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Sunmaster 23rd Birthday Holiday Present!
moneyhustler88
Posts: 47 Forumite
Last August it was my birthday and I turned the old age of 23 *embarrassed face*
Anyway..my mum knew that one of my life long things I've wanted to do but never had the money was go to Ibiza.
So she booked a holiday online through sunmaster for me and my 17 year old brother to go to Ibiza. It was advertised as a package deal with flights she could choose and the rest.
She paid for it two weeks before my birthday and about a week before travelling Sunmaster phoned her to tell her the hotel she had booked was oversubscribed (this hotel was 4 stars) but they would put me and my brother in another hotel of the same rating. She said that was fine as long as it was of the same rating and same area in Ibiza demographically.
Anyway the trip came and on arriving at Ibiza Airport, the coach organisation sunmaster had booked didn't speak any english, a very basic level (he understood yes no thats it) So when he was dropping everyone off at the hotel we had to keep asking him if we were there yet and we were.
In the end he dropped us off down an alley and we were left to try and figure out where our hotel was. Luckily we found it using a tom tom map on my phone. It was never described to us or my mother when she bought the holiday that we wouldn't be dropped of at the hotel and would have to walk 5-10 minutes to the hotel. But i put this down to language issues and let it go.
On the booking sheet sunmaster sent us, it said to ring someone in spain and book the return coach. So I did that. When I rang they told me I will recieve a text confirming my return coach. So I awaited the text.
When in resort, I discovered that 'Piscis Park' our hotel was not infact a 4 star hotel and on many sites 2 star. The room was dirty, scratched and had blood on the bedsheets.
I took photographs of it all as evidence.
The bathroom ceiling constantly kept leaking and I therefore reported all of this to the hotel. They told me a maintaince man would come but never did.
The hotel was also not maintained or cleanly generally in the lift and lobby and for 3 days there was vomit and drinks in the lift left.
I also had numerous people knocking on my door and one even knocked and said 'oh your a ***** you probs smoke weed right? You want some'' to which response he got a door closed on him. I therefore decided to go and tell the hotel that they have drug dealers and they did act on this. However by this time the gentlemen had left and the security guard who did not understand spanish was baffled by what I said.
Anyway on the 3rd of 7 days we were in the dining area and then told by a old gentlemen who was staff there that we had eaten too much food and half board which was what my mother had booked, was only half of 1 meal a day. So we went to reception of the hotel and dealt with a man who claimed he was the manager. Not only did he shout at us saying 'how dare you take more meals' and refused to give me a pen. But I explained to him and showed him our booking sheet and that it clearly indicated half board which was 2 meals from my belief. He said the tour operator had got it wrong and it was only 1 meal. When I rang the tour operators emergency number as we were being banned from the dining area, the woman said she'd pass my concern onto sunmaster. I then asked the manager if he would put in writing that due to the fact half board was only half of 1 meal that we had been thus banned for taking 2 meals a day. He refused and said 'i told yo already you !!!!ing nigga'. I was shocked and baffled as were other members of the hotel who were waiting for their taxis/coachs at reception. I asked them if they heard the comment and they told me they did, so I took down their details as evidence he had said this and ignored it. So I left the hotel.
On arriving back the manager and his staff gave me constant dirty looks and I was again told now that at any point I went to the dining area or attempted to I was banned and not even entitled to half a meal. Therefore I had to pay for my own food for myself and my brother and kept all the reciept of the costs.
On the day of leaving, the text from the return coach booking never arrived. So I rang them that morning. They insisted the text would arrive later that day. It got to 1 hour before our coach was meant to be here and due to the fact we had not got the text we had no idea where. I rang the emergency line sunmaster provided and they were based in 'majorca' and the gentlemen told me he had no record of my booking as his system was different but to take a taxi to the airport, keep his name and the reciept for the taxi and I'll be reimbursed as it is their fault. Luckily I had made friends with someone who booked the same coach company and when I went to his coach, my name was on the list so Sunmaster must have used the same coach back and booked it just never text me, so it worked out.
On arriving back in the UK i sent sunmaster all my photos and evidence. I got an email back replying saying 'thanks mrs ***** for your complaint again'. this customer they had sent me the reply to was not even my name or my mothers who made the booking. I awaited 3 months and no reply.
I then a month ago (almost 7 months later) sent them recorded delievery a explanation and my complaint number and the evidence again.
Yesterday I recieved a letter stating that the hotel had offered me meals, as far as they knew there was no problem. Their hotel is a star rating to them of 4 stars but it varies and they've never had any problems of what I've explained. Basically implying I'm lieing. They said that the hotel has always been polite and had good reviews, and only ever had bad reviews from people who were 'narrow minded' according to them. Therefore all they could do was apologise for sending me the wrong persons complaint response and the lack of time it had taken- as they hadn't mananged to contact the hotel. They then said however that the hotel has offered me a 'special deal on return' but have not stated what this deal is directly to them- Triton Rooms.
