Lost £240 due to company bad communications

mags1962

Hi i posted this already today on the forum but i think it was the wrong place
Hope this is the correct place to post, i will try and keep this long story short.
Hoping somebody can help.
Iam in scotland
I purchased 2 gift experience vouchers for a helicopter scenic tour over Loch Lomond costing £240 flying from near Glasgow airport as a surprise, for my daughters 21st birthday.
The flight was to take place on the 5th August, i live in Fife she lives in Glasgow.
That morning the weather was terrible with heavy rain but i made my way to Glasgow hoping that the rain would subside.



I was given a telephone number (helicopter confirmation line to call & check to see if flights were going ahead.)


Was calling the number often to see if there were any changes & the message always said the same 'all flights are going ahead'
Once i arrived in Glasgow the heavens opened & it was thunder & lightning however i still hoped.



I went to my daughters house & we both got ready, our flight was to take place at 3.30 we were to be there ten min before.
Calling the confirmation line constantly at this point and still receiving the same message i could not believe that the flight was still going ahead so at 2.25 just before i booked us a taxi i decided to call it again & was given this recorded message ' all Glasgow flights have been cancelled due to severe weather conditions & you will receive an email to reschedule, when you are finished recording hang up or press the hash key for more options, i pressed the hash key but there were no more options.
I tried to call there Edinburgh office but it was closed, it was a Sunday.
I let my daughter hear the message because up until this point i had not told her what her surprise was, we were both disappointed but it was understandable.
I waited on my email to reschedule but it never arrived so i called them on the 17th August to rebook & this is when it got messy.
They told me i was a 'no show' i said yes because the message told me that Glasgow flights were cancelled, they said Loch lomond was still going ahead i told them that i was flying from Glasgow over Loch Lomond so presumed that would include Glasgow.


They asked me to put in a complaint vie email through there web site which i did, the reply now said that the recorded message had said ' flights over Glasgow were cancelled but Loch Lomond flights were going ahead'.
The message did not say this & i listened to the message to the very end.
I called them & the guy i spoke with who is the company director was very pompous and rude & has no intention off giving us the flights or a refund, he says that other people flew that day from Loch_lomond and how come they turned up etc, i told him that i hoped he still had the recorded message, he said he didn't.
Went to C.A.B & was advised to contact consumer direct which i have done and was advised to write to them stating the supply off goods and services act 1982 giving them a 14 day deadline to reply which i have done recorded sighed for delivery.



Iam sick to the pit off my stomach as this money was used for my daughters 21st & makes it all the more sickening.
I have all the calls logged on my iphone there are 7 calls altogether & i told him this along with why would i call if i had no intention off going.
I am very angry & just wondered if anybody else had experienced similar & what are my chances.
Thanks

Hintza

Letter before action on this one I would have thought.


Time for some bedtime reading I think:-

http://www.scotcourts.gov.uk/sheriff/small_claims/guidance_notes.asp

prowla

I think it is fair to assume that being told that Glasgow flights were cancelled meant flights flying from Glasgow.

Guardsman

That is how I would have read the message. If they said the weather was bad in Glasgow and flights were being cancelled it's immaterial what the weather was like over the final destination.

mags1962

Thanks everybody
It is my word against his , recorded message did say all Glasgow flights were cancelled but he is saying that it also said loch lomond flights are going ahead, which is total rubbish, i would have made my way there why on earth would i throw away £240 , he said other people turned up for there flights.

zahariel

I'd agree that is what i'd take the message to mean - Do you have a recording of the message by any chance?

mags1962

No i didn't record it, it never even crossed my mind that i would need to, i said to him that i hope he still has the recording he said he didn't then two days later when i called him again he asked me if i had recorded the message.
I told him i have 7 calls on my phone which i made that day to the helicopter confirmation line & why would i call if i wasnt going ? also how would i be able to tell what the message said regarding waiting for an email ,i also called there Edinburgh office but it was closed.
Thanks everybody i am pig sick

PasturesNew

Part of your 'evidence' will be the phone numbers list from the phone bill. Save that. It'll show when you called and that you did call and from which phone number (location), thus proving you were in the area, at the right place, ready to go...

mags1962

I also let my daughter hear the message because at that point i had to tell her that her surprise was cancelled

Valli

Given that your booking was for flights 'from Glasgow' why would you assume you needed to go to Loch Lomond for your flight?

You wouldn't.

Don't mess about; go for letter before action as has been advised.

Send it recorded; save a copy.

mags1962

Valli
Hi i have sent the letter and just checked royal mail web site it has been signed for, i wish i had came on here first as i just wrote a pretty basic one saying that my contract with your company comes under the supply off goods and services act 1982 and that i am giving them 14 days deadline.