Thomas Cook effectively cancelling my summer holiday - advice needed

callum9999

photome wrote: »

I didnt know I was feigning shock.

Of course I would expect a holiday or a refund. OP has been offered a refund

If the hotel isnt available they cant provide what was paid for and if the only alternative in the same vicinity costs twice as much, do you think TC should cover the cost?

It would be great if they did but I just dont see it

Yes I do think TC should cover the cost. As would any normal person (and that's what high street travel agents generally do anyway).

I agreed that if the t&cs say they don't have to then that's that, I merely take issue with you continually acting like paying for a hotel in Corfu then expecting to get a hotel in Corfu is an unreasonable expectation.

tomtontom

callum9999 wrote: »

Yes I do think TC should cover the cost. As would any normal person (and that's what high street travel agents generally do anyway).

I agreed that if the t&cs say they don't have to then that's that, I merely take issue with you continually acting like paying for a hotel in Corfu then expecting to get a hotel in Corfu is an unreasonable expectation.

I'm a pretty normal person and I don't think TC should cover a significantly greater cost - there should be some flexibility but I would expect that to be at most a few hundred pounds on top of the total cost.

photome

callum9999 wrote: »

Yes I do think TC should cover the cost. As would any normal person (and that's what high street travel agents generally do anyway).

I agreed that if the t&cs say they don't have to then that's that, I merely take issue with you continually acting like paying for a hotel in Corfu then expecting to get a hotel in Corfu is an unreasonable expectation.

Do hight street travel agents normally cover extra costs? Up to how much of a price difference do they cover?

as for the rest i have said what I think the OP should do

I thought i was fairly normal but then whats normal

stephb34

If I booked a holiday to Corfu I would expect to be offered a replacement in Corfu definitely not Turkey. I would firstly look and see what TC have for Corfu and within reason tell them that's what I want, if they decline that then look what other ops have for Corfu and have your money back and book that. I don't remember reading what board basis you have but if its HB or AI and they only have SC ask them if they'll give you money to spend towards food. Turkey is definitely unacceptable as an alternative they could at least have offered you another greek island. Where did you book, internet, phone or shop was it a TC shop. Thanks for coming back to us we do want to help.

callum9999

tomtontom wrote: »

I'm a pretty normal person and I don't think TC should cover a significantly greater cost - there should be some flexibility but I would expect that to be at most a few hundred pounds on top of the total cost.

I'll rephrase that to "most normal people" then (I'm sure photome is reasonably normal as well!).

Maybe we live in different circles, but I really don't know anyone who would book and pay for a holiday a whole year in advance, then accept 3 months before leaving that they not only can't go to the hotel they booked specifically because it was near a friend they want to visit, they have to go to a completely different country over 500 miles away.

If Thomas Cook would be put out by it then that's something they should either cover themselves if it was their mistake, or take up with their suppliers.

tomtontom

callum9999 wrote: »

I'll rephrase that to "most normal people" then (I'm sure photome is reasonably normal as well!).

Maybe we live in different circles, but I really don't know anyone who would book and pay for a holiday a whole year in advance, then accept 3 months before leaving that they not only can't go to the hotel they booked specifically because it was near a friend they want to visit, they have to go to a completely different country over 500 miles away.

If Thomas Cook would be put out by it then that's something they should either cover themselves if it was their mistake, or take up with their suppliers.

People in my circle would be very unlikely to be booking a package holiday. However if a comparable situation arose they would be proactively finding a workable solution, and that would not include expecting the operator to offer a holiday at double the cost.

tomtontom

stephb34 wrote: »

If I booked a holiday to Corfu I would expect to be offered a replacement in Corfu definitely not Turkey. I would firstly look and see what TC have for Corfu and within reason tell them that's what I want, if they decline that then look what other ops have for Corfu and have your money back and book that. I don't remember reading what board basis you have but if its HB or AI and they only have SC ask them if they'll give you money to spend towards food. Turkey is definitely unacceptable as an alternative they could at least have offered you another greek island. Where did you book, internet, phone or shop was it a TC shop. Thanks for coming back to us we do want to help.

Given your previous posts it appears you work for Thomas Cook. Perhaps you could help the OP by escalating their complaint?

callum9999

tomtontom wrote: »

People in my circle would be very unlikely to be booking a package holiday. However if a comparable situation arose they would be proactively finding a workable solution, and that would not include expecting the operator to offer a holiday at double the cost.

And I certainly criticise the OP for not being proactive and ignoring the suggestions to do it themselves.

If they don't expect their travel agent to provide either what they booked and paid for, or something similar to that, then I think they are incredibly strange people (and I'm not at all convinced that is accurate!). Especially as Thomas Cook seem to be selling 2 week holidays in August for 4 people for less than what the OP actually paid - your "double the cost" is made up and seemingly completely false (though of course the OP would need to give exact dates and airports to verify that).

tomtontom

callum9999 wrote: »

And I certainly criticise the OP for not being proactive and ignoring the suggestions to do it themselves.

If they don't expect their travel agent to provide either what they booked and paid for, or something similar to that, then I think they are incredibly strange people (and I'm not at all convinced that is accurate!). Especially as Thomas Cook seem to be selling 2 week holidays in August for 4 people for less than what the OP actually paid - your "double the cost" is made up and seemingly completely false (though of course the OP would need to give exact dates and airports to verify that).

My "double the cost" was actually referring to what you said - photome asked if you would expect TC to cover an alternative of that value, to which you replied yes. No one has suggested a suitable alternative would amount to that much.

You appear to have difficulty accepting that not everyone shares your viewpoint, and if they do not they are 'strange'. Perhaps you need to expand your horizons a tad?

callum9999

tomtontom wrote: »

My "double the cost" was actually referring to what you said - photome asked if you would expect TC to cover an alternative of that value, to which you replied yes. No one has suggested a suitable alternative would amount to that much.

You appear to have difficulty accepting that not everyone shares your viewpoint, and if they do not they are 'strange'. Perhaps you need to expand your horizons a tad?

So I did - sorry about that.

Nope, I have no difficulty whatsoever accepting you and photome don't share my viewpoint - I have difficulty accepting my viewpoint is not the norm. I find it incomprehensible that the typical British citizen would fully accept their holiday being shifted to a completely different country 500 miles away 9 months after they had booked and paid for it because Thomas Cook was unwilling to make good on a mistake caused either by them or their suppliers. Particularly now I've actually looked at the alternatives and there does seem to be hotels in a similar price range available.