Holiday gems

Wimbledonpark

Hi, any one been on holiday with Holidaygems.co.uk ?
Were they good?
Many thanks

javajim

Look at Trip adviser, bad reviews!

globetraveller

http://www.holidaytruths.co.uk/forum/holiday-gems-travel-agents-t123804.html
A very long thread here

BelindaArch

Eeeek! Give it a miss!

toetonic

..... I had read this before I booked my holiday with them!

They charge outrageous prices for suitcases - £59 each! AND after my father died they told me I could not use my Cancellation Protection as it only covered accommodation and only if we cancelled the whole holiday (for 7 other people) The alternative is for us to take someone else instead - at a cost of £220 for changing the name!

Outrageous money grabbing (insert appropriate word here!)'s!!!

Willow_Creek

We have just returned from a 10 day holiday in Majorca. The holiday was very good and well organised, although at a greater cost than we originally expected. They charged a total of £250 more than the price stated on their website. This included paying almost double for the baggage allowance.
All the components of the holiday could easily be booked directly with suppliers at a reduced cost. Whilst they are brokers attempting to make a profit, they should be more honest with their customer - in a way that the mainstream companies are in their brouchers. Customer loyalty is important. We have used the established holiday companies for many years and will do so again, but consider this company as a one off.

tamiami

Definately avoid them.

mecasa

Well, what can I say about this TERRIBLE, LYING company?!
Just booked a holiday with them and didn't read any reviews about the company itself only the hotel. Stupid, I know! Received the obligatory phone call from Paul (over familiar, try hard). "Ooooh... sorry to inform you, but the flights have gone up an extra £30 per person... something to do with Jet 2 and the bloody football" *over exaggerated sighing*. Errrm... What the hell he was talking about is anyone's guess, but I think he was trying to blame the rise in flight prices on England failing to get any further in the world cup? Anyway, he goes on and on about how cheap the holiday was in the first place and how he can't believe I bagged such a cheap holiday... (not so cheap when these extra charges start creeping in, eh, Paul?!) So, I stupidly agreed to pay the extra £90 for 3 people, mainly because I didn't get time to check online if the flights had actually gone up, but took his word for it. DOH! He then goes on to try and take the FULL amount of the holiday out of my account TWICE, when he was only supposed to be taking a deposit. It's obvious he was trying to ensure they'd gotten all the money for the holiday without my agreeing to it. Luckily, I used my account with only just over the deposit amount anyway, so he couldn't take it all. He then gets my bank account blocked, and says something along the lines of "oh, silly me! Instead of trying to take the deposit, I've been trying to get the full amount". Well, of course he had! He KNEW what he was doing! Still waiting for the receipt with the revised amount.
Just gotten off the phone to Paul who almost broke down in tears and claimed I was getting personal with him for calling him a liar. Well, yeah! If you lie to people to try and con extra money out of them, they will actually call you on it.
I don't think he's cut out for the team to be honest. He's certainly got plenty more complaints to come if he sticks around. Let's face it, scamming and lying goes with the territory, along with the complaints. He still continued to make up lies about the hotel price going up... which it HASN'T because I contacted them via email to ensure we were definitely booked and that no extras would be added via themselves and the hotel price hadn't risen since the booking, to which they replied 'no'. The hotel staff on reception have been very helpful and given me lots of advice and info. The flights are still around the same price as when I made the booking, certainly no more expensive! So yes, Paul, you have lied... therefore that makes you a MASSIVE liar!
Really disgusted with the fact they can get away with adding THEIR OWN costs and claim it's the flight or hotel that's gone up in price. I intend to sit down with my friend who's a solicitor and see what can be done. In the meantime, I have a holiday in Italy planned for 3 weeks... NOT with Holiday Gems, thank goodness! That nightmare happens 2 days after I return from Italy... God help me!

IrishRose12

Stay well clear of them!!!! I WAS going to book for myself, mum, sister and niece in March with them and it was terrible!!
First they bumped the price up to an extra £200, then got the details wrong, and then tried to take extra money!!

I have reported them to trading standards actually for false advertising, sending out a confirmation of booking for a certain price then lying about prices rising, and also taking my bank details without making the actual booking!! The girl I spoke to said they have had numerous complaints about them.

I didn't continue the booking with them when they phoned back with the rising prices as I thought something was dodgy. I got the same holiday for what they actually quoted by booking separately myself.

To top it all of while I was on holiday my credit card was scammed and I didn't discover it until I got home 2 days later. I have no proof that it was from this lot but I'm certain it was as I hadn't given the details to anyone else or used the card yet as it was only new!

tamiami

Their website prices are advertised below net cost just to draw you in. You will ALWAYS get a call back afterwards saying the flight or hotel has increased in price. They know that most people will just say yes to go ahead and book at increased price as saves starting all over again.


You will NEVER get the holiday at the advertised price. Basically this is how they operate - advertise holiday that doesn't exist but hopefully customer will pay the extra.

mecasa

On top of all the other cons they pull, they are trying to charge £80 for one piece of 22kg luggage... bare in mind at this moment in time it only costs £52 return on jet 2 for my trip for that one piece of luggage. They're basically trying to charge an extra £28 for clicking a key on their 'puter twice! I have had my fill of these con artists.

If anyone books with them after reading all the bad reviews, on their own head be it! I'll NEVER book with these clowns again... even if they're claiming it's 1p a package deal to the Maldives in a 5* hotel flying first class.

Moral of the story. Book the same hotel and flight yourself and I can guarantee you'll save yourself a lot of money and stress.