I think the travel lawyer is right about when you take the offer of another holiday, its a new contract, but this is why we have been told again and again, we must inform them at the time of the conversation and again in writing that we are accepting this alternative UNDER DURESS and reserve the right to seek further compensation on return from our holiday. This is the MOST IMPORTANT thing that we do now - besides booking our holiday naturally. There is no doubt that those going in summer 2006, FC have cancelled and in doing so they have by law to offer us alternative holidays and pay compensation (this is stated in the terms and conditions on the FC web site) for 2007 holidays - well that is a different matter they have not cancelled 2007 yet.

Paula, sorry you have not sorted out Thompson's/FC yet, stick with it if you can, one of them has to of made a mistake. I know how it's taking it's toll on you all this extra stress, but one of them has to be wrong. The other person who joined us on msn was Theresa, she's tadalaja who posts on here, and who I always holiday with. Always good as gold if you feel like bending someone's ear, patient's of a saint she has, but then she has had 30+ years of me doing it to her

Hi, sorry I don't want to appear thick but in the letter drafted to send to First Choice it stated that we will claim further compensation after our holiday, does it have to say that or can we claim before we go?? Do I just leave that bit out?? We don't go for another 3 weeks and I wanted to start the ball rolling. Any help appreciated.

Hi Staceyb,

When are you going to Blue bay Escape? we will be there on the 19th. Went there about 3 years ago when it was new. Had a great holiday. It doesn't have water slides etc, and it is in a quiet location. at this late stage we have to be greatful to get anything. If the hotel is still as good as it was a few years ago you will have a good time.

Theresa

Hi emma,
Not sure, but I take it as this is starting the ball rolling, usually they then have 28 days to reply. But you could say "after taking further advice on this matter" or something along those lines.

Hope this helps
Carole

tadalaja

Its good to hear from someone who has been before after all our stress this year with holidays I have a fear of going and being let down. We go on 28th july for 2 weeks so if you are there for 2 weeks we will catch you for a few days. Our kids are 6,3 and 18 months so a pool, beach, kids clubs and ice creams should keep them happy enough - and hopefully allow us a bit of relaxation.

It looks nice enough but its still not what we booked as we originally booked Corfu ABC, then Kefalonia then Kos .................

Hi C Taylor and Kelly Marie

I have heard from Thomsons tonight and they have told me F/C is now sending all my money to them. They will then do an urgent refund for me.

At least thats sorted. They have faxed F/C a letter from me stating that I have taken the holiday under duress and will seek further compensation through the courts.

Thomsons also told their representative that I was going to do this. I am so angry at the way they have treated us all and I feel that we should all definately club together to get what we deserve. They should have given us another holiday for the same price and then paid out compensation. Not been greedy swallowing in up to pay for the now more expensive holidays. They didn't even give them to us a last years price with the free kids offers. If I had booked the hol I am going on last year I could have saved about £500. So I want it back!!!!!!!!!!!

I also lost out on my £179 free insurance because I had to book direct with F/C to get the internet price and they have had £9000 of mine. Making me pay twice while they sorted the money from my first holiday. Added to that I have spent months worrying and five days permanently on the telephone sorting this mess out.

I fly in two weeks and have yet to look forward to my first holiday in four years. Lucky for them they are not in front of me cause I would deck them with great pleasure.

Tommorrow is a new day lets hope with some releif and sunshine!!!!!!!!!!!!

Paula

Gina M - The phone number to ring specifically for the KABC mess is 0161 745 2113. This line will be manned 08:00 - 20:00 for at least the next 2 weeks I was told.

Those of you who have changed to Titanic Beach & Resort Hotel - how did you find this hotel?? Looked at the link that Debz32 posted and it looks fab! Then went onto FC website and can't find it

Any pointers would be great as I could ask FC to price it up for next May to switch from KABC, as there is nothing in their brochures that I fancy that is built yet!

woody7 the hotel you are looking for is situated by searching for turkey, then put in lara in the resort location, and put a tick in all inclusive, it was still availlable last night.

