To complain to Thomson/tui about this holiday situation.

[PrettyLittIeThing]

This isn't for me it's for my sister but she asked me to post. She has a holiday booked for July with them. She's paid the majority of it off and still has till may to finish paying it off. However she received a call from Thomson (or whatever it's called now) and they said she couldn't stay at the hotel she had booked anymore and she could either pay £250pp (it's her and her friend going) to stay at another hotel or have a refund. Has anyone had this happened to them? Is it worth a complaint?

[PineappleScrunchie]

Generously (to Thomson) it’s super poor customer service. More cynically, it’s a great way to coerce people into spending more on their holidays than they originally plan.

[GreenFingersWouldBeHandy]

That sounds outrageous! What reason was she given for not being able to stay? Go for the refund and book with someone else.

[Mookatron]

I would check the conformation/contract. It probably says they can pull this shit. Terrible customer service though as pineapple says. Worth complaining I reckon.

[recklessgran]

Yes, happened to us [Thomson too] - we were offered an inferior hotel to the one booked but accepted as it was such short notice [Four days] as we had kennels booked, house sitting etc. It was a truly awful holiday culminating in a move to another hotel on day 4. Anyway, going on our experience I would take the refund and book a late deal if I were her.

[LARLARLAND]

We had a major problem with Tui last year. I spent ages in one of their shops making sure we had a room with a suitable bathroom. When we got to the hotel the bathroom wasn't suitable and poor DP couldn't have a wash for days (until the hotel moved us). I let Tui know on our return and they basically said they had done nothing wrong. Good luck to your sister because she will need it.

[lanbury]

I think they do have this in their booking conditions, but put on such a way that if something happens at a hotel (it burns down for example!) they can change your booking. Whether they are abusing the system deliberately over selling to force an upgrade is another matter. I'd get the refund and start again if it was me and try for a last minuite deal elsewhere.

[Travis1]

I'd get the refund and book through Jet2

[TheJoyOfSox]

I second asking for the refund then book elsewhere (not with Tui) there are some bargains to be had now so your sister may well end up with a better deal anyway.

[GnotherGnu]

She needs to point out to them that they have an enforceable contract with her, and it''s up to them to sort out this problem. If that means a more expensive hotel, they will have to pay the difference.

[PrettyLittIeThing]

She wants to go to a specific place so I'm not sure rebooking it with anyone else is an option. Basically they said due to an error on there side they have taken too many reservations for the hotel so it's overbooked. They offered her an alternative but it is around a 3 hour drive from where she needs to be. The only other hotel in the area is £250 more pp so they said she needs to pay the extra if she wants to stay in the resort.

[BarbaraofSevillle]

Your sister and her friend don't have an extra £250 but do have a contract from TUI for a holiday of a certain standard. Therefore they are entitled to that for the money they have agreed to pay, or an equivalent or better hotel if the one they booked is not available.

They need to get something in writing from TUI about what they are being offered and an explanation and also need to read their contract, about what the terms are, if the hotel is not available.

I wouldn't want to be paying any extra money, that's for TUI to absorb, but if they can offer a suitable alternative (equal standard, happy with location and facilities, not miles from anywhere for example) it might work out OK.

They could also look at a refund, but chances are that supply in the summer will now be limited and/or more expensive. But second the recommendation to see what jet2holidays have available if they are thinking of cancelling.

[JennyHolzersGhost]

It’s their error so they need to bear the cost of the upgrade surely !

[Paperthin]

Coincidentally DP was telling me that work colleague was due to fly out this week with Tui. For some reason his DW had to call the hotel direct with a question and they told her the hotel was closed for refurbishment! Tui had NOT told them! When they called Tui were eventually offered another holiday for more money like your Dsis - not the one they had spend time carefully choosing! It’s seems very common this happens - it really is so wrong they can do this to people and get away with it
.

[DianaPrincessOfThemyscira]

So to be clear, they have made a mistake meaning either your sister misses out on a holiday or has to pay £££ more? I think not.

I would suggest as above she gets everything in writing and then asks ABTA for their thoughts. abta.com/about-us/code-of-conduct Unsure whether it will get her anywhere but it might be worth the ask.

[crunchymint]

Christ I thought people booked with travel agents to make things easier? I would advise your friend to book direct in the future.

[Babyroobs]

My work colleague has just had a shocking time on a Tui holiday, it has put me off ever booking with them..

[helloallllll]

Where does she need to be? - I bet the powers of mumsnet can find her a flight and hotel for less than Thomson/Tui...

[TrickyD]

They can do this and they do. All in the Ts and Cs, unfortunately. It happened to us. We could not stay in the one we had booked because one of the restaurants was being refurbished. We chose another, had to pay a bit more, however it all turned out well in the end, as everyone loved the new one and we have returned several times since.

Infuriating at the time though.

[Guardsman18]

Was going to post the same @helloa!

[yetmorecrap]

I would definitely get ABTA to look at this. Their error-their cost to make it right in my opinion but I'm not a lawyer. #

Put it like this if an airline overbook, they either have to offer you cash to go on another flight or rebook you on another flight and absorb the difference, even if its a better time flight etc. They don't say--hey we have overbooked the flight, but there is one in 6 hours and it will cost you £80 extra each.

[Faultymain5]

We booked with Tui three years ago. It was awful.

We we stayed in a hotel that's hygene standards were questionable and after my husband got ill, they pretended we never mentioned it but suddenly at the hotel they started covering food, replacing food quicker, dirty plates were removed when found in the clean plate section. When we complained about numerous things (including the history of poisoning customers at this particular hotel), they refused to acknowledge, took no responsibility for other things that went wrong, my DH continues to be affected with issues and has to be extremely careful what he eats.

I don't care how great the offer is I wouldn't go with Thomson (and they can change their name a gazillion times, and butcher one of my favourite songs in their adverts) in a milion years.

[strongswans]

I would tell er to take the refund. I would never travel with TUI, Thomson, whatever they want to call themselves again. They left us in a hotel apartment with raw running sewage outside and refused to do anything. I would never travel with them again under any name.

[strongswans]

*her not er!

[Faultymain5]

hygiene, sorry
Oh and I forgot the hotel changed it's names before and after we stayed. Still offered by Thomson. Very dodgy in my opinion. Like those rogue traders that change their names, hoping no-one recognises them.

[frankchickens]

I will never go on holiday with Thomson/TUI again unless (as last time) under pressure from a DP. Our experience was not good at all.