Thomson Travel agents
Can anyone help? I booked a very special series of holidays through Thomson Travel to celebrate my 40th Wedding Anniversary as a surprise for my wife spending in total nearly £5000 (a fortune for a pensioner). The highlight was to be a week in Lake Garda in a hotel that had special memories. I booked early and paid extra to ensure we had a balcony room overlooking the lake and paid extra for it. When the booking confirmation came it did not seem to show the correct code so I asked Thomson's local shop to correct it. They replied that it was correct and we had the correct booking code. When the tickets came it did not seem right and again Ichecked and waited in the shop whilst Head Office were telephoned to confirm. Again I was assured all was in order!
Needless to say, on arrival we were told that we did not have the room booked and paid for and had been allocated a room at the rear of the hotel overlooking the car Park! We contacted the Thomson Rep who came and looked at our paperwork and after some heated discussion she rang her supervisor. Unfortunately for her we were able to hear the conversation where she was told that 'scroungers like us were always trying it on - do nothing' (not a quote but an edited resume of a very offensive assassination of our character by someone who had never seen us). The hotel did everything it could, but as rooms were heavily booked this did not amount to much.
I appreciate that mistakes do happen, and we were able to make the best of things, but my wife and I were upset by the whole thing. We raised it upon our return with the Thomson Travel where we had booked, and they confirmed that they had been contacted by the rep and confirmed to her that we were booked as stated. They were later telephoned by the Supervisor who said that we and they were at fault, we had not paid and she would do nothing. They agreed to take it further on our behalf and sent e.mails to their head office on 1st September 2010 with no response. On reminding them they followed up with phone calls only to be told no such e.mails had ever been received. They then faxed them details but still can get no response!
We did have a good holiday - but the upset spoilt an occasion that is impossible to repeat. We are not worried about the few pounds of money, but just want a apology for the unpleasant scene in Malcesine and the disappointment. How to we get this?
Did you pay for and not receive a balcony/lake view? Did your paperwork confirm this or was it all verbal?
You need to write to head office but for just an apology it's probably not worth your effort. They will always assume you want compensation and will be on the defensive before they open your letter. And they will always wait 28 days to reply.
But if you've paid extra for something that you didn't get why do you only want the apology? If you demand the money back they might at least do a few checks.
Was this a Thomon own brand holiday or from another operator?
Have you kept the brochure that shows the price and booking code? Given that checks were made this sounds like somewhere in the system the codes are crossed over. Can you give us the hotel name and the 2 room types with codes as they appear and confirm what it said on your documents? We could do some slewthing and see if they appear anywhere else and whether they are the same way round.
But if you've paid extra for something that you didn't get why do you only want the apology? If you demand the money back they might at least do a few checks.
Was this a Thomon own brand holiday or from another operator?
Have you kept the brochure that shows the price and booking code? Given that checks were made this sounds like somewhere in the system the codes are crossed over. Can you give us the hotel name and the 2 room types with codes as they appear and confirm what it said on your documents? We could do some slewthing and see if they appear anywhere else and whether they are the same way round.
You wouldn't normally get a booking code on your paperwork. On Thomsons travel agency paperwork it would normally show eg TW2 PB SH WC BL LV. Thomsons tour ops usually print it out in full eg Twin room (sleeps 2 people) with private bath, shower, wc, balcony and lake view. What sort of code did your paperwork show?
Thank you for these responses and I apologise as being new to this sort of thing I underestimated the knowledge you have here. I should have provided more information had I known.
In response to the points you have raised
1. The Hotel was the Sirena in Malcesine
2. The price quoted of £9 per person per night was paid for a lake view balcony
3. The problem was the codings on Thomson booking confirmation. The relevant code was PBWCBL printed as shown and explained by Thompson in their shop and on telephone as Private Bathroom and WC , Balcony and Lake view. I pointed out that this didn't seem to match the codes in their Lakes and Mountains sales brochure and shouldn't it read PBWCBLLV. They said no! Everything was as ordered and paid for. The rep in the resort and the resort manager took an opposite view. In no place was this ever printed out and put in full - only ever as a code.
