Booked my holiday online with Virgin - now they want to charge me more!

flutterbybutterfly

I booked online last night to go to Florida in June, 4 adults and 2 children.

They have got it all wrong and are trying to charge me more when I have an an intinerary showing my booking and the price.

The website kept playing up and showing a "sorry this page is busy try again later" message when we tried to confirm the booking. We kept trying until it went through. On the page you put in your credit card details, there was the itinerary of the holiday we had booked, it read:-

Start End Description & number of adults, children...
14/06/07 14/06/07 outbound flight details....

14/06/07 27/06/07 accomodation details...

14/06/07 27/06/07 car hire - mini-van
platinum upgrade insurance....

27/06/07 27/06/07 inbound flight details...

Then the price breakdown listed 4 flydrives (adult) 2 flydrives (child) the accomodation cost and taxes etc...

The price seemed cheaper than we expected (nearly £400) but everything showed on the itinerary for the correct dates so we assumed the discount had been applied, we paid and saved a copy of that screen and the next one with our confirmation details.

When the email confirmation came through it showed the breakdown as car hire only for one week.

I have just phoned to sort it out and could not believe it when I was told that actually on their screen the car hire showed as 03/07/07 - 17/07/07 - NOT EVEN THE RIGHT MONTH, and that it was for a medium sized car (6 OF US!) and there was no platinum insurance! They obviously have some technical issues here.

So from the itinerary I booked on in good faith, to the email confirmation and their information about my booking it gives three different scenarios.

I was told they'd have to ammend my car hire and insurance and charge me the extra. I argued that I had booked the holiday showing on the itinerary and pricing I had on the screen last night in good faith. They said that if I looked at the price breakdown I should have realised because it did not list car hire. But, the itinerary DID and beneath it the price breakdown listed "FLYDRIVE" for 4 adults and 2 children. As far as I was concerned this was the FLY = flights and DRIVE = car. I asked to speak to a supervisor but I am now waiting for a call back.

I would like to know if anyone can shed any light on this before my call back tonight because I would like to know where I said legally speaking. I screen captured the relevant page so I have evidence.

wdyw

somewhere there will an E&OE statement (errors and ommissions excepted) on the website that means if you find a loophole or if they have made a mistake then they don't have to honour it.

...and no my post does not at all suggest you did anything dodgy.

dmg24

You admit that you thought the price was far too low, and though I have no doubt that you were acting in good faith, this can be seen as a type of fraud (its real term escapes me right now). Unfortunately you are liable for the extra money.

However, it is always worth asking if they will meet you halfway on the extra?! x

flutterbybutterfly

What I actually said was the price seemed lower than expected but maybe this was the discount. I have read posts on here talking about a 10% discount so naturally thought that the £400 off what we expected was the 10% discount. There was no intent to defraud and I was acting in good faith due to the offers available and the itinerary. Both these above posts seem to suggest I have abused a loop hole and tried to defraud virgin and I have not.

I was prepared to pay any extra this morning but then after being dealt with by a call-operator who giggled about all the mistakes and told me that I should have noticed what was missing (see orginal post - surely reasonable of me to assume fly-drive was fly AND drive?) I feel incensed by their mistake and then handling of it.

dmg24

I think you need to reread the above two posts. No one suggested that you were commiting fraud, nor that you were abusing a loophole.

All wdyd and I did was explain the legal position for your situation, which is exactlu what you asked for.

Amys

If you are not happy and feel that it is not right then write to head office, the address is on the web page under contact us.

Also, if you have queries such as this DO NOT speak to the Indian call centre, during work hpours call the number for the new bookings and then you will get through to the UK and people who may have more authority to deal with things.

jonesMUFCforever

Perhaps you could ask them to cancel the whole booking and refund you.
You could then start again.
I have travelled to Florida twice with Virgin but there are cheaper options certainly for car hire.

cannyscot_2

does the distance selling laws not protect you in some way? ie as ejones999 sugested give you a right to cancel?

flutterbybutterfly

Thanks for your replies. As far as the hire car is concerned, the first week is free so I am only paying the second week with virgin. If I booked the car hire with another company I would be paying for two weeks so even if their rates are cheaper it wouldn't end up cheaper.

I can cancel, but then I have no holiday. We want to fly Virgin because I have always found their flights more comfortable especially with kids and parents-in-law who have never flown before. If we re-book the holiday with another package we won't get Virgin flights. If we book using something like Expedia we get a much cheaper holiday and can specify Virgin flights but we don't get the security of a package. If the accomodation goes pear shaped before or worse still after arrival we have no recourse through travel insurance as it wasn't booked as a package.

Thanks Amys for your tip about when to call to get the UK. I was especially annoyed when the call operator in India giggled at the whole episode!

Froggitt

Presumably, if theyve taken your money/deposit, thats offer and acceptance i.e. a contract exists. Was your card debited?

There should be 10% off until end of today......if not, then join Virgin FLying Club for it.

flutterbybutterfly

Do you get 10% with Virgin Flying Club from day 1???