Help with Thomas Cook

hunt85

I didn't realise travel agents could be so awkward.

we booked our honeymoon to Vegas for may 2012 and have since realised with the expense of the wedding growing it would make sense to change our holiday to something all inclusive. We paid £305 as a deposit and thought since we've only just booked it and the holiday is not for 10 months they would be flexible with this. We've now been told since we want to change it from a week in vegas to 10 days in turkey, as this is a totally different type of holiday they will have to cancel the holiday and start again.

I've argued with this as i could cancel it and just go elsewhere, i'm choosing to book through TC again so surely with this much notice (when we booked the holiday the flights weren't even released yet!) but they say because we're booked through TC "Signature" (which we weren't told and i still did it physically at the travel agent so i don't see why it makes a difference) we have to pick one of those holidays instead - keeping our deposit but paying hefty admins fees. None of these holidays will make our problem of spending money as they're all non european expensive destinations and overall the holiday would be more expensive?! also we don't particularly want to go to any of the destinations offered.

surely its all the same company with 10 months notice it shouldn't be this much of an issue?! and when I've tried to speak to TC they say i have to go through the travel agent i physically booked at?! please help, any advice on how to transfer our deposit to turkey would be great

platterfish

Hi,

There is no way this will happen. You will have to pay the cancellation fee to the tour operator Thomas Cook Signature and then they will rebook as a Thomas Cook package holiday this will be to cover the cancellation fees to the airline/hotel incurred on the Vegas booking you have done already as well as no doubt an admin fee to do this also.

Were you told the terms and conditions of cancellation at the time of booking verbally, or did you sign them? If not, then that maybe the only argument that could get this to happen for you, but I doubt this very much. You may have to just accept the loss or go to vegas! You will love it! What happens in vegas stays in vegas .

HAYLEY8005

as platter as already said there is no way this will happen as they are to completely different tour operators but work under the same umberella so to speak, as you have already been told the only options are to cancel and loose all deposit or move deposit to something signature does . And im a travel agent and saying they are awkward is not the case this would have been the same answer whereever you booked changing from this type of holiday to something completley different, just learn a lesson and read the terms and conditions carefully.

stephb34

Look at it like this to try and explain everythings not the same.
You go to a supermarket for a box of chocolates, they sell all different makes ie Thorntons, Cadburys, lindt etc, you buy a box of thorntons, take it home and decide in a months time you really wanted Cadburys its tough you cant take the thorntons back and swap it for a different make you made a choice you just have to lump it. Well when you go to a travel agent its the same sort of principal ie they sell Thomas Cook, Thomas cook signature, Thomsons, cosmos etc but its a lot bigger purchase so youre allowed to just put down a deposit if you decide to change your mind to a different company then unfortunately thats your fault so you lose your deposit, the travel agent isnt being awkward its just the rules.