Reading your comments this seems to be a con, carried out because of my stupidity in not asking for written confirmation, but I was assured all was in order twice (Three times counting telephone calls)
From your replies it seems I don't have much hope an apology unless I sue them and for the sake of £126 on holidays costing nearly £5,000 it just isn't worth it. Nothing can ever replace our dream of spending our anniversary watching the sun set over Lake Garda from our private balcony. All I can do is leave this as a warning to others to always get these mammoth companies to confirm everything in writing.
In response to the points you have raised
1. The Hotel was the Sirena in Malcesine
2. The price quoted of £9 per person per night was paid for a lake view balcony
3. The problem was the codings on Thomson booking confirmation. The relevant code was PBWCBL printed as shown and explained by Thompson in their shop and on telephone as Private Bathroom and WC , Balcony and Lake view. I pointed out that this didn't seem to match the codes in their Lakes and Mountains sales brochure and shouldn't it read PBWCBLLV. They said no! Everything was as ordered and paid for. The rep in the resort and the resort manager took an opposite view. In no place was this ever printed out and put in full - only ever as a code.
Reading your comments this seems to be a con, carried out because of my stupidity in not asking for written confirmation, but I was assured all was in order twice (Three times counting telephone calls)
From your replies it seems I don't have much hope an apology unless I sue them and for the sake of £126 on holidays costing nearly £5,000 it just isn't worth it. Nothing can ever replace our dream of spending our anniversary watching the sun set over Lake Garda from our private balcony. All I can do is leave this as a warning to others to always get these mammoth companies to confirm everything in writing.
This sounds like incompetance in the shop. The people in the resort probably wouldn't have a clue what the price should be but like us would spot the LV was missing!
£126 is a worthwhile sum to chase but the court process is a bit of a hassle. Maybe a get a photo of you outside the shop and suggest to the manager that if the refund isn't agreed within a couple of days you'll be going to the local papers with your account of how they messed up your special holiday. I think a bottle of something sparkling on top of the money wouldn't be unreasonable!
£126 is a worthwhile sum to chase but the court process is a bit of a hassle. Maybe a get a photo of you outside the shop and suggest to the manager that if the refund isn't agreed within a couple of days you'll be going to the local papers with your account of how they messed up your special holiday. I think a bottle of something sparkling on top of the money wouldn't be unreasonable!
Definately booked wrong in the shop. That code certainly did not include a lake view. Out of curiosity, did you get a confirmation from Thomson Tour Operator or just the agency shop print out confirmation? It is usually 4 pages of which the first page is in letter form (Thomsons travel agents usually take this out before giviing to customer) The second is headed Your Holiday Details. It is on the seond page that your room details are usually printed in full.
Thank you Sun addict and Steve8482,
I agree with your comments that it is probably not worth pursuing in court, but I will print off all these replies and hand to the shop manager in the (probably vain) hope that they have at least the guts to apologise. I really can't understand why there seems to be such resistance today to say "sorry, we screwed up". When I was working a prompt apology and a bunch of flowers for the offended customers wife saved my Company thousands. As it is they have lost a customer, and looking at other posts here it seems that doesn't matter to them at all. I hope for their shareholders sake that it doesn't come back to haunt them.
I agree with your comments that it is probably not worth pursuing in court, but I will print off all these replies and hand to the shop manager in the (probably vain) hope that they have at least the guts to apologise. I really can't understand why there seems to be such resistance today to say "sorry, we screwed up". When I was working a prompt apology and a bunch of flowers for the offended customers wife saved my Company thousands. As it is they have lost a customer, and looking at other posts here it seems that doesn't matter to them at all. I hope for their shareholders sake that it doesn't come back to haunt them.
I've not got anything much to add as you've already had some really great advice.
It's a shame that, despite your attempts before departure to ensure that you would would get what you booked AND more importantly paid for, you were disappointed.
