be used. Seems a bit rough!
Hi Beth, thank you for your feedback, we're delighted… Read more
Recent reviews
Friendly and helpful... until you ask for your money back I am frustrated with this company. I have a voucher worth $359.10 that is completely valid and doesn’t even expire until late 2028. However, RedBalloon has completely removed the specific experience I paid for. Their website just locks you into a loop telling you to swap it for another… Read more
experience, but nothing else on there works for us, and I don't see why I should have to pay extra money out of pocket to upgrade to something else just because they cancelled the event.
I called up to sort it out today, and the girl on the phone was perfectly nice and polite at first—right up until the moment I asked for a refund. The second I mentioned that Australian Consumer Law protects people when a service is discontinued, her tone completely changed. She refused the refund because of their "internal company policy" since it was bought in 2023. When I told her that law overrides policy, she literally said, "Well, our management are well aware of law," but still refused to help me.
To make it worse, this isn't even a new issue. I actually emailed them way back in 2024 because the provider never had any suitable dates available, and RedBalloon completely ignored my email and never replied - definitely my bad for not following up until now, but irrespective, the voucher is still valid. Will be interesting to see if I even get a response or a phone call as promised within 24 hours..
It feels sneaky for a company to admit they know what the law says, but choose to ignore it anyway just to keep your money. If you can't provide the experience someone paid for on a live voucher, you should give them their money back. It’s as simple as that. I’ve sent a formal email to their contact us email and will be taking further if it isn’t sorted out. I am more than happy to update this review with the final outcome—whether it be good or bad—depending on how their management chooses to handle this.
Save your money and buy directly from local businesses instead!
UPDATE 06.07.26: RedBalloon is officially refusing a refund for an experience they permanently deleted from Western Australia. I have a valid voucher that doesn't expire until September 2028, but because they pulled the experience from WA entirely, it's impossible to book locally. Instead of refunding me for a service they can no longer provide, they are trying to fob me off with a "policy" excuse, claiming I missed an 18-month booking window. The joke is, I actually emailed them back in 2024 to book it because the supplier had no dates, and they completely ignored me. Now they are just trying to force me to take a store credit for something I don't want. Advertising a "5-year expiry" but quietly canning the actual product after 18 months is a massive joke. I’ve officially escalated this.
UPDATE 07.07.26: Complete fob-off. Frontline customer service emailed back to state that their upper management team will not be taking any action and are simply awaiting the outcome of a formal claim. Because they refuse to resolve this directly, a formal dispute has now been officially lodged with WA Consumer Protection.
2nd UPDATE 07.07.26: Another representative reached out today. They are declining the refund based on their 18-month booking policy and stated that my 2024 email attempt went to a "no-reply" address. The issue remains that the experience was permanently removed from WA, making it impossible to redeem locally.
Hi there, Thank you for taking the time to share your… Read more
I booked this for my parents, and it honestly couldn’t have gone better. From the moment we arrived, the staff were warm, professional, and made everyone feel completely at ease. It was especially reassuring for my parents, who were a little nervous at first—but the team took the time to explain everything and made it such a comfortable… Read more · 1
experience.
The flight itself was absolutely breathtaking. Seeing everything from above gave us a whole new perspective, and the views were just unforgettable. It felt like such a special way to spend time together as a family.
What really made it stand out was how smooth and well-organized everything was. The pilot was fantastic—friendly, knowledgeable, and clearly very experienced, which made the whole ride feel safe and enjoyable.
This was more than just an activity—it turned into a really meaningful memory for all of us. I’m so glad I got to share it with my parents, and I’d highly recommend it to anyone looking for something unique and memorable.
Hi Nick, Thank you for your feedback. We're sorry to… Read more (+1 reply)