The Sun £9.50 holidays, JAN 2013 code words and final word cracking thread

springdreams

hetwit wrote: »

I always follow this thread at this time of year, a huge thank you to those that are helpful and answer questions people have, even those that have been asked 100 times! Everyone got a bit tetchy waiting for the sun's site to open, but it is stressful, it's hardly surprising.
I have been moved to register today to voice my opinion. As soon as the site opened, I tried to book May half term in Somerset - nothing at all. So I tried the Isle of Wight as we'd just seen a programme about the lovely deer-free woodlands. So we booked a mon to fri half term holiday. I then booked a fri to mon weekend one with the Daily Mail to run one after the other, also in the isle of wight. I then booked the ferry. Holiday sorted.
Or so I thought.
The Sun email me today to say the booking cannot be honoured, there is no availabilty, they made a mistake. They invited me to ring an 0844 number to sort it out. An hour later, I was nearly in tears, as I had got nowhere. They can't offer anything in the IOW, just a refund on my booking.
To book direct would cost £297, out of the question for us. So our choice is to cancel the ferry, we will get a refund I believe and cancel the daily mail holiday, but we will not get a refund for that, I have checked.
So the upshot is that we do not get a holiday this year (it is the only time of year we go away) and we have to pay £52.50 to the Daily Mail for the privilege.
I have tried and tried to get the sun to do something. Why can't they ring up the holiday park and ask for a caravan for us as it was their mistake. I am hoping that by writing this they will be shamed into action as I got nothing but a brick wall of policy on the phone.
If anyone has any suggestions...
many thanks

Have you tried booking the cancelled week through the Daily Mail?

hetwit

yes I have tried, thanks, there is no longer availability for half term.
The sun blamed the holiday park for "being unable to facilitate the booking" but in fact the park had told the sun on several occasions that it would not supply half term dates (small independant site cannot afford the lost income). The sun made an error and included the dates, and apparently 15 of us have booked for this site through the promotion. I am furious with the sun and think they should buy up the places at full cost and give them to everyone who booked. they made a mistake, why should we have to pay with our holiday. Grr! But no-one at the sun is listening to me.

caldirun

hetwit wrote: »

As soon as the site opened, I tried to book May half term in Somerset - nothing at all. So I tried the Isle of Wight as we'd just seen a programme about the lovely deer-free woodlands.

many thanks

What is your problem with Deer? they are a wonder to behold!

bylromarha

hetwit wrote: »

yes I have tried, thanks, there is no longer availability for half term.
The sun blamed the holiday park for "being unable to facilitate the booking" but in fact the park had told the sun on several occasions that it would not supply half term dates (small independant site cannot afford the lost income). The sun made an error and included the dates, and apparently 15 of us have booked for this site through the promotion. I am furious with the sun and think they should buy up the places at full cost and give them to everyone who booked. they made a mistake, why should we have to pay with our holiday. Grr! But no-one at the sun is listening to me.

Whilst MSE is pretty well read, it isn't read by the right people. I'd advise writing on The Sun's Facebook and Twitter pages.

Maybe also write to The Sun's money agony aunt person. Or maybe to the Daily Mail money agony aunt person? Good way for the Mail to show how they look after their readers?

Bootsalebargains

Has anyone been to Ty Mawr county park in towyn, I'm trying to find out how much the passes are to get into the club and swimming pool.
I tried booking with sun but nothing in May half term, tried through daily mail which for 3 nights was £30 each so £150 with passes plus extra £25 for the dog so £175 but after much searching I have managed to find a private caravan to rent which is fully disabled accessable inside not just a ramp outside and it's £180 for 7 nights May half term.
Can't wait to go now

sjg666

hetwit wrote: »

I always follow this thread at this time of year, a huge thank you to those that are helpful and answer questions people have, even those that have been asked 100 times! Everyone got a bit tetchy waiting for the sun's site to open, but it is stressful, it's hardly surprising.
I have been moved to register today to voice my opinion. As soon as the site opened, I tried to book May half term in Somerset - nothing at all. So I tried the Isle of Wight as we'd just seen a programme about the lovely deer-free woodlands. So we booked a mon to fri half term holiday. I then booked a fri to mon weekend one with the Daily Mail to run one after the other, also in the isle of wight. I then booked the ferry. Holiday sorted.
Or so I thought.
The Sun email me today to say the booking cannot be honoured, there is no availabilty, they made a mistake. They invited me to ring an 0844 number to sort it out. An hour later, I was nearly in tears, as I had got nowhere. They can't offer anything in the IOW, just a refund on my booking.
To book direct would cost £297, out of the question for us. So our choice is to cancel the ferry, we will get a refund I believe and cancel the daily mail holiday, but we will not get a refund for that, I have checked.
So the upshot is that we do not get a holiday this year (it is the only time of year we go away) and we have to pay £52.50 to the Daily Mail for the privilege.
I have tried and tried to get the sun to do something. Why can't they ring up the holiday park and ask for a caravan for us as it was their mistake. I am hoping that by writing this they will be shamed into action as I got nothing but a brick wall of policy on the phone.
If anyone has any suggestions...
many thanks

I had a similar problem last year. Booked a site near Rome - got the confirmation through (which in no way at all implied it was not a 100% confirmed booking), went on to book my flights a couple of days later. Then a couple of days after that got an email from The Sun saying they had to cancel my booking as there was no availability.

I had to call them a lot, and repeatedly told that that their confirmation email did not at all state that the booking was conditional on the park or anything of that nature and that if they were going to cancel my holiday then I wanted the cost of my flights refunded too. After waiting for a couple of days for it to be referred to a manager or whatever I called them back again and they said they would honour the booking and when we arrived we had one of the site's own caravans (rather than Eurocamp/Keycamp). I think I was possibly the only person that had this problem though which may be how they were able to otherwise accommodate me. If there had been 15 bookings for the same week then it may have been different.

But these things do happen and I do think The Sun should make it clear on the booking confirmation email that it is subject to confirmation from the parks!

watchingthepennies_2

holidaysforme wrote: »

Out of interest, for those of you who are going to brittany in may half terrm or indeed other times, did you all manage to book your ferry sucessfully, and did you get your 'sun' discount? I'm wondering particularly about those who managed to book seven nights?
I have seen a few people posting saying they had problems booking their ferry once they'd got their holiday, or that they didn't receive their link to book it at all!
We are using the tunnel for france this year, but hoping to do brittany or spain next year in may and would need to book a ferry...

I booked Portsmouth to Caen at same time as booking the break, albeit we are doing the 4 night break.

watchingthepennies_2

Has anyone stayed at La Grande Metairie, Southern Brittany - and if so what sort of accommodation did you get? Does anyone know on French sites do the Sun have allocations from eurocamp/keycamp or actual the sites themselves?

ceo

watchingthepennies wrote: »

Has anyone stayed at La Grande Metairie, Southern Brittany - and if so what sort of accommodation did you get? Does anyone know on French sites do the Sun have allocations from eurocamp/keycamp or actual the sites themselves?

We stayed at La Grande Metairie in the kids holidays last June booking online through the sun holidays. We were given a static caravan that was provided by Keycamp. The pitch was quite small but the caravan clean and all the reps really helpful. It's a great camp with lots for the kids to do.

Rachie_B

watchingthepennies wrote: »

Has anyone stayed at La Grande Metairie, Southern Brittany - and if so what sort of accommodation did you get? Does anyone know on French sites do the Sun have allocations from eurocamp/keycamp or actual the sites themselves?

this will be our 8th French SUN holiday

and have had Keycamp / Eurocamp / Siblu / Vacance Soleil / Iris Parc so far !