Travel Agent Rage!

[C at Sea]

I am suffering with TA rage at the mo! Couple of weeks ago, we put out feelers for a cruise as a present for my daughter's honeymoon. We got a price from our usual cruise club, then from another and finally from one that we happen to have 2 cruises booked with for 2011 already. We then went into the said TA to book our hotel for an overnight stay in Manchester in Feb before our cruise. They asked us if we wanted to go ahead with their quote but we said we'd got a better one. They then proceeded to beat it and so after spending 2hrs in the shop, we booked that cruise for my daughter. We signed the booking form, she went over the price and we paid our deposit. A couple of days later, TA phoned to say the price on the invoice we would receive was higher than our quote but we would pay original quote if that was ok. Hubby, bit confused by all this, just said ok. When the official letter came to us it was quite a bit higher so we went into the TA. They said that was the price we were going to have to pay(a more expensive one than a price we'd had from a competitor!) When we objected she said there was nothing we could do but pay up and if we cancelled we'd lose our deposit!

This all sounds like shoddy dealings to me and I'm phoning their customer services tomorrow. But what does anyone else think? Do we have any kind of case to only pay the price actually printed on our original invoice and for which we signed the booking form? Any observations would be welcome! Notice I was very restrained and avoided tht name of the TC, oh sorry typo, TA!!

[Rum Rat]

""We signed the booking form, she went over the price and we paid our deposit.""

 

How I read it ............... you and they accepted the contract and you paid the deposit.

 

Threaten to expose them in the press, the local press. Also inform them you will take it up with Trading Standards.

 

Mike

[C at Sea]

Will do! Thanks! Think they were just hoping we'd pay up! She just kept saying that it was a human error! Well not our error, theirs. so hard luck to them! We were in the shop long enough. They should have checked it more carefully.

[jodanuke]

You signed the booking for and paid your deposit?

 

Did you sign and pay without checking that the price was on the form you signed?

 

Yes? Your fine.

 

No? You signed, paid and left the shop without a receipt or a copy of the booking form with the full price written down? Just your word against the travel agent then....

 

Also, feel free to name and shame on here for us all to see who the rip-off travel agents are!

[Longislandtea]

I think they will have to refund the desposit if they can not complete the agreed contract. It makes me feel so mad when I hear of people being treated this way. Very shabby. :mad:

 

Hope you get your money back. :)

[ROSEBASKETS]

If you agreed a price and have got it in writing then they should honour your agreement, unless it was a genuine mistake and an unrealistic offer.

 

If they do not then you have a right to a full refund of everything you've paid to them and can cancel in full without penalty. If they have changed their mind after you agreed they can do this BUT must give you the option of a full refund.

 

If they don't give you your money back then threaten them with "The Sale of Goods and Services Act" if they still won't give you your money back go to trading standards.

 

Look up consumer direct on the web, phone them and they will tell you exactly what to say to the TA. If the TA don't honour your agreement, then consumer direct will take it up on your behalf

[Rum Rat]

By the way.

 

Do NOT let go of any of the paperwork you have such as the invoice you paid the deposit on. Photocopy it and send the photocopy to whoever you choose, Trading Standards, Head Office, etc etc etc HANG ON TO THE ORIGINAL:D

 

I took a video of some flooding of neighbour's houses and how it was happening. The Council and the Water Board wanted to see it. I had copies made and sent them in :D. We won. A road was altered. Flooding doesn't happen now:rolleyes:

 

Mike

[C at Sea]

Thanks to everyone for your help! The price on the invoice we were given in the shop and for which we agreed to buy the cruise and so signed booking form for, is different to the invoice we were sent a few days later. They said they'd made an error with the one we came out of shop with. Yet the TA went over each line with us before we signed it and didnt notice any mistake! The clue to the firm is in my first post.

[Rum Rat]

""The clue to the firm is in my first post.""

 

OH!! THOMAS COOK!!

 

"Should have gone to Specsavers" :rolleyes::rolleyes::rolleyes::rolleyes:

 

 

Mike

[Adammara]

Look on the invoice for EO&E.

