Problems with Virgin Holidays

redwham

Hi
Hopefully someone can advise me.

I booked a holiday with virign holidays direct with the company (via phone),

Have paid over half the holiday, then yesterday by chance whilst reading reviews on trip advisor I find out that there is going to be extensive refurbishment at the hotel we are going too starting 1st may 2010 until 31st august 2010 (we go 12th June 2010), the rooms that we have booked, will not be available as these are the ones being refurbished, 1/2 the hotel will be closed, including the quiet pool, (one reason why we booked this hotel) several bars, spa etc; I have been in touch with virgin x 2, they tell me the refurbishing isnt happening, although the hotel website clearly states it is and what will be closed. I have been in contact with others on trip advisor, virgin has apparently admitted to one family that this is happening.

I have also written an email to virgin complaining of the fact that they allowed me to book a hotel without informing me of the work being done, that 1/2 the hotel will be out of bounds, and the type of room booked will not be available. Where do we stand in regards to this??? also I invisage there could be a problem as we paid for part of the holiday with tesco clubcard hotel vouchers (the reason why we used virgin), we are going to sri lanka it is a all inclusive hotel, and looking at their online brochure they do not offer another hotel all inclusive in sri lanka. I did receive a phone call today from virgin, but unfortunately it was from a call centre (I believe in india, going from the difficulty in understanding the person), I have not received a response from my email as yet, but no happy conclusion came from todays phone call.

Any advice would be appreciated, as at present I am very upset and angry, as I thought considering how much more expensive virgin holidays is compared to other companies, I assumed they would be a better company to deal with.

Look foreward to any response

Regards
Redwham

Davidboy

All I can say is, best of luck to you dealing with those idiots. Booked a holiday to Kenya last year, total nightmare from start to finish. When we got on the holiday everyone, and I mean everyone had tales of woe with trying to deal with idiots on the end of the phone.

I for one will NEVER book with Virgin again.

I wish you well and hope you have more luck than we did.

D

samblack

I've also had major problems with Virgin Holidays in the past. But this seems like something they cannot deny or get out off. When you phone are you speaking with a manager? I'd ask to speak to the manager or at least a supervisor - I wouldn't sit and wait for them to call you back either, I've wasted many a day doing that. I'd have a look in the Virgin brochure or website and see if there are other hotels as the chances are you will need to transfer. It could just be that the news that the hotel is undergoing a refurb has not reached the staff in the Virgin call centre. Ask them to contact their local representative.
Good luck.

nic_santorini

I booked a cruise with Virgin Cruise Holidays - the sales department are great but then the mistakes pour in, one after the other. We had wrong hotel booked and the post sales lady called me a liar and she 'pulled the tapes' to listen to my conversation and then called back to tell me I was right - why would I lie. I phoned my hotel direct in Puerto Rico and asked directly and then called Virgin with the information and suggest strongly that they speak with the hotel manager in India direct. They should be offering you alternative accommodation because this is clearly not what you signed up for, vouchers or no vouchers. And then they can pull their tapes, as they put it to confirm that they never told you!! and if they did not know, it is their job to know!!! Good luck - I was on hold for 22 minutes today at 10p per minute but what can you do, they don't answer your emails and they hardly answer the phone either!!

samblack

Oh and don't ring the expensive number - check out saynoto0870.co.uk as said above they don't seem to answer too quickly unless you call up as soon as they open in the morning.

macro_duck

Just come back from South Africa having been on a two centre holiday with Virgin to Sun City and Cape Town. Must say it was excellent in every way and good value for money. Only reservation I had was the in flight meals which were dreadful and my name was mis-spelt on my flight ticket which took some time to rectify.

shoppaholic_returns

Virgin Atlantic for flights seem great,but every virgin holidays experience I have had has been a bad one! Overbookings, seem to be their main issue, this has happened twice and gave me real problems finding another hotel, as they only offered a motel to make up for the 5* they had overbooked!

Good luck

Pinklepurr

I would get hold of a Virgin Holidays brochure and read the terms and conditions carefully. In there it will explain what they will do if there is building work, refurbishment work or closures of facilities at your hotel.

I used to work for a Tour Operator (not Virgin) and usually if we were advised by a hotel of building or refurbishment work, we would write to the client to inform them, giving as much detail as we could. The client would (depending on the nature of the work) be given the opportunity to change to another hotel or alter their travel dates if they wished. If they chose a more expensive hotel the client paid the difference in cost, likewise if it was less, they would get a refund of the difference. If the building work/refurbishment work was so severe so as to disrupt the holiday we would move the clients to a comparable hotel at no additional cost.

I would continue to chase Virgin Holidays. It may well be that they have not been officially informed by the hotel yet (which is why they have not told you about it), but their local rep in Sri Lanka should be able to get a handle on what is going on.

You are travelling to Sri Lanka in their low season so that is why the hotel has probably chosen that time of year to undertake refurbishment work. You may find that other hotels are doing the same.

As for a general opinion on Virgin Holidays - well, I have used them before and did not have a good experience. I wouldn't use them again. Just speaking to someone who could fully understand what you were asking was a challenge.

Good luck and I hope you can get it sorted.

parcival

I would not bother getting frustrated by phoning and wasting time / money.
Write a letter to the customer service director explaining the problem and setting out what you would like to happen. Send it by Special delivery and ask for a reply within 7 days.

It sounds like they are not able to offer the holiday you actually booked.

redwham

Hi,
Thanks for the replies, I have yet again had a fruitless couple of phonecalls with virgin, I have now told them I am writing a formal letter of complaint as they are not dealing with the situation, or even acknowledging the fact, even though the hotel have emailed me, and said they spoke to the tour operator weeks ago, just worried that the department to send a letter is the same place I sent an email, which they said they will respond too within 5 working days, but am still waiting.

regards
redwham