"Free" Flight Offer

CareyG

Last autumn, my credit card company (MBNA through the Alliance & Leicester bank and a company called Stuart Lawrence Promotions) offered two free return flights to Europe if I spent a certain amount on my card, two months running, which, naively, I did.

I have now received the offer (under strict conditions etc.). The flights are billed as free, the taxes on top as expected but the cost of the hotel is extortionate. After some research, I have found that the hotel's rack rate is actually a THIRD of the cost that would be charged to me by the credit card company (basically £40 through the hotel and £125 through SL Promotions).

This is clearly where they make you pay for the "free" flights. Doesn't this count as misleading the consumer or misselling or something (anything?!!!!).

Any advice very welcome. Is there anything I can do? Anything WORTH doing? Or do I just chalk this one up to being too gullible?!

Thanks in advance!

POSSETTE

i dont know if you can report this,but i would try and find somewhere to..perhaps C.A.B.
I think we all know there is nothing free in this life..thats why we are all on martins site!
My mate won a free flight to Majorca..by the time she had piad for partners flight,hotel,transfers etc plus had week off with no pay coz she had no holidays left at work to book in the time limit..it cost her £630...could have booked it thru T Agent for £410. She taught me that lesson.

digp

report it to the ASA and write to the banks MD

no such thing as a free lunch, i guess?

CareyG

Thanks guys

I will do that, on principle. Won't cost me more than a couple of stamps and it might help soothe my injured pride.