Hi,
I'm new to this site & have been directed here by a friend.
I went on an all inclusive holiday with my partner & 3 year old son & to cut a very long story short the hotel & facilities were not up to standard at all.
Was advertised as 'recommended for families' yet there were 6 hen & stag parties there during our stay so we couldn't stay around the pool due to bad language, smoking, drinking, throwing the aforementioned in the pool. there was a 4 page complaint sent in to Thomas Cook.
My 3 year old son was also let out of kids club ALONE!! My partner & i were coming back from lunch to collect him when I found him wandering around alone. After realising that he was alone I went ot the kids club to be told that he had been signed out!! If my partner & I had been 30 seconds earlier or later we would have missed him to arrive at the kids club to find my son gone & that someone had signed him out!!
They changed their sign in/out procedures after this & disciplinary hearings were given to the staff.
I allowed my son to return after a member of staff who had been involved came to our room to apologise with a teddy for my son & invites FOC to as many parties as he wanted. We allowed our son to go but checked on him whilst at the parties of which he only went to 2 & I made sure my sunbed was outside the kids club & didn't move from there whilst he was there.
This was in Portugal, approx 20miles from where Madeline Mcann went missing & numerous other children , so we found out after booking our holiday!
I sent this complaint in to Thomas Cook & because I accepted a teddy & invite for my son they deem an apology enough! My holiday was ruined. I spent so much of my holiday upset 7 was ready to come home just a few days in to the holiday.
Am I right to be pursuing the matter further as I was expecting some compensation so I could book another holiday that I could enjoy.
Thanks in advance.
hi Remi and welcome to HT. I can imagine how upset you were. I am not saying don't try to get compensation but I do think it will be difficult as you did allow your child to go back to the kid's club and they did give the teddy and party invites( whatever that entails). They also reacted to put things in place- which I agree should have been in place anyway.
Re the complaint about the suitability for families- what was their reply?
If you are going anything further- be very precise as to what you want and details need to be kept to what is absolutely vital. Think along the lines of bullet points.
Re the complaint about the suitability for families- what was their reply?
If you are going anything further- be very precise as to what you want and details need to be kept to what is absolutely vital. Think along the lines of bullet points.
I agree. Bullet points are the way to go. Writing a 4 page letter means it will get a cursory look through, rather than read properly as it would if it was short and to the point. I can't imagine what you wrote to fill 4 pages if it's that the hotel was unsuitable and a mistake was made by the kids club. You certainly do not want to include any hyperbole about Madeline McCann!
You were happy enough to let a 3 year old go to a club in the care of complete strangers. What happened shouldn't have happen, but you did accept a gift and a personal apology. They did rectify their procedures and you subsequently let your 3 year old go to parties overseen by them. You'd have been better not accepting anything, giving a cursory 'thank you' for the apology, and then not allowing your child to be in their care again
I presume you filled a complaints form in whilst in resort registering both your complaints about unsuitability and the kids club issue?
Out of interest, which hotel was it?
You were happy enough to let a 3 year old go to a club in the care of complete strangers. What happened shouldn't have happen, but you did accept a gift and a personal apology. They did rectify their procedures and you subsequently let your 3 year old go to parties overseen by them. You'd have been better not accepting anything, giving a cursory 'thank you' for the apology, and then not allowing your child to be in their care again
I presume you filled a complaints form in whilst in resort registering both your complaints about unsuitability and the kids club issue?
Out of interest, which hotel was it?
The main part of the 4 pages were written in bullet points - the holiday was that bad. I've never felt the need to complain before. It's not in my nature. Not even over a meal.
I never mentioned the bit about Madaline Mccann. The Thomas Cook store manager that we went to see brought it up after reading & hearing about the complaints that were made.
I am a childminder & people leave their children with me a 'complete stranger'. The Thomas Cook kids club have the same checks that i do. I researched the club, checked that everything including qualifications was up to date.
One of the people involved has over 17 years experience of working with children.
I agree that I shouldn't have accepted the teddy now but considering the kids club rep didn't actually offer them to me they offered the teddy & invited my 3 year old directly didn't really give me a choice as my son was looking forward to the chocolate party even before we went.
