Thomson - Holiday booked then bump up price - Help

YoungBaker

Hi there - looking for some advice on a situation that happened in booking a holiday with Thomsons yesterday.

Basically found a holiday on the Thomson website for £2300 for 2 people all inclusive, went instore to see if they could do any better deals / alternate locations etc. Agent took us through different destinations but in the end we wanted to just go for the one we seen online. She worked out price for it and told us it would be £2285 (I remeber this significantly as I thought to myself how it was actually cheaper than would have been online, because of this I then didnt mention the fact we seen it online). We said great and to go ahead, and she started booking it via their online system when her computer crashed.

She told us to go out and grab some food or something as she would need to book it on manually instead, but shed get it all done for us coming back. We then came back, she gave us the documents to sign and all was good.

We then looked at the document again - and somehow the total price had jumped to £2580 - 300 quid more than she told us. I questioned this and it turned into a her word against ours, saying she did tell us £2580. I then explained this wasnt the case I specifically remembered as above, and said I would never have agreed to such a price because obviously I had seen it online cheaper anyway so it would be insane for me to pay her 300 quid extra just to book it for us.

She got a bit ratty and actually said she 'isnt a mind reader' and we never mentioned she booked it online (obviously I wouldnt say though oh by the way the price you have gave me is cheaper than online). I tried to calm it a bit and said to her I wasnt going to argue and have a he said-she said situation, but ultimately the problem lies with the fact her comp crashed and so she couldnt give us anything in writing at the time. I then leave and come back and shes bumped it up by 300 quid. If she had went to do it there and then and printed it out I could have obviously said no I've seen it online cheaper thats not what you said blah blah.

She basically said theres nothing she could do as shes confirmed it now and its booked on. I kicked up a bit of a fuss, spoke to the manager and 'as a gesture of good will' they were willing to take of £114 from the total.

Better than nothing and obviously glad they did - but still leaves with another £150 we need to find somewhere.

I hate situations like this as it is pretty embaressing and now we are going to have the shame of going in every month we pay a bit off / pick up tickets etc. but at the same time we are really angry that this has happened. It obviously has just been a communication error either in her mis telling or us mis hearing (although as above I am positive this wasnt the case) but they seem to think we should just be paying this anyway.

I plan to phone the head office complaints line tomorrow to see what they say, if anything, but am wondering if anyone has any advice or info to help this situation.

Thanks

zoominatorone

you should have jsut bought it on line if it was such a great price.

She personally wouldn't have bumped it up £300 (liek you have accused her of doing, the system would have.

hollydays

They record phone calls. Speak to CSS dept

YoungBaker

Oh no I am not accusing her of personally bumping it up herself or anything - obviously not - what I am saying is she said to us in person the price will be X then from us leaving for lunch and coming back she had booked it on and it was a different price from what she had previously told us - for whatever reason, whether she had booked it on wrong / because she was using the different system I dont know.

hollydays it wasnt on the phone, we went into the shop and she had issues booking so she told us to go out and do some shopping whilst she booked it as it would be long to wait on her doing it manually, and we then came back to the shop

marywooyeah

zoominatorone wrote: »

you should have jsut bought it on line if it was such a great price.

She personally wouldn't have bumped it up £300 (liek you have accused her of doing, the system would have.

I dont think op is saying that she did it personally or purposefully, but that it was due to the computer crashing. Either way she shouldnt lie and say she told you the higher price and I personally would have refused to pay, its not your fault she booked it at the higher price without asking you. Even with the "goodwill" youre out of pocket but now youve agreed to pay it so there's not much you can do now really other than complain to the head office.

CCFC_80

As you are in this situation, I would definitely complain to head office. Did the travel Agent recall telling you the initial price was £300 cheaper to what you were then charged. It's obvious to me that the price went up after the computer crashed. Some of The prices on holiday and hotel websites get updated at regular intervals during the day. You shouldn't have initially got into this situation and if me I would have refused to pay.

I would cetainly make an issue of it and complain as £300 is a big difference and if she did know there was a difference to the initial price, she should not have gone ahead and booked it.

YoungBaker

Well we had already left a deposit with her (which she gave us a receipt for just saying £150 paid and signed by her and dated). Probably stupid I know and we should have really have waited til we came back then, but that was done - so yes we had already paid and she was saying it was all confirmed and booked at that price (and insists that is the price she told us upfront).

Yeh, she definitely didn't bump it up herself and for whatever reason whether it be a price increase, technical fault, shes booked it differently or whatever it was 100% definitely a different price from what she told us to begin with. The fact we had left a deposit already and she was giving it all the 'it's been confirmed and booked so it's too late' patter was the reason I just said to take the £114 off and then I would follow it up with Head Office - and will call them tomorrow, but just trying to see if anyone has any advice or anything on my rights etc.

I think basically we can only try and call up tomorrow to the head office and complain and see what they say or even if they are willing to match it to the original online price (which is still online as cheaper than what we are paying, so literally were paying 300 (now 150) more just for the luxury of going instore apparently).

God, Im getting stressed even thinking about it all again haha. I get so worked up and irritated about how ridiculous it all is, but at the same time dont wanna keep on making a big drama or scene out of it if their not gonna do anything

YoungBaker

Thanks to everyone for your replies and input. I searched this morning and the only number I could find listed as their head office contact ended up being for a call centre. Anyway I explained the situation to a lovely girl who was very sympathetic and actually said how they should never have even taking a deposit or money off me until it was confirmed - never mind sending me out the shop.

Anyway she basically said there was absolutely nothing she could do although she totally agreed with me. In the end she basically said my only option is to go through the branches internal escalation process and speak to the manager. She said as the manager hasnt satisfied me I then need to contact them again and ask for details of the area manager.

Reluctantly I called up again the branch and spoke to the manager who hadnt changed her tune and basically was a bit rude actually. I wasnt lookig to start the discussion with her again and just wxplained I wasnt happy with her goodwill gesture and wanted the area managers details. She started again how I never told anyone I seen a price online. I made it quite clear to her again that she was still missing the point of my complaint - which was nothing to do with matching an online price but the fact ahe gave me a cheaper price, couldnt confirm it with me there then when its comfirmed im not there and its went up in price.

A long story short she basically said the only thing I can do is email her branch directly and she would forward it to the Area Manager - i said Inwasnt really comfortable doing so and wanted to contact hom dirctly but she told me its this way or no way basically.

So sent through an email this afternoon explaining it all making it quite clear what the problem was, and as of yet have not had any acknowledgement.

Thanks again

stephb34

Is what you've booked the same as the internet or have you got any extras added on ie 20kg luggage instead of the standard 15, seats together etc, as these can be removed if they've been added in. If the internet is still the same price as you saw before then the price shouldn't have gone up in the shop. As far as i'm aware thomson won't match their internet price, they'll book it at the internet price and add on a £10pp booking fee.

YoungBaker

Hi steph
Yeh I have been struggling to try and find out where this additional cost has even came from - we have all the same details as would be online (same flights, no seats, no extra legroom, same room type, same luggage, no insurance etc.)

The problem is she tried to book it online the usual way and her system crashed so she had to do it 'manually' through some other system and it seems from her checking the price online to then doing it on her system shes somehow managed to charge us a different price (even though its different from what she told us) and we have no comeback. Pretty gutted and frustrated about this.

photome

Is it still the same price online