Have namechanged for this.
It will probably be easier if I just copy the email I sent Newmarket to explain my complaint......
Hello
I called Newmarket to enquire about a coach trip to Oxford. I was advised that I could book the "Bletchley Secrets" trip as this had a day in Oxford for the first day of the trip.
As I had previously enjoyed a day in Oxford (around 4.5 hours) with Newmarket as part of a Downton Abbey weekend, I decided to go ahead and booked the trip online a few days later. I should impress upon you that this weekend was my only holiday with my child this year as I am a single parent with three jobs and as I am sure you appreciate, times are tough.
We were incredibly excited about the trip and set off from Brighton at 08.30. We expected to be in Oxford by lunchtime even allowing for stops. However, in total it took us SIX AND A HALF HOURS to get from Brighton to Oxford. The coach broke down about 20 minutes outside Oxford just before midday. We were given various stories about coaches being sent from Brighton, another Newmarket coach in the vicinity coming to rescue us from the hard shoulder, and eventually, a bus was sent from Oxford City Buses to take us to the nearby service station where a Newmarket coach would pick us up. By this time, it was around 14.30. The tour manager, name removed, told us that we would now be taken, NOT to Oxford, but to Blenheim Palace, which was supposed to be an Optional Extra tour. I pointed out to her that many of us had only booked the trip to spend a day in Oxford and that if we had to go all the way to Blenheim first, this would leave us no time to even get off the coach in Oxford but she just shrugged and said she didn't want to go to oxford first and it was basically tough.
At this point my daughter was quite tearful and so I begged the Oxford City bus driver to take the two of us into Oxford with him after dropping the others at the Services. He agreed to do this which was very kind of him. Other passengers got wind of what I had arranged and came with us. We eventually arrived in Oxford at 3pm, having left Brighton at 08.30. The Newmarket driver said he had to pick us up at 4.30 as we had to be picked up first so that the people going to Blenheim would have more time to enjoy their tour. Again this made us very upset and like second class passengers. By the time we got from the coach park into central Oxford and had a quick lunch ( you can imagine how hungry we were by now) we had less than an hour in Oxford.
When name removed got back on the coach she didn't even apologise to the Oxford passengers. All she cared about was the Blenheim tour. Our reason for booking this trip and paying £189.91 was to spend a day in Oxford, as advised by your operator and as backed up by my previous holiday with you. Instead we got a whole load of stress and an hour rushing around. Our weekend was absolutely ruined and there no acceptance of this by the guide, although I think the driver was embarrassed we were being treated so badly.
I would like Newmarket to reimburse me in the sum of £86 which is the cost of two return rail tickets for me to take my child to Oxford for the day, to make up for the day I have already paid Newmarket for but never received.
I am giving you the opportunity to put this right for us before taking the matter further.
So, Newmarkets response is that because the tour was called "Bletchley Secrets" they didn't have to take us to Oxford at all and we have no claim!! Even though I was directed to the tour when I called asking about a day in Oxford and the tour details clearly stated the first day would be in Oxford.
AIBU?