As sugested by Steve8482, I would chase Thomson for a refund of the £126 that you paid for the lake view - don't accept vouchers but ask for cash.
And if that fails, I'd definitely follow up Steve8482's suggestion about going to the local papers.
A report of how you queried the booking not once but TWICE and they still got it wrong would be an embarrassment to them, portray them as incompetant and consequently may damage their image and business..
They might not be bothered about that though.
As well as a bottle of something sparkly, a big bouquet wouldn't go amiss - imho.
Good luck with this and do let us know what happens.
It's a shame that, despite your attempts before departure to ensure that you would would get what you booked AND more importantly paid for, you were disappointed.
As sugested by Steve8482, I would chase Thomson for a refund of the £126 that you paid for the lake view - don't accept vouchers but ask for cash.
And if that fails, I'd definitely follow up Steve8482's suggestion about going to the local papers.
A report of how you queried the booking not once but TWICE and they still got it wrong would be an embarrassment to them, portray them as incompetant and consequently may damage their image and business..
They might not be bothered about that though.
As well as a bottle of something sparkly, a big bouquet wouldn't go amiss - imho.
Good luck with this and do let us know what happens.
If the LV code was not showing on the confirmation from the travel agent then would this not imply that the lake view had not been entered into the booking and therefore not paid for? Then again I know nothing about travel agent booking systems but would assume that you would ask for extras and these are then entered into the system, the total cost updated and then confirmed by the print out. To my thinking if the travel agent confirmation did not show LV then it had not been paid for.
Agents run 2 systems. What is booked on viewdata is not necesarily what has been typed into their back office system to produce the travel agents confirmation. A tour operator confirmation would show what had actually been booked.
Sunaddict wrote:Agents run 2 systems. What is booked on viewdata is not necesarily what has been typed into their back office system to produce the travel agents confirmation. A tour operator confirmation would show what had actually been booked.
Are the two systems not linked then? If not then it seems like a whole host of problems could occur on a regular basis.
Thanks everyone,
I referred shop manager to the website and this question and surprise, surprise, I got an immediate apology and have been promised a refund and compensation to be sent out on Monday. Thank you all for such constructive comments that have finally achieved an acceptable response.
I referred shop manager to the website and this question and surprise, surprise, I got an immediate apology and have been promised a refund and compensation to be sent out on Monday. Thank you all for such constructive comments that have finally achieved an acceptable response.
Glad to hear you got a result... pity you had to put up with cr@p service
Bet you won't be using that branch again..
ATB,J.
Bet you won't be using that branch again..
ATB,J.
Well done - am so glad you got sorted in the end 
Daithelife
That's really good news - and thanks for coming back and letting us know how it worked out.
That's really good news - and thanks for coming back and letting us know how it worked out.
thats great news!
well done on getting a result.lets us know,if they deliver,what they have promised.
tracy
well done on getting a result.lets us know,if they deliver,what they have promised.
tracy
Thank you to everyone,
My final post. This ended today with the shop manager telephoning me to apologise for the delay in finalising matters due to further hold-ups at Thomson Head Office. Following her intervention I was paid out compensation and £100 promised as an apology in cash! A very satisfactory end to the matter financially, but what really pleased me was this lady being concerned enough to keep chasing and offering the personal apology I had wanted from the start. Any Company can make mistakes, but it takes people to correct them, people who care and it is nice to know that they do exist, even if you have to be very, very persistent to find them.
Thank you again for all the wise words and support. It really helped.
My final post. This ended today with the shop manager telephoning me to apologise for the delay in finalising matters due to further hold-ups at Thomson Head Office. Following her intervention I was paid out compensation and £100 promised as an apology in cash! A very satisfactory end to the matter financially, but what really pleased me was this lady being concerned enough to keep chasing and offering the personal apology I had wanted from the start. Any Company can make mistakes, but it takes people to correct them, people who care and it is nice to know that they do exist, even if you have to be very, very persistent to find them.
Thank you again for all the wise words and support. It really helped.
Excellent news Daithelife
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