Lapland - Problems - help needed (moved to Complaints Briar)

MandyJ

2005-12-11 10:44:20

Hi

We went to Lapland on Friday with Transun and to say we were disappointed is a complete understatement. We went to Sariselka on the day trip FANTASIA and it is a stunning place I do admit that.

We were booked the Fantasia trip from the brochure & web site which said: leave airport to search for Santa by snow mobile, hot drinks & pancakes at activities throughout the day, based at reindeer farm, toboggan, snow mobiles, snow hockey etc etc available at activities throughout the day and extended husky dog ride due to smaller numbers and an individual meeting with Santa for the kids - perfect we thought!

Needless to say, we arrived, got our thermals and then got on a coach for a 15min journey to our "first location"!! Had a short husky ride, then walked down a hill to find Santa and everyone went into the cabin at once so it was hardly individual.

We also had a problem with our Santa letters - Transun didn't return them to us but told us that they didn't have enough time to do that (even tho we sent them in over 4 weeks ago) so they had given them to yhe tour rep - got to the airport and asked him but he knew nothing about them ....... when we arrived home, guess what had arrived in our post that morning - the letters (my daughter spent over 2hrs drawing hers as she is a very keen "artist" and drew cartoons and Christmas Mickey and things)!!

There was no hot juice let alone panackes available on the day and there were no toboggans, snow hockey or any extra activities - we actually spent a lot of the day standing around waiting for other people to have their rides.

Then, after our reindeer ride, we were back on the bus for another 5-10mins to go to another location for a 5min (max) snow mobile ride, lappish ceremony and lunch then back on the coach to sit at the airport for 1hr 30mins before coming home!!

Because we were under the impression we were going to one central location where all the activities were based and where we could use the extra activities the kids (age 10 & 6) were really frustrated all day - especially my daughter who is 10 and was really looking forward to toboganning and things like that.

I feel the holiday is completely mis-represented in the brochure and on the web and I spoke to the Rep in the resort and showed him the brochure pages (which I always take with me for some reason!) and he said yes, we were on the right flight, paid the right price, on the right day etc but that the trip in the brochure was not the trip that they put on - but it was out of the Transun brochure and he could not explain it!!

What confuses me even more is that we were the only party expecting more - some people said they thought they would have hot juice available but that was all - so I don't understand how we bought a package with more in it (and it is still the same package with the extras that is on the web).

I have written to complain to Transun as I basically want my money back - we took my mum with us as well as we have all had a really horris 6 months and this was meant to help us put it all behind us and be a new start and something we could all enjoy together but I wish we had taken the kids to Christmas Disney instead!!

Has anyone else come across this or does anyone else have any advise - I was gonna look up the trading standards / trades description places later on as I thought they may be able to help. Oh, and I have come back and now got laryngitis so can't speak!!!!

Thanks
Mandy

Cromwell1

2005-12-11 17:57:29

Mandy im apalled at this.

I would imagine this cost you a pricly sum aswell :roll:

Surely if you did not get everything you expected, you should get some kind of compensation....... keep pestering them.
:wink:

hbrac

2005-12-11 20:58:24

I remember reading a while back (and I can't remember where) that many people who had booked this type of holiday had had the same dismal experience.There was not one satisfied customer. I cannot remember who they had booked through just that they were very disappointed that they had wasted their money. Perhaps a google search would bring something up.

cyberspacekadette

2005-12-11 21:40:03

This thread HERE is about another Lapland complaint.

hattonwoods

2005-12-11 22:54:36

Santa Trip to Lapland

We went to Lapland to see Santa yesterday with First Choice.

It was no more than a bad christmas theme park with very long cue's.
A 45 second meet with santa who knew nothing about my son. Not even his name. The gift was a cheap stocking with a stuffed elf inside. There was no magic what so ever. Please please don't go with First Choice. We even had to pay for tee and coffee with our cafferteria style buffet lunch.
It cast £1400 for four off us. I want to cry.

good luck.

