| Complainant: |
Mr R J Wren |
| Town/City
of Residence: |
Hertfordshire |
Dear Sirs,
NOTE:
I am in direct communication with the companies named
and have documentation to back my story.
What I have said here is from my
personal experience and is written in the interests of
good business practice and fairness. If I have mistakenly
assumed something which does not hold up to examination
I would most certainly withdraw my accusation, in the
interest of good business practice and fairness. |
It seems to me that Portland Direct / Thomson Holidays,are engaged
in 'Switch Selling. This is the dubious process used by some Market
Traders.
They say you can have the Holiday you select, then take your
money you get to the Resort and find that yourself and others
have been switched to another Hotel not of your choosing. Excuses
are made about overbooking, but when checked out one finds Thompsons
had not attempted to book the preferred accommodation. They know
well in advance they would disappoint you but there is not much
that one can do at the time.
They offer measly compensation and then confront you with the
'Conditions' printed in their Holiday agreement details.
It seems they take bookings for the most sought after Hotels knowing
they will not be able to honour their contract as the Hotels are
over booked. They still have your money and the business, paying
a small compensation is all it costs them for switching to a location
not of your choice. Much more profitable than loosing the booking.
They use a sneaky way of retaining as many of these doubtful bookings
as possible. They pretend to be helpful by phoning you at home
(to make their excuses) very late on the evening before your departure
when all your arrangements have been made. Too late to change
and so you accept the Switch.
If they cannot contact you they just blatantly break their contract
and its up to you to fight them in the courts, most people don't,
so they get away with the illegal practice of Switch Selling time
and time again.
The ground staff at the resorts are very much aware of this and
they have been 'Battle Trained' to deal with the many complaints
by offering 'sweeteners and because people are in a holiday mood
and don't want to make a fuss they accept the bribes.
This has happened to me along with many others at the same time
and in different Hotels. Some Hotels denied ever being asked to
take the booking by Thompson/Portland Direct. Some of the Hotels
people were switched to would have been nearly empty with out
the switched customers. Looks like a racket to me.
The so called Customer Service department is staffed by people
trained to fend you away from taking legal action against their
company. I am certain this makes them accomplices in this scam.
Now I have exposed this, everyone should be aware of Thompsons/Portland
Direct, spending your money not on the holiday you want, but the
one that suits them best.
Ron Wren.
Ps
I have four Final Invoices each one showing the total amount has
been paid and each one confirming we had been booked in to the
Hotel of our choice. When I personally checked with the Hotel
(San Felipe) they could produce no record of a booking having
been made by Portland Direct/Thompson. This was also the case
with other Portland Direct/Thompsons very unhappy customers we
met at the resort.
Further information:-Letter from Wendy George Customer Service
Executive in which she says, " I would like to reiterate
that your original choice of hotel was not available due to overbooking,
which was an error on our part."
R.J.Wren.
Other lunnpoly/Thomson complaints: Link1
; Link2
Top of Page
Mr Wren feels strongly about the case he has made. We sent off
emails to thompson before this page went live but no response to
date. Another set has been sent off to notify them of this posting
and inviting Thomson to respond direct to Mr Wren or indirectly
through clik2complaints.
If you have had any similar experiences with Thomson Holidays, please
tells us about it. Your comments are welcome.
update on 9 January 2003: Mr R J Wren
"I intend to keep up my claim for fair treatment
from this large Travel Company. They seem to treat the members of
the public as providers
of revenue for the benefit of their company only, that is against
good and fair trading practice.
Take my complaint over Thomsons/ Portland Direct blatantly breaking
their contract with me.
I went to ABTA's Arbitrators I thought they would be disgusted with
the actions of their member, and its very doubtful way of using
its customers money, but I was so wrong. They condoned it, by cutting
down the inadequate compensation offered to me by Thomsons for breach
of contract, and awarded cost against me.
My attention is also on the Arbitration Service and their Arbitrators,
The Chartered Institute of Arbitrators, 12, Bloomsbury Sq., London,
WC1a.
Honorary President, The Right Honourable Lord Fraser of Carmyllie,
QC."
=================================
Last year my wife & I had a bad
experience on a day trip organized by the Thomson reps in our Thomson
gold hotel. The trip was to Tangiers from Fuengirola,
Spain.Although there were many issues, the main one was the overcrowding
of the ferry on the return leg.As we were the last coach load on
board there were no seats available.People were sitting on the stairs,blocking
the aisleways and blocking the emergency doors.
The next day we complained to the hotel reps, as did the other people
who were on the trip from our hotel.After a few days and having
to write a full report we were offered a few Euro,s as compensation.
If we had accepted I feel our rights would have been taken from
us to take the matter any further.
The Thomson Holidays response to our complaint since returning home
has not been satisfactory.A summary of the report would indicate
that THEY were not to blame as they sub -contracted the excursion
to a firm which were based in Spain.I dont think that Thomsons check
who they are subbing work to.Finally, but not most importantly,we
have not been offered any compensation since returning home. Ray
Mitchell ...
21 January 2004
-------------------------------------------
Went on holiday to Tenerife on the 24th JAN2003
from Newcastle Airport. On arrival at Tenerife there was no body
from Thomsons to greet us. We finally found the Thomson desk who
were not very obliging.In the end we had to wait nearly two hours
before a bus came to take us to our destination. I think this is
terrible for a company as large as Thomsons. ELAINE...15
February 2003
------------------------------------------------
Thought you should know that when we stayed
at the Cala Nova in Es Cana Ibiza for the second time this year,
we purchased the arm bands this time to cover the drinks,
as advised by your courier.
I wish I never bothered. We arrived on the Saturday, but on Sunday
my wife went to purchase some water and was accused, in front of
other guests, of handing drinks over to people without the bands,
which was totally untrue. Instead of calling her to one side, the
barman, in fact two of them, showed her up completely at the bar
in front of other guests.
I spoke to the manager and the courier, who had a word with the
barmen, but apparently this is always happening and several guests
at the hotel had had the same problem. Not only that, but also when
we arrived and purchased a drink with the bands they were charging
our room for 4 drinks with 2 bands, and not 2.
On one occasion they even charged the room with 8. Every time you
purchased a drink, our room tab was charged with a different price
for the same drinks. When this first happened and I spoke to the
barman who served me and said that they had overcharged our room
bill he said 'what are you worrying about, you have the bands and
it is not costing you any more'
This situation made our holiday very uncomfortable to say the least,
which was a shame because we had recommended the hotel to other
family members and friends, and this time there was 8 in our party,
but I definitely wont be going back there again.
If the hotel staff feel that they cannot trust guests with the armbands,
then they should either go fully inclusive or not bother with the
bands at all.
Keith Platt ... 30 September 2003
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