We can only express our personal opinion.

The question I ask is what do you think would be reasonable?

You did manage to sort things out within a very short time. Read through some of the other topics and I think you will find that your problem was quite minor compared to some and resolved whilst there. Many are not.

They are giving you back the extra money you laid out and another £145 as a goodwill gesture - what more Do You want?

How much did it affect the overall quality of the holiday? If it was only the inconvenience for a couple of days then be happy.

We all find things that irritate when we go on holiday or even the supermarket for that matter. Not often does someone offer to reimburse us for the inconvenience

Try to look at it from the outside. If it was someone else asking the question what would your own answer be?

fwh

I would not accept the first offer and if you paid extra for connecting rooms and did not get what you paid for, that will form a part of your contract. For the lost 3 days come to £471+£155=£626. I think you should write and tell them that is what you have lost + enjoyment for those 3 days. If it was just a request for connecting rooms than you have no case. This is just my opinion and what I would do.

You should contact ROS FERNIHOUGH, TRAVEL LAW SOLICITOR

TEL: 01922 621114 or 0845 2262332 (local, for free advice to where you stand with FC and the 3 days of your holiday being ruined.

Hi again

I should have been a bit clearer on how they explained their calcs to me. After much quoting of a 60/40 rule? and that being AI we had actually eaten the hotel food etc, the remaining £145 is effectively a 'refund' for 2 days we didn't receive the accommodation we had paid for.

With regards to the hassle, moving hotels, sleeping in seperate rooms, unpacking, packing etc it appears that this has been ignored and I suppose I feel a bit peed off about that!

I do understand that in comparison our troubles were probably a lot less than some people have endured but it still irks!

Thank you, I will try that telephone number.

To be honest I don't think the compensation they are offering is enough. It was an expensive holiday and really it didn't start for you until day four when you were settled into the interconnecting rooms that you had paid for.

We had a similar situation ourselves this summer, when due to the hotel overbooking we didn't get what we booked either initially, but ours was sorted inside 24hrs, so no real problem. However our first day was lost trying to see reps, hotel management etc and then moving, so I know how you feel. If it had taken 3 days I would not have been happy.

FWH says that it's a minor problem- well maybe, but at the same time you work hard to pay for the holiday and time off work is well needed, what you don't need is the stress of trying to get what you booked when you arrive.

Good luck with it all- don't let them off the hook too easily!

Pam

I've spoken with Ros's PA who said that First Choice never offer (what they consider) the proper amount of compo!

She's sending me an info pack and they are going to do me an assessment.

Will let you know we get on!

Hi,

Did you pay extra for interconnecting rooms or was it a special request?

If you paid, then fair enough, you did not get what you paid for.

If it was a special request then take the money and run. Special requests are just that - requests, and not guaranteed. This will be stated somewhere in the T & C's.

We get a lot of special requests, sea view, adjacent rooms, interconnecting rooms, high floor, low floor, etc etc and its all down to availability.

Also, when you are given the choice to move to another hotel and there are costs involved, and you pay the costs, you are deemed to accepted them as a satisfactory conclusion to the issue and that is normally a non starter. Did you get paperwork from the rep about the change of accomodation? There is usually something written on there.

I can only speak from my own experience and for what would happen if this was with the company I work for (not FC).

Louise

Hi there, yes we paid extra for the connecting rooms and completed the necessary complaint forms in resort so hopefully we have all bases covered.

To be honest the Rep was very helpful and sympathetic although we could never get hold of her on either her advertised mobile or the FC emergency number - they both just rang out!

This in itself probably contributed to the delays in getting us moved as our contact with her was limited to her visiting times.

Back in 2000 we were put in disgraceful accommodation by First Choice and refused to stay after the first night. Rep agreed our accommodation was awful. We had to move to one lot of accommodation for a few days then over to the other side of Puerto Rico Gran Canaria for the remaining week.

First Choice initially offered us £50 in compensation. I battled on on my own (wasn't involved in HT then - it was that incident that eventually led me here) and finally after 4 months accepted £750 which was half of the cost of our holiday.

first choice offered us a silly amount after our disaster holiday in bulgaria..
we stuck to our guns and ended up with over 400+ so never never accept the first offer.
just imagine your in turkey and get bartering lol.

and First Choice are the ones calling you 'Del Boy and Rodney'!

Hi Harley,

Go for it then. At the very least you want the cash you paid for the change of accom, that really should have been a move free of charge in my opinion. You did not get what you booked.