Pippa

2005-12-12 07:52:48

Sadly I think this type of trip is often going to be a bit of a let down - often aimed at those who can afford excessive amounts for a day outing. Let's face it - trips to see Santa in Lapland did not exist until a few years ago - another sad reflection of how comercialised Christmas has become.

£1400 for a day trip - you could have a week's holiday for that!!

Pippa

Cromwell1

2005-12-12 21:59:36

Pippa, i think you have summed it up very well......

Christmas IS getting too commercialised unfortunately

Too many greedy people waiting to rip people off.... this is a classic
example unfortunately :evil:

When my children were little I often thought about a trip to visit Santa to Lapland..... but always thought it was "overpriced" for what you actually got. :roll:

MandyJ

2005-12-13 07:27:36

I agree that the trip is overpriced but it was going to be a "once in a lifetime" trip for us for sure.

As I said we had a really horrid 6 months with deaths in the family, daughter breaking her arm, me losing my job and other things and putting some money that I got towards this trip seeked a good idea whilst my son still believed in Santa.

I only wanted what was promised and while, yes, it is still expensive for a day trip, it would have been worth it for the kids, and for us, had it been what it was meant to be - I spent ages pouring over the brochures making sure we picked the right one that wasn't commercialised and picked this one because of all the little extras that we ended up not getting!

cyberspacekadette

2005-12-13 07:39:38

It's something I always fancied doing when my kids were younger, but it was so expensive just for one day! Personally, if you're going to spend that kind of money, it would be better value and more fun (and magical) to take them over to EuroDisney for 2-3 days. Disneyland is beautiful any time of the year, but nobody does xmas like Disney! :wink:

Pippa

2005-12-13 07:52:54

I agree Cyberspace - so much better value for money and you know what you are getting too.

Pippa

isplumm

2005-12-13 18:59:37

Lapland trip

Hi ....

I've been watching this topic with interest over the last few days & feel forced to defend trips to Lapland.

My wife & her 2 sisters went to Lapland with Thomas Cook last year. 3 nights. They had a great time .... not cheap - £600 each.

If you are going for 1 day, how much are you expecting to get ? Its 2-3 flight there & back + 1-2 hours checkin each side - that's 8-10 minimum just to get there & back - most likely leaves 8 hours for your lapland visit. It isn't much time. Much better to go for 2-3 nights.

Mark

MandyJ

2005-12-13 20:24:06

Hi Mark

I think trips in Lapland in general probably are good - expensive, yes, but a once in a lifetime trip but I also think that if a tour operator says they are gonna put on things during the day (i.e. to fill the hanging around time of which there was quite a bit) then they should.

There are other trips which don't advertise these extra's and therefore you wouldn't expect them but if you book a trip based on what the brochure says surely you can expect the activities (or alternatives if something happens and they can't provide them).

Mandy

neavsie

2005-12-15 17:48:56

We returned yesterday after a 4 night visit which was brillant, right in the wilds. Although expensive it was full board and unfortunately in comparison to the price of day trips good value. As we went to the airport the day trips were arriving and this was about 2pm in the afternoon.

We stayed in an unspoilt, uncommericalised area (some tour operators use the theme park Santaland) and could walk for miles in exceptional quiet. The activities for the kids were brillant and magical. Carol singing in the evening outside around a camp fire. Fortunately it was never made to be tacky and the true spirit of Christmas seemed to come through.

However this was not Transun who we have heard many complaints about, so I hope that you succeed in getting your money back especially since it is not the one advertised in the brochure. Last year Transun were in the papers for proving Santa in a cafeteria next to the tomato sauce, perhaps you should contact the papers again????

Good luck and keep us posted

gettinaway

2005-12-17 14:39:55

neavsie - who did you go with and to where and what sort of money are we talking about for say 4 nights - is it in a hotel or s/c h/b ??- any info would be great. Is there lots to do?? Sounds like you'd recommend it then??Mary

gettinaway

2005-12-17 14:40:47

...sorry, re-read your post and see it was all inc....mary

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