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Gobbys Holiday Hell battle with Thomas Cook

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  • Gobbys Holiday Hell battle with Thomas Cook

    I had holiday from hell in Cuba......here is a copy of email I have sent to Thomas Cook 25 times a day since I got back..........hehehehehehehehe....and I have also sent a copy to the CEO............lemme know what ya think................

    Re: booking reference number: H036049J

    Dear sir/Madam,

    Myself and my family have just returned from the what can only be described as 'the holiday from hell'. We went to Cuba firstly to a hotel called Alantico and below are a list of the events and complaints that took place whilst we were there.....

    1) Food was so inadequate that we could not eat anything but rice and bread or burgers.
    2) The restaurant was filthy with dead flies everywhere including in the hot and cold food and both fish and raw meat being cooked on the same filthy grill.
    3)Cockroaches and spiders the size of the palm of your hand in the rooms.
    4) Staff refusing to help us with our luggage for over an hour after arrival at hotel because we were a big family.
    5)No entertainment at all despite the hotel advertising to the contrary in the villa section.
    6)Only 1 restaurant available as opposed to the 2 that were advertised (however refer to item 2)
    7)My four year old son cut his big toe open in one of the childrens pools on broken tiles and the WRONG pool was drained.(photographic evidence of his injury is available if you request it from me)
    8) We ate in one of the so called a la carte retaurants and my 14 year old daughter digested several dead flies from her ice cream before realising that what she thought were chocolate chips were indeed flies.
    9)The representative was patronising and we complained on a daily basis about all of the above, however, it wasnt until several diferent parties of holiday makers went to him together with our compiants that he treated us seriously and opted to move us all to the Brisas hotel next door to the Atlantico. Things were just as bad there if not worse.

    After being assured that the Brisas was far better we found it to be awful. On several occasions thee were dead flies on our table and we were scorned upon when we complained to dining room staff they appeared to find it rather amusing in fact.
    My husband and I had to sleep in different rooms with our children as the hotel said it had no connecting rooms available however when we spoke to other holiday makers they told us that they arrived later the same day as us and were put in conecting rooms even though they had NO children with them. My husband is recovering from cancer and recent treatment for Hepatitis C so being in different rooms was an added strain and worry for us. I even offered to pay for this facility and yet again was told no.
    The dining room staff were rude to us choosing to serve the Cuban holiday makers in preference to us even if we were in the queue before them we were just ignored and served when the Cubans had got what they wanted.This included the chef serving the best cuts of meat and fish to them and serving us the scraps unless we protested which we had to if the food being served looked edible.

    The snack bar staff had the same attitude, however, we avoided the snack bar after seeing cockroaches and dead flies in the food. It was very very dirty. They only had 1 knife and it was used for raw meat, cooked meat, slicing cheese and bread and cutting pizza,s. There was also rat dropings in all the eating establishments and we witnessed 3 rats on our balcony even though we were on the 2nd floor of the hotel.

    Again my 4 year old son was injured in this hotel which culminated in the loss of his front tooth 2 days after we returned home(again pictures available if requested) .The injury was caused by the filthy state of the side of the pool was kept in. There were plastic cups in the pool due to the use of swimming pool bar. Food stuffs in the pool and indeed on the side of pool, which is how my son slipped and banged his nose and mouth which left him unable to eat for a day or so as it made his tooth loose and he was upset by this. He was given inadequate first aid by the hotel staff and in fact we used the contents of a first aid kit we took with us to clean him up but no no one would give me an accident form to complete stating they didint have them in Cuba.

    The pool also smelled very strongly of urine and the water always had a slight film over the top of it. There were lights positioned round the edge of pool that appeared to have exposed wires that anyone could have messed with. again when this was mentioned to the hotel staff nothing was done.There were also many exposed filters in the pool with the blargest being at least 36 inches in diameter, this is an accident waiting to happen. We also all had stomach upsets if we used the pool and ear infections ( which we had to seek medical attention from a doctor for)and 3 of the party have sores on our lips and in our mouths which I am sure the pool has contributed to. There were also cigarette ends in the pool on a daily basis. The area was skimmed over by 2 bar men every evening but no 'cleaning ' of the area was done.

    The air conditioning in all 3 rooms was inadequate and was cold by day but didnt work in the evenings for some reason, again nothing was done by the hotel staff. Overall this has been the worst holiday we have ever had and we all very let down by Thomas Cook. We have holidayed with Thomas Cook in the past and have always had enjoyable holidays and quite frankly I am both shocked and disappointed that Thomas Cook continues to send people to these hotels at all. They are cetainly not worthy of the stars you appear to think they are. It is with sadness that the best meal I ate in the 2 weeks we were away was the in flight meal on the way home.

