The following is a summary of details that have caused me a great deal of frustration and embarrassment as well as having incurred costs that I cannot afford. A great amount of time has been wasted on trying to resolve this matter on what was supposed to be site-seeing holiday to the UK, which instead has turned out to be the most unpleasant holiday I have ever experienced.

I Linda Steyn, contacted the Independent Holiday Company (phone number reservations 01920 466966) on 03rd August 2001 and spoke to their representative [name given], to enquire about packages they had to offer to Ibiza Spain, departing on either the 4th or 5th August 2001. After discussing at great length, the various packages they had to offer, he, after what appeared to be an acceptable offer would then change the original fee quoted. I ended my conversation with him telling him that I found it to be unacceptable his constant changes of prices and I wanted him to CANCEL everything, as there was an offer on lastminute.com that appeared suitable to me.

Subsequently on 03rd August 2001 a booking was then made via the Internet through lastminute.com, which was accepted, for a 7-night stay at the Hostal Florencio in Ibiza Spain departing on the 04th August 2001, returning 12th August 2001. This booking was made with The Holiday Store (phone number reservations 01727 869111, admin 01727 845888).

Waiting on my return on the 12th August were two posted invoices, one from The Holiday Store for £558 that was correct and for the holiday we had accepted. The full price of this package had been deducted from a credit card on 03rd August 2001.

The second was from The Independent Holiday Company for a package to depart on the 11th August 2001 returning on the 19th August for £561, a package that was never agreed to an accepted. THIS COMPANY HOWEVER HAD MADE A DEBIT FROM MY DAUGHTERS FRIENDS CREDIT CARD FOR £561 ON THE 03RD AUGUST 2001. NO PACKAGE DETAILS WERE RECEIVED, ONLY THE INVOICE.

I have a return ticket to South Africa departing from Heathrow airport at 19h35 on the 16th August 2001 making The Independent Holiday Company package IMPOSSIBLE to have accepted.

On the 13th and 14th August I made numerous telephone calls to The Independent Holiday Company and spoke to their Branch Manager Mr Steve Dearman who refuses to reimburse the incorrectly debited amount of £561.

On close inspection of the two invoices and in small print at the bottom of the pages I established that The Holiday Store and The Independent Holiday Company are both trading companies of AIRLINE LIMITED -

I have discussed in great detail with whom I am led to believe is the MANAGING DIRECTOR, the various conversations I have had with his staff, and have offered to show proof of my return ticket to South Africa. Although Mr Neville Wynn himself, finds the whole matter to be of an irregular nature, he has informed me he has no choice but to believe his trusted staff as opposed to a member of the public. He can offer no logical explanation as to why anyone would make these strange bookings or why his companies would accept and book me on packages that overlapped with each other. The second holiday dates that fall into a period with my departing from the UK are unbeknown to anyone as to where they came from.

Due to my departing tomorrow, I have no alternative but to leave what documentation I have with me with Mr Dean, the person who's Credit Card was debited twice on the same day by the same holding company, once for a holiday that was never ACCEPTED by myself or Mr Dean. It is my hope that his Credit Card dispute division will conduct a full and thorough investigation into the matter.

For full details of complaint:
Link to Mrs Steyn's initial letter to Airline
Link to MD's,Neville Wynn- response
Link to Mrs latest letter to Airline

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