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Original poster

Am I wrong to feel so ripped off by BUTLINS ??

47 replies

Fatone · 18/02/2014 15:57

For the first time ever I have booked a family holiday at Easter at Butlins. We are having a tough time financially at the mo (aren't we all?) and I was desperate for us to have a break together (me, DH and 2 x DS) A friend had recommended Butlins and I booked it a couple of months ago on one of their super cheap/amazing/bargain of the year special weekends. I booked the cheapest possible chalet (standard) with absolutely zero frills and apparently had squillions of pounds off as it was a very special offer. I finally paid it off today, was looking around their website and they had more 'offers' on. Surprise, surprise - they are now selling a 'Silver' room - that is the next level up of accommodation, for cheaper than I paid on the Super special weekend for the lowest of the low room :-( I feel so done over.

OP posts:
SapphireMoon · 18/02/2014 16:02

Is there anyway you can swap to silver?
No idea if allowed.
I would be fed up too [happened to me on flight prices. Had to pretend I hadn't seen to cope!].

Original poster
Fatone · 18/02/2014 16:18

Been on hold to them for over 20 minutes so far to find out what options if any ... throughout they keep advertising how Mumsnet recommend them! Costing me a fortune to ring their 0845 number from my Sky phone. (How are companies allowed to do this as well??!!)

OP posts:
Original poster
Fatone · 18/02/2014 16:20

.. I was so sure that it was 'Best Price Guaranteed" .. apparently not ...

OP posts:
Bowlersarm · 18/02/2014 16:21

That's the nature of booking a holiday though. Prices can go up or down according to demand.

Bubblegoose · 18/02/2014 16:24

Can you at least find a geographical number on which to call them?

ShatnersBassoon · 18/02/2014 16:24

I agree that it's just the nature of holiday booking. It's always a gamble. Hopefully they'll be kind and swap your accommodation without charging you an admin fee.

Preciousbane · 18/02/2014 16:24

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

bananananacoconuts · 18/02/2014 16:28

01754614488 is the number for Skeggy if you're heading there

AbbyLou · 18/02/2014 16:34

Make sure you are comparing like for like. You say you have booked a standard chalet and the silver offer is for a room. They are very different. A chalet has a lounge and dining area, kitchen area, seperate bathroom and seperate bedrooms. A room is just that, although sometimes it is two rooms together. They have no cooking facilities, no lounge area or place to sit and nowhere to eat.

Original poster
Fatone · 18/02/2014 16:38

@Banana Minehead Butlins but thanks V much for help. @Precious, it doesn't come up with any numbers when I do it but thanks for trying!

After an age on hold I got a really unhelpful girl who basically told me the same. I thought they honoured the "best price" apparently they do - but only if you book it direct through their customer services. Oh well, you learn something new every day. They are advertising how Mumsnet think they are fab/wonderful/recommended all over the hold music. At least I've raised a bit of awareness on here so maybe someone won't be as naive as me when booking with them. Bizarrely the "silver" room although nicer in general only has a shower as opposed to a bath, so maybe we're better of with a 2 year old to have a bath anyway.

OP posts:
Original poster
Fatone · 18/02/2014 16:39

@Abbey it was a standard room (this is a double and twin arrangement) and a silver room with the same layout.

OP posts:
Original poster
Fatone · 18/02/2014 16:40

Probably spent about a tenner on 31 minutes on the phone to them. Is it too early for Wine ?

OP posts:
Bubblegoose · 18/02/2014 16:56

Have you tried this number: 01643 700514

Listed on saynoto0870 as minehead customer services.

ButlinsResorts · 19/02/2014 09:18

Hey Fatone, really sorry about this! We'd really like the opportunity to look into this for you.

If you send me an email to [email protected] with your booking reference number and your details we'll take a look at your booking and see what's happened!

Thanks, James
Butlins Marketing

Original poster
Fatone · 20/02/2014 10:09

Hi,

Thanks for the message James I have now been given 1 all action pass (value about £10?) as a goodwill gesture. Given that there are 5 children in total in our group (we have 2 cabins booked together) they may get about 1 activity each! Should be fun watching them fight over that. Ringing the phone number and being on hold for so long has almost certainly cost me more than the cost of the action pass, and it hasn't changed how we all feel about Butlins. I understand that supply and demand dictates the prices you charge, I just wrongly thought we had a best price guarantee when we booked it. Anyway, you live and learn.

Thanks anyway.

OP posts:
SapphireMoon · 20/02/2014 10:36

Did James sort you out though Fatone?
It did seem from his message he wanted to help.

Nerfmother · 20/02/2014 10:41

I don't understand the problem.
You booked a standard room at an 'offer' price. Now there is a silver room on offer. That's just how stuff works. You could have held off booking to see what last minute deals there were, but didn't, so you have the dates you wanted.

Coconutty · 20/02/2014 10:41

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

K8Middleton · 20/02/2014 10:46

Err, she's has an offer on here to help but hasn't taken it up. How is that Butlins' fault?

Email James op.

bakingaddict · 20/02/2014 10:48

What is the cancellation policy? Are you able to cancel the standard room and then re-book the silver one without losing your deposit and still getting the dates you want

notso · 20/02/2014 10:52

Why are you not emailing James?

Original poster
Fatone · 21/02/2014 16:53

Hi all, I did actually PM James but had nothing back which is why a posted a reply to him on here.

OP posts:
Lulabellarama · 21/02/2014 16:57

But he told you to email him and gave the address

Original poster
Fatone · 21/02/2014 16:59

nerf The problem was we were lead to believe that Butlins price matched - that has been confirmed now - but only if you book at the venue rather than through their website.

Also when we booked it was a "massive sale/never to be beaten/limited special offer/One off weekend blah blah" (I may have some of the words a bit wrong here but I am paraphrasing from what we remember) and we again thought that meant that we were buying at a special price that wouldn't be beaten.

I fully understand that prices go up as well as down - I just found their advertising misleading and I object to spending a fortune being on hold to these companies before you have even spoken to anyone!

OP posts:
YoureBeingASillyBilly · 21/02/2014 17:00

Did you PM him on MN ir email him at the address he gave you?