 

Errors and Omissions Excepted, a nice little get out clause that allows them to say there has been a mistake!

 

Have had to fight that a few times when I was in business.

 

Richard

[u2cruiser]

The very worst they can do is cancel their part of the contract, (by not providing you with a holiday) if the mistake is on their part, but they can't keep your deposit.

[Beckyfaye-2008]

You signed a contract, the price on that contract is the price you should pay.

If they are now saying they made a mistake and quoted wrong price, then the mistake is down to them.

Think there are only two options, they admit the mistake, and honour the original quote.

If not, you cancel and demand a refund of all monies paid, if they refuse the refund, then threaten them with the Local Press, Head Office,Trading Standards, ABTA. Make sure they are fully aware you will take this all the way to the top and will not stop until you get a refund.

Their mistake, not yours, they should honour or refund.

[goodyearbaggieboy]

Hi just to let you know last year a certain cruise company advertised a suite at the same price as a balcony when I asked about this they said they had made a mistake but if I would book it then they would honour the price so I booked it.

[goodyearbaggieboy]

I hope you beat them just don't let them walk all over you I wouldn't! Good luck just let us all know how you get on. My previous post was just to prove that mistakes do happen but companies do honour them!

[Brayman]

Your best bet is to escalate it as quickly as possible, even with the help of Trading Standards. I managed to turn round a £4,000 charge by quoting Sale of Goods act once. The MD was on the phone in no time at all.

 

It was an error made by the branch rather than a TA "method" so you should succeed.

[Rum Rat]

What's the latest?

 

Mike

[windsor26]

I am interested as well as I am a TC shareholder.:eek:

[C at Sea]

Thanks to some good advice on here, I phoned Consumer Direct and they were excellent! They told me to put it in writing to Thomas Cook and exactly what to say and which Act to quote. Basically a significant change to the contract(change of price, other than fuel surcharges etc, counts as such)is a breach of contract, according to the Package Travel, Package Holiday and Package Tour Regulations Act 1992.

Anyway, have sent off letter and am awaiting reply! Will keep you posted!

[Rum Rat]

Thanks for the up date. Please do keep us informed.

 

A very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year ;-)

 

Mike

[bigbum]

I would not book with TC if they were the only Travel Agent there was, I have had nothing but problems with them and found their complaints department useless.

[Cunard Liverpool]

If you want to book with a cruise specialist TA who honour quotes, even when they have to make a loss on the booking (they just have on my next cruise) try Blue Water Holidays.

[canbeme]

I am suffering with TA rage at the mo! Couple of weeks ago, we put out feelers for a cruise as a present for my daughter's honeymoon. We got a price from our usual cruise club, then from another and finally from one that we happen to have 2 cruises booked with for 2011 already. We then went into the said TA to book our hotel for an overnight stay in Manchester in Feb before our cruise. They asked us if we wanted to go ahead with their quote but we said we'd got a better one. They then proceeded to beat it and so after spending 2hrs in the shop, we booked that cruise for my daughter. We signed the booking form, she went over the price and we paid our deposit. A couple of days later, TA phoned to say the price on the invoice we would receive was higher than our quote but we would pay original quote if that was ok. Hubby, bit confused by all this, just said ok. When the official letter came to us it was quite a bit higher so we went into the TA. They said that was the price we were going to have to pay(a more expensive one than a price we'd had from a competitor!) When we objected she said there was nothing we could do but pay up and if we cancelled we'd lose our deposit!

This all sounds like shoddy dealings to me and I'm phoning their customer services tomorrow. But what does anyone else think? Do we have any kind of case to only pay the price actually printed on our original invoice and for which we signed the booking form? Any observations would be welcome! Notice I was very restrained and avoided tht name of the TC, oh sorry typo, TA!!

hi did you get a print out of the origanal quote. if you have then u have a case, i am not sure if this will work but tell them you will write to the ombudsman, i understand that if you do it will cost the company £500 so they may want to give you back the over payment, i know that works on over charges from the bank, it worth a try. good luck