CMA to investigate Consumer Complaints including travel & holiday accommodation

[Harry Peterson]

13 minutes ago, grapau27 said:

Sorry to hear your business has been affected by customers not paying.

This has happened to me in sales several times but the company rather than me took the hit.

No company is too big, just like football teams to go down.

P&O have a big loyal UK customer base as opposed to Carnival and Princess so I hope they don't let us all down and go bust.

I'm sure the cruise lines will survive in some shape or form (the assets will still exist) but not necessarily in the present corporate form.

 

My concern would be a sale of the assets to something like Carnival (2020) Inc - all the assets, but none of the debts.  And, I'd bet, some crossover with the current major shareholders.  Happens time and time again.

[Eglesbrech]

5 minutes ago, Harry Peterson said:

I'm sure the cruise lines will survive in some shape or form (the assets will still exist) but not necessarily in the present corporate form.

 

My concern would be a sale of the assets to something like Carnival (2020) Inc - all the assets, but none of the debts.  And, I'd bet, some crossover with the current major shareholders.  Happens time and time again.

That’s what’s concerning me. It seems so easy for company's to do it nowadays.

 

The only issue with pulling tricks like this would be the massive loss of confidence with the booking public. Would they be left with many of the long term customers who lost out through this process.

[grapau27]

13 minutes ago, Eglesbrech said:

That’s what’s concerning me. It seems so easy for company's to do it nowadays.

 

The only issue with pulling tricks like this would be the massive loss of confidence with the booking public. Would they be left with many of the long term customers who lost out through this process.

With the new family friendly ships maybe their future strategy is to target families extensively and turn their back on older loyalists.

[AndyMichelle]

30 minutes ago, grapau27 said:

Sorry to hear your business has been affected by customers not paying.

This has happened to me in sales several times but the company rather than me took the hit.

No company is too big, just like football teams to go down.

P&O have a big loyal UK customer base as opposed to Carnival and Princess so I hope they don't let us all down and go bust.

We are OK Graham, just another wave to ride...

I doubt P&O will go bust, but they are acting like a company in trouble.. 

I think advisors would have just told them to hold on to as much money as they can and ride the storm.. Every business I know got the same advice... 

Having been caught a couple of times, I have learned to spot the signs early but they usually culminate in 'the cheque is in the post'. 

No clear explanation and a moving of the goalposts under usual circumstances would raise a red flag, but I think it is just self preservation for the holiday companies at the moment. 

Andy 

 

[AndyMichelle]

22 minutes ago, Eglesbrech said:

That’s what’s concerning me. It seems so easy for company's to do it nowadays.

 

The only issue with pulling tricks like this would be the massive loss of confidence with the booking public. Would they be left with many of the long term customers who lost out through this process.

The worry is, as you have said, is they have lost masses of goodwill anyway, so if they did effectively change ownership, the poor will is with the old company. 

Make no mistake, any company going bust because of the virus will be viewed with sympathy as 'it's not my fault governor'... 

Andy 

[grapau27]

2 minutes ago, AndyMichelle said:

We are OK Graham, just another wave to ride...

I doubt P&O will go bust, but they are acting like a company in trouble.. 

I think advisors would have just told them to hold on to as much money as they can and ride the storm.. Every business I know got the same advice... 

Having been caught a couple of times, I have learned to spot the signs early but they usually culminate in 'the cheque is in the post'. 

No clear explanation and a moving of the goalposts under usual circumstances would raise a red flag, but I think it is just self preservation for the holiday companies at the moment. 

Andy 

 

Just watched Boris's briefing and it will be very interesting to see what his plans to get the economy moving next week will be.

[AndyMichelle]

1 minute ago, grapau27 said:

Just watched Boris's briefing and it will be very interesting to see what his plans to get the economy moving next week will be.

We are planning to go back with restrictions next week. 

The floodgates will open but will be sugar-coated with restrictions that nobody will follow... 

Expect a Spike... 

Andy 

[grapau27]

Just now, AndyMichelle said:

We are planning to go back with restrictions next week. 

The floodgates will open but will be sugar-coated with restrictions that nobody will follow... 

Expect a Spike... 

Andy 

We went to Team Valley Gateshead retail park today to get some masonry paint for our house roof Pauline's brother has replaced.

