First Choice - how do we get compensation for a poor hotel service

star_asks

We recently went on holiday and bought the holiday package for First Choice hypermarket. :money:

At the time the holiday rep who sold us the hotel made out that we would be getting a great deal this three star is similar to a 4* and the service we would get would be fantastic. When we got to the hotel, it was disgusting and dirty, tired and nothing like what we were shown and sold plus he over sold it to us.

We complained and they moved us to another hotel in the same group which the holiday company said would be better. When we got there it was horrible dirty and again tired. They never offered us any other alternative except another room in the hotel but that room was disgusting too. our holiday was completely runied. now we complained to first choice, thomsons, hayes and jarvis. Thomson have washed there hands of it and said its First choices fault and hayes and jarvis have said the same. First choice have not responded. its been two months since we first put the complaint in. we have now sent the eveidence off to ABTA. and waitng for a response. We tried to complain about the holiday to our credit card company under section 75, they need writen eveidence and will not consider the photographs we provided them with. we are stuck and dont know how to move forward.

how do you prove poor service for someone to take note?
why are pictures not considered?
how do we get compensation for the distress this has caused my family?

can someone advise a way forward.....:A

Dawning

Where did you go? Two disgusting hotels in the same resort is a bit worrying....
Did you talk to other holidaymakers who were having similar problems? In the past, a group of travellers has always seemed to have more elbow than just one family.
TBH, I don't think you've got much of an argument about the poor service, unfortunately. That can be considered very subjective. Did the guy at the travel agent say that he'd actually stayed at the hotel recently? Did he lie outright about anything? Even if he did, can you prove it?
What you may have a case with is the condition of the hotels - you said they were 'dirty and disgusting' . That's what you should probably be focusing on when you make your complaint, rather than the service.

jhe

as dawning says, were other holidaymakers complaining as well? did you put a written report in when you were away, i travel at least twice a year usually more and have only had cause to complain twice. once with airtours around 15 year ago when most of the other holidaymakers were complaining, i followed up when i got home and got around £900 refund for a holiday that cost around £2500, it was a holiday from hell!! once with thomson i complained but no where near as serious as the first but thomsons didnt want to know, terrible at dealing with complaints.

star_asks

the holiday was meant to be a holiday of a life time for my family. the hotels were disgusting, smelly, leaking sink, moulded shower tiles, mould growing every where in the bathroom. the rooms stunk, holes in curtains, dirty smelly linen on beds. we complained there but nothing was done, the holiday was ruined we spent so much time complaining. we travel often enough to know that the accomadation and service was poor. i am disgusted that they sell a service and the service was terrible and no one want to take note. i am so upset. this holiday was to celebrate a milestone in our life with the kids.
holiday was to maritius. not cheap europe that i could have accepted the standard of service.

Incapuppy

Who was the holiday sold by and who was it provided by? First Choice as a Tour Operator do not sell holidays to Mauritius as far as I am aware.

HXDave

Inca,

first choice, thomson & Hayes n Jarvis are all part of the Tui group, so i would suggest that the holiday was sold the first choice shop (hypermarket), where there would have been notices saying they are part of the Thomson group, and the holiday was with Hayes & Jarvis.

Star, your initial complaint should be to the tour operator (which, in this case i would imagine to be H&J), and would need to be put in via your travel agent. In all fairness, the complain is not against the travel agent, as they will have more or less as much information regarding the hotel as you did.

Normall ABTA will bot get involved in any way until you have written to the tour operator (and recieved replies) at least twice. Then they may investigate (however it's usually very tame investigation). What you need to do is after the 2nd reply, advise you will be considering arbitration through ABTA if you get no joy.

As well as talking to the rep in resort, did you get any reports / complaints forms from them, and did you bring the state of the rooms to the hotel's attention?

Regards

HXDave

star_asks

The holiday was bought through first choice hypermarket store who tailor made the package with thomsons and Hayes and Jarvis. Which are part of the same company.

I am getting fed up because first choice has not replied and the other two companies point the finger at first choice.

We spent our holiday complaining about our room and facilities and no one gets the fact we lived in a sh*t hole!

No one deserves dirty rooms for 6 days with kids.
My kids cried because the rooms where dirty and the toilets were horrid.

Why can't they listen to us.

All we wanted was a nice holiday. In clean rooms and clean hotel. That's just a basic request.

Trip advisor said the hotel was nice. On that note we had nothing to worry about.

Lesson learnt don't always take trip advisors word for it.

HXDave

Star,

when you received the holiday confirmation (the one that showed all your flight details, hotel details, names of passengers, and a breakdown of costing), what was the company name at the top of it.

Thomson (as a tour operator) will not jointly package a holiday with H&J. Yes, they are part of the same company, and may offer same holidays, however your contract will be with just 1 of the companies.

HXDave

Dawning

star_asks wrote: »

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holiday was to maritius. not cheap europe that i could have accepted the standard of service.

It would help your case if you kept to the facts - statements like this aren't helpful at all.
The last package holiday I had in 'cheap europe' back in 2006, cost thousands of pounds for two for 10 days. The service in the hotel was impeccable and cleanliness was faultless.
The worst holiday I've ever had was in Barbados, closely followed by the Bahamas. Just because you're going a long way doesn't mean you'll get fantastic service and a clean room.
Also, hotels in tropical countries like Mauritius do have problems with things like mould in grouting etc because of the heat and humidity. Obviously they should do as much as possible to keep the bathroom mould free but it's not always possible.
As for the dirty bed linen, leaking sink etc, did you show this to the hotel's general manager? or the head of housekeeping?
How often did you talk to the rep and did they keep a record of your complaints?


When you write to your tour operator, which appears to be HJ, you need to stick to the facts. You also need to tell them the times/dates when you made your complaints, who you talked to, what evidence you showed them to back up your claim etc. And again, were any other holidaymakers making the same complaints, and if so did you exchange contact details?

star_asks

Dawning - we have stuck to facts and the truth. Our holiday rep abroad disappeared and told us there is nothing else he can do.
He was a rep from summertimes company.

Top of the invoice was first choice transaction was with first choice but the rest of the internary was from thomsons.
Hays and Jarvis was the brouchure.


The facts is the rep in store over sold and misdiscrbed us the hotel.
He never explained our commitment once we sign up.

We got to the hotel it was a disgrace we complained and complained from there rang the uk call centres they moved us to another crap. We complained they couldn't fly us home or if we wanted to move hotel we needed to pay in the thousands.

We have been to hot countries before and stayed in hotels and the service has been great and rooms have been clean linen, towels the surrondings beautiful and clean.

This holiday was a present from husband to celebrate with kids instead we were upset and I cried suffered headaches.
This was a nightmare.

If the holiday was clean and spot less there would be no problem at all.
And still this nightmare we live with. Ruined a perfect time in our life.


Sorry I'm gettin upset but this meant a lot to us.
All we wanted was a perfect holiday to enjoy ourselves.

We did meet people who hated the hotel. But from another country.

star_asks

One thee thing doesn't matter how many times you spoke to someone unless you have it written down and signed it dont count.
So every time we complained we should have done it in writing to the holiday rep, hotel staff, and call centres and every other person. Because I have been told it's your word against theirs.

So if verbal chat is not enough to hold up. Then when we bought the holiday the should put terminals in front of the counters so we can talk then type conversation, send and get acceptance. Visa versa like a chat room! Oh this is stupid.

I hope they change the rules on package holiday and give a cooling off period plus some more protection fir customers like us.