    I am willing to negotiate a compensation package that is satisfactory for both myself and my family and Thomas Cook without the need for me to instruct a solicitor to litigate on my behalf. This I believe will save yourselves the cost of legal services and time on both sides. I trust you to consider my complaints seriously and offer an adequate settlement at the first instance. I would ask that you respond within 28 days to my compiants as per se the same time scale you give customers to register a complaint.

    yours sincerely

  • #2
    Re: YOUR HOLS

    Originally posted by loulou View Post
    any news yet on this one? im dying to hear what they have to say!

    xx
    Nothing yet lou lou...................I know they will insult me with a crap offer first but if and when they do that I shall then sue them for negligence for my sons injuries..........He only 4 and has no front teeth due to the ****e hole they sent us to....and a rather large gash on his big toe from broken tiles in pool.............Am afraid TC dont realise what they have let themselves in for

    Comment


    • #3
      Re: YOUR HOLS

      OK reply email thomas cook sent to gobby.....any advice please.......


      Dear Mrs Gobby

      Holiday - GUARDALAVACA - 22/08/2007

      Thank you for your letter regarding your recent visit to Cuba.

      Having read the content of your letter I can see that aspects of your holiday, particularly with regard to the general standard of your accommodation, have given you cause for concern. I am extremely sorry that this is the case and would assure you that as a business, we utilise feedback to ensure that our products are improved and enhanced to reflect the needs of our customers.


      It is clear from your letter that you were generally dissatisfied with the standard of your room and it is regrettable that this was the case. We understand that when you are on holiday, the room is your “home-from-home” and you want to be as comfortable as possible. We certainly expect hoteliers to ensure that properties are maintained and serviced to an acceptable standard and on this occasion, we have no reason to believe that this was not the case. Our records indicate that the property is operating satisfactorily for a unit of this rating, though it is unfortunate that you were so dissatisfied personally.
      Food is such a difficult subject on which to comment, as in many cases this is purely down to personal taste. In cases like this, the opinions of other guests as well as our staff can be very useful, as general customer feedback can give us an objective, unbiased view of the food offered. The feedback we have received would indicate that that, in general, the food served is of the right standard for a hotel within this classification. I am sorry, however, that you personally were disappointed, but would thank you for bringing your views to our attention. Your comments will be held on record for any future reviews of the property’s performance.




      Insects and cockroaches are very common in hot climates. I do appreciate that the sight of them can be off-putting, as we are not used to seeing them, but they are part of life overseas. They are usually harmless and are not necessarily signs of dirty or unhygienic accommodation, as often thought. We do appreciate, however, that the sight can be concerning to UK holidaymakers, so we are careful to warn our customers of their presence in our brochures. Properties overseas do take precautions to prevent insects but no system is foolproof and it is impossible to guarantee that they will not gain access by some means. We do, however, expect hotel staff to act accordingly and issue preventive sprays to customers

      It would appear that some of the issues you have raised were not brought to the attention of our representative in resort, including the deeply unfortunate accident suffered by your young son. In our ‘Booking Conditions’ we do state that all customers must bring any concerns or disappointment to the attention of our resort office staff immediately. Our representatives are available 24 hours a day either via the 24-hour emergency telephone number and the resort office number (available at the welcome meeting and reception). Our representatives are also available on selected days at your property for any guests to approach them with any problems. In order for us to minimise the impact such problems may have on a holiday, it is imperative that we are informed so that remedial action can be taken at the time and I am confident that had this been reported, our staff would have been able to resolve this locally for you. The laws that govern package holidays also focus on this point stating that compensation claims can become void if the tour operator has not been given the chance to address any issues in resort.

      In light of the above information Mrs Gobby I am regrettably unable to offer compensation in this instance. I do however hope that the explanations provided have clarified the reasons for my decision.
      Notwithstanding the above, I would like to take this opportunity of thanking you for taking the time to bring this to our attention. I will ensure that your comments are held on file for future reference.

      I trust that despite this, you were able to enjoy some of the many facilities this area of Cuba has to offer holidaymakers.


      Yours sincerely




      J.........

