how can i express my disappointment above standard complaint

bill_the_bus

Went into Thomson in Lowestoft a couple of weeks ago to get information for a special holiday to celebrate our 25th wedding anniversary. After a half hour discussion we sorted out a stay cruise that would satisfy our requirements. We were never going to book there and then until we were informed that there was a £60 discount that finished that evening. As it was 4 PM we did not have much chance to think but decided we would go ahead with the booking, this is our first proper holiday abroad so were perhaps a little naive. We paid the full £2180 as we are going in May. Spent much of the following day sorting out travel insurance as we both required extra screening. The same evening i went onto Thomson website to get some details and as i put in our travel details i found i could book it online for £2044 and then found out that there was still a £60 discount available making a saving of £196, the £60 discount did not have an end date. I telephoned the shop to express my disappointment and to cut a long story short was told prices can fluctuate, had i rung the store the day before i could have cancelled the holiday booked instore and booked online but as i left it 36 hours i could not. Not totally happy with this reply i sent an email to Thomson expressing my disappointment and outlined my reasons and received this reply.

' I appreciate your disappointment that the price of your cruises has
now dropped, unfortunately our prices do fluctuate daily depending on marketing
conditions. Also, our offers can be brought in and withdrawn at any time. I
understand this wasn't the response you were looking for, but I hope you go on
to have a wonderful cruise with ourselves.

Should you have any further
queries regarding your booking, then you can contact the Thomson store you
booked in on: 01502 58833'

I understand that things change, that much in 36 hours?? but i feel now looking back that this was an online discount and not a price fluctuation so after a almost 2 weeks stewin it over i feel my concerns have not been listened to and would like to make Thomson hierarchy aware of how they have spoiled for us what should have been a very special holiday. Not looking for compensation but a nice gesture may have been to offer an upgrade or something similar or at least address the concerns, not reply with a basic standard letter.

Can anyone suggest who i may contact and do i have a valid point, as i say we are first timers and were probably naive to book the holiday as we did?

HoofeHearted

Sorry to say this but I don't think you will get a favourable response, no matter who you talk to.
Prices do fluctuate, up and down. You are unlikely to get a refund.

Best advice (for future purchases) is to check the online price. Then if you want the warm feeling of buying in store, take a printout of the web price to the store; they will match the price.

whatmichaelsays

Even though the retailer may be the same, online and in-store are two separate channels, often with two differing promotional strategies, offers and pricing models. Ultimately, they offer two very different services.

Online tends to be cheaper as it is effectively 'self service'. The retailer has fewer overheads, you make the arrangements yourself and, quite importantly, you're responsible for your own mistakes. Online is also massively more competitive, so pricing reflects that.

In store, the costs are higher. You admit yourself that you utilised half an hour of a consultant's advice - the costs of providing that need to be absorbed somewhere and, in an industry where margins are getting tighter and tighter, those costs are usually passed onto the people who utilise the service.

As mentioned above, many agents will match online prices in store, but they don't have to. You have booked at a price that you were originally happy with and Thomson have no legal obligation to alter that.

pattycake

Why spoil the anticipation of a special occasion holiday by focusing on this. Ok, it is annoying but put it down to experience and have a wonderful time. Happy anniversary!

Shelldean

Whilst I agree prices do fluctuate I think the way store staff handled this could be been improved.


We had problems with them too.
My teenage son brought a holiday via them, his first holiday. And was pressganged into having their insurance ( paid way over the odds) and a pre pay credit card. He had umpteen problems with the setting up of pre pay card and decided not to take it as he couldn't risk it failing whilst away. He was also never once warned of fees that would be charged on withdrawals, despite telling them he'd be withdrawing his spending money daily.

He returned the card for a refund. But due to exchange rates lost £25. Not a lot but big amount for an apprentice. As I felt the card had been missold I helped him write requesting a refund. They refused blaming the pre paid card, when all problems were due to the in-store staff and their lies/incompetence. Wrote again, same reply. So I emailed the CEO, very politely explained the situation.
Got a result!!! Full refund


Now it wasn't the amount it was the principal that believed they could fob off an eighteen yr old after selling him a totally unsuitable card and not fully informing him of any terms and.conditions.


In your case I would feel the principal of being lied to is wrong. And I'd google the current CEO and send them a polite email stating the lies were unacceptable etc.
However if that fails chalk it up to bitter experience and move on. Mailing the CEO was my final attempt at resolution.

I'd give you the email we used but the CEO changed literally days after we got out result last yr.

MasterPoo

Shell & Bill, I think the onus is upon the individual to check everything before parting with your hard earned money. This is a lesson I am trying to teach my son. If it means walking away from the supposed good deal then walk away, it's less drama.

The Sales Consultant was doing what they do best, secure a sale. We have all been subject to these "lies", it doesn't make it right, they shouldn't be allowed to trade in that manner. The onus remains with you, the buyer of services/goods, you also had a choice to walk away and potentially lose out on the £60 saving.

Right now, OP it's your word against theirs. Write the email/letter, hopefully they at least apologise. If they don't, chalk it up to experience and a) never use Thompson again (their loss) and b) don't ever fall for the hard sell. GOOD LUCK

Shelldean

Masterpoo

Kinda agree with you.