I had a complaint with FC a few years ago and hubby and I were compensated in resort. I can't remember how much but it was a certain amount per person per day for the amount of days we were inconvenienced. I had contacts at FC in UK so knew what was what.

Sounds like you did all the right things while you were there so get it in writing, clear & concise!

Louise

Harley,

Sorry, just re-read your first post. You've already written to them! Doh, having a blonde moment.

If, on reflection and after reading the replies you have had, you think that £300 is ok then take it. Personally, I think it is a fair amount, the money back for the move and a couple of days inconvenience. If the rest of your holiday had been ruined or the new hotel not up standards or expectations then you would have more power to your elbow.

If you decide not to accept, don't bank the cheque and if they offer you a voucher send it back. Keep on at them.

Louise

Its not £300 back, the £300 includes a £155 refund they paid to move hotels, the compensation is only £145. The money refunded for the change of hotel should really be kept seperate from any compensation because they should of been moved free of charge. As I see it FC pulling a fast and saying trying it look like its a good offer when it is.

Fight on and don't let them win. They play games to get you to give up, be firm with them and let them know you business. I know people think its too much hassle and I just want to forget it. They are the reason why other people end up experiencing the same thing. If everybody who had a complaint saw it through the companies would have no choice to offer better service to stop paying out compensation. They know they can fob people off with a few bob and they know they can get away with paying nothing out with a certain amount of people.

I never give up even if takes a year, the way I look at it, the money I get back can go towards next years holiday. I can smell at least £500 minimum but I reckon with the cost of the holiday you could get more maybe between 10% to 15% of the total cost. I wouldn't really care if the said you used the A/I facilities so we are doing the 60/40 rule. What are you meant to do while they sort out the mess starve, you have no choice but to eat and drink. They messed up and should pay up.

Thanks Can't Think

Well it all came in writing today - £155 'refund' for moving hotels which we shouldn't have been charged anyway and £145 'refund' for 2 nights accommodation.

Nothing for the inconvenience, the whole day we lost moving/repacking/unpacking, having to sleep in seperate rooms etc etc.

I am going to fight this one, I'll just await the pack from Ros and then take it from there.

I think what makes me even more cross is that FC have done very well out of us - not only did we spend £6600 for this holiday but we also spent £1700 in April when we went to Agadir and also have a holiday to Goa booked for next Easter - £2800!

So much for looking after good customers!

Your in good hands with Ros - she doesn't take any poo and she is well know to the Tour Operators.

Ros became involved in the Travel Law legal profession because of a disastrous holiday herself so she's been in her clients shoes.

Here is part of Ros's profile:-

Ros Fernihough has specialised in travel law claims since dealing with her own claim following a disastrous holiday in the Dominican Republic in 1993. She does not deal with any other area of law. She is well-known by all the major tour operators and airlines, has appeared on all major television consumer programs, gives regular advice to consumers on radio programs, has written articles for many newspapers and journals and has an extremely good record of successfully negotiating claims.

I say go for it and good luck harleydavidson. The holiday was very pricey and you deserve more for the inconvenience. £145 is only 2.2% of the price of the holiday. £6600 divided by 14 nights (I'm presuming it was a fortnight) works out at £471 per day so I would be asking for about £950 for 2 days ruined for the whole family.

No doubt the cost of physically having 2 days AI in this hotel for the 6 of you is not very high if you turned up there asking for a room for a couple of nights (the 60/40 I presume they award 60% of the cost back to you or something) but whichever way you look at it £145 x 14 nights is £2030 which is still less than 1/3 of your total holiday costs even if your whole holiday had been a shambles.

I think what they try to do is award compensation based on what they feel you have suffered and try to ignore that you paid a really quite substantial sum of money for the holiday in its entirety.

Hope Roz can sort you out! Good luck.

Hi

Just a little input about Roz, let her sort this out for you, it will be worth it. Roz helped me claim against First Choice 2 years ago we ended up getting half the holiday cost refunded. The whole process took nearly a year to reach conclusion, we were all set for County Court but Roz was right, just at the very last min FC decided to pay up and why FC are still charging customers to move hotels when they know it is against the law I do not know, seems they never learn.

chazy

My daughter who has a law degree always says never accept the first offer for any type of compensation just as a rule of thumb.

Sue

Ros is also dealing with my claim against First Choice http://www.holidaytruths.co.uk/viewtopic.php?t=94509