hello
i am new to this board but im hoping that someone on here can help.on the 19th march i booked a all inclusive holiday to egypt for myself my partner and 3 children age 14,8 and 6mths to the newbian village hotel,nabq bay.we payed the balance of £2000.
our date of travel is 2nd december 2010.
last Friday i receive a phone call from the manager of our thomas cook travel agent telling me that we can no longer stay at the hotel we had chosen due to contractual difficulties(not very specific)and could we call in shop to see the manager.
when we went in we where told that although we cant go to our original resort that they would instead be sending us to the park inn hotel which was of the same standard.i explained to her that we didnt want to go to this resort because its one that we have purposely avoided due to doing our homework and reading lots of bad reviews,i even pointed out to her in their own brochour ratings it was a lot worse which she agreed.
she says that she will try to find us something more suitable and will be intouch,5 days pass and she rings to tell us that we can now go to the tropicana azzure hotel but it will cost us an extra £200 pounds.i said that we simply cant afford any more money and that because its their fault in the first place why cant they waver this extra cost.she says that i either pay£200 or go to the park inn or have a refund for our original holiday.
we are really hoping someone on here can advise us what to do as we upset at how we have been treated and its only 4 weeks to our departure.
yours hopefully the fardon family
Sorry you've been treated like this. I personally would take the refund and rebook elsewhere but you might find there's a delay in getting your cash back. Has the manager said when you would get your refund?
I just had a quick look and the hotel is now with First Choice and is showing availability for the 2nd December, it looks like this hotel may no longer be with Thomas Cook hence there issues.
It may be worth seeing if you can get a deal with First Choice and claim your money back via a refund.
Dave
It may be worth seeing if you can get a deal with First Choice and claim your money back via a refund.
Dave
Contractually they most likely can do what they just did to you. That doesn't make it right of course and sometimes speaking to somebody higher up can get you the result of them waiving the £200 extra cost for the new accommodation providing you're happy with that choice of new accommadation of course.
Also, given that they're happy for you to be refunded it must constitute as a major change and you're therefore entitled to compensation as per the Ts and Cs given that it is only a few weeks to your date of departure. You will most probably find that this compensation is equal to the extra £200.
Let us know what you decide and how you get on.
Mark
Also, given that they're happy for you to be refunded it must constitute as a major change and you're therefore entitled to compensation as per the Ts and Cs given that it is only a few weeks to your date of departure. You will most probably find that this compensation is equal to the extra £200.
Let us know what you decide and how you get on.
Mark
I agree with Mark but I'd add a couple of other thoughts.
As a matter of principle, if they've wrecked the holiday I wouldn't give them any alternative business. Take the money off them and walk away. If enough people did this they would have to get their act together.
Second, if you were to take their alternative holiday offer you might spend half of it thinking about what it might/should have been like which will spoil it even more. We've heard that story before on this board. Alternatives in siutations like this should be known to be better and not cost you any more. If you can't get that then it may be better to get the money back and start again with a fresh plan of your own.
There is the question of a delay in the refund to be considered. Assuming you paid by plastic the refund of the cost (but not the compo) should go back the same way and there shouldn't be any significant delay. You buy anything else from any other shop with your card and then get it refunded you expect it to show on your card statement within a couple of days -this shouldn't be any different. But the extra compo may take a month or two. If they are authorised to take money off your card in that shop then they should be able to put it back on - no lame excuses about cheques coming from Peterborough. However, if you paid by cash or cheque the Peterborough problem does apply.
As a matter of principle, if they've wrecked the holiday I wouldn't give them any alternative business. Take the money off them and walk away. If enough people did this they would have to get their act together.
Second, if you were to take their alternative holiday offer you might spend half of it thinking about what it might/should have been like which will spoil it even more. We've heard that story before on this board. Alternatives in siutations like this should be known to be better and not cost you any more. If you can't get that then it may be better to get the money back and start again with a fresh plan of your own.
There is the question of a delay in the refund to be considered. Assuming you paid by plastic the refund of the cost (but not the compo) should go back the same way and there shouldn't be any significant delay. You buy anything else from any other shop with your card and then get it refunded you expect it to show on your card statement within a couple of days -this shouldn't be any different. But the extra compo may take a month or two. If they are authorised to take money off your card in that shop then they should be able to put it back on - no lame excuses about cheques coming from Peterborough. However, if you paid by cash or cheque the Peterborough problem does apply.
If you accept the change you are entitled to £20 for each full fare paying passenger. If you don't and opt to cancel with a refund you are entitled to £10 per full fare paying passenger. That is as per their terms and conditions but it does also say that they are by way of guideline only and may be increased in appropriate circumstances.
thank very much for your comments guys,just thought i would let you know current situation.after many phone calls to customer relations(spoke to manager gillian)and manager of my travel agent,they have now offered me the aqua blu resort but for an additional cost of £30.with our departure date so close and the fear of not being able to find another holiday for the same money i have taken the aqua blu holiday.
but i still will be complaining when we return but right now i just want to go and have a nice holiday with my family.if anyone could advise me on my best course of action i would be very gratefull,i do NOT want this to be an end of the matter.
yors thankfully the fardons
but i still will be complaining when we return but right now i just want to go and have a nice holiday with my family.if anyone could advise me on my best course of action i would be very gratefull,i do NOT want this to be an end of the matter.
yors thankfully the fardons
i do NOT want this to be an end of the matter
Unfortunately, now that you have accepted their offer (and presumably paid the extra?) I think that that IS the end of the matter. Please check carefully any paperwork that they gave you to sign because in these circumstances I would expect them to have asked you to sign agreeing that this arrangement was a final and full settlement of your issue with them.
The law requires only that they offer you a suitable equivalent alternative or a full refund. You turned down the refund and have now accepted an alternative holiday and don't think that any further complaint about the change of holiday on its own will get anywhere. Should the alternative turn out to be sub-standard once you arrive in resort, then that in effect becomes a new complaint about that holiday and you would need to document the problems (eg the advertised facilties weren't available), fill in a complaint form in resort and then follow it up on your return.
SM
I see it the same way... you HVE beentreated badly and I would continue to make a poit of telling them so... IF I WERE the agent I would be "pulling a few strings" to go the extra half mile for you all (such as a couple of free drinks on the aircraft, or a complimentaery bottle of wine in your room), but Sadly the days of customer SERVICE are long gone....
Hope that you enjoy your holiday, after all the hassle, you deserve it!!
And, as SMa says, if things aren't up to scratch when you get there, make it a NEW issue of it, complain IN RESORT, fill out on-site paperwork and don't try to "muddy the waters" with the old problem..
ATB,J.
Hope that you enjoy your holiday, after all the hassle, you deserve it!!
And, as SMa says, if things aren't up to scratch when you get there, make it a NEW issue of it, complain IN RESORT, fill out on-site paperwork and don't try to "muddy the waters" with the old problem..
ATB,J.
£30 extra each or for whole party? That sounds like a standard amendment fee which is a bit of a cheek given it's their fault!
i have not yet paid the £30 for holiday nor have i signed any paperwork,travel agent just told me to call in later this week with the money.
http://www.bis.gov.uk/assets/biscore/consumer-issues/docs/10-1006-disruption-package-holidays
See page 4. It states that if the substitute package is of a higher quality no charge can be made to the consumer
See page 4. It states that if the substitute package is of a higher quality no charge can be made to the consumer
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