Transfers4u/Hoteltransfer/Medhotels/Thomas Cook WARNING/scam

nhampson

So you live in the first house the estate agent showed you? Drive the first car the saleman showed you?

I agree with the poster who said about due diligence, if you don't know how much something is worth then shop around. If you don't shop around don't moan about what you paid.

Out of curiousity, if you had bought an excursion from a rep and then found it cheaper in town would you complain?

Went to Tunisia myself last year. Probably been in the same carpet place as you were. Also shown his brothers shop for handbags and leather goods. I said "No" repeatedly and am not in a position where I have to write to the travel companies.

skid112

soil wrote: »

Thanks for the advice, that doesn't change the fact that these dodgy third world companies should not be permitted by Medhotels to use their brand.

Jeez glad to see a true Brit flying the flag, why do you ever leave the safety of Blighty?

dmg24

Hello from Egypt!

I have had exactly the same happen to me today. I was met by the transfer agent, who told me my welcome meeting was at 10am in the morning. I informed him I was travelling independently, he said he was my agent for the holiday. I told him I would not be there at 10am, he said he would be there at 1pm! I told him again that I would not be meeting him, and he said I should because I am 'vulnerable' (what a welcome!). I told him not to contact me again, and that I would not be buying any tours from him.

soil_2

skid112 wrote: »

Jeez glad to see a true Brit flying the flag, why do you ever leave the safety of Blighty?

I'm not sure I'm a 'true Brit' exactly, I've spent much of my life outside the UK and lived in several countries outside Europe.

I know perfectly well that when I get into a taxi in Burma for instance (1982 vintage, no door handles), that it's not up to the same standard as those in the UK. No problem, that's part of the experience of travelling, you can take it or leave it.

That said, when you board a British Airways jet in say Mumbai, or visit a Thomson rep in say Sharm-el-Sheikh, you expect British standards of service, safety and accountability, and you place a little more trust in their offerings than you would of the local equivalent. That's something travel teaches you - not everywhere in the world has the same standards or principles, so you should take different expectations/standards to diferent countries. If I'm pulled over by a policeman in Indonesia, for instance, he almost certainly wants a bribe. In the UK, it would be best to avoid offering one.....

Bob_the_Saver

soil wrote: »

I'm not sure I'm a 'true Brit' exactly, I've spent much of my life outside the UK and lived in several countries outside Europe.

I know perfectly well that when I get into a taxi in Burma for instance (1982 vintage, no door handles), that it's not up to the same standard as those in the UK. No problem, that's part of the experience of travelling, you can take it or leave it.

That said, when you board a British Airways jet in say Mumbai, or visit a Thomson rep in say Sharm-el-Sheikh, you expect British standards of service, safety and accountability, and you place a little more trust in their offerings than you would of the local equivalent. That's something travel teaches you - not everywhere in the world has the same standards or principles, so you should take different expectations/standards to diferent countries. If I'm pulled over by a policeman in Indonesia, for instance, he almost certainly wants a bribe. In the UK, it would be best to avoid offering one.....

I was agreeing with you until the phrase "British standards of service"
and then I just couldn't stop laughing (Do agree with the rest 100% though)

soil_2

MSE_Andrea wrote: »

Hi

Hotels4u has asked us to post on the forum. MSE doesn't endorse anything a company may say on the forum.


Hi Soil,

I'm sorry to hear about your experience on your holiday in Tunisia. The agent in Tunisia has asked us for some more details in order to investigate this case further. If you could please email your booking reference to [EMAIL="lisa.pierce@hotels4u.com"]lisa.pierce@hotels4u.com[/EMAIL] we can assist them with their investigation and try and get to the bottom of what has happened.

Many thanks,
Jen
Hotels4u Representative

She sent me a reply less combative than those sent previously:

" Thank you for sending me the below and highlighting your concerns about Tunisian Travel Club. As you can see from my colleagues email below we clearly state that do not sell the excursions ourselves but we work closely with agencies in some destinations who offer a booking service for excursions and activities.

We take your comments very seriously and I have raised your concerns about the actions of the rep that you have mentioned in your report to Tunisian Travel Club who will be investigating further.

Thank you once again for raising the matter. Hopefully your feedback will lead to improved service by our third party agency.

Yours sincerely,"


But basically Transfers4u still works by selling your details to dodgy unaccountable companies in far-off countries who then leverage their position, with Transfers4u's consent, to rip you off.


They should print a warning on their tickets that they have no reps and to advise people that the 'reps' they allow to use their name and brand are no different from any other random chancer you might find lingering outside the hotel; but instead they prefer to rely on pages of small print.


I wouldn't be surprised if the local companies make very little on the transfers and instead rely on ripping you off on the excursions/other scams.

gmahal577

new to all this, not sure if i'm in the right place. can anyone tell me if the bank will compensate if i am scammed by a travel agent who says do a bank transfer and i'll send the tickets but never does???

thanks

sally06

sorry you were scammed, but I'm not sure there is anything you can do about it. The first time I visited turkey (many years ago) I booked a day trip with a local agent. We were taken to a village...and we ended up in a carpet shop! Everyone on the trip was german, apart myself and my sister. One of our guides latched on to us and the germans were taken somewhere else with their guide. Me and my sister were taken to a carpet shop. On entering the shop the door was closed behind us and one of the guys stood in front of the locked door! They offered us apple tea, then the owner started showing us all these carpets. There were hundreds of them! we told them straight away we didn't have enough money to buy any of their carpets, but that didn't stop them showing us ALL of them! we must have been in the shop for over an hour. It was quite intimidating as there was just us and 3 strange men in the shop! We thought we'd never get out there! we laugh about it now, but it was quite scary at the time. I always travel on local buses now and don't bother with these trips! I've been to tunisia a couple of times too, but I made sure I didn't book any trips with local agents. I took the local bus/trains everywhere and visited the shops/places I wanted to see. Much safer this way and a lot less stressful.

mick_vandick

new to all this, not sure if i'm in the right place. can anyone tell me if the bank will compensate if i am scammed by a travel agent who says do a bank transfer and i'll send the tickets but never does???

Might be best to start a new thread and put exactly what happened and the companies involved to get more peoples opinions.