Unsatisfactory spa package

Lendusapoond

Hi all,
I'd really appreciate any help/views on my rights on the following please.

I have made an official complaint to a well known hotel chain regarding a very unsatisfactory spa day that my friend and I experienced in April.
I would love to copy and paste the complaint but I feel it would take up too much space!
In essence, we paid for a package that included use of the spa facilities, coffee and a danish, 1 hours treatments, 20% off food/drink/treatments.
The facilities were extremely busy, not having much room to relax. They were also dirty and some facilities were out of order.
The treatments were just awful. We were both treated in a twin room (we didn't request this, we were informed). It turns out that my therapist was telling the other therapist who was treating my friend, what to do. Extremely unprofessional.
We were surprised that our therapists didn't discuss our consultation form before our treatments started. After the treatments, I was left with severe reddening of the skin which did eventually subside but felt that this could have been avoided had the therapist noticed that I have a skin condition.
I complained at the time to the on-call manager, who assured me that someone would contact me.
After two weeks of no contact from the chain, I emailed the customer service department.
Again, I had a long wait for them to apologise and offer me a half hour treatment.
I replied explaining that my friend and I would really like to experience the package that we paid for but they have stood by their offer stating it to be "fair and appropriate".

To sum up, we would have a round trip of over two hours to use a very basic swimming pool and have a treatment lasting 25 minutes (5 minutes consultation). This is their "goodwill gesture".

What are my consumer rights?
Am I asking for too much by requesting what we paid for? I feel it is such a shame to experience such disregard by a chain that my friend and I have used many times over the past ten years. We were planning a celebratory break with this chain next year but our experience has made us think twice.

Thanks for reading.


Lendusapoond

knightstyle

First you need to give them a chance to put things right. Then consider if you are happy with their actions.
How did you pay? If CC you have chance of charge back.
Do not let too much time pass.

hollydays

Expecting you to have a treatment in the same room as someone else is appalling.

hollydays

There are too many hotels with shabby leisure areas jumping in the. " spa day" bandwagon .

Lendusapoond

Good morning,
Thanks for replying. Their response has been very slow and I've had to constantly chase them.
Their goodwill gesture to give us what seems half of our experience just doesn't seem fair or appropriate.
I've sent one last email asking them to reconsider issuing a "quality or quantity" question.
The chain has a good reputation and have extended their hotels but by the amount of emails I receive pushing their deals, I'm starting to wonder whether they are struggling?
I'm hoping for a speedy response but I'm not holding my breath!

zaax

They are hoping you will go away the only way for them to take notice is court, first LBA.

Lendusapoond

Thank you. Sorry for my ignorance-what's an LBA?

wealdroam

Lendusapoond wrote: »

Thank you. Sorry for my ignorance-what's an LBA?

LBA = Letter Before Action

This CAB webpage might help.

InsideInsurance

Really if you have a skin condition then its up to you to mention that not just wait to see if the therapist spots it.

To be honest, companies often have sales/ promotions etc for a reason and that reason is never going to be because they are so good that they're constantly fully booked etc. That isnt to say you cannot get deals in sales as not everyone's tastes are the same and whats not attractive at £600 may become attractive at £300 but you have to beg the question of why things are discounted. Certainly the only time I've known our local true spa do any form of real discount is when facilities have been out of order/ under going maintenance.

Does the small print mention about shared therapy rooms? You were presumably just sharing with the person you booked with not random strangers? Its certainly not uncommon for couples etc to share rooms but I do think you should be given the option unless its a condition of the deal.

Quality -v- expectations is always a difficult one to prove but if you feel strongly then pay your court fees and roll the dice. Hopefully they wont want the costs of court so will settle anyway but some companies do go for principles rather than economics.

Lendusapoond

Thanks for replying.

Just to clear something up. Before any treatment, a consultation form is completed and I did record my skin condition.
When we have previously visited this spa, the consultation form has been completed and then the therapist has confirmed all of the details before the start of a treatment. I understand that I maybe should have asked if the form was going to be discussed before the treatment started but the whole point of the form is to identify which products would be suitable for each individual skin type, including any medical conditions.

There was no condition on the deal about the treatment room. We were told that our treatments were together whilst walking into the treatment room. Had we been given some notice then I think we would have objected.
It was obvious that we were put together as my friend had a trainee and I had the trainer.
I now know never to accept a twin room.

Going to court wasn't even a consideration.
I've looked on here for some advice as to my legal rights for an experience that I paid for, but didn't receive.
In terms of a product-I feel like I paid for a special three course meal with wine which was just awful.
Complaining about it and them offering for me to return to a different restaurant miles away, just for half of the main meal!!!!!!! Hope this makes sense :mad:



Thanks for the advice.

susancs

Lendusapoond wrote: »

Thanks for replying.

Just to clear something up. Before any treatment, a consultation form is completed and I did record my skin condition.
When we have previously visited this spa, the consultation form has been completed and then the therapist has confirmed all of the details before the start of a treatment. I understand that I maybe should have asked if the form was going to be discussed before the treatment started but the whole point of the form is to identify which products would be suitable for each individual skin type, including any medical conditions.

There was no condition on the deal about the treatment room. We were told that our treatments were together whilst walking into the treatment room. Had we been given some notice then I think we would have objected.
It was obvious that we were put together as my friend had a trainee and I had the trainer.
I now know never to accept a twin room.

Going to court wasn't even a consideration.
I've looked on here for some advice as to my legal rights for an experience that I paid for, but didn't receive.
In terms of a product-I feel like I paid for a special three course meal with wine which was just awful.
Complaining about it and them offering for me to return to a different restaurant miles away, just for half of the main meal!!!!!!! Hope this makes sense :mad:



Thanks for the advice.

Are they offering you and your friend, as a goodwill gesture almost the same deal as the orginal one apart from half the treatment time. i.e. use of the spa facilites, refreshments and a treatment at the orginal spa? Or is it a different spa further away as you mention in your restaurant analogy that it is a different restaurant miles away?