      Customer Relations Executive


      Comment


      • #4
        Re: YOUR HOLS

        is he taking the **** here
        Gobby hunni I didn't know you'd had such a bad time in Cuba.
        I really would recommend that you send in a complaint to watchdog over this.... Also get the other holiday makers to do the same. Send in any evidence you have... your son's injuries etc.
        They really were very helpful to my mum when she had a similar experience in Greece.... I'm not sure... but I think this was with Thomas Cook too, they got her full compensation in the end.... gotta be worth a try a least.
        Good luck with this Hun.... I really am sorry it ruined your holiday

        Comment


        • #5
          Re: YOUR HOLS

          Tempty hun could you please let me have addy for watchdog......I also contacted ABTA but they not even acknowledged my letter!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

          Comment


          • #6
            Re: YOUR HOLS

            I feel for you gobby. Think they can be difficult to deal with but with persistance, it will pay off.
            As Tempty says, contact watchdog. Also send a copy to ABTA ( Dohhh, posted at same time )

            http://www.abta.com/articlesandcode.shtml

            Comment


            • #7
              Re: YOUR HOLS

              Here's the link for Complaints at Abta

              http://www.abta.com/howtocomplain.shtml

              Reached deadlock?

              Once you feel that you’ve reached deadlock, you can complain to ABTA. You can do this by sending us a letter, email, or fax. Please include copies (not the originals) of your correspondence and the ABTA Member's replies. We’ll register your complaint on our database and may be able to help you resolve the dispute. If not, we can offer an independent arbitration scheme that’s administered by IDRS Ltd . And for personal injury and illness claims, there’s a mediation scheme.
              Please send all correspondence to our Consumer Affairs Department.
              Considering court proceedings?

              You may have already instigated court proceedings. If so, please note that alternative dispute resolution (ADR) schemes such as arbitration will not be available to you. Please also make sure that you know the costs of going to court. We strongly advise you to check first whether you have a good chance of winning your case. You could contact:
              Citizens Advice Bureaux in England and Wales, Scotland or Northern Ireland
              Your local Trading Standards office

              Comment


              • #8
                Re: YOUR HOLS

                here ya go hun addy for watchdog
                BBC Watchdog, 201 Wood Lane, London W12 7TS
                Tell: 02085351000
                or email through the site
                watchdog@bbc.co.uk.
                hope that helps
                Tempty xx

                Comment


                • #9
                  Re: YOUR HOLS

                  Right guys......here goes............TC say when they investigate they just speak to the resort rep take his word for everything and conclude from that!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
                  I have taken legal advice and I definately have a very good case for refund and compensation.....However TC say I now have dispute their findings and put it in writing AGAIN........stalling for time me thinks......Am a bit concerned that rep has destroyed my accident complaint, however thats why we were moved from hotel number 1 so I cant see how that can be covered up and their were witnesses to incident and also the pool was bloody drained(even if they did drain WRONG pool.....nuggets!!!!!!!!) Am not sure if I can do it all myself or just hand it to solicitor............What do you lot think??????

                  Comment


                  • #10
                    Re: YOUR HOLS

                    Originally posted by theGobbyOne
                    However TC say I now have dispute their findings and put it in writing AGAIN
                    Just say that you don't agree with their findings and as far as you're concerned the dispute is not settled and you will persue this

                    Originally posted by theGobbyOne
                    their were witnesses to incident
                    Have you got contact details for these people

                    Originally posted by theGobbyOne
                    Am not sure if I can do it all myself or just hand it to solicitor............What do you lot think??????
                    If you can do a bank claim, I don't see why you cant do this. And I'm sure you'll get help from everyone here.

                    Comment


                    • #11
                      Re: YOUR HOLS

                      What about a read of this?

                      http://www.dti.gov.uk/consumers/buyi...ays/index.html

                      Comment


                      • #12
                        Re: YOUR HOLS

                        I have contact details of witnesses and also holiday makers who were with me when rep agreed to move us after my sons injury was final straw..........He moved us on condition we didnt tell any of the others that were complaining!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
                        Four different parties(including us) have all been swapping correspondence to and from TC...........Have spoken to ABTA and they have offered us arbitration but we get a 28 day cooling period as standard...........Am thinking of using that as I really dont have time to pursue myself as I have just gone back to uni and am already bogged down with assignments......Only problem with using arbitration is that its final.whatever they decide I have to accept.............risky????..........I dunno yet what route I shall take but I am going to speak to my contract law professor at uni on monday and see what he thinks about ABTA's arbitration system

                        Comment


                        • #13
                          Re: YOUR HOLS

                          Can someone please move my posts to my own holiday thread as ithink its gonna be a long battle!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!1

                          Comment


                          • #14
                            Re: YOUR HOLS

                            Originally posted by mistie View Post
                            OK reply email thomas cook sent to gobby.....any advice please.......


