im in yhe middle of writing my letter now so it will go this week, michelle from Essex im sorry to hear that you had such a bad experience at sun tropical i just confirmed my booking for it this morning before i read your review but i have read some good reviews on it its a chance i have to take now as im sick of looking now

I will need a holiday to get over the holiday this year I think

Tonight is the night we will have to decide where to go as I am going back to travel agents tomorrow.
Lovely way to spend my day off work!!

Squeeky the hotel you are going to looks fantastic I really like the look of it but my other half at moment cannot get past where it is but I am still working on him.

Is it not about time this case was put forward to "The News Of The World" to investigate?

Let them find out exactly how far KABC is to opening! Plus to see the amount of people that FC have continued to xxxx in the progress.

I mean if the pictures on here are infact KABC I don't see why it cannot be up and running for 2007. We deserve to be told the truth now once and for all.

Dear All

Just a note to all those who transferred before the dreaded statement.

I have finally heard from customer services (I had to ring them after sending 4 e-mails to which they did not reply). FC have informed me that if you transferred 56 days before your departure date, you will not receive any compensation!

I tried to argue that I am £1,000 out of pocket and that they could at least repay my free child place (which we lost when transferring). The 'gentleman' (who would not give me his surname (why??)) said 'it was more than his job was worth and the computer said no' (no I'm not joking).

I asked him if he thought it was right that FC had had our deposit for 17 months with the promise of a free child place and did not honour this. He said 'no' but there was nothing he could do about it. Anyway, just to let you know. I'm fed up with the whole business now, but we will go on holiday this year and never book with FC again.

Hope everyone has a really good holiday. Pity all the FC reps - theres going to be a lot of disgusted FC customers with them this year!!

It's not really a case of "is it built yet" because I have stood on the beach outside it and can tell you much of it is built. The real question should be is it safe & habitable?

The fact that it was suddenly withdrawn so near to completion suggests that something has gone badly wrong. First Choice themselves state that the construction does not meet their standards, others have already suggested numerous possible building code violations. If this is the case just how much of the exisitng construction would have to be taken down to fix it?

As regards newspapers, at first glance you would think they would be interested, actually a number including the Mirror, NOTW and the Sun have been contacted in the past and did not even reply.

That was beacause first choice were promoting the Aqua Beach Clubs using many of the newspapers, both in print and on their webpages via Holiday "advertising features" & promotions. Here's an example of such an article from the Mirror, note that the text appears to has come directly from the tour operator's brochure (or at least their press office).

http://www.mirror.co.uk/news/tm_objectid=16665354&method=full&siteid=94762&headline=many-happy-returns--name_page.htm

Here's one from the Times no less

http://travel.timesonline.co.uk/article/0,,27890-1973323_8,00.html

The soaraway Sun

http://www.thesun.co.uk/article/0,,2001330003-2005600631,00.html

The newspapers are very unlikley to cut off a good source of advertising revenue, as such I was not in the least surprised at the lack of response from any of them.

Is it not about time this case was put forward to "The News Of The World" to investigate?

Let them find out exactly how far KABC is to opening! Plus to see the amount of people that FC have continued to rob in the progress.

I mean if the pictures on here are infact KABC I don't see why it cannot be up and running for 2007. We deserve to be told the truth now once and for all.

So Net Detective. How come FC can get away with this?

How can they be allowed to con so many people by using the same trick?

I thought that they were a very replicable company. When does the Law ever these days protect the customer?

So where do we go to get solutions and answers for all those of us affected by the KABC scenario?
Did I hear correctly that they pulled the same stunt last year with a hotel?

Just booked for Crete, Hotel Petra Mare, Lerapetra, Kids Club, Slides and stuff and on the beach 4 star AI
I was cancelled in May then again for August 23rd so I have received a discount twice, no bull, first holiday was 4 of us then when they cancelled I paid £400 to add 1 extra, we have received 5 x 150 = 750 and 4 x 150 = 600 and 225 + 225 as the 10% TWICE, We decided to go for two weeks AI this time to make the most of it and it cost 4600 online, phoned up 01617452113 and got it for 2598.72 my original price was 2250.82 for 5 of us so I paid £347.9o = 2598.72 for a £4600 holiday! I think this is a result as I have saved £2000. There are still a couple of rooms left in August and the hotel has had great reviews apart from the FC entertainment.
£4644.80

Fri 11 Aug 2006

Manchester to Crete

2 Weeks

2 Adults, 3 Children


There are no Free Child places available but the total holiday price includes a discount of £371.60


Manchester Heraklion (4hrs)
Fri 11 Aug 2006 Sat 26 Aug 2006
Departs: 20:45 Departs: 03:50
Arrives: 02:50 on Sat Arrives: 06:05
Airline: First Choice Airline: First Choice

Pre-bookable seating not selected Sit Together

In-Flight Meals included Exclude In-flight Meals

20kg Baggage Allowance

Hotel Petra Mare in Ierapetra, Crete View Details

1 x Twin Room
Balcony, Private Bath, Sea View, Shower, Toilet

1 x Double Room
Balcony, Private Bath, Sea View, Shower, Toilet
Change Room Type

All Inclusive

Late Checkout Room not selected Add Late Checkout


Return transfers included from the airport to your accommodation

No car booked Hire a Car

£1.40 voluntary contribution included Remove Contribution



£4644.

I am preparing to write my complaint letter to FC - but at the mo am still so angry with them I don't know which part to start at.

I think I will allow myself a few days to cool down and plan it out carefully.

