Hi All
I am hoping somebody may be able to advise me,in June I booked to return to Bahamas Hotel in Playa Den Bossa,I had been told by the hotels' PR that the hotel was being refurbed during the winter and next year would only be available as A I,we went into travel agents and booked for 2 adults and 1x15 yr old,hotel came up on the screen as A I and we agreed price and paid deposit.Our friends in Manchester did the same.Today we went in to change the date ,bringing the holiday one week earlier,due to son's school commitments and were told the hotel is not able to be booked as there were lots of mistakes on early bookings and A I supplement had not been added on,to keep the AI we have to pay another £672,do you think they can do this.I would appreciate any comments on this problem.Thanks.
Hi Kath
It definitely does but we've been told that we will not get A I unless we pay £48 per day extra,we can still go H B, upgrade at £672,or change hotels with no admin fee,we were in travel shop nearly 2 hours but have not resolved problem.It is not common knowledge yet as advisor didn't know what was going on until she eventually got through to pre-departures,apparently letters are printed ,ready to be sent out.
It definitely does but we've been told that we will not get A I unless we pay £48 per day extra,we can still go H B, upgrade at £672,or change hotels with no admin fee,we were in travel shop nearly 2 hours but have not resolved problem.It is not common knowledge yet as advisor didn't know what was going on until she eventually got through to pre-departures,apparently letters are printed ,ready to be sent out.
I think this is one for Ros Fernihough to check out your legal position. You will find her details at the top of the forum.
However as you want to change the date that may have an adverse affect on this. If you had still been going on the same date then I think you would have had a very good case.
luci
However as you want to change the date that may have an adverse affect on this. If you had still been going on the same date then I think you would have had a very good case.
luci
Thanks Kath,I think you may be right,unfortunately,my friends may be glad of her advice though as they can keep the original dates.I think we'll probably let them fight this and perhaps we'll just change our holiday to different date and different hotel,I think it would be paying over the odds,£2740 for a holiday starting 16th May that is only equal to this years at just over £2000,starting a week later.
Will do,thanks,Tx
I might have read it wrong, but have they possibly:
1) Made an error and charges you HB, but marked it as AI on the invoice.
2) Then realised the error, but not chased you for the payment, and honoured the invoice inclusions.
3) Then you have tried to change the dates, and they are no longer honouring the AI mistake if you do change the dates?
If that's the case, I suspect they are able to do this. Can you not keep your original dates under any circumstances?
The only dubious issue I have is that I suspect they would have chased you for the extra AI supplement when the error first came to light, so something doesn't seem right.
Do let me know if i've misread the situation though.
1) Made an error and charges you HB, but marked it as AI on the invoice.
2) Then realised the error, but not chased you for the payment, and honoured the invoice inclusions.
3) Then you have tried to change the dates, and they are no longer honouring the AI mistake if you do change the dates?
If that's the case, I suspect they are able to do this. Can you not keep your original dates under any circumstances?
The only dubious issue I have is that I suspect they would have chased you for the extra AI supplement when the error first came to light, so something doesn't seem right.
Do let me know if i've misread the situation though.
Although we're trying to change the dates of our holiday, our friends aren't but the tour operators are not honouring the original terms and conditions.
Even though we discussed the date change with the travel agents the tour operator was not aware.
Even though we discussed the date change with the travel agents the tour operator was not aware.
but the tour operators are not honouring the original terms and conditions.
There is a contract in place that is agreed to by both parties. In your case you wish to change dates and therefore the contract. The TO is within their rights to change/charge anything they wish in such a case. The same contract rules (but the other way round) applies to your friends - if the TO wishes to change anything then they are entitled to apply their own conditions should they agree.
One thought that springs to mind is the manner in which TOs assume they can change things simply because it is inconvenient with impunity, yet feel they can apply penalties if it is the customer that wishes to do so. At least those who come here on HT are a little bit wiser than the TO would think.
The best advice has been given by Lucy in suggesting contacting Ros.
fwh
I think an important point has been lost because of the way the original was written. Does it mean that when you tried to change the date they said you can't but when they looked at the booking they had already committed to, they realised a mistake had been made and tried to change the price of the original dates? If that's the case I'd say rip off is a fair description! But if the increased price is for the new dates then I agree with FWH
Hi,we need to change our booking so appreciate that TO can then rebook and rectify their mistake but our friends do not want to change anything but they will have to pay an extra £16pppn,(£896) to keep the holiday as AI .We will pay admin fees to change dates but are not prepared to pay another £672 to go to that hotel so will change hotel too.Hope this is clearer,it's difficult to explain.
