Advice needed re: holiday change

by **gamelsby** on Sat Jul 19, 2008 7:41 pm

I booked with Going Places last September, who were then taken over by Thomas Cook. On Wednesday I was informed that I would not be getting a family room as booked but a standard room instead. I phoned a queried this but was told that Thomas Cook had lost the contract to book the family room.
I visited the travel agent on Thursday and we looked for other hotels with family rooms. While looking my original hotel came up with family rooms for sale. I got a printout of the original page and the full costings of the room, the price had more than doubled. The travel agent became absolutely livid and straight on the phone to head office. As of this morning Thomas cook have failed to phone back three times when they said they would and the lady in the travel agency has had to call them. Today she went in to the shop, despite going on holiday herself today, to call them again. I now have to wait until Monday for them to call me back. The travel agent has told me to call ABTA, Trading Standards and get a solicitor to take Thomas Cook to the cleaners.
It is 3 weeks until my holiday, what do I do? Has anyone else been in a similar position?
HELP!!!!

by **cloudy** on Sat Jul 19, 2008 10:32 pm

I have a freind who had a problem with a car company and after getting no satisfaction went to The Judge in the Sunday Post.
I think this is a Scottish paper but you may know of a similar one in your area. Meanwhile phone them up and e-mail them and tell them you intend to take legal action and you are going to the newspapers. It might make them act quicker.

by **tittlemouse** on Sun Jul 20, 2008 8:47 pm

Not sure what the terms and conditions are of your contract but 3 three years ago we booked a lakeside hotel and when we arrived in Italy discovered that we where 5 Km away from the lake, to say I was livid was an understatement!!!

On returning to the UK I contacted the consumer direct line, it is a free service provided by the government, if you google it you will get the number. They told me exactly what to say in a letter to the travel company, they gave me a case number and told me to contact them again if the letter did not resolve the matter, actually it did, and we were reimbursed a £150 each.

I would get onto them asap, they are free and very knowledgeable.