Cross channel ferry offers. Who is right and who is wrong

vinylmusic

Last week Norfolk lines emailed me a special offer
£5 off each leg of a return journey, Dover to Dunkirk and back with no surcharge for any amendments.
Exact wording of their advertising was:

"Book your Dover - Dunkirk crossing by 31/01/10 for travel between 06/01/10 - 16/12/10 and take £5 OFF each leg of your journey.
That’s a saving of £10 on any return trip!
If you are unsure of your travel dates, don't worry, book now and amend for free up to 31/05/10.
Sail Dover - France from,£19"

Well I booked a ticket for May this year guessing on dates I'd probably want to travel. expecting that I'd possibly have to make some changes nearer to the date but no worry, I wont be charged extra for it except of course, any difference in price for the amended sailing

My argument is this

My total fare should have been £36.00
That's £14. each way + £8 fuel surcharge
Then with the £10 discount my final bill was £26

However

In discussion with customer services I learnt that if I amended my booking for a more expensive sailing not only would I have to pay more for the difference in price but I would also lose the £10 discount

If for example the more expensive sailing would be £20 each way + £8 fuel surcharge the new bill would be £48
Surley then I should have to pay the difference between £36 and £48 and not between £26 and £48

No matter how much I tried to explain my reasoning that losing the £10 discount (Which is what encouraged me to use them in the first place) that this would be unfair I couldn't manage to drive this point home.

I'm not sure how trading standards would see this but in my view this point should be transparent in their advertising
I'd like to hear other peoples views on this
Is it fair or unfair?
Does anyone else think that their advertising has a misleading aspect about it?

andygb

That sounds quite a confusing way to book a day trip. I always use Sea France, and if I can't get the price I want on the internet, then I give them a ring and they sort it for me. I usually pay about £25 - £30, but the boats are a lot better and quicker, and I never alter a date or sailing time.

vinylmusic

andygb wrote: »

That sounds quite a confusing way to book a day trip. I always use Sea France, and if I can't get the price I want on the internet, then I give them a ring and they sort it for me. I usually pay about £25 - £30, but the boats are a lot better and quicker, and I never alter a date or sailing time.

Is that £25 - £30 each way or return?
I just paid £26 return including fuel surcharge

KeithP

andygb wrote: »

That sounds quite a confusing way to book a day trip.

Yes it does, but I think the OP booking a trip longer than one day. His use of dates (plural) leads me this way.

OP can you confirm?

OP I think you need to talk to trading standards.

vinylmusic

KeithP wrote: »

Yes it does, but I think the OP booking a trip longer than one day. His use of dates (plural) leads me this way.

OP can you confirm?

OP I think you need to talk to trading standards.

I'm not quite sure what you mean here. Their ad reads "Book your Dover - Dunkirk crossing by 31/01/10 for travel between 06/01/10 - 16/12/10 and take £5 OFF each leg of your journey.
That’s a saving of £10 on any return trip!
If you are unsure of your travel dates, don't worry, book now and amend for free up to 31/05/10.

I got the email before 31st Jan so I was just in time.
as I understand it I could book for travel betweem 06th Jan and 16th December and would be llowed to make amendments without amendment fees up till 31st May. Obviously after 31st March amendment fees would then apply

Oh, and I called consumer direct and they asked me to email them the details so I wait to hear back from them

KeithP

vinylmusic wrote: »

KeithP wrote: »

Yes it does, but I think the OP booking a trip longer than one day. His use of dates (plural) leads me this way.

OP can you confirm?

OP I think you need to talk to trading standards.

I'm not quite sure what you mean here.

All I'm saying is that Andygb was quoting a price of £25/£30 for a day trip... i.e. out and return on the same day. These are usually cheaper than spending more than one night abroad.

I got the impression from your post that you were spending a longer period away, so the comparison wasn't valid.

Inactive

KeithP wrote: »

All I'm saying is that Andygb was quoting a price of £25/£30 for a day trip... i.e. out and return on the same day. These are usually cheaper than spending more than one night abroad.

I got the impression from your post that you were spending a longer period away, so the comparison wasn't valid.

Exactly, some people don't seem to grasp that.

vinylmusic

vinylmusic wrote: »

I'm not sure how trading standards would see this but in my view this point should be transparent in their advertising
I'd like to hear other peoples views on this
Is it fair or unfair?
Does anyone else think that their advertising has a misleading aspect about it?

Thats all fine but no one has really answered my original questions

KeithP

vinylmusic wrote: »

Is it fair or unfair?

From the information you have supplied... unfair.

vinylmusic wrote: »

Does anyone else think that their advertising has a misleading aspect about it?

Yes.


Probably not the answers you wanted, which is why I earlier suggested Trading Standards.

Chippy_Minton_2

vinylmusic wrote: »

Thats all fine but no one has really answered my original questions

and when you do answer his questions he pm's you

vinylmusic wrote:

F off you moron

Inactive

Chippy_Minton wrote: »

and when you do answer his questions he pm's you

We can live in Hope..