We went to Homebase and they were excellent with social distancing.

The trollies were individually disinfected by a staff member and passed to customers.

M&S food were open with staff at the door letting people 1 in 1 out with social distancing in operation.

Boots chemists and B&M discount were the same.

If all big retailers like Curry's etc do the same it would be possible to open them all.

Restaurants and bars,cruise ships, football stadiums etc pose a bigger problem.

[Eglesbrech]

31 minutes ago, AndyMichelle said:

The worry is, as you have said, is they have lost masses of goodwill anyway, so if they did effectively change ownership, the poor will is with the old company. 

Make no mistake, any company going bust because of the virus will be viewed with sympathy as 'it's not my fault governor'... 

Andy 

I agree they have lost goodwill but not that they would get any sympathy. 
 

Company’s who close down due to the financial issues of the virus have all my sympathy. Those who do the Phoenix bit, same in all but name will not get either my sympathy or my business - might just be me.
 

 

[AndyMichelle]

1 minute ago, grapau27 said:

We went to Team Valley Gateshead retail park today to get some masonry paint for our house roof Pauline's brother has replaced.

We went to Homebase and they were excellent with social distancing.

The trollies were individually disinfected by a staff member and passed to customers.

M&S food were open with staff at the door letting people 1 in 1 out with social distancing in operation.

Boots chemists and B&M discount were the same.

If all big retailers like Curry's etc do the same it would be possible to open them all.

Restaurants and bars,cruise ships, football stadiums etc pose a bigger problem.

Wish it was the same down here Graham.. 

We started well, but as soon as the rain came, nobody wanted to wait outside anymore... 

Just heard of a young lad quitting his job at Aldi because he was on the door and subjected to vile abuse trying to implement social distancing... 

Also the queues outside B&Q were ridiculous with no social distancing.. 

Andy 

[AndyMichelle]

2 minutes ago, Eglesbrech said:

I agree they have lost goodwill but not that they would get any sympathy. 
 

Company’s who close down due to the financial issues of the virus have all my sympathy. Those who do the Phoenix bit, same in all but name will not get either my sympathy or my business - might just be me.
 

 

Of course you are right. 

I wont deal with companies who phoenix without any consequences to the Directors, but unfortunately, for every me there are hundreds waiting to step in. 

A new wave will come along and get shafted in exactly the same way because the deal sounded amazing. 

Andy 

[grapau27]

1 minute ago, AndyMichelle said:

Of course you are right. 

I wont deal with companies who phoenix without any consequences to the Directors, but unfortunately, for every me there are hundreds waiting to step in. 

A new wave will come along and get shafted in exactly the same way because the deal sounded amazing. 

Andy 

My thoughts too.

[Thejuggler]

Social distancing at shops is sort of working at the moment because customer numbers are vastly reduced.  
 

Increase numbers visiting by just 15% and queues will be huge.

[mercury7289]

5 hours ago, molecrochip said:

Given that 200 is the number of call centre staff quoted as working at Carnival House, this seems to tie up with the original suggestion that the contact centre staff are processing the cancellations between calls about new and moved bookings. Therefore for every extra call they receive, thats one less refund.

 

As a guide, they usually receive 2,000-3,000 calls a day and they are currently receiving up to 10,000.

If they did what they said, they would not have an extra 7000 disgruntled guests chasing them! daily.

 

Do not accept this as an excuse.

 

 

[molecrochip]

Oh, I’m not excusing them - purely an observation. Trust me, frustrated waiting for my own refund too.

[Adawn47]

3 hours ago, AndyMichelle said:

Wish it was the same down here Graham.. 

We started well, but as soon as the rain came, nobody wanted to wait outside anymore... 

Just heard of a young lad quitting his job at Aldi because he was on the door and subjected to vile abuse trying to implement social distancing... 

Also the queues outside B&Q were ridiculous with no social distancing.. 

Andy 

My eldest grandson works for B&Q. They've put him outside as a queue marshal making sure that everyone keeps to social distancing and regulating the numbers entering the store. He's keeps himself fit and does regular weight training. Up to now there's not been a problem. I wonder why?

Avril 

 

[Dinglebert]

18 minutes ago, grapau27 said:

 

We are told they are following scientific advice all the time so who do you blame?.

