Hope you have a fantastic time- it sounds wonderful. Fingers crossed that First Choice stick to their word and get your money back to you. The compensation this close to the holiday is an insult though, as if £30 each goes any way towards the aggravation and disappointment they have caused. I guess it wouldn't hurt to have a chat with Ros, if she feels there is no case she will say so.

Have a great holiday

Pam

Hi Val, well, at least you've got something sorted, as you already had the time booked off work. I really hope you have a great time....not long to go now! I hope it's as relaxing as you need after all the stress they put you through. Happy holiday.... ...Linda x

So pleased you have got something sorted and am keeping everything crossed that First Choice get the refund through to you in time to pay off the new holiday when the costs come through on you credit card bill, otherwise the 30 quid compo isn't going to go very far.

Enjoy Thailand, it's supposed to be fab.

Val,
Glad you have got everything sorted and will keep my fingers crossed for you that you get your money refunded in time. I know exactly how you feel as they cancelled our holiday to the Dom. Rep too, and had to find another one quick so we could go around the same dates.

The sliding scale of compensation is a nonsense we got nothing.
More than 56 days..........£0 per person.
55-29 days....................£10 per person.
28-15...........................£20 per person.
14-8 days......................£30 per person.
7-0 days.......................£40 per person.

I dont think personally it covers change of travel arrangements i.e. over night hotel cancellations and different airport departure. Which was involved with our change of holiday. But am afraid they have us by the short and curlys!!!!!

Enjoy Thailand we have been there and it is a beautiful country and the people are wonderful.

Angie.

that is the same scale we were told..and that we would get £30..

so nowt for the hassle of having booked the diving..now hoping to get a refund on that..also we had booked a taxi..well that is ok, the taxi driver lives 2 doors away from us and he is still able to take us and does not care that it is now to a different aiport...

I just can't believe that firms are allowed to treat customers like cr@p..take their money and have so little regard for them. Its not even like we have had an apology....

I think the same, Val. I would have thought that tour operators would want to entice (and keep) customers in, not treat them in such a way that they won't use them again. Especially in the current economic climate, their attitude towards the amount of money to be spent, is totaly unacceptable, as is the lack of concern and apology. Linda x

*** Update****

I have had a refund today from last choice of £3469 which is £366.80 less than what we paid for the holiday. This is despite them sending a letter stating we would be paid the amount in full. I rang them up to ask why they had kept £366.80. I was passed from pillar to post and nobody would tell me why they had kept this money. Again, all the questions I asked was met with the reply.." it is against company policy to discuss this" or " you need to talk to......" and then they just put me on hold without warning, told me several times my call was important to them when quite clearly it was not and charged me 5p per minute for the privilige of being treated like cr@p. So, I hung up and started all over again.

Still no apology or explanation. Not only did they wreck our holiday with very little notice, they are now jerking me around regarding refund.

Surely I have grounds for a claim now???

Val,
I have just been on SAYNOTO0870 and found a number for their Payments and Admin dept. dont know if that will help you, but if you put First Choice into the box there are alot of numbers for different dept. It could be worth a try.

Angie.

Val

You could give Ros a ring on Monday. They really are the pits. So long as they get peoples money they dont give a stuff about after sales service.

Sorry about the Maldives. I think the only good thing to come out of all this is that First Choice have lost out on nearly 4 grand!!!
It seems quite obvious though that they've been sending people there whilst knowing the problems like they always do! Also theyalways leave it till the last minute to tell customers.
Twice we've had changes made to our booking 3 days before the earliest compensation dates!!! So even if they know 6 months earlier they leave it until a few days before they have to start paying compo!
Anyway I hope you enjoy your other holiday you've now booked!