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jdm_art
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29-02-2008 05:38 PM
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Joined: 29 Feb 2008
Posts: 2
| WATCH OUT FOR SNEAKY PRICE INCREASES WHEN THAT HOLIDAY CONFIRMATION PHONE CALL COMES YOUR WAY!!
I booked a holiday on the website, went through to a screen saying "Confirm your Holiday Details" which quoted everything I had ordered with prices as I saw them. The next screen gave me an "OFFER" REFERENCE NUMBER and a total price. An email was also sent to me detailing everything I had ordered and quoting the website prices which led me to believe the offer to supply this holiday at this price was FIRM. It was not.
Very early the next day, whilst away from my computer on business, I received a phone call on my cell phone from Sunmaster confirming all the details of the holiday - great emphasis was given to flight times, numbers and dates, transfer prices and details, hotel name and location etc. No mention was made that the price for the holiday that they were about to quote was different from that seen on the internet pages the night before. They then asked me to agree the total cost of £1528.22 which was to include a 2% charge for using my credit card. I thought the price sounded a little higher than I had seen on the internet the night before, but presumed the difference was that credit card charge. It was not.
The total price on line the night before INCLUDING that 2% credit card charge had been £1337.22. They had sneaked in an increase of £191.27 without mention it was a different price, or explanation of any kind or apology of any sort. Later, on seeing this to be the case, I complained, but they had my agreement to the holiday at the new price on tape and were not prepared to budge. YES, MY FAULT of course. But, buyers beware, a Sunmaster representative told me that the web site does not offer LIVE PRICES, that the on-line booking I made was only a "request" and that the phone call is the actual booking and confirmation and your agreement to everything within that recorded conversation is binding.
So, again, BUYER BEWARE, you may well not get your holiday at the price-busting cost you see on the Sunmaster website, and so any comparisons you may make at that time with other "LIVE" internet holiday companies may well be inaccurate, misleading you to believe Sunmaster is offering a better price, when in the end you may well end up paying more. Is this REALLY fare practice? I don't think so.
!!!! I WISH I COULD WRITE THIS NEXT PART IN RED !!!!!
PLEASE NOTE: The Sunmaster website implies on it's home page that they are ATOL Members by stating: (Feb 29th 2008) "Sunmaster Ltd is a Member of The Global Travel Group. Agent No T3127. Retail Agents for ATOL protected operators" - This means nothing at all!! THEY ARE NOT MEMBERS OF ATOL. I rang Sunmaster for their ATOL Number and was told it was D3127. There is no such number on the ATOL system. ATOL tell me Sunmaster are members of The Global Travel Group who ARE members, but because Sunmaster are NOT members in their own right, ATOL CANNOT deal with complaints about this company.
BUYER BE VERY AWARE.
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Willself
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29-02-2008 06:32 PM
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Joined: 16 Jul 2007
Posts: 248
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Excellent Reporting!! Just goes to show,that there are still many pitfalls with Package Deals..Be interesting to learn how many people that price covers and for how long!!
At £1528.00 seems an excessive Price, Unless its around the world cruise..lol.
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Honey Bunny
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29-02-2008 06:55 PM
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Joined: 15 May 2007
Posts: 824
My Profile
| Its not package companies willself its the cowboy middlemen firms , not the proper tour operators providing the hols.
If you want to book a package hol just stick with the proper sites which are reputable.Like the tour operator's own sites or the co-operative.
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My Latest Review: May 2007 Lesse Hotel, Hanioti (9/10)
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Honey Bunny
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29-02-2008 07:02 PM
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Joined: 15 May 2007
Posts: 824
My Profile
| Cant you get them done for false advertisement, by the advertising standards agency maybe?
I know that normal travel shops get fined if they are found to be selling hols that dont exist etc. Also they should get done off atol for Lying about being part of ATOL when they are not?
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My Latest Review: May 2007 Lesse Hotel, Hanioti (9/10)
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Willself
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29-02-2008 07:09 PM
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Joined: 16 Jul 2007
Posts: 248
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Yes it would seem so, just done some comparisons myself over several Destinations, be it package or middlemen..against DIY. on a Self Catering Basis.