The problem is not that they wanted to follow scientific advice its that there are are/were many different scientists providing different advice.  They choose in the early stages of this to follow the path to create herd immunity.  Other countries didn't they went for isolation, testing and tracing.  It was only after a few weeks when it was pointed out to the Government by other scientists just how many deaths that approach was heading to, 1/2 million, that they changed to the isolate and test model.  It was too late at that point to trace.   We started to lock down when the virus had already taken root.  Ultimately who was right or wrong will come out in some inquiry many years ahead.  I predict now that the equiry will show good decisions and bad decisions and that those who made the bad decisions will point to the good decisions they also made.  I think the oddest decision in all of this was to allow Cheltenham to go ahead.  It gave the wrong message out.

[grapau27]

7 minutes ago, Dinglebert said:

The problem is not that they wanted to follow scientific advice its that there are are/were many different scientists providing different advice.  They choose in the early stages of this to follow the path to create herd immunity.  Other countries didn't they went for isolation, testing and tracing.  It was only after a few weeks when it was pointed out to the Government by other scientists just how many deaths that approach was heading to, 1/2 million, that they changed to the isolate and test model.  It was too late at that point to trace.   We started to lock down when the virus had already taken root.  Ultimately who was right or wrong will come out in some inquiry many years ahead.  I predict now that the equiry will show good decisions and bad decisions and that those who made the bad decisions will point to the good decisions they also made.  I think the oddest decision in all of this was to allow Cheltenham to go ahead.  It gave the wrong message out.

I agree Cheltenham was a mistake.

I also agree different scientists have different ideas.

Hindside is something I wish I had because I would have done things differently in the past and I'm sure Boris would too.

Hopefully after Boris's experience our NHS will be ringfenced from cuts and investment increased significantly.

We were out again clapping last night and personally I am immensely grateful after my 3 day hospital experience after my NSTEMI and stent fitted in December when everyone was fantastic.

[bobstheboy]

Drop the politics please. I have enough on 24 hour news channels.

[grapau27]

8 minutes ago, bobstheboy said:

Drop the politics please. I have enough on 24 hour news channels.

I turn the news channels off and watch Place in the Sun.

I filled in my CMA form and also emailed the cabinet office.

49 days and counting since our cruise cancellation went in.

 

Edited May 1, 2020 by grapau27

[zap99]

43 minutes ago, grapau27 said:

I turn the news channels off and watch Place in the Sun.

I filled in my CMA form and also emailed the cabinet office.

49 days and counting since our cruise cancellation went in.

 

I though Plaice in the sun was a fishing programme.

[grapau27]

4 minutes ago, zap99 said:

I though Plaice in the sun was a fishing programme.

Judge Judy and Judge Rinder are good for legal advice.

Edited May 1, 2020 by grapau27

[jeanlyon]

I posted this on insurance thread, but just thought  would repeat.  Read on Money Supermarket that travel insurance can be cancelled.  Didn't think you could with an annual, but hey presto, filled in an online form and will get nearly half of it back, as I haven't travelled or claimed.

[Dinglebert]

Just now, jeanlyon said:

I posted this on insurance thread, but just thought  would repeat.  Read on Money Supermarket that travel insurance can be cancelled.  Didn't think you could with an annual, but hey presto, filled in an online form and will get nearly half of it back, as I haven't travelled or claimed.

Personally I wouldn't but only because  have 3 holidays booked with my insurance prior to the virus block.  Only way I will be covered is if I stick with them.  Technically i don't even think its annual as its attached to my bank account payment each month so just continuous.

[jeanlyon]

15 minutes ago, Dinglebert said:

Personally I wouldn't but only because  have 3 holidays booked with my insurance prior to the virus block.  Only way I will be covered is if I stick with them.  Technically i don't even think its annual as its attached to my bank account payment each month so just continuous.

Well as they are not covering Covid, I won't be travelling until at least 2021, so no point.  I checked with the Nationwide and also 2 other companies.  There is no cover for this virus, whether you get it yourself on board, get it at home and need to cancel, or quarantined because someone else gets it.  Without a vaccine, we are going nowhere.

Edited May 1, 2020 by jeanlyon