Karenl - you have to report any problems to the Rep in the resort, so that they get a chance to rectify things. I don't think you have any chance of getting a refund, I'm sorry.

I agree with Helen re it would be very difficult if you can't prove you gave them the opportunity to put things right in resort. What happened?

I'm afraid I have to agree with Glynis and Helen. If you do not complain and fill in a complaint form in resort the tour ops will not entertain complaints once you have returned home. They have to be given the chance to rectify the problems. They have themselves well covered in their T & Cs. Having worked in a travel agent helping to deal with complaints I can honestly say that I don't think you have any case at all. The presumption often is that if it wasn't bad enough to complain at the time it wasn't a big enough problem. Sorry.

There are two possibilities.

1 - You didn't report the problems and the rep was available to do so, then I can't see you having any chance to obtain a refund.

2 - You didn't report the problems, but you tried and the rep was unavailable or didn't give you the forms then you may have a small chance, however even if there is no rep available there is normally a telephone contact number available in the holiday folders normally left by tour operators at each hotel they serve.

Dave

I had a holiday from hell in Portugal 2 years ago and after the company offered me an £80 voucher off my next holiday I contacted Ros Fernihough,a Travel Solicitor and she got all my money back for me.I didnt have a rep so couldnt complain to them.
Did you take photos to back up your compliant?

I forgot to say Ros Fernihoughs telephone number is 01922 705134.

The fact someone does not take up a complaint within resort is no bar to making a complaint on return. It would be a very brave TO who refused to accept a complaint because you had not told the rep.

Any attempt by a TO too apply such a condition would not be acceptable in a court of law. There can be many reasons why someone does not do so; however the sensible thing to do is try. In some cases reps only visit once a week and dependent upon the time it is not always convenient for you without a major disruption to your holiday.

It seems to be standard practice for a TO to provide holidaymakers with a contact telephone number and if unable to see the rep then a call to that number should elicit some response. A letter left at reception for the rep (you do need to ensure you keep a copy) or my own personal choice is email the TO in the UK. I have found that works and you also have a record.

If the complaint is serious enough then they will normally ensure the rep makes contact with you.

Reading the comments and complaints here on HT complaining to the rep does not always achieve a great deal except the filling in of a form.

fwh

karen

have you any witnesses or evidence of any problems ie photos, video etc, not sure what your complaint is about, but if you have any sort of evidence this might help despite not doing a report, i would contact ros and ask her advice.

im going through her at the moment but not against fc and despite my reports they didnt do a lot to help me whilst there. good luck

I work for a TO in resort - not FC, and as part of my job I answer complaint letters sent from UK. (I don't deal with compensation offers, that is done back in the UK.)
The majority of complaints I deal with are not brought to the attention of the rep while in resort but we still have an obligation to answer them.

It does weaken the case somewhat if complaints are not reported at the time as has previously been said, it is deemed that if you couldn't be bothered while you were there then the problem was not that bad.
Even if a property is not repped every day, there is always a reps board or folder containing local office and out of hours contact numbers. Also, there is usually a phone number on the booking itinerary and failing that a guest can contact the UK office. So there is no reason not to make a report while on holiday. Even if the rep can't fix the issues, at least the complaint is recorded.

Re compensation, it depends on the issues and how far you are willing to take it.

karenl, can you tell us what happened?

Louby

It is very important to read the Terms and Conditions attached to any holiday booking, because the tour operators will abide by them to the letter.
But, also, he who complains loudest gets the best result! We were sent to a different ski resort and put in inferior accommodation to that we had booked - about 15 years ago. We complained bitterly in resort and were then put into an apartment better than we'd originally booked.When we got home, we complained in writing. We had previously been to the same resort and so had wanted to try a different one (that we booked). We finished up getting half of the cost of our holiday back in cash, after we refused "holiday vouchers".Good luck. It's worth a try.

Having worked for the company in question, you will generally find that a letter of complaint without being reported in resort will more than likely receive the "thank you for bringing this matter to our attention" reply.

Did you complain directly to the hotel/apartment reception desk directly whilst you were there? If so, it's just possible they may have your complaint on record, which may help if you can pursuade FC to investigate your complaint officially.

However, I would have thought that something that you class as a holiday from hell would have at the very least, justified a visit to your rep.

Good luck
CwB

There hasn't been any more posts from Karen so I'm wondering if she has an up-date.It would be good to know what happened .T