Can I / Should I complain?

mark_quinton

Hi all

Please could I have some advice please. About 12 weeks ago I booked a suprise holiday with Thomas Cook to Fuerteventua for me, my wife and our son who is 3 years old and it would have been his first holiday abroad. We were due to fly on Wednesday 7th September.

However on Sunday morning our son had a stroke and we were rushed to hospital. (only 1 in 100,000 children have a stroke). We are still in hospital at present and have been told that our son cannot fly. Therefore I had to cancel the holiday today and have been informed that the cancellation charges will be 100% and I will therefore lose £1300. How is this fair and humain? I can understand the charges if I just couldn't be bothered to go but our son has been struck down with a serious medical problem which has caused us a huge amount of distress and worry. If holidays are covered for an act of god why can't serious sudden medical problems be covered.

Therefore as well as the worry of our sons health we also have to deal with losing all that money. Whilst I can hopefully claim the money from our insurance company i am disguseted that Thomas Cook would not help me at all and no gesture of good will.

I know this is probably all explained in their terms and conditions but do you think I should complain and tell them how I feel?

Thanks in advance

Mark

vax2002

did you pay in full ?

malkie76

Sadly TC won't care what your reasons are for not using your holiday. There's nothing really to complain about with them as it's in the T&C, and is standard across all companies (although you might be able to change dates for a fee).

Good news you have travel insurance as they'll refund (less excess) - just keep paperwork from the hospital.

Really sorry to hear of the illness - frightening stuff

phatbear

I feel for your situ but Thomas Cook are a business and there are now 3 seats which they will not be able to get rid of therefore a loss of profit on the flight.

Luckily it appears you have insurance, so as previously stated, at least you wont have lost it all

mark_quinton

Thanks for the quick replies.

Maybe I am being a little unreasonable. I guess I was expecting a good will gesture in light of the horrible circumstances but not many companies work like that nowadays.

I will take a lot more regard of travel insurance in the past. It will no doubt also increase dramatically for my son.

Thanks

Mark

Enterprise_1701C

Just popped on to say I hope your son recovers fully and quickly.

I am glad you have insurance, in time hopefully everything will come into better perspective and will simply be glad that your son is still around. Personally, I would gladly exchange £1300 for the lives of my children.

One other thing, I would also be grateful it happened whilst I was in this country and that he got rapid treatment, maybe Fuerteventura would not have provided such good treatment.

prowla

Phew - that's what insurance is for!

(Good luck for your son's recovery...)

Fruity1

I had a holiday booked for last October total cost was similar to yours. I was suddenly taken ill and told I could not fly a few days before. I spent the entire week I should have been in Cuba in hospital and required surgery. I received no money from Thomsons but received the total less £50 each back from our insurance company. If you can try and get a nice Dr at the hospital to fill in your insurance claim form as GPs can charge £50-£100 to complete it which I don't think you will receive back.

Hope your son recovers soon.

Pollycat

Hi Mark
when I first read your post I thought 'Oh no, he's not got insurance and will lose the whole £1300' but then I re-read and see that you do have insurance.

Start the claim process right now.

I agree with malkie76, tour operators are in the business of making money and won't consider the reason for your cancellation - and really that's what travel insurance is there for.

I hope your son soon starts to make a full recovery, it must have been a terrible shock for you.

ponymad_3

Sure everyone on here just wishes you all as a family a good end to this bvery traumatic event.

Whilst you might think you don t have time right now, do call your insurance company and request a doctor at the hospital as suggested earlier signs on the dotted lline for you. When similar happened last year to me I called the insurance company and they emailed the forms (you will prob need one each) and I got the registrar to sign.

Doctors do charge and they also are not the best at completing. You will have the excess but that is a small cost to pay.

Regards T Cook, they are doing what they are allowed to do, you would think in fact they could make an exception, however I guess at this time you would be unsure when you would be able to travel again so really the best solution is your money back ... and lesson to all this is exactly why you need to take insurance when you book.

Best wishes

ellay864

I really hope your little boy is OK and that your travel insurance sorts things out for you.
Playing devil's advocate, while it may seem really unfair and inhuman, and travel business is a business, and couldn't really make allowances for events like this. While your son is a rare and serious incident, where would they draw the line...what about an elderly person who has a serious fall? What about a middle aged woman needing breast cancer treatment? How do you define which cases are traumatic enough to warrant the business paying for, and which aren't? Any such event would be equally traumatic for the people concerned.
That's what travel insurance is for and that's what they'd rely on their passengers using