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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

Holiday booking

103 replies

vegas888 · 23/01/2019 07:05

I went to a well know high street travel agents Saturday to book a holiday. I looked through some brochures and selected a hotel. The sales girl said she’d look for the best possible deal. She spent some time on her computer and phone and came back with a price. I paid the deposit and left.
When I got home I was googling the hotel and saw an online travel company also does the same hotel and the cost was nearly £1500 cheaper.
The travel agent I booked it through said they can book it cheaper for me but I’d lose the £400 deposit. Why didn’t they just book the cheaper one to start with if they were genuinely looking for the best deal.
I asked if I could transfer the deposit to the new booking and they said no.
So I said ok I will go ahead with the new quote and another deposit.
The lady then said oh the price has just gone up by another £500.
I said I’ve just paid the deposit how can you do that, she said it’s live prices and they change all the time.
I thought booking a holiday was supposed to be a pleasurable experience 😤
I’m so annoyed with them for what they’ve done and annoyed with myself for not checking the prices first.

OP posts:
Thread gallery
12
Ohnonotuagain · 23/01/2019 07:09

This is why I never book holidays in a shop, it's so much easier to do it yourself online so you can see for yourself that you're getting the lowest price.

KC225 · 23/01/2019 07:10

Name and shame - what travel agent was that? I would be furious.

Is there any come back on the fact she said she would find the cheapest deal and clearly didn't?

anotherwearytraveller · 23/01/2019 07:11

Complain to the head office
They should refund you
That’s disgraceful

Never use a shop unless it’s specialist travel and you want them to arrange complex transfers etc

Original poster
vegas888 · 23/01/2019 07:14

I’ve tried to complain but waited 30 minutes on the phone and gave up with no reply.
Went on live to chat and they wouldn’t discuss my booking, asked for their head office number and they gave me the number that I’d previously tried and got no response.
I’m so annoyed
It was one of the big two high street agents
All I can say is don’t just book it .............

OP posts:
HariboLecter · 23/01/2019 07:17

I'd be naming, shaming and complaining on their social media.

I understand prices fluctuate due to interest, but to go up after she'd taken the deposit from you? No, I'd not be having that.

We usually find the cheapest deal online, print that out & ask local indie travel agent if they will price match. They got with £20 this year, so still booked with them as I like to support local businesses .

Fiddie · 23/01/2019 07:19

I wouldn't be accepting that at all.

Thomas Cook? I'd be all over their social media and I'd be in with the manager of the shop too.

They've fucked up.

CarolDanvers · 23/01/2019 07:19

I would never ever book through a travel agency. I always do it myself. Name the travel agency.

speakout · 23/01/2019 07:19

But someone has to pay for the travel shop rent and rates, the staff in the shop, the glossy brochures. They also need to make a profit above their costs.

I don't see why you have grounds for complaint.

You wanted a personal service and you got it.

If you want a cheaper holiday then book online yourself.

Original poster
vegas888 · 23/01/2019 07:22

@speakout
I accept that you pay more but not £1500 more

OP posts:
MiniCooperLover · 23/01/2019 07:25

Unfortunately OP you researched prices after and not before .. travel agents are notorious for refusing changes once they have your deposit.

speakout · 23/01/2019 07:27

But surely you would have found that out before you booked?

Sounds like an expensive holiday- surely most of us would have compared prices and checked they were getting the best deal before they booked?

caveat emptor

I can't see the agent has done anything wrong.

Original poster
vegas888 · 23/01/2019 07:29

When you go to the travel agent and they say they are finding the best deal you assume they are.
They found it cheaper easily enough when I went back to complain.

OP posts:
ZenNudist · 23/01/2019 07:32

You're still better off if you lose the £400 and rebook online. Go back and say look I am blatantly never going to go with something that's £1500 more so you need to find me a better deal or I'm going to lose the £400 deposit and never ever use you again

ZenNudist · 23/01/2019 07:33

Also lesson learnt don't use an High Street travel agent unless you want to be ripped off

maddiemookins16mum · 23/01/2019 07:35

The online travel agent may not have been part of the same chain you booked through. If you purchased a TV in one shop and then found it cheaper in another, it’s not always the case that the first shop will then just let you have it at the same price.
The costs are also fluid, especially in January, as soon as they start seeing an increase in booking they raise the cost - supply and demand. Also are you sure the online one was a “package’....and not just the hotel part. We used to get this a lot and then have to explain that they hadn’t added the flights yet to their booking.

Quartz2208 · 23/01/2019 07:37

what maddiemookins said

was it an independent travel agent or one that would just search its deals

and was it like for like and include everything and on the exact same dates

TulipsInbloom1 · 23/01/2019 07:40

Just book the online one now from the comfort of your own home then call the agent and cancel the older booking. You will lose 400 but gain 1100.

Original poster
vegas888 · 23/01/2019 07:41

No it was identical and the travel agent said they’d do it for a similar price but I’d lose the £400 deposit
So why didn’t they find the cheaper one to start with
I said ok I will go with that as even though I’d lose £400 as the holiday was £1500 cheaper I’d still be better off
Except she quoted the new price, I paid the deposit and then she said the price had gone up by £500 since she’d been on the phone to book it. I don’t so how they can give me an exact price, take the deposit and then say oh it’s now gone up by £500
Anyway, lesson well and truly learned

OP posts:
southnownorth · 23/01/2019 07:41

This is why I don't use travel agents. I don't think I have been in one in about 20 years.

Stopyourhavering64 · 23/01/2019 07:41

I always research prices online with several providers before I book holiday...then when book make sure I get best deal, save hundreds that way

SaturdayNext · 23/01/2019 07:42

I can't see the agent has done anything wrong

Apart from telling OP that it was looking for the cheapest deals and failing to tell her about one that was easy to find?

CallMeSirShotsFired · 23/01/2019 07:48

Grr, I hate the high street agents. They just seem so useless.

I went in one and said I have this much money and this time off, where can I go (as in, was ready to book and pay there and then - inspire me!).

Their response was to tell me to go and look through all the brochures and choose for myself.

So I walked over to the brochures, then kept walking, out the door. They lost a near-guaranteed sale.

Original poster
vegas888 · 23/01/2019 07:51

One look at their online reviews says it all.

OP posts:
Fluffycloudland77 · 23/01/2019 07:52

Email the ceo and complain to them.

Tbh I’m surprised travel agents still have high street branches.

Romanov · 23/01/2019 07:53

Except she quoted the new price, I paid the deposit and then she said the price had gone up by £500 since she’d been on the phone to book it. I don’t so how they can give me an exact price, take the deposit and then say oh it’s now gone up by £500

So you paid the deposit for the new cheaper holiday, and she then said that one had gone up £500???

Surely.that can't be legal, once you have paid a deposit then that's a contract

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