Why should the incompetence of the staff affect my sons happiness when I made adjustments to my holiday to compensate for the incident & place myself so that I could see the door of the where my son was at all times!
I've contacted ABTA, Watchdog & a solicitor today & all have given me completely opposite advice to the above.
I'm so confused & just gutted that the hotel, staff, food etc were so poor.
We went on a same star Thomas Cook holiday last year & it was in a completely different league.
I spoke to the store manager yesterday & even she is trying to get the case opened. I didn't contact her about it. she contacted me.
I never mentioned the bit about Madaline Mccann. The Thomas Cook store manager that we went to see brought it up after reading & hearing about the complaints that were made.
I am a childminder & people leave their children with me a 'complete stranger'. The Thomas Cook kids club have the same checks that i do. I researched the club, checked that everything including qualifications was up to date.
One of the people involved has over 17 years experience of working with children.
I agree that I shouldn't have accepted the teddy now but considering the kids club rep didn't actually offer them to me they offered the teddy & invited my 3 year old directly didn't really give me a choice as my son was looking forward to the chocolate party even before we went.
Why should the incompetence of the staff affect my sons happiness when I made adjustments to my holiday to compensate for the incident & place myself so that I could see the door of the where my son was at all times!
I've contacted ABTA, Watchdog & a solicitor today & all have given me completely opposite advice to the above.
I'm so confused & just gutted that the hotel, staff, food etc were so poor.
We went on a same star Thomas Cook holiday last year & it was in a completely different league.
I spoke to the store manager yesterday & even she is trying to get the case opened. I didn't contact her about it. she contacted me.
Fiona HT Mod wrote:hi Remi and welcome to HT. I can imagine how upset you were. I am not saying don't try to get compensation but I do think it will be difficult as you did allow your child to go back to the kid's club and they did give the teddy and party invites( whatever that entails). They also reacted to put things in place- which I agree should have been in place anyway.
Re the complaint about the suitability for families- what was their reply?
If you are going anything further- be very precise as to what you want and details need to be kept to what is absolutely vital. Think along the lines of bullet points.
They didn't reply about the suitability - their only issue was about my son being lost.
I think you really need to focus on what you want to complain about I.e. The issue about the kids club, or the issue about the quality and suitability of facilities. As bizarre as it sounds if you are after compo I think you will now have more luck with the substandard facilities than the childcare issue as you have weakened your case by accepting the gift and using ithe kids club again after you infer it ruined your holiday. That would work against you in a court of law, a decent solicitor would point out the juxtaposition immediately. I don't see how a 4 page letter could be bullet points. You also need to tell them how much money you want as compensation.
Can you put a copy of the letter you sent to TC on here?
What else was wrong to make a 4 page letter of complaint?
Which hotel and resort was it?
If you had been in touch with ABTA, Watchdog and a solicitor and they have given you advice, I fail to see what help you think us laypeople can give?
What else was wrong to make a 4 page letter of complaint?
Which hotel and resort was it?
If you had been in touch with ABTA, Watchdog and a solicitor and they have given you advice, I fail to see what help you think us laypeople can give?
You need to write back to them, telling them that you're not satisfied with their reply, and detailing exactly what you are looking for. Whatever figure you give them you need to be able to justify it, so you're not just fishing a figure out of thin air.
After that, if you get another unsatisfactory reply, you can then refer it to Abta arbitration, or send a letter before action, telling them that you intend to instigate small claims court proceedings if they haven't come up with a satisfactory resolution with eg 14 days.
You didn't say which hotel it was?
After that, if you get another unsatisfactory reply, you can then refer it to Abta arbitration, or send a letter before action, telling them that you intend to instigate small claims court proceedings if they haven't come up with a satisfactory resolution with eg 14 days.
You didn't say which hotel it was?
Which hotel is it? How did TC react to your complaints in the resort? Did you by any chance ask to be moved?
I also think the best hope of compensation is to concentrate on the suitability of the hotel and the standards that you found unacceptable. Hopefully, when dealing with this, they would take into account that you already had a serious complaint that was dealt with, and which obviously impacted on your enjoyment.
