Olympic Holidays - messed up! I guess I have to put up and shut up!

keflady

Hi

Gut feeling - cannot do anything about it - anyhow this is what happened.

Last night browsing for next years holiday - on Olympic on Accommodation Only there was a great offer - 1 week early May in good hotel All Inclusive £10 per person.

"Special" notated on holiday - on the same page other properties with higher prices. So thought brilliant this is a great bargain. I did have a look at the Hotel details and noted that extensive work was being carried out during the winter 07/08 and thought maybe that they were expecting it to overun but wanted guests there for the beginning of the season. Guessed wrong!!

I booked online, going through all the processes, no alteration on price throughout.

Paid in full with Debit Card charge and received email confirming dates, hotel, board basis and price including Debit Card surcharge of £1.

Just received a very snotty phone call from someone at Olympic - virtually telling me that it was obviously a mistake and more or less saying that I should not have booked it!! They were voiding my booking and would refund me shortly.

I did take prints off all the booking screens that clearly show what was available at the time but looking closely at their T&C it says that the booking is not confirmed until written confirmation is sent - apparently a confirming email is not a written confirmation!!

The thing that really bugged me was the attitude of the woman who rang - it was like she had caught me out in the crime of the century - hostile, arrogant and very, very unpleasant. She obviously needs some customer services training. The more I think about it the more angry I get. GRRRRRRRRRRRRRH!!!!!!!

Anyway, I guess I will not be getting the holiday I hoped for.........too good to be true - does mean it is TOO GOOD TO BE TRUE!!

Rant over.

Do not presume anything when you book online with OLYMPIC HOLIDAYS!

:mad:

umami

If I were you, I would publicise this with either bbc.workinglunch or moneybox , sent them an e-mail.

travelwithclaire

Thats is so annoying. i know as agents we are supposed to report
any errors we see and not book them, but these days its hard to know
when an error is an error or like you say just a very good offer!
As a client you would not have known.
have Olympic taken the offer off now?
If its still showing i would be getting on to Trading Standards! After all you
could have booked your flights etc already to match accom!

keflady

chun wrote: »

If I were you, I would publicise this with either bbc.workinglunch or moneybox , sent them an e-mail.

Hi
Thanks - do you mean you have sent an email or I should send an email?

Keflady

keflady

travelwithclaire wrote: »

Thats is so annoying. i know as agents we are supposed to report
any errors we see and not book them, but these days its hard to know
when an error is an error or like you say just a very good offer!
As a client you would not have known.
have Olympic taken the offer off now?
If its still showing i would be getting on to Trading Standards! After all you
could have booked your flights etc already to match accom!

Hi
Thanks for your reply - I did try to book flights with Thomsonfly last night but there was nothing available for next year yet. LUCKILY!

I am now thinking that I should follow it up - I have written off the bargain holiday in my heart - but I am so cross - mistakes are made I know that - but the rudeness and arrogance of that so called Customer Services person really GRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRH! So angry - not an apology just an accusing attitude! I think she needs a career change!!

keflady

Hi

I have sent an email to BBC Working Lunch - Moneybox is off the air until 1st September.

I don't know whether they will be interested or not - but will let you know if I hear anything.

Thanks again.

conradmum

I would write a letter of complaint about the phone call at the very least.
To be told off for booking something that was their mistake is outrageous.

keflady

travelwithclaire wrote: »

Thats is so annoying. i know as agents we are supposed to report
any errors we see and not book them, but these days its hard to know
when an error is an error or like you say just a very good offer!
As a client you would not have known.
have Olympic taken the offer off now?
If its still showing i would be getting on to Trading Standards! After all you
could have booked your flights etc already to match accom!

Just checked the website it is still showing - might contact Trading Standards!

the url to the page is

http://search.olympicholidays.co.uk/aosearch.aspx?utm_source=header&utm_medium=natural&utm_campaign=AO&agent=

I hope that is allowed.

What do you think?

keflady

keflady wrote: »

Just checked the website it is still showing - might contact Trading Standards!

the url to the page is

http://search.olympicholidays.co.uk/aosearch.aspx?utm_source=header&utm_medium=natural&utm_campaign=AO&agent=

I hope that is allowed.

What do you think?

Sorry URL not working - the hotel is still showing up at the same price 1 hour 10 minutes after the Customer Services rang and voided my booking. Obviously not in a hurry to stop other people booking it.

I have taken a screen shot of the page at 1.30pm so offer as evidence.

budgetflyer

If its a genuine error, fair enough. It will have been corrected and no longer there, so that one is hard luck and you have no legal rights.
The customer advisors attidude is another matter. Worthy of a letter to Olympic Holidays.
If thats their staffs attidude and its not corrected, I wouldnt deal with them again, even if they were giving holidays away free.

keflady

budgetflyer wrote: »

If its a genuine error, fair enough. It will have been corrected and no longer there, so that one is hard luck and you have no legal rights.
The customer advisors attidude is another matter. Worthy of a letter to Olympic Holidays.
If thats their staffs attidude and its not corrected, I wouldnt deal with them again, even if they were giving holidays away free.

Hi

Thanks for your reply - checked 10 minutes ago and the accommodation at the price I had paid is still available!

I will be contact Olympic regarding the Customer Services

Thanks again