Airline Ltd trading as The Holiday Store & The Independent Holiday Company
Full details of complaint bu Mrs Steyn:

Letter to Mr Neville Wynn- MD

15th August 2001

TO WHOM IT MAY CONCERN

The following is a matter of great concern and embarrassment to myself of dealings with AIRLINE LIMITED REGISTERED IN ENGLAND NUMBER 2668481

1 - On the 03rd August 2001 between approximately 09h00 - 10h00 I telephonically contacted the Independent Holiday Company after viewing the Internet site lastminute.com. Not having much credit on the mobile phone I was using, their representative Mr Chris Pugsley agreed to phone me back. I informed him that a friend and I were visiting the UK from South Africa and we were interested in going to Ibiza Spain for a week, clearly stating that we would like to go on either the 4th or the 5th of August 2001. A few options were offered. The first offer discussed with Mr Chris Pugsley was the Acor Studio at £219pp for one week. When I asked for a total amount he said it would be £629. I then told him that according to my calculation £219 x 2 came to £438. He then apologised and said a mistake was made and it was actually £299pp plus 2% credit card fees, £10 bookings fees etc. I then stated that this was unsuitable as it was out of our budget limit. I then mentioned that I had seen the advert on lastminute.com for the Hostal Florencio in San Antonio at £279pp. He then made us an offer at £234pp + £10 TOD (tickets on departure) at the Hostal Florencio for 7 nights bed and breakfast. Whilst Mr Chris Pugsley waited on the line I discussed this option with my friend Mrs Gail Steyn, the person travelling with me, and Mr Adrian Dean, the person who was going to allow us to use his credit card to make the booking and who were both present in the room whilst I was talking to Mr Chris Pugsley. We agreed to this offer and passed on the credit card number for the booking. Mr Chris Pugsley then put me on hold for a few moments to come back and say he had made a mistake, the price he had quoted was incorrect and the Hostal Florencio did not offer bed and breakfast. He could however give us a booking at the Hostal Flores further up the street and we could make use of the swimming pool at the Hostal Florencio. At this point I told him I was not happy with all the incorrect prices being quoted and he was to cancel everything and I would do a booking with lastminute.com for the Hostal Florencio at an all inclusive price of £279pp. He then said he had made the booking of £561 for the Hostal Flores and I again told him it was not what we had discussed and agreed to and he was to cancel everything. He said he would do so and I ended off the conversation telling him that if we did not get a confirmation from lastminute.com for the Hostal Florencio I would get back to him

2 - Immediately after this lengthy phone call, Mr Adrian Dean completed the application details on lastminute.com, which was duly accepted. On 04th August 2001 The Holiday Store faxed to us the relevant information on the accommodation details and where to collect our air tickets etc.

3 - On 04th August 2001, Mrs Gail Steyn and myself departed for Ibiza Spain and returned on the 12th August 2001.

4 - On my return on the 12th August, my daughter gave me two confirmation invoices that were posted on 03rd August 2001.

5 - The Holiday Store confirmation invoice, which was correct and was for the holiday we had just completed.

6 - The Independent Holiday Company invoice for a 7-night stay at the Hostal Flores from the 11th August 2001 to 19th August 2001.

7 - A total amount of £561 was deducted from Mr Adrian Dean's account on 03rd August 2001.

8 - On 13th August 2001 at approximately 09h00 I contacted The Independent Holiday Company and if my memory serves me correctly I spoke to a lady by the name of Helen and told her that we had been charged for a holiday we did not accept. She apologised and said that Mr Chris Pugsley was new to the company and had obviously made a mistake. I then asked her who the manager was and left a message for Mr Steve Dearman whom she informed me would be in the office at 10h30. After not receiving a call by 12h00 I phoned again and spoke to Mr Steve Dearman. I informed him that firstly I had a return ticket to South Africa on the 16th August 2001 so would never had accepted their holiday that they debited from Mr Adrian Deans account, and secondly I returned from Ibiza on the 12th August 2001 which would have made it impossible for me to have taken their package which left on the 11th August 2001. Thirdly I told him that this matter had caused me a great deal of embarrassment in that Mr Adrian Deans credit card had been debited for £561, an amount I cannot afford to refund to him. He then admitted that it was all rather strange but according to his records it was a confirmed booking. I then relayed to him the contents of section 1 above. He said he would discuss the matter with Mr Chris Pugsley and his admin department and would come back to me. By 15h00 I had not received a call, so I phoned in again. Mr Steve Dearman then led me to believe that he could not understand how anyone could give a credit card number if they were not prepared to accept a holiday. Once again I explained to him the conversation and cancellations made with his Mr Chris Pugsley on the 03rd August 2001 due to his dishonesty and again emphatically explained I was leaving on the 16th August to South Africa. He responded by asking me if I could read a calendar. He then said he had no choice but to believe his staff and no refund was due. I then questioned him as to why anyone would book a holiday, which coincided with their leaving the UK. He could not answer. I then told him that his representative was clearly ...........and in my opinion had .........by putting through a transaction that was not agreed to. Again he said he would need to discuss the matter with "someone in the operations room" whom he refused to name and would come back to me before their closing at 18h00. I again phoned Mr Steve Dearman at 17h45 to be told that his "financial manager" who again he refused to name was not prepared to do a refund.

9 - On close examination of the two invoices, I determined that The Holiday Store and The Independent Holiday Company were both trading names of AIRLINE LIMITED registered in England No. 2668481 of address 1st Floor, 1 Catherine Street, St Albans, Herts., AL3 5BJ. Telephone numbers 01727869111 and customer relations 01727845888.

10 - On 14th August 2001 after numerous phone calls and no offer of assistance from customer relations at AIRLINE LIMITED, I finally established that Neville Wynn was the Managing Director for AIRLINE LIMITED. I spoke to him telephonically and he too agreed that all the above did not make much sense. He admitted that he was the MD for both of the mentioned holiday companies. He too found it rather strange that The Independent Holiday Company had made a booking for the same people, namely myself Mrs L Steyn and Mrs G Steyn the week after The Holiday Stores booking and he too could offer no logical explanation as to where Mr Chris Pugsley would have got his dates from. He then added that he too had no choice but to believe his staff as opposed to a member of the public. I again told him, that I found his staff to be untruthful and I had two people present when the conversations took place with Mr Chris Pugsley telling him to cancel everything and we not prepared to accept his offer. I expressed my concern as to resolving this matter as soon as possible as I would be leaving the country soon. He then said he was prepared to make a written offer to reimburse me £561 and £50 for inconvenience if I could produce things like itemised details on phone accounts re times of phone calls and something about credit card transaction times that took place etc. Not understanding what he wanted, and so as to save time, I then asked him to e-mail me with the details he required. I also informed him that all the information he required could be obtained from his telephone records as his representative Mr Chris Pugsley had phoned me back on 03rd August 2001.

11 - To date, no offer of a refund or compensation or an e-mail has been received by myself from Mr Neville Wynn.

12 - On 14th August 2001 I personally made a visit to Mr Adrian Deans bank manager and I have telephonically contacted the credit card division and have informed them of the unauthorised transaction. They have assured me that their dispute department has been notified and the relevant documentation will be forwarded to Mr Adrian Dean for further thorough investigation.

13 - Copies of the two invoices mentioned, a copy of my airline ticket and a copy of this letter as well as a letter from Mrs Gail Steyn will be left with Mr Adrian Dean to hand over to the credit card division.