hi im new has any one else had there hotel change due to overbooking by first choice at the actual airport???????
i still cant belive they think taht they can do this, any advice??????????????
here a quick acount of our situation
we booked to go to the iberostar lindo with first choice
In May we sent an email to the Iberostar Paraiso Lindo to make some advanced requests. The Iberostar replied to say that they had not received our reservations. We telephoned First Choice who told us that the hotel would not receive our details until 2 weeks before we travel, but the hotel had the rooms reserved for First Choice customers. We wrote another email to the Iberostar two weeks before we departed. They still had no record of our reservations on their system. Once again we telephone First Choice who assured us that there were no problem with our booking, they also told us that it is possible that the hotel will not receive our names until two days before we travelled. We email the hotel again two days before we departed and still they had no record of our booking. This time First Choice told us that they had checked our reservation with the Iberostar and they could not see any problems.
We departed on our holiday worried and confused. When we arrived in Mexico our worst fears came true. We were sent to a hotel about 5 miles away from the Iberostar Paraiso Lindo to a hotel called the El Dorado Royale.
We were very unhappy with the situation we had been put into by first choice and did not want to stay at the hotel. We told **** (First Choice hotel rep) and ******* (***'s Supervisor) and *** (the General Manager of first choice Hypermarket Basildon) that we wanted to be flown home and have our money back. When *** got back to us about this she said that they could not fly us home unless we paid for it and accepted that we would be forfeiting our holiday and would get no money back. So we were forced to stay and try to make the best of it so we could pursue a claim when we got home.
Although both hotels have a 5 star rating they could not be more different. The Iberostar hotels are extremely beautiful with fantastic pools (Including a wave pool and lazy river), a wide range of facilities, fun activities, food and nightlife. The El Dorado Royale is an adult's only honeymoon hotel with very limited activities, horid food (no buffets), small dirty pools (the main pool in the brochure does not exist!!) and the resort has a really bad smell.
we are currently trying to get compensation....
*Edit to remove employers names -Glynis*
sorry ive just joined this forum and think i must be a bit naive. i was under the impression if you booked a holiday you got that holiday. we just had our hotel changed from one lovely 5 star to what i consider a 5 star i wouldnt book if i was desperate. we found out at the airport. surely we have some rights otherwise wouldnt all holiday just be allocation on arrival.
Of course you have rights dont mess about get a solicitor on it, these tour operators who do this need a kick up the backside, and maybe their licence to operate in the UK revoking
I would be FURIOUS if this happened to me! 
Surely they cant do this, especially as you emailed them. Even though they supposidly put you into another 5star accomodation (though from what you say you were far from happy with it) this was NOT the accomodation you booked. I would definately take this up with the tour company who you booked with. Did you make a formal complaint when you discovered they had moved you? 
Surely they cant do this, especially as you emailed them. Even though they supposidly put you into another 5star accomodation (though from what you say you were far from happy with it) this was NOT the accomodation you booked. I would definately take this up with the tour company who you booked with. Did you make a formal complaint when you discovered they had moved you?
Once again another example of greedy tour operators (especially First Choice!). Once they have your money they don't give a ****!!!
In situations like this they will use their size in the industry to try to get you to drop it but don't be fobbed off and intimidated by their bully boy tactics. You have consumer law on your side - stick to your Guns!
In situations like this they will use their size in the industry to try to get you to drop it but don't be fobbed off and intimidated by their bully boy tactics. You have consumer law on your side - stick to your Guns!
Oh my god how awful. We are booked to go to the Lindo in November. I booked through Eclipse which is the direct arm of First Choice. I will be bugging them daily to confirm in writing that we are going to have the holiday we booked and will definitely be taking the booklet and Ros's number with me
You must be gutted. I've been thinking of going to the Lindo as it looks by far the best hotel for us. How can First Choice get away with this? I would also go to a solicitor without fail. Simple, if you'd have wanted to go to the El Dorado you would have booked it in the first place! I would insist on a full refund at least and not settle for a penny less.
thesunlover You need to contact Ros Fernihough on 01922 621114 regarding this matter. She is a travel law lawyer and will offer you free advice.
Rachie-m... I appreciate how disappointing it must of been for Sunlover.. its happened to me before.
But summiting misleading advice does not help anyone- surely you realise that sinlover is not entitled to all her money back? I acknowledge that sunlover didnt get the holiday she booked- but she did get a holiday. She has not mentioned any problems with the flights- why do you feel she is due a refund of these?