Is this booked via a tour operator or has the travel agency booked it using a "bed bank"?
If the latter, although a problem the travel agent needs to sort out for you, the position on the liability of the provider of the hotel room may be limited depending if they are acting as the "principle" or "agent" of the hotel.
If the latter, although a problem the travel agent needs to sort out for you, the position on the liability of the provider of the hotel room may be limited depending if they are acting as the "principle" or "agent" of the hotel.
Hi All,
Thanks for your replies,we've decided to wait until the letter from major tour operator arrives,giving us our options,then will have to sort this problem out.At the moment I don't think even Ros could help as we have not been told "officially".
Thanks for your replies,we've decided to wait until the letter from major tour operator arrives,giving us our options,then will have to sort this problem out.At the moment I don't think even Ros could help as we have not been told "officially".
Sensible idea. Perhaps you could however tell us who the booking parties are.
Hi if you booked AI and have an invoice stating this there is nothing the Travel Agent can do.
They will have to honer the AI.
If they try and force you to pay the extra either contact Ros or go to Trading Standards.
If you change to another date then they can alter the AI to HB.
They will have to honer the AI.
If they try and force you to pay the extra either contact Ros or go to Trading Standards.
If you change to another date then they can alter the AI to HB.
Hi Not sure if I should say who the operator is until I get the letter,then I will tell the gist of the letter,not reproduce it as I'm sure I'm not allowed to,if I could keep the original dates I would fight til the end to get A I but not pay any extra.As I have to change dates I will break that contract so I don't think they would have to honour the original booking.We have more or less decided to go during summer holiday but to a different hotel as that one would now be too expensive.
I think you are reading it right Oscarben.
You will need to pay the difference, to whatever alternative deal you go for, plus an admin fee.
But I think your friends shoud fight too and nail to keep the AI as that was their original contract and they have the paperwork to prove it.
Hopefully as you are going for a different hotel and half board you should't have to pay too much extra on top of the admin fee.
Good Luck and keep us posted.
You will need to pay the difference, to whatever alternative deal you go for, plus an admin fee.
But I think your friends shoud fight too and nail to keep the AI as that was their original contract and they have the paperwork to prove it.
Hopefully as you are going for a different hotel and half board you should't have to pay too much extra on top of the admin fee.
Good Luck and keep us posted.
Just a word regarding the extra costs of a different departure date.
We normally make use of the fact that there is a fluctuation in prices. When the good old Eclipsedirect site used to work properly, you could line up the hotel and airport of choice and then switch through the departure dates to get the cheapest time. On one holiday leaving just 4 days earlier saved over £100 pp. So conversely someone who was unaware and had booked the cheaper time would have had a shock if they wanted to delay by a couple of days.
Good Luck anyway.
One option is to insist that the change of accomodation from AI is a major change and demand a full refund, then use another agent to get a better holiday.
We normally make use of the fact that there is a fluctuation in prices. When the good old Eclipsedirect site used to work properly, you could line up the hotel and airport of choice and then switch through the departure dates to get the cheapest time. On one holiday leaving just 4 days earlier saved over £100 pp. So conversely someone who was unaware and had booked the cheaper time would have had a shock if they wanted to delay by a couple of days.
Good Luck anyway.
One option is to insist that the change of accomodation from AI is a major change and demand a full refund, then use another agent to get a better holiday.
Thanks Steve ,
Our friends have problems with the date,too but are using a friend of the family as their agent,he will try harder I think to get her a good deal than the travel shop we used ,so will wait and see how they get on then use them as a precedent,it worked before when we booked early with no free child places and a couple of weeks later when 2nd edition came out there were free places all season.Our shop said hard luck,too bad,her agent got free place.Thomson then had to relent as a precedent had been set, saving us about £350 .Perhaps next time we'll use their agent,but we're in Norfolk they are in Manchester.
Our friends have problems with the date,too but are using a friend of the family as their agent,he will try harder I think to get her a good deal than the travel shop we used ,so will wait and see how they get on then use them as a precedent,it worked before when we booked early with no free child places and a couple of weeks later when 2nd edition came out there were free places all season.Our shop said hard luck,too bad,her agent got free place.Thomson then had to relent as a precedent had been set, saving us about £350 .Perhaps next time we'll use their agent,but we're in Norfolk they are in Manchester.
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