I'd love some advice regarding my ongoing complaint with First Choice please.
Booked a AI holiday to calan Bosch in March 2011 for myself, partner and daughter. Chose the location on recommendation from family friends. Arrived in Mahon airport in July 2011 and introduced ourselves to rep sorting transfers out. Told who and where we were going only to be told that no one on list for that resort or hotel. Spoke to a more senior rep who rang first choice UK to see what was wrong and while on hold informed us that they had not sent anyone to our hotel for a few months due to the AI not being to required standard. After a call to UK he says we are now staying a different hotel in different resort (sonbou) that we had never heard of, but in his words, it's a nicer hotel.
Arrived at hotel to find it's stuck on top of hill and certainly not as much to do.
Made full complaint in resort and had reason for change confirmed as AI not to standard.
Anyway back in UK get confirm compo due but no amount yet. I email rep in resort to sort a few things out and she forwards me all her emails back to UK regarding our complaint and each one is headed by " overbookings in Calan Bosch". So the whole AI standard thing were lies. this also affected two other families but they were informed prior to departure and chose to cancel and received a full refund. A option we never had.
Now my complaint is I've had no say in my holiday what so ever.
I have stressed to first choice that I expect nothing short of a full refund, not sure of my chances though.
Well, from experience I can guarantee you wont get a full refund. The best you are likely to be offered is a "money off your next screwed up holiday with us" voucher. I took JMC to arbitration about 9 years ago due to a truly horrible holiday in Gambia (Badala Park Hotel if you wish to laugh at our misfortune). It took months to decide that was the way forward, but after JMC dragged their heels, made a couple of desultory offers of 'goodwill' etc and then just ignored me thats what we did. A few months later (days before judgement was due from ABTA) they were on the phone every hour wanting to settle. Well, they took it this far so I thought it best to let the arbitrator do his job. In the end, he agreed with my main points and awarded me £514.00 back, plus costs on a holiday that cost £800 or so.
So its up to you really. If you believe that your holiday was ruined, and was of a lesser standard than you expected and what was marketed then you may well have a claim under the 'Package Holiday Regulations 1992 act' for compensation. First Choice of course will not point you in this direction.
I have recently began action against First Choice owing to a sub standard holiday experience recently had courtesy of them. As expected, they have fobbed off my complaints and not made an offer of any sort of compensation. This time I have gone it alone and issued court proceedings against them. Thats your other option (and easy to do via Money Claim On Line).
So its up to you really. If you believe that your holiday was ruined, and was of a lesser standard than you expected and what was marketed then you may well have a claim under the 'Package Holiday Regulations 1992 act' for compensation. First Choice of course will not point you in this direction.
I have recently began action against First Choice owing to a sub standard holiday experience recently had courtesy of them. As expected, they have fobbed off my complaints and not made an offer of any sort of compensation. This time I have gone it alone and issued court proceedings against them. Thats your other option (and easy to do via Money Claim On Line).
Thx for that. Sorry to hear about your holiday.
Trevw32 wrote:Spoke to a more senior rep who rang first choice UK to see what was wrong and while on hold informed us that they had not sent anyone to our hotel for a few months due to the AI not being to required standard.
Then they were obliged to inform you before you travelled, giving you the right to cancel with a full refund or to accept the alternative.
If you haven't yet done so write to them, sending it recorded delivery, bullet pointing the facts (keep it simple). They have 14 days to acknowledge receipt of your letter & 28 days in which to reply.
Let us know how things go and we will help you each step of the way
Thx Glynis, made the formal complaint in resort and spoke to them since coming home. They have informed me the matter is being investigated and they have 28 days max before getting back to me.
Just a waiting game now for those days to tick by.
Just a waiting game now for those days to tick by.
They'll prob send the letter out near to the 28 days from past experience but don't give up. I had a to do with First Choice years ago and each letter they waited the full allotted time - prob hoping I'd give up and go away so stick with it and we'll be here to help
That would also be my advice, stick with it and don't expect a positive outcome initially. They will drag it out to the full allotted time for replys, then try and fob you off hoping you will do what most people do and go away. This has certainly been my experience with them. Having used them twice now and found them to be lacking both times I'm not prepared to be fobbed off and intend to make them answer this time, in court if necessary.
Good luck with it, and don't take excuses from them, or them trying to blame third parties.
Good luck with it, and don't take excuses from them, or them trying to blame third parties.
Ok I finally some sort of update if not a very good one..
I was sent a cheque from FC for £120, basically £40 for each of us with a letter stating we had agreed this in resort.
I returned the cheque with letter explaining that I had not agreed anything in resort and in fact I had been told by the rep manager that comp would be sorted in the UK. Also I received copies of all email communications from the rep manager between her and the UK asking for guidance on how to handle the situation. To my amazement the title of each email was "over Bookings" cover the dates of our holiday. So this proved we had been lied to throughout about our original accommodation being below standard.
Anyway sent cheque back with cover letter pointing out all the facts and also printed copies of all emails.
I received a 4 sentence letter today stating they are sorry we decided not to accept their cheque and as far as they are concerned the matter is closed.
Any ideas where I take this now ? Im thinking I need to appoint se sort of legal rep to respond.
Thx
Trev
I was sent a cheque from FC for £120, basically £40 for each of us with a letter stating we had agreed this in resort.
I returned the cheque with letter explaining that I had not agreed anything in resort and in fact I had been told by the rep manager that comp would be sorted in the UK. Also I received copies of all email communications from the rep manager between her and the UK asking for guidance on how to handle the situation. To my amazement the title of each email was "over Bookings" cover the dates of our holiday. So this proved we had been lied to throughout about our original accommodation being below standard.
Anyway sent cheque back with cover letter pointing out all the facts and also printed copies of all emails.
I received a 4 sentence letter today stating they are sorry we decided not to accept their cheque and as far as they are concerned the matter is closed.
Any ideas where I take this now ? Im thinking I need to appoint se sort of legal rep to respond.
Thx
Trev
Take them to court. By offering you some money as compensation they have as good as admitted they are in the wrong. My own court case against them is currently ongoing.
Keep hold of them emails headed "over booking".
See this topic:
http://www.holidaytruths.co.uk/viewtopic.php?f=49&t=135246
for details on my case against FC.
Mark
See this topic:
http://www.holidaytruths.co.uk/viewtopic.php?f=49&t=135246
for details on my case against FC.
Mark
Thx for your replies. Looks like I'll be going online to begin SCC proceedings tomorrow.
Congratulations on your judgement :-)
Congratulations on your judgement :-)
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