Sunlover- you are entitled to compensation- however, this may be limited to "major change 0-7 days comp". check the T+C's in the first choice brochure edition you booked from.
But summiting misleading advice does not help anyone- surely you realise that sinlover is not entitled to all her money back? I acknowledge that sunlover didnt get the holiday she booked- but she did get a holiday. She has not mentioned any problems with the flights- why do you feel she is due a refund of these?
Sunlover- you are entitled to compensation- however, this may be limited to "major change 0-7 days comp". check the T+C's in the first choice brochure edition you booked from.
Helen 1999, I said I would insist on a full refund and I would!She entered into a contract to stay at the Lindo, this contract was broken! It was sold as a "package". Had sunlover not been offered any accomodation at all and flown straight home I'm sure she wouldn't say "well I'll pay for the flight because that was really good fun". With a major change you should be offered the chance to cancel the holiday, this was not the case. My advice is still to go see a solicitor.
Sunlover,
have you kept those e-mails confirming that all was ok before you went.
I hope that you have and i'd give Ros a ring.
have you kept those e-mails confirming that all was ok before you went.
I hope that you have and i'd give Ros a ring.
Also bear in mind that the El Dorado is substantially cheaper than the Lindo! Helen1999, the major change compensation would not even cover this!
I agree it should be a full refund. While a lot of complaints are about bits of the holiday, this is the whole holiday.
Many of us spend a lot of time researching a hotel to make sure it has the facilities we want, is in the location we want, has the type of guests we will put up with.
Then once decided we part with the hard earned to travel across the world and find we are somewhere we would not have gone!
Makes a mockery of using forums like these.
Unfortunately the legal system will probably disagree, but good luck in your pursuit.
Many of us spend a lot of time researching a hotel to make sure it has the facilities we want, is in the location we want, has the type of guests we will put up with.
Then once decided we part with the hard earned to travel across the world and find we are somewhere we would not have gone!
Makes a mockery of using forums like these.
Unfortunately the legal system will probably disagree, but good luck in your pursuit.
I agree with Steveb
Your entire holiday was wrong. You deserve a full refund. These TO's should be ashamed of themselves for what they are doing to people.
Your entire holiday was wrong. You deserve a full refund. These TO's should be ashamed of themselves for what they are doing to people.
hi helen do you work for first choice?????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????? 
i have already told them that i want my money back plus all the extra stuff ie phone bills taxis ect that ive had to pay out for. ive also contacted ros and the itv holiday nightmare program. i was more than happy to come home i did not want there awfull allocation on arrival holiday. and as far as im concerned if you just accept this you are saying its ok and it isnt. and then they will keep doing this to more and more people.
and by the way helen1999 if you call had a holiday spending every day crying and arguing with people who couldnt give a care in the world that your holiday has been totaly ruined then, well im not really sure what to say.
and by the way helen1999 if you call had a holiday spending every day crying and arguing with people who couldnt give a care in the world that your holiday has been totaly ruined then, well im not really sure what to say.
by the way thanks for the support i feel like i need a holiday to get over my stressfull holiday!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Must admit this time last year (to the date ) we found that we LOST a holiday (£1700) due to family bereavement. We have learned a lot about holiday companies since -------- ie CHECK THE SMALL PRINT!
We're not saying this to tell anyone off just to say "CHECK that small print! " It's frightening what they can do!
At the end of the day we are just numbers .......... check that small print!
We're not saying this to tell anyone off just to say "CHECK that small print! " It's frightening what they can do!
At the end of the day we are just numbers .......... check that small print!
Presto2, I am assuming from your comments that you were due to go on your holiday only a couple of days/weeks after you cancelled it?
If this is the case then you will find most if not all tour operators will charge you 100% cancellation charges regardless of the reason for cancelling.
It is the insurers that would refund your money in the case of illness/bereavement etc, not the tour operators.
Whilst not meaning to appear harsh to your situation, you have to realise the tour operators are running a business, and if they refunded peoples money because of a family bereavement in one instance then they would have to always do it, and how many family bereavements do you think people would have then?
As I have previously said that is what you buy travel insurance for.
If this is the case then you will find most if not all tour operators will charge you 100% cancellation charges regardless of the reason for cancelling.
It is the insurers that would refund your money in the case of illness/bereavement etc, not the tour operators.
Whilst not meaning to appear harsh to your situation, you have to realise the tour operators are running a business, and if they refunded peoples money because of a family bereavement in one instance then they would have to always do it, and how many family bereavements do you think people would have then?
As I have previously said that is what you buy travel insurance for.
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