Oh Paula,
I'm so glad you got that mess sorted out. I too think we should all take action together as you are right they have treated each and every one of us in a terrible way with all the hanging on a knife edge only to be carved up at the 11th hour. That done they didn't even have the decency to make amends for anyone, when they could have saved what was left of their reputation. I don't think anyone of us is truly satisfied with what we have got, and the nasty taste left in our mouths will not go away for a very long time to come.

UNITED WE STAND I SAY

But all that can wait until we come back from our holiday now. Take yourself a couple of days to recover - thats what I found I needed, then PANIC cus we are going on holiday soon and we have done sod all towards it.

But at least after we have panicked, we can believe that this time we ARE GOING ON HOLIDAY, something we have all been denied the pleasure of up till now.

Nite nite,
you can sleep a little better tonight.

Thanks Lockett Family - got it now! Coming up a lot more expensive than KABC for next May, especially as we'd have to book interconnecting rooms as it has no kids den. But maybe it's more expensive cos it's built.......

Paula3412

I'm glad to hear that you have sorted your situation out, well done!

When Thomson saying you were getting £179 worth of free insurance what do they mean? How many people, where too, how long?

Sounds that the price they said you were saving was vastly wide of the mark, tour operators have a habit of over pricing insurance & over valuing the saving by taking their "free" insurance.

===============================================

Typical example: 2 Adults, 4 Children to Europe (which for insurance puposes includes Turkey) 14 nights - single trip £40.90 Annual £97.28

These kind of rates are available from various online insurance sellers

For anybody interested work is still being carried on at the hotel but no guests have arrived. Last night when I drove by the lights were on.

my travel agent told me that if i book another holiday with fc and i use the £150 per person and the 10% comp that they offered us that it was my way of accecepting the comp and that no matter how hard i tried i wont get another penny what does anyone else think

only time will tell gina, I`m in for my inquisition this morning, I`ll report back later, but we must all stick together for a collective legal action and now get the national press, abta etc involved, fist choice are nothing but thieves and vagabonds they are lower than a snakes belly

Debz32 - I go 4th August

Gina M

I don't know whether a further claim will acheive anything, but I am certainly going to put in a formal complaint and request for further compensation. If they had surveyors regularly checking the site as they state on their website then why did it take them until the day before it was due to receive guests to cancel the opening for the whole summer. They should have spotted the issues earlier and either cancelled earlier or rectified them before guests arrived.

I have e-mailed customer services this morning to confirm in writing I am reserving the right to take this further and anything I have accepted so far is not in full and final settlement

They have caused untold amounts of stress. I was always aware that weddings, moving house and changing jobs were stressful experiences, now I know that booking a holiday with first choice should be added to that list

to the person wanted a report on the sun tropical holiday village - we went there last June, had an awful holiday again due to fc and their incompetance, the main pool n(which is very deep all over) was closed whilst we were there for the first 4 days of our holiday which was a nightmare, (no letter or correspondence from FC about this prior to leaving for holiday) we all got food poisioning except the baby who was on baby jars, my hub had to have anti sickness jabs to fly home, our pre booked baby pack was given out to some one else, the entertainment in the dome is ruined by the acoustics and the sound so loud, and those who travelled self catering where given yellow wristbands for their children enabling them to free snacks and drinks which I felt was totally unfair, considering we booked all inclusive mainly for the kids to have drinks etc when they wanted them, the management prefer the self catering guests who are paying guests (in the managements eyes), take a look at this years reviews though, things may have changed, and although we had a bad holiday there were many who had a fab time, as per usual we were unlucky

Well said Staceyb

One thing is for sure, if we do nothing, then we will get nothing and we have nothing but time and energy to loose in trying, after all FC have had almost 2 months of our time and energy already on KABC and for what!!!!!.

can you imagine how much interest fc has made on our money sitting in its account, they can afford the extra our replacement holidays have cost. Also with regards to 2007 again more customers money sitting in an account occuring more money whilst they decide what they are gonna do about opening next year or not.