My son's case is different to bills as it was a the misselling of a pre paid credit card.
A card that was highly and aggressively recommended to my son at time of booking the holiday.
He told the advisor what he required the pre pay card for. He thought it made sense to withdraw cash daily rather than carry a wad of euros around. Due to charges for withdrawals it clearly wasn't suitable for him. Yet it was STILL recommended with no mention of any charges.

He didn't buy it at that point but returned with his father the Sat before he flew. Various errors by the in-store staff meant the card couldn't be accessed. And no terms and conditions were given until AFTER he had purchased the card. And then it was only a web link. Their errors meant two trips back to store so we could access the card, pre pay staff couldn't help as it was inputting errors by the store staff.
It was only when he could access the card online he realised how much he'd pay in charges if he withdrew cash daily as he'd planned.

As he flew 48 hours later we decided we'd sort it when he returned.
A letter was sent and they washed their hands totally blamed the prepay card and told us to contact them.
A reply was sent say in NO your in store staff failed us not the prepay staff.
Got same reply back.
So I emailed the CEO, explaining nicely how I felt the in store had failed etc and could my son please be reimbursed. CEO agreed with me.

With us it was the principal he wasn't lied to BUT critical information was withheld until it was too late.

I'll be honest if CEO hadn't replied or had agreed with their customer service staff I'd have left it there as it wasn't worth anymore of my time




Bill asked how can I express my disappointment above a standard complaint.
My advice is to give it one last shot via the CEO and forget relax and.enjoy the holiday

Shelldean

Oh and son did learn a valuable lesson.
He's booked this year's holiday, but with questions asked by him all along the way. He didn't naively believe everything the travel agent told him.

And I've purchased his insurance this yr, last year they persuaded him their was better. ( that was another misspelling last year, imho. They actually told their insurance was better. But I let that one go and just dealt with the credit card issue) And I've opened his eyes to that little trick.

photome

Shelldean wrote: »

Oh and son did learn a valuable lesson.
He's booked this year's holiday, but with questions asked by him all along the way. He didn't naively believe everything the travel agent told him.

And I've purchased his insurance this yr, last year they persuaded him their was better. ( that was another misspelling last year, imho. They actually told their insurance was better. But I let that one go and just dealt with the credit card issue) And I've opened his eyes to that little trick.

That is a valuable lesson but it may be even better to bypass the TA altogether.

As for the OP enjoy your holiday and forget fighting the TA.

stephb34

Thomson internet is always at least 8% cheaper than a Thomson travel agent and if you take a quote from the net to a Thomson store they will do it at that price but charge you a £25 admin fee.
When you went to Thomsons did the TA find you the cruise or had you already seen it and just wanted them to price it up. If you had already found the cruise then I can understand you being cross, but if the TA found it for you then you have paid for their services, how long would it have taken you to find it yourself or would you ever have found it. I think like this, if I diy my wallpapering its free, if I use a decorator I have to pay for his services, is this not the same principle for finding a holiday?

callum9999

bill_the_bus wrote: »

Went into Thomson in Lowestoft a couple of weeks ago to get information for a special holiday to celebrate our 25th wedding anniversary. After a half hour discussion we sorted out a stay cruise that would satisfy our requirements. We were never going to book there and then until we were informed that there was a £60 discount that finished that evening. As it was 4 PM we did not have much chance to think but decided we would go ahead with the booking, this is our first proper holiday abroad so were perhaps a little naive. We paid the full £2180 as we are going in May. Spent much of the following day sorting out travel insurance as we both required extra screening. The same evening i went onto Thomson website to get some details and as i put in our travel details i found i could book it online for £2044 and then found out that there was still a £60 discount available making a saving of £196, the £60 discount did not have an end date. I telephoned the shop to express my disappointment and to cut a long story short was told prices can fluctuate, had i rung the store the day before i could have cancelled the holiday booked instore and booked online but as i left it 36 hours i could not. Not totally happy with this reply i sent an email to Thomson expressing my disappointment and outlined my reasons and received this reply.

' I appreciate your disappointment that the price of your cruises has
now dropped, unfortunately our prices do fluctuate daily depending on marketing
conditions. Also, our offers can be brought in and withdrawn at any time. I
understand this wasn't the response you were looking for, but I hope you go on
to have a wonderful cruise with ourselves.

Should you have any further
queries regarding your booking, then you can contact the Thomson store you
booked in on: 01502 58833'

I understand that things change, that much in 36 hours?? but i feel now looking back that this was an online discount and not a price fluctuation so after a almost 2 weeks stewin it over i feel my concerns have not been listened to and would like to make Thomson hierarchy aware of how they have spoiled for us what should have been a very special holiday. Not looking for compensation but a nice gesture may have been to offer an upgrade or something similar or at least address the concerns, not reply with a basic standard letter.

Can anyone suggest who i may contact and do i have a valid point, as i say we are first timers and were probably naive to book the holiday as we did?

You really need to get some perspective! If the revelation that you paid 6% more in the shop than you could have paid online "spoiled" your holiday, then you shouldn't really be going abroad at all (much worse things can happen).

Hopefully that was just hyperbole and it isn't going to ruin your holiday at all! In which case the best advice would be to forget about it and just bear in mind for future holidays that you need to research before accepting a price - regardless of how convincing the salesman is!