Feeling Ripped Off!!

SallyP

Hi, I am completely new to this so I do apologise if this post is a bit rambling. I booked a holiday for a family of four with a well known travel operator... This is not a 4 star luxury holiday but a small self catering holiday in a block of apartments in Greece. This was booked way back in March and we travel in August. I have just looked at the travel company's website and the cost of this holiday has been reduced by nearly £1000 ....the cost of the holiday before was £2,600 so this is a major reduction (yay!...I hear the bargain hunters shouting!) but I am really upset that we have paid so much over the odds...we have saved really hard for this holiday and we now feel really ripped off. I understand that prices can go up and down but I expected by just a couple of hundred pounds not by nearly half price. Is there anything we can do? It really has made me vow never to book with these operators again.

jpsartre

If the price had increased £1000 would have offered to pay the extra difference? As you say yourself, prices go up and down all the time and not just for holidays and travel related products. The TV you buy one week may be on sale the next. I don't see how it has anything to do with a rip-off.

Pollycat

It happens.

You've not been ripped off, you paid what you thought a fair and reasonable price at the time.

How would you feel if the holiday had increased by £1000 from what you paid?

Yeah - you can't have it both ways.

Or how would you feel if you'd decided to wait and see if the price went down and then your chosen departure airport, dates and accommodation were no longer available?

Prices do go up and down.
I'm sure you'd find that people staying in the same accommodation as you will all have paid different amounts for essentially the same holiday.

Just go and enjoy the holiday.
To dwell on this will just spoil your anticipation and the actual holiday.

mcfisco

It may be worth looking at the TCs and see if cancelling and then rebooking would work, it's a long shot and may be more trouble than it's worth at this late date.

e.g. Thomson's cancellation fees are ....



So if you can get inside the 69-57 days band it may *just* be worth thinking about

SallyP

I wasn't expecting a 'there, there' pat in the back sympathy!!! It's just that the amount of discount appears excessive in relation to the whole holiday cost and I just wondered if there was anything I could do. No I would not be happy to expect to pay £1000 more, but the main point if this is that they are a huge, global travel company and we are a small family scrimping enough money together to pay for a holiday that we now know to be worth much less than we are paying for. Naive ? Yes I probably am. Thank you for the advice about the cancellation fees....if it is further discounted in the next few days it may be worth cancelling and rebooking! Crazy!!!

duchy

It's no different to buying a dress for £100 at the beginning of the season and knowing you have it for a special event in August .......and then going back in the summer sales and finding it is now £20....but if you love the dress and it's perfect for you -would you say-I'll leave it til the sales and hope they still have it ?

With holidays if you like to know exactly where you are going and how much you need to save - Booking early works.....If you don't care that much (eg Greece but don't mind which island) where and don't have any particular "must haves" like must be right on the beach - 10 mins walk is no good, must have a balcony etc then outside of school holidays there can be bargains to be had.

Rip-off No
Learning curve to get the most holiday for your money-Yes

Mr_Wang

SallyP wrote: »

I wasn't expecting a 'there, there' pat in the back sympathy!!! It's just that the amount of discount appears excessive in relation to the whole holiday cost and I just wondered if there was anything I could do. No I would not be happy to expect to pay £1000 more, but the main point if this is that they are a huge, global travel company and we are a small family scrimping enough money together to pay for a holiday that we now know to be worth much less than we are paying for. Naive ? Yes I probably am. Thank you for the advice about the cancellation fees....if it is further discounted in the next few days it may be worth cancelling and rebooking! Crazy!!!

I personally would be livid.

A few years back I bought a TV for £1299 from Currys and then a week later it was £899 and they refunded me the difference after I made a fuss.
Many holiday companies now offer a price guarantee in that if the price changes they refund the difference.
But unfortunately high street travel agents are a law unto themselves and the only way to describe them would be to call them sharks. The issue is that they are a non requirement and they know it.

I would write to the manager and copy Watchdog in the email, and though the company technically haven't ripped you off, it's very bad practice and morally unjust in this economic climate.

Aside from anything else, this is a MSE site and so I think you would be helping others if you named the travel company so that other consumers can see just what the travel agency industry is really like - For the minority who sadly, do not already know.

Best of luck.

duchy

Mr_Wang wrote: »

I personally would be livid.

A few years back I bought a TV for £1299 from Currys and then a week later it was £899 and they refunded me the difference after I made a fuss.

A week is one thing - four months is another

poet123

Book a cruise. If you book via a US TA you get all the price reductions up to final payment date and even afterwards if you are dogged enough.

Archergirl

It is harsh but you have had the enjoyment since March of looking forward to your holiday knowing it is booked for where you want to go, when you want to go in the school holidays.
Next year don't book early, wait until the month before, you may not get what you want, or where you want, or from your preferred airport, you may not find anything suitable at all, or you may get a bargain. You will have months of looking at prices and wondering when to book. When you do book, just don't check the prices anymore, like the others have said, you would not have offered more money to the agent if the price had gone up.
It's unfair to say you were 'ripped off' you weren't.
It's always a gamble, just forget it and have a lovely holiday.

jpsartre

SallyP wrote: »

No I would not be happy to expect to pay £1000 more, but the main point if this is that they are a huge, global travel company and we are a small family scrimping enough money together to pay for a holiday that we now know to be worth much less than we are paying for.

I don't really understand what your argument is supposed to be. What does it matter that they're a big company and that you're a small family? Should that somehow mean they aren't allowed to alter their prices in light of demand?

Products are worth what people will pay for them. Since you were willing to pay whatever you paid at the time you did it must mean the holiday is worth that amount to you. It shouldn't suddenly be worth any less just because you find out that other people will be paying less.