I really don't feel that this responded to my complaint and the state of the room (walls loose, water failing from ceiling, scratches, blood on the sheets, electric wires hanging off plugs which could shock people or children)
What consumer rights do I have?
I am coincendentally going to Ibiza again this summer and to my dread have found out the same group who own piscis park- GPS I'm told theyre called own my hotel I've booked in this summer. I was hoping perhaps I could ask the hotel if they would allow me another room in the hotel ive booked in the summer as compensation as I'd accept this, but I wondered if its possible..
Anyway..my mum knew that one of my life long things I've wanted to do but never had the money was go to Ibiza.
So she booked a holiday online through sunmaster for me and my 17 year old brother to go to Ibiza. It was advertised as a package deal with flights she could choose and the rest.
She paid for it two weeks before my birthday and about a week before travelling Sunmaster phoned her to tell her the hotel she had booked was oversubscribed (this hotel was 4 stars) but they would put me and my brother in another hotel of the same rating. She said that was fine as long as it was of the same rating and same area in Ibiza demographically.
Anyway the trip came and on arriving at Ibiza Airport, the coach organisation sunmaster had booked didn't speak any english, a very basic level (he understood yes no thats it) So when he was dropping everyone off at the hotel we had to keep asking him if we were there yet and we were.
In the end he dropped us off down an alley and we were left to try and figure out where our hotel was. Luckily we found it using a tom tom map on my phone. It was never described to us or my mother when she bought the holiday that we wouldn't be dropped of at the hotel and would have to walk 5-10 minutes to the hotel. But i put this down to language issues and let it go.
On the booking sheet sunmaster sent us, it said to ring someone in spain and book the return coach. So I did that. When I rang they told me I will recieve a text confirming my return coach. So I awaited the text.
When in resort, I discovered that 'Piscis Park' our hotel was not infact a 4 star hotel and on many sites 2 star. The room was dirty, scratched and had blood on the bedsheets.
I took photographs of it all as evidence.
The bathroom ceiling constantly kept leaking and I therefore reported all of this to the hotel. They told me a maintaince man would come but never did.
The hotel was also not maintained or cleanly generally in the lift and lobby and for 3 days there was vomit and drinks in the lift left.
I also had numerous people knocking on my door and one even knocked and said 'oh your a ***** you probs smoke weed right? You want some'' to which response he got a door closed on him. I therefore decided to go and tell the hotel that they have drug dealers and they did act on this. However by this time the gentlemen had left and the security guard who did not understand spanish was baffled by what I said.
Anyway on the 3rd of 7 days we were in the dining area and then told by a old gentlemen who was staff there that we had eaten too much food and half board which was what my mother had booked, was only half of 1 meal a day. So we went to reception of the hotel and dealt with a man who claimed he was the manager. Not only did he shout at us saying 'how dare you take more meals' and refused to give me a pen. But I explained to him and showed him our booking sheet and that it clearly indicated half board which was 2 meals from my belief. He said the tour operator had got it wrong and it was only 1 meal. When I rang the tour operators emergency number as we were being banned from the dining area, the woman said she'd pass my concern onto sunmaster. I then asked the manager if he would put in writing that due to the fact half board was only half of 1 meal that we had been thus banned for taking 2 meals a day. He refused and said 'i told yo already you !!!!ing nigga'. I was shocked and baffled as were other members of the hotel who were waiting for their taxis/coachs at reception. I asked them if they heard the comment and they told me they did, so I took down their details as evidence he had said this and ignored it. So I left the hotel.
On arriving back the manager and his staff gave me constant dirty looks and I was again told now that at any point I went to the dining area or attempted to I was banned and not even entitled to half a meal. Therefore I had to pay for my own food for myself and my brother and kept all the reciept of the costs.
On the day of leaving, the text from the return coach booking never arrived. So I rang them that morning. They insisted the text would arrive later that day. It got to 1 hour before our coach was meant to be here and due to the fact we had not got the text we had no idea where. I rang the emergency line sunmaster provided and they were based in 'majorca' and the gentlemen told me he had no record of my booking as his system was different but to take a taxi to the airport, keep his name and the reciept for the taxi and I'll be reimbursed as it is their fault. Luckily I had made friends with someone who booked the same coach company and when I went to his coach, my name was on the list so Sunmaster must have used the same coach back and booked it just never text me, so it worked out.
On arriving back in the UK i sent sunmaster all my photos and evidence. I got an email back replying saying 'thanks mrs ***** for your complaint again'. this customer they had sent me the reply to was not even my name or my mothers who made the booking. I awaited 3 months and no reply.
I then a month ago (almost 7 months later) sent them recorded delievery a explanation and my complaint number and the evidence again.
Yesterday I recieved a letter stating that the hotel had offered me meals, as far as they knew there was no problem. Their hotel is a star rating to them of 4 stars but it varies and they've never had any problems of what I've explained. Basically implying I'm lieing. They said that the hotel has always been polite and had good reviews, and only ever had bad reviews from people who were 'narrow minded' according to them. Therefore all they could do was apologise for sending me the wrong persons complaint response and the lack of time it had taken- as they hadn't mananged to contact the hotel. They then said however that the hotel has offered me a 'special deal on return' but have not stated what this deal is directly to them- Triton Rooms.
