Thomas Cook takeover of My Travel and Panorama

by **Gralor** on Mon Mar 03, 2008 1:58 pm

I booked a holiday with Panorama last August. Thomas Cook wrote to say they had taken over the company and changed the booking reference.
On the 9th Feb 2008 they sent a letter cancelling the holiday. Since then I have made 30 telephone calls to the number given, and have sent numerous emails . The telephone is never answered and emails are not responded to. In the meantime they still have my �266 deposit.

I know of at least 2 friends who are in the same boat. Beware of Thomas Cook

Graham Seymour
Exmouth
Devon

by **Willself** on Mon Mar 03, 2008 10:01 pm

None of the Travel Tour Operators suprise me!! The demise of the Package Market will not come fast enough for me.. The real choices deminish year on year.
The grip on the industry, is held in just a very few hands.

By comparison the Holiday Ownership Market grows, with it, comes increasing Quality Resorts, if you notice how the Major Hotel Chains, are spending small fortunes gearing up for this ever increasing sector.

by **Gralor** on Sat Mar 08, 2008 12:05 pm

can you believe it....thomas cook having cancelled my holiday and still not returned my deposit have now sent me a letter asking me to pay the balance./.....on a holiday they have cancelled. take my advice keep away from thomas cook

by **sophiec** on Thu Mar 13, 2008 5:11 pm

Thomas Cook do not care at all about their customers. All they want to do is grab your money. I am still waiting for a suitable response from them with regard to a letter I sent back in Jan. I have continually emailed and posted the letter, and still they do not respond. They really need to respond. If I do not hear anything before my holiday then the rep will get a mouth full from me .

by **Rondetto** on Thu Mar 13, 2008 5:14 pm

Can you not contact ABTA and ask them to take your case up.

by **Angel52** on Thu Mar 13, 2008 7:41 pm

Thats awful ,we must have been one of the lucky ones as we also booked with Panorama last june we also had letter off Thomas Cook explaining the take over but we had no prob as we just returned from Egypt after a week away
ANGIE

by **Gralor** on Fri Mar 14, 2008 1:15 am

Well people, I am not totally surprised that Thomas Cook having taken over Panorama then cancelled our holiday flights from Exeter. Panorama's carrier from Exeter was a Tunisian Airline named Kathargo, and to be fair they were absolutely dreadful. We tolerated them because it was convenient for us but to be fair if I were Thomes Cook I too would have cancelled out Kathargo.

What I do not understand is the total silence from Panorama and Thomas Cook. Neither do ABTA seem very interested. They have had copies of correspondance and they too are not responding. The Office of Fair Trading tell me to claim the refund of my deposit from my Charge Card people. Having spoken to them, they have a small excess of �35 on any claim so again I lose.

However I do not take kindly to being treated with disdain by such as Thomas Cook and I do not see why they should get away with it. These big companies seem to think they can just steam roller over people as they like. My next approach will be a Recorded Delivery letter to Thomas Cook's head office asking for the refund of my deposit plus �50 for expenses and agravation. If that does not work I will take action against them in the Small Claims Court, part of the County Court, and will ensure that the action is given the maximum publicity possible.

Watch this space.....!

by **jackieblack** on Fri Mar 14, 2008 9:13 am

What about trying the Watchdog probramme on BBC1? A bit of bad publicity on national TV seems to work on occasion!

by **Jetter** on Fri Mar 14, 2008 10:38 am

Have you tried this number for Thomas Cook operations 01274 387713 we got through eventually on this number and as they'd made a third alteration to our holiday they agreed to let us cancel and the refund for the deposit was back in the bank in the week. We are glad to be free of them,even though we've lost our holiday to Crete ,we'll have to look for a late deal nearer the time! GOOD LUCK!!

by **Gralor** on Fri Mar 14, 2008 12:30 pm

Thanks Jetter. I tried the phione number you suggested but after following the options got through to exactly the same recorded message. "Sorry we are busy try again later" I have tried so many different telephone numbers but always end up with the same message. It would not be so bad if they had a queueing system but they do not.

Thanks anyway.