OnTheBeach

emmat123

Hello
Can anyone tell me, I booked a holiday this afternoon through on the beach, paid my £350 deposit, money left the bank and I had confirmation email. 3 hrs later a guy from OnTheBach called to say he had booked the accommodation but as he's come to book the flights the price has now increased by £480!!
Can they do this?
Im gutted. I cant afford and extra £480 so Ive told them just to cancel and refund the deposit.


Thanks

BOBS

You need to read the small print of your confirmation, they probably have themselves covered somehow.

emmat123

"1.4.1 By clicking to book and entering your personal and payment details on our website/App, you are requesting us to make an offer to the Travel Supplier to purchase the products(s) on your behalf. At this point we immediately re-contact the Travel Supplier. Each Travel Supplier will still require a short period of time to confirm that your chosen flight / hotel is still available. Although the email confirmation sent to you is NOT contractual acceptance of the Travel Supplier's ability to provide this product, it is an acknowledgement that we have received your offer, and should the product be available as detailed on our website/App then you have entered into a legally binding agreement to purchase this product subject to the Travel Supplier's Booking Conditions"


I think that's it, right there......

BOBS

Thats awful for you

emmat123

Seems like a common scam after a quick scan on the internet.
Can't even rebook anything else until we get our refund which could take up to 10 days!

BOBS

can you speak to them and rebook a different holiday using the money they are holding ? Not ideal .....but ..

bagand96

Are they agreeing to refund all monies paid to them? If so you're not really at any loss (save for any interest you'd have earned on £350 in 10 days).

Once you get your refund just search and book some flights directly on an airline's website. That way you're guaranteeing a live price and your contract and communication is directly with the airline which is always preferable.

leylandsunaddict

emmat123 wrote: »

Seems like a common scam after a quick scan on the internet.
Can't even rebook anything else until we get our refund which could take up to 10 days!

It's not a scam. It was clearly explained in the terms and conditions you read before you accepted them. It's the way most OTAs trade.

If they're refunding your accommodation as well they're doing more than they need to. They only need to refund the affected element ie the flight.

Flights are always better booked direct with the airline. In fact I'd go as far as to say avoid OTAs altogether. They're not doing anything you can't do for yourself.

worried_jim

I got suckered on this scam a few years ago, would never use them again. I stick with the local co op travel agent now, I do this really strange thing where by I actually leave the house to go into a business premise and talk, yes talk face to face with a sales adviser, how novel! Joking aside I find them to be very helpful and I don't get ripped off.

emmat123

Of course its a scam. When choosing your holiday it gives you 20 minutes to guarantee the price on the screen. They then state that they require a "short period of time" to book and confirm the holiday, in my opinion, if I have 20 mins to book and buy the holiday at that price, they take my money immediately then they should have the holiday booked at the price on the screen in 20 mins, not a good few hours later.

leylandsunaddict

emmat123 wrote: »

Of course its a scam. When choosing your holiday it gives you 20 minutes to guarantee the price on the screen. They then state that they require a "short period of time" to book and confirm the holiday, in my opinion, if I have 20 mins to book and buy the holiday at that price, they take my money immediately then they should have the holiday booked at the price on the screen in 20 mins, not a good few hours later.

It's not a scam. If it was it wouldn't be explained in their T&Cs. You don't book and buy a holiday on the website, you make an offer to purchase should the elements still be available, and at that price. They acknowledge the offer by email. After they've contacted their suppliers and booked with them, you then get a confirmation of booking.

It's standard practice with lots of OTAs, which is why it's advisable to avoid them unless you're fully aware of what you're buying and really do agree with their terms and conditions. Given how many people seem to use these OTAs is hardly surprising it can take them a while to contact their suppliers, and get confirmation back from them.