Depending on where you fly from, and by which carrier, Staying at Top Quality Accommodations. The DIY. deals stand head and shoulders above anything the Packge Market can Offer..
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Honey Bunny
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29-02-2008 10:19 PM
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Joined: 15 May 2007
Posts: 824
My Profile
| Well Willself when i looked into DIYing our holiday last year it came to 1900 for five return flights and the rooms and the hotels we use, also on top of that would be a minibus or two taxis for just over an hour to the hotel and the same back. Cost comparison - Late deal Package ie flights, hotel rooms, transfers, inflight meals and on site rep 1250.
If you can go anytime of year and you can find a dirt cheap flights around (which is only usually available one way ) then you might be able to do it cheaper ,
but I have found late package deals to be cheaper.
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My Latest Review: May 2007 Lesse Hotel, Hanioti (9/10)
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armadillo31
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01-03-2008 12:17 AM
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Joined: 29 Feb 2008
Posts: 2
| I want to join in and write a complaint about this tour operator, I booked online at www.sunmaster.co.uk, or so I thought I did! PLEASE BEWARE... When you think you are reserving a place on a holiday for the prices quoted on the website this is not the case. They take all your credit card details online and you think you are entering into an agreement, but they call you the following day to confirm details and when you don't have the prices to hand that you are quoted online... They neglect to mention that the price you agreed to online has gone up, they just quote the figure and ask for your permission to take funds from your card as soon as you agree, not realising the price is different, they have your voice recording so their backs are covered, dirty way to do business, my holiday went up from £690 to £815, that is quite some increase. *** BEWARE OF THIS TOUR OPERATOR ***
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My Latest Review: Feb 2008 Iberostar Papagayo Hotel, Playa Blanca (7/10)
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edgeofthesea
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01-03-2008 09:07 AM
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Joined: 24 Jan 2008
Posts: 40
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| hello jdm well sorry to hear that this as happened to you but the company are right they have done nothing wrong and its good to warn people about this and i take my hat of to you instead of accusing the company you accepted that they did nothing wrong howerver its important that people no this situation for future referance
anyway have a happy holiday and welcome to hw
regards...................................edge
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kassie
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01-06-2008 02:43 PM
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Joined: 01 Jun 2008
Posts: 1
| I have just booked my holiday with Sunmaster and have had the exact problem as yourself - wish Id spotted your "Sneaky Price Changes" review prior to the booking. My £907 total sum with no "booking charges" became £1013.50 following a phone call I received from what I now realise must have been a travel agent.
The price is not the issue here as I would have been willing to pay the latter anyway. It is the way in which Sunmaster promotes itself and its prices that I find lacking and to some extent insidious.
Following a confirmation by email of my holiday I firmly believed like yourself that the price was the sum total to pay and did not expect to pay anymore.
It is interesting that the email sent by Sunmaster which I received following my booking on line includes a breakdown of my holiday unlike the formal "confirmation of travel elements which we have booked on your behalf" letter I received a few days later which includes all the relevent information apart from the extra £106.50 that has been swallowed up somewhere along the line. And there is me thinking I done it all myself without any help from anyone.
I congratulate you for bringing this to the attention of the public and prompting me to have my say. Needless to say I will not be going on the Sunmaster site in the future.
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taya
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01-06-2008 08:17 PM
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Joined: 20 May 2007
Posts: 55
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| Hi all, wish you had all read my many reviews posted last year about SUNMASTER.CO.UK it was a livin nightmare i contacted consumers direct who were very helpful also interested as what this company were up to !!!!! i would never use this so called company even if the holidays were free. Taya
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bettyboo1
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01-08-2008 01:46 PM
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Joined: 04 Jul 2008
Posts: 2
| I am amazed at this. I booked in January 2008 a holiday for February 2008. It was all done on the internet with no phonecall and no cahnge in price. I was very happy. I have booked with them again a couple of weeks ago to travel in September. Again all done on the internet and no phonecall and no difference in price.
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taya
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01-08-2008 08:50 PM
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Joined: 20 May 2007
Posts: 55
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| Lucky you bettyboo1 there are afew happy customers but i think there are more unhappy ones Happy Hols.
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