I really don't feel that this responded to my complaint and the state of the room (walls loose, water failing from ceiling, scratches, blood on the sheets, electric wires hanging off plugs which could shock people or children)
What consumer rights do I have?
I am coincendentally going to Ibiza again this summer and to my dread have found out the same group who own piscis park- GPS I'm told theyre called own my hotel I've booked in this summer. I was hoping perhaps I could ask the hotel if they would allow me another room in the hotel ive booked in the summer as compensation as I'd accept this, but I wondered if its possible..
0
Comments
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I wonder if you are getting a poor response because your complaint does not focus on the issues? There is lots and lots of ramble in there ...
Which hotel did you originally book?
All the talk about the transfers is irrelevant - whilst the service was poor, you did get them.
The issues I can see are the poor quality of the room (which is why we need to know what you originally booked), and the problem with dinner. I don't think you will get anywhere with the latter - it is your word against theirs.
Which hotel are you staying at this year?0 -
Hi,
My letter was alot more focused this was just a quick forum post. I'll assk my mum which one she originally booked too
I am staying at rivera apartments and hotels this year0 -
Apartments Riviera is in the same group as Piscis Park, so they may offer you something at the new hotel. However, each hotel may be run as a separate entity (this is often the case), in which case they would not be able to offer you anything.
You do realise the reviews for this hotel are as bad as those for the last one?0 -
Hi Thomas,
Sadly I went on the travelrepublic reviews at the time. I only saw the bad ones after and then after talking on some spanish forums discovered its the same group. To change the hotel now i'll be charged and its alot of fuss. The reviews ive seen on tripadvisor seem okay - not as bad as those for piscis park. Most have just said the distance from the town is far and food repetitive which am not too fussed about.
I remember at the time of booking sunmaster had no pictures on their site of piscis park, but my mother said the original hotel looked alot better and was really attractive. This piscis park is nothing more than a 2 star hotel being nice.
I hope that as they are run by the same group perhaps they will,but I doubt with my lucky they will.
What would you be saying to them in response to their last letter? Just i'll be honest, i've never complained about a holiday before so I am new to this and the laws, thus my post. What consumer rights do I have? Could I say this mislead me as alot of the problems and condition was not described on their site/brochure?0 -
Go back to them and ask if they are willing to offer you anything at the new hotel. If not, advise that you are not willing to return to the previous hotel, and as such you are looking for a cash settlement.
If they will not offer you anything, you will need to write a letter before action, indicating your intention to go to small claims. In this letter include a bullet point list of what you should have received (at the original hotel) and what you did receive - so they are in no doubt what a poor experience you have had.
From what you have said, I do think you would win if you had to take this to small claims. It comes down to the fact that you booked a 4* hotel, and you quite clearly did not receive this.
It would still be helpful to know which hotel you were originally booked at, so we can make a true comparison.0 -
Hi yes i know that would be vital. My mother is going to look at her emails when she returns home. I was really shocked that the hotel manager was so rude. I've never experienced anything like it before and it was a holiday from hell which ruined my birthday.
Is there anything I can say about the fact its taken them 7 months to respond? They claim in their letter its because of the hotel and trying to contact them and that my complaint got sent to someone else (another customer) and I got their complaint.
Also they've said that the hotel has stated they will offer me a 'special rate' if I return but they have not stated what directly to them and just said I need to contact them directly.0 -
They're trying to pass the buck - you should not have to contact the hotel directly, especially after the way they treated you.
There is not much you can do about the delay in response, although if you did have to go to small claims that would add to the validity of your claim.
In that type of hotel I would imagine managers like that are pretty common. They are not there to provide good customer service, but rather to provide a very basic service and ensure their profits are maximised.
Can you call Sunmaster, to try to get a more immediate response? If you do and they are still evasive I would go straight to a letter before action - giving them fourteen days to respond with a settlement (you will need to decide how much you want from them) or you will issue court proceedings.0 -
I agree with the above, I would send a letter with just key bullet points including dates and a very brief summary of the problems. They can ask for more information if they want it later on.
Suggest the remedy that you would like, so if you feel that 250 pounds compensation resolves it, then ask for that. The more reasonable it is, the better in my view.
Let that stand as your letter before action and ask for a response within a reasonable time period.0 -
Its really mad that you say you experienced racism at Piscis park. I am also black and I stayed there a few months ago and a manager there called carlos was racist to me. It was all because my brother asked for ice cream and they ran out. the staff took me to him and he started shouting and raving. My older brother almost ko'ed the fool. I suppose these racist managers don't ever learn.
One day he'll get someone he's racist too who isn't as intelligent as us and knocks the crap out of him. TBF I never complained..just put it down to ignorance and laughed about it with my boys!!
Moneyhustler88 by any chance was this the same individual??? very interested as i remember his name was carlos..no idea the surname, don't think his badge had that written0
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