I would try to do a dummy booking and see if you get the same page again. If you do take a screen print and print it off and scan/send it to them to back up your claim.

luci

Hi Luci and thanks.

The girl on the phone admitted that it says we are over occupied according to their criteria but still says I have to pay extra if I want two rooms, it seems the system should not have let me book one twin room for the amount of guests staying.

I was going to book a couple of days ago but it kept coming up with twin room so I thought I'd better phone and check, it took me ages to get to speak someone who then assured me that it wouldn't let me book an over occupancy and despite what it said, my confirmation would be for the correct accommodation.

I've just realised on reading further that there should be a 40% reduction for a child sharing also a reduction for a 3rd adult in one room (not that you can have both) but I've been charged the full adult price for all four of us. This holiday wasn't a late deal or special offer just one found in a normal online search.

Thomson's are supposed to be phoning me back today and I'm not sure of where I stand legally.

Why don't you give Ros Fernihough a call on 01922 621114

Worth a try ?

Kath

Good idea, thanks Kath.

I've just spoken to Pam and it seems they have misrepresented the room occupancy but its going to be difficult to do anything about it now.

I can either cancel and lose my deposit, continue and all share the same room, although the hotel could refuse to let us because of over occupancy or I can pay for the extra room and write and complain and hope to get the money back due to the misrepresentation.

The only other option is to convince them to cancel because they are unable to provide me with what they say they were supposed to.

Its so unfair that the ball is in their court all the time.

If you have paid for 4 adults and I'm assuming here that the room price is based on 2 adults, then booking 2 separate rooms is still going to cost 4 x adult price! Something seems amiss

Having spoken to Thomsons again it seems our problem was due to a loading error when they put the information on the website. The system wouldn't even let me book 2 rooms for this hotel because they offer the family room option and that's all they have left now despite telling me yesterday that they have never had family rooms at this hotel.

As the price of the holiday has risen since I booked they wanted me to pay the extra at the new rate but fortunately I had done a dummy booking before I phoned them and realised that it was wrong.

So after a frustrating day and a half of trying to get someone to accept responsibility I have paid an extra £168 for the family room and had it confirmed by e-mail with a paper invoice to follow as usual.

I must admit I got a great deal it works out at just under £635 each for 2 weeks AI and I couldn't find anywhere with decent reviews in Europe for that price. I just wish it hadn't been so stressful.

Thanks to you all for your help.

Glad you are sorted.

Kath x

hi, glad you got it sorted where are you staying that seems like a very good price

Its the Tropical Princess Bavaro in the Dominican Republic Malcolm, more good reviews than bad.

I'm actually a bit confused today because although the price per person has gone up if I was to make two separate bookings for individual rooms it works out cheaper than at the rate I paid. it still won't let me book 2 rooms for the four of us on one booking and wants to put us all in one room.

They make the price breakdown of holidays so complicated and I'm certain its to mislead us.

The price when I booked it was quoting £575 each but put us in one room so you could say the system had given us discounts for sharing but today the price is £596 each for 2 people sharing a double room if booked separately, remember the system won't let me book 2 rooms on one booking. When you do the sums its worked out more expensive after I've paid the extra £168 than it would to book at today's higher rate. ( I have remembered to add in-flight meals to both costings and transfers were included on both already)

Can anyone shed any light on how they work these things out please.

When I book cruises for my friend and myself it has to be done as 2 seperate bookings and then the bookings X referenced. Just the way the system works and yet when I book the B&B in the hotel in Venice it goes through as 2 rooms with 1 person in each room.
Would you not think of making 2 seperate bookings or is that too difficult now?

Sue

Have a good holiday, but as a great deal of the enjoyment comes from the anticipation, it is a shame that the companies seem to be going backwards in this area.
I presume it is the accountants who decide that as everything is hunky dory they will try do the same job with less resources to save money, and only when the position has got so bad that it knocks the bottom line will they do anything about it again. Unfortunately with the takeovers there is less competition and less need to fight for the trade so less resource to sort out these matters and anyway you are probably phoning the 0871 number so more money is coming in..

I used to use eclipse until last year when I took the plunge with the Caribbeanwarehouse out of desperation to find a mutually satisfying holiday. Now eclipse are going that leaves FC and Thompson, neither of whom's practices this year have endeared themselves and your experience just convinces me that for my next Caribbean holiday, apart from a quick price check to start the ball rolling, Thompsons,FC etc will not be on the Christmas card list for me anymore.

I do know that on one of my holidays, I found that it was cheaper booking separate rooms rather than the party together, so I phoned and complained, demanded and received a refund of the difference. It was all within the initial booking period and the website was still showing the same prices which enabled them to confirm my findings.

But if you are now sorted and it is finalised, I would stop checking the prices in case they go down!
If it is not then all I did was get the group booking price from the web and then the individual room prices and furnished those asking them to add them up.

Good Luck and good holiday.