FC will probably have a very busy complaints department in the next few months

Please read the reviews for Aqua Fantasy, Turkey it is not AI in the waterpark and it is open to anyone so very crowded! It is also very large, not good, a total rip-off!

So Net Detective. How come FC can get away with this?

How can they be allowed to ???? so many people by using the same trick?

I thought that they were a very replicable company. When does the Law ever these days protect the customer?

So where do we go to get solutions and answers for all those of us affected by the KABC scenario?
Did I hear correctly that they pulled the same stunt last year with a hotel?

FC (& other operators) have a policy of buidling resorts in the winter to occupy in the summer, it is quite common for them to advance advertise these as they are being built, their argument being that if they didn't the resort would be empty for the first year.

Where I have a problem with this practice is when they incorrectly claim the resort as "newly built" when in fact construction has not started, and when they use photos of an unrelated resort in the advertising i.e.: the waterpark photos from Aqualand Corfu used in the Aqua Beach Club advertising.

When I first heard of what was happening in Corfu. an area I know very well, I felt compelled to contribute online to warn others, as part of this I helped to set up a website to make others aware of what was going on.

I think that tour operators should be compelled to indicate when a resort is "proposed" or "under construction" so that the customer is clear on what they are booking. This kind of change requires a change in the law, so maybe your local MP should be the next person to contact.

I know it has been said before, but the number one thing that this whole disaster highlights is the fact that when booking a holiday you MUST do your research beforehand, as you are entering a legally binding contract which can be difficult and expensive to get out of, as many have found out.

Don't rely on brochure descriptions & photo's, this experience has shown how these can be used to create a false impression. Anything depicted with "Artists Impression" (drawings) should be suspected as unbuilt in my opinion.

Certainly First Choice did have problems early in the season with the Pegaus tropical in Turkey, this was covered by Package holiday Undercover. Unfortunately, having just checked their website the info about Turkey has gone as they are getting ready for their new series, but maybe they are worth contacting still in respect of the Aqua beach clubs
http://www.packageholidayundercover.co.uk

Anybody interested in the text ( but no photos) of the Turkey article cant still get it while it exists in Google, those who are interested should print it out while they still can, as it will soon expire from google.

http://tinyurl.co.uk/83m3

The reason why a number of tour operators have got away with all of this before is largely because the people affected were not able to contact each other and share experiences as they now can thanks to the internet.

We are now able to get reports and photos from people on the spot, something unthinkable in the past, and something that has taken certain tour operators by surprise this time, as consumers become better informed than even the tour operators own staff.

The law does still protect the holidaymaker, but to use it effectively, you need to actually sue the Tour Operator, this is not something to be done lightly as if you lose you will end up paying the tour operator's legal costs. The tour operators are well aware of this and know that the risk of being sued is relatively small, they are also experts in travel law and often operate on the margins of such legislation.

The two methods of minimising this risk is a group action where numerous people band together thus spread the costs, and sharing the costs if the case is lost.

The other way is to try and encourage a third party to sue the Tour operator on your behalf, effectively taking the risk for you. Trading Standards have been known to take on such a case, on a consumers behalf if the case looked strong enough. I would recommend anyone considering taking this issue further to talk to their local trading standards to see if they might be interested in taking such a case on.

Last year a couple did this and won against First Choice regarding incorrect brochure descriptions, the tour operator ended up paying damages and court costs of over £5,000 in this instance.

http://holidayforums.co.uk/viewtopic.php?p=595733&highlight=#595733

Hey guys

I am so so sorry to read what has happened to you all. We were due to go to the KABC on 28th June but were cancelled and moved to another hotel in Rhodes.

We have just returned and oh boy am I begining to prepare a complaints letter to FC. This was one of the worst holidays I have encountered.

SO not only did first choice contribute to stress prior to my holiday but also whilst we were on holiday things could not have been worse.

Not one first choice family we spoke to whilst there were happy, the rep ran out of complaints forms.

There were people there from Kef ABC who also suffered same as us and in my opinion FC don't care at all.

My question is, so if they succeed with legal action against the developer will the customer benefit from their gain?

limit123
where abouts in rhodes did you go to whats the hotel name so we can advoid it

Kiotari bay hotel in Kiotari Rhodes

First Choice has taken the decision not to put customers into the Kos Aqua Beach Club this summer, and will now be taking legal action against the developer. For full details of the statement, please click here:

http://www.firstchoice.co.uk/info/latestnews2.html

For important advice from Travel Law Solicitor, Ros Fernihough, please click here:

http://holidayforums.co.uk/viewtopic.php?t=73371

wizard

Kiotari Bay???? im well gutted as i was gonna book there . It looks excellent in the book etc......kids water slides etc........

Wont be going there then........

Yes, we and many others read the reviews on the net - lots of 9/10 etc but the reality is quite different.

No slides at all, pools are not as described and most of the pictures in the brochure are the select customers.

I could write an essay but am saving my fingers for the first choice letters.

limit123

many thanks for your pm

have sent you pm re kiotari, hope you have received it as not sent one before.

Hi robin01

Yes I have just replied to you

thanks

We cancelled our holiday to KABC after the holiday programme and transferred to the Kiotari Bay in Rhodes. We fly out next week. After the nightmare of KABC and telling our daughters that we had to look for a new holiday we had hoped, and read the reviews, that this would be a good choice.

Please would you tell us exactly what we are in for so we can take a complaints slip out with us!!

This is our first and only family summer holiday and were all so looking forward to it. Now I wish we'd sat tight and been cancelled from KABC so we could have our money back and book with someone else.

Good luck all of you in trying to find your new holidays. Anyone fancy a week at the Kiotari Bay?