Secret Escapes - very bad experience

hels13_2

Hi - I just wanted to let everyone know about my awful experience with Secret Escapes...

I booked a seven night holiday to Cyprus with Secret Escapes in December 2013, for April 2014, having been enticed by their attractive marketing and sales campaigns.

Following the booking, the email confirmation named the third party holiday company which the booking had actually been made through and advised that we would receive our travel tickets two weeks prior to departure.

Having not received any further correspondence or tickets, I called the travel company a week before the planned departure date, to receive an automated message saying the holiday company had gone into administration and I should contact the Civil Aviation Authority to pursue a claim through ATOL.

I logged on to my Secret Escapes account to find that my holiday was still showing as an upcoming booking, with no note or reference to having been cancelled. I subsequently called Secret Escapes to be advised that the holiday company had indeed gone into administration and the holiday was cancelled. They said that I should have received an email from them and the holiday company, advising me of this - which I hadn't! I asked for their help and assistance in finding an alternative and also asked if I could transfer the money to another booking. I was told neither were possible. They could not assist with the refund or rebook a holiday using the credit. They totally washed their hands of me.

I was left with less than a week to find an alternative and ended up having to pay twice, and paid an additional £400 as no comparable deals were available at such short notice. Had SE contacted me in February, which was when the holiday company went into administation, it would have been far less stressful and I would have been more likely able to find a comparable holiday at a similar price, rather than the very last minute panic we had and additional cost.

I have since tried to contact Secret Escapes via email and Fascebook over a dozen times since April and have received two holding messages to say my complaint is being looked at by their Head of Customer Service Shaun Simpson. I was also assured that I would be contacted within 7 days with a response and was not. I contacted them again and was told that ironically Shaun was on holiday. I have still not received a response from SE. I have found the entire experience totally unacceptable; meanwhile I am seperately pursuing the CAA/ATOL for a refund on my original booking.

I would never use SE again, nor would I recommend them. Their customer service has been shocking.

littlereddevil

Sounds dreadful. I'll be sure never to use them either.

holidaysforme

Thanks for posting. I will stay well clear of them.

paddyrg

A 'wow' factor of 999 - sounds legit.

cupcake4

What a nightmare!!:mad:

Section 75 when paying with a credit card should help as Martin always tells us

bagand96

If you payed on a credit card use section 75 to claim a refund. You may even be able to claim the extra £400 but that will be harder and depend on your card company.

If you payed via debit card you'll have to peruse the ATOL route.

Trouble is secret escapes only act as an agent for the tour operator, and it's the tour operator that failed. Very poor service from them though not notifying you.