As they seem to have ignored this, then now is the time to set out concisely what the problems were. And what it is you want from them. Perhaps write here your bullet points( obviously leaving out names of people) and we can help.
How long ago was your holiday?
I also think the best hope of compensation is to concentrate on the suitability of the hotel and the standards that you found unacceptable. Hopefully, when dealing with this, they would take into account that you already had a serious complaint that was dealt with, and which obviously impacted on your enjoyment.
As they seem to have ignored this, then now is the time to set out concisely what the problems were. And what it is you want from them. Perhaps write here your bullet points( obviously leaving out names of people) and we can help.
How long ago was your holiday?
This was in Portugal, approx 20miles from where Madeline Mcann went missing & numerous other children
Really? that's a bit controversial and if true would be something well publicised and investigated I would imagine.
Having worked for After Travel with Tui UK & Ireland I used to deal with complaints all the time.
With this one, the most important issue must be the one you lead with - all to often people start with one issue but then write lots of add ons thinking that they're bolstering their complaint, when in actaul fact they're weakening it.
The Kid's Club incident of course should never have happened and I'm very sorry to hear that it did, but an official apology was made, a gift was accepted and the club changed some of it's procedures to ensure it didn't happen again.
On that particular complaint I personally would have ruled that what was offered and accepted was appropriate. Some may say compensation should be paid, but why? For what? And that is what customers need to ask themselves when complaining - what resolution will make you happy? Why?
With regard to stag and hen parties, it's irrelevant why these people were there - you could have had 4 large families with 25 children making noise, taking over the complex etc - when booking a holiday the tour operator cannot guarantee who else has booked the hotel for that particular period.
If general noise and upset was caused your complaint should have been directed initially to your holiday rep AND the hotel manager - a holiday rep can only do so much, they are powerless in dealing with anyone who is not one of their guests, which may have been the case - so the hotel manager should also have been spoken to by yourselves - they have the power and authority to discuss the issues with the people making the noise.
As far as compensation is concerned on that issue, noise from other guests is completely beyond the control of a holiday company, so I would seek compensation from the hotel directly.
With this one, the most important issue must be the one you lead with - all to often people start with one issue but then write lots of add ons thinking that they're bolstering their complaint, when in actaul fact they're weakening it.
The Kid's Club incident of course should never have happened and I'm very sorry to hear that it did, but an official apology was made, a gift was accepted and the club changed some of it's procedures to ensure it didn't happen again.
On that particular complaint I personally would have ruled that what was offered and accepted was appropriate. Some may say compensation should be paid, but why? For what? And that is what customers need to ask themselves when complaining - what resolution will make you happy? Why?
With regard to stag and hen parties, it's irrelevant why these people were there - you could have had 4 large families with 25 children making noise, taking over the complex etc - when booking a holiday the tour operator cannot guarantee who else has booked the hotel for that particular period.
If general noise and upset was caused your complaint should have been directed initially to your holiday rep AND the hotel manager - a holiday rep can only do so much, they are powerless in dealing with anyone who is not one of their guests, which may have been the case - so the hotel manager should also have been spoken to by yourselves - they have the power and authority to discuss the issues with the people making the noise.
As far as compensation is concerned on that issue, noise from other guests is completely beyond the control of a holiday company, so I would seek compensation from the hotel directly.
I have no idea regarding compensation....but
You say your 3 year old was 'signed out' of the play club.
I assume that this means that there was some kind of register of children and that to sign him out someone would have physically gone to the club and physically led your son out after signing the register.
Quite obviously this is something that couldn't be done in error.
i am a bit surprised that more was not done, i.e the police investigating who had done the signing out and removal from the club.
You say your 3 year old was 'signed out' of the play club.
I assume that this means that there was some kind of register of children and that to sign him out someone would have physically gone to the club and physically led your son out after signing the register.
Quite obviously this is something that couldn't be done in error.
i am a bit surprised that more was not done, i.e the police investigating who had done the signing out and removal from the club.
The OP has never logged back in since the 12th the day of the original post 
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