Thomas Cook Highway Robbery !!!!

smifco

I booked a package holiday with Thomas Cook through Loveholidays to Turkey for the 28th August 2014. Due to unforeseen circumstances I need to cancel or change to a different holiday. I paid a £250.00 deposit by Debit card and the loveholiday agent told me I needed to pay a further £150 at a later date but the email she sent me as conformation didn't mention this. I shopped around and found a holiday I wanted at a good price but not from Thomas cook though they can do the same holiday for about £50 more. I contacted loveholidays to find out my options and they inform me that I must pay the outstanding £150.00 before cancelling which means I stand to lose £400 even though the holiday is 11 months and 3 weeks away or I have to pay the £150 (and here comes the stinger) and then alter the holiday and pay a further £225.00 just to change the holiday, as there are just myself and my wife I think this seems a bit pricey just to change hotels. Anyone have any experience in something like this as originally on contacting loveholidays I was told it was £50 per person to Thomas cook to change the holiday and £25 admin charge to loveholidays, now it seems its £100 each to Thomas Cook are they trying it on or do they really charge that much ?

mum2one

the deposit per person is £200, but you took the low deposit so they would want the extra £150 pp, I would ring and see if you can do a small admin fee to change resort, it well may be you have Thomas Cook admin fee and also an admin fee from Loveholidays x

smifco

Yes I have no problem with paying the £150 even though it ian't mentioned on the contract its the exorbitant fee for changing the resort that wrankles me. I have checked the Thomas cook website and they say its £35 for each change which since my contract clearly states my original booking is a "package" holiday then it should be a maximum of £140 ie £70 to change flight and hotel (package) and £70 to change dates plus loveholidays £25 admin charge that's £165 not £225 unless of course Thomas Cooks amendment fees have gone up. Still daylight robbery though if you ask me

mcfisco

Their charges can throw up some odd prices

I remember last year wanting to change a Gran Canaria flight to Tenerife for 2 of us - same day, same departure and return airport.
The admin charges were something like £300
I ended up giving the flight to my daughter and she changed it from us to her and her boyfriend for £70.
It's difficult to figure out where the extra admin is involved to account for the disparity