                            Dear Mrs Gobby

                            Holiday - GUARDALAVACA - 22/08/2007

                            Thank you for your letter regarding your recent visit to Cuba.

                            Having read the content of your letter I can see that aspects of your holiday, particularly with regard to the general standard of your accommodation, have given you cause for concern. I am extremely sorry that this is the case and would assure you that as a business, we utilise feedback to ensure that our products are improved and enhanced to reflect the needs of our customers.


                            It is clear from your letter that you were generally dissatisfied with the standard of your room and it is regrettable that this was the case. We understand that when you are on holiday, the room is your “home-from-home” and you want to be as comfortable as possible. We certainly expect hoteliers to ensure that properties are maintained and serviced to an acceptable standard and on this occasion, we have no reason to believe that this was not the case. Our records indicate that the property is operating satisfactorily for a unit of this rating, though it is unfortunate that you were so dissatisfied personally.
                            Food is such a difficult subject on which to comment, as in many cases this is purely down to personal taste. In cases like this, the opinions of other guests as well as our staff can be very useful, as general customer feedback can give us an objective, unbiased view of the food offered. The feedback we have received would indicate that that, in general, the food served is of the right standard for a hotel within this classification. I am sorry, however, that you personally were disappointed, but would thank you for bringing your views to our attention. Your comments will be held on record for any future reviews of the property’s performance.




                            Insects and cockroaches are very common in hot climates. I do appreciate that the sight of them can be off-putting, as we are not used to seeing them, but they are part of life overseas. They are usually harmless and are not necessarily signs of dirty or unhygienic accommodation, as often thought. We do appreciate, however, that the sight can be concerning to UK holidaymakers, so we are careful to warn our customers of their presence in our brochures. Properties overseas do take precautions to prevent insects but no system is foolproof and it is impossible to guarantee that they will not gain access by some means. We do, however, expect hotel staff to act accordingly and issue preventive sprays to customers

                            It would appear that some of the issues you have raised were not brought to the attention of our representative in resort, including the deeply unfortunate accident suffered by your young son. In our ‘Booking Conditions’ we do state that all customers must bring any concerns or disappointment to the attention of our resort office staff immediately. Our representatives are available 24 hours a day either via the 24-hour emergency telephone number and the resort office number (available at the welcome meeting and reception). Our representatives are also available on selected days at your property for any guests to approach them with any problems. In order for us to minimise the impact such problems may have on a holiday, it is imperative that we are informed so that remedial action can be taken at the time and I am confident that had this been reported, our staff would have been able to resolve this locally for you. The laws that govern package holidays also focus on this point stating that compensation claims can become void if the tour operator has not been given the chance to address any issues in resort.

                            In light of the above information Mrs Gobby I am regrettably unable to offer compensation in this instance. I do however hope that the explanations provided have clarified the reasons for my decision.
                            Notwithstanding the above, I would like to take this opportunity of thanking you for taking the time to bring this to our attention. I will ensure that your comments are held on file for future reference.

                            I trust that despite this, you were able to enjoy some of the many facilities this area of Cuba has to offer holidaymakers.


                            Yours sincerely




                            J.........

                            Customer Relations Executive

                            This was my reply from Thomas Cook and I took some very good advice from Cet and responded to it requesting it to be forwarded along with my complaint to the corporate counsel for TC...........I have resent it 7 times and no response......As you are all aware I am very very deep into my degree and I have let the holiday stuff go to the wayside as I really do have to concentrate on my degree and the kids and the home and am exhausted st to be honest I coulddnt be arsed but I am now ready to fight again.........Any help would be immensely appreciated as I did try to give it to a solicitor to take the pressure of myself, however I cant get legal aid as I am a student and not on benefits!!!!!!!!! pppppffffffftttttttt........And yes I also know that as a law degree student I should be able to do it myself, however I dont have any knowledge really of this sort of stuff as its a 3rd year subject and I am in my 2nd year...........Arbitration was suggested but its binding and if I didnt put my argument accross well I could lose and its costly too and they can only compensate bto a maximum of £1000 so its not really an option.............Thanks guys I know you will do whatever you can and point me in the right direction but please keep it simple!!!!!!!!!!!!!! You all know what I am like!!!!!!!! :kiss:

                            Comment


                            • #15
                              Re: YOUR HOLS

                              I also failed to notify them about other tuff that was pants so can i still raise the issues now????

                              Comment

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