Groupon getaway with it

mikemusic_2

I booked a trip to Warsaw christmas markets through Groupon with a company called KPX travel. For flights and accomodation I paid Groupon £178 for 2 people then when the booking agent called me he tells me the flights were more expensive and would be an additional £59 for 2 people but he will include breakfast at the hotel so ok that seems fair i thought. After I pay this I discover the cost of the flights were much cheaper so I called them to ask how much I had paid for the flights i.e. a break down of what the hotel and flights cost per person. They refused to tell me and said its "company policy not to give out that information", company policy not to tell a customer how much they have paid? After a long call with them I contacted groupon to discuss this and I know in the terms it says cant be cancelled after booking but asked if it would be possible since I'm not convinced the booking agent is trustworthy and worry about the condition the hotel might be in because they seem so unreliable (this was a 30th birthday present for my girlfriend).

The girl in groupon said since I'm having issues with the company they will get it refunded. At this point I still want to take my girlfriend so think I'll book a hotel and flight myself but before I do that I ask if this will DEFINITELY be refunded because if not I'll just accept my lot and go with it since its already paid for but her reply was, and I quote, "I guarantee we will refund this for you". All in hand so I go book flights and a 5* hotel for the total of £140 for 2 people £38 LESS than groupon charged for their flights with 3* hotel and £97 LESS than the total cost including the yet unexplained additional cost of the flights. A couple of weeks go by and no refund and no contact except for one email asking if I was satisfied with the service I received when I called.

At this point I decide to call Groupon to find out whats taking so long only to be told they arent going to refund it and told me so in an email they sent, the same email that only asked if I was satisfied with the service. After a very long argument Groupon point blank refused to refund the cost so now I'm down a total of £377 for a 2 day break which should have only cost a total of £140 all becaus Groupon "gurantee"d to refund me and now they say they dont have any obligation to stick to that promise.

Bottom line is dont book a holiday with Groupon the cost of it will be more than the flights and hotel are if you buy separately, KPX travel will con you out of paying extra by coming up with some make believe additional costs and then when you question it both companies with stuff your money into their fat wallets, give you the finger and slam the door in your face.

Pollycat

mikemusic wrote: »

I booked a trip to Warsaw christmas markets through Groupon with a company called KPX travel. For flights and accomodation I paid Groupon £178 for 2 people then when the booking agent called me he tells me the flights were more expensive and would be an additional £59 for 2 people but he will include breakfast at the hotel so ok that seems fair i thought.

If you had a price of £178 from Groupon, why did you agree to pay extra to the booking agent?

mikemusic wrote: »

After I pay this I discover the cost of the flights were much cheaper so I called them to ask how much I had paid for the flights i.e. a break down of what the hotel and flights cost per person. They refused to tell me and said its "company policy not to give out that information", company policy not to tell a customer how much they have paid?

How did you 'discover' the flights were much cheaper?

If you'd booked a package with, say, Thomas Cook & rang to ask them how much of the total price was flights and how much was for the accommodation, I doubt they'd tell you.

mikemusic wrote: »

After a long call with them I contacted groupon to discuss this and I know in the terms it says cant be cancelled after booking but asked if it would be possible since I'm not convinced the booking agent is trustworthy and worry about the condition the hotel might be in because they seem so unreliable (this was a 30th birthday present for my girlfriend).

The girl in groupon said since I'm having issues with the company they will get it refunded. At this point I still want to take my girlfriend so think I'll book a hotel and flight myself but before I do that I ask if this will DEFINITELY be refunded because if not I'll just accept my lot and go with it since its already paid for but her reply was, and I quote, "I guarantee we will refund this for you". All in hand so I go book flights and a 5* hotel for the total of £140 for 2 people £38 LESS than groupon charged for their flights with 3* hotel and £97 LESS than the total cost including the yet unexplained additional cost of the flights. A couple of weeks go by and no refund and no contact except for one email asking if I was satisfied with the service I received when I called.

At this point I decide to call Groupon to find out whats taking so long only to be told they arent going to refund it and told me so in an email they sent, the same email that only asked if I was satisfied with the service.

Did you tell Groupon that the booking agent had asked for additional money?

I don't suppose you have Groupon's assurance that they'll refund you in writing?
Do they record calls?

mikemusic wrote: »

After a very long argument Groupon point blank refused to refund the cost so now I'm down a total of £377 for a 2 day break which should have only cost a total of £140 all becaus Groupon "gurantee"d to refund me and now they say they dont have any obligation to stick to that promise.

Bottom line is dont book a holiday with Groupon the cost of it will be more than the flights and hotel are if you buy separately, KPX travel will con you out of paying extra by coming up with some make believe additional costs and then when you question it both companies with stuff your money into their fat wallets, give you the finger and slam the door in your face.

But you're not exactly down £377 are you?
You still have a 2 day break that's cost you £140 which I assume you're still taking.

Alan_Bowen

Oh dear, if you had read the reviews regarding KPX you would have avoided them like the plague. Apart from the ones they appear to have posted themselves, they all report a failure to provide what was promised at the price paid. They claim to be ABTA members, not exactly a good name for ABTA to be be supporting it seems, and their Modus Operandi is to tell customers that either the hotel is full, the flights are full or a combination of both and therefore you have to pay more. Groupon, which I gave up on very quickly years ago, has been selling these vouchers, and getting complaints, for at least 2 years so you can see they really don't care either.

KPX are not a tour operator, only an agent, so you should be sent an ATOL Certificate showing what has been booked and with whom. Tour operators do not disclose individual prices but you should have separate invoices for each component in this case.

This is a lesson to be learned by everyone, check reviews before and not after you part with your hard earned cash

mikemusic_2

Yeh I should have read the reviews its definitely a lesson learned and its ashame groupon continue to work with them despite the issues when clearly they are getting so many complaints about them.

Pollycat, true im not exactly down £377 but for a 2 day break that costs £140 its £237 I've paid over the cost. The fact I'm still going to take the 2 day break is irrelevant to the fact I've paid ALOT more than I should have I doubt anyone would be happy to just say 'oh well at least I still get 2 days away' when it comes to this kind of thing.

littlereddevil

I'm sure there have been threads before about Groupon breaks and they did refund people

Pollycat

mikemusic wrote: »

Pollycat, true im not exactly down £377 but for a 2 day break that costs £140 its £237 I've paid over the cost. The fact I'm still going to take the 2 day break is irrelevant to the fact I've paid ALOT more than I should have I doubt anyone would be happy to just say 'oh well at least I still get 2 days away' when it comes to this kind of thing.

OK. So you've picked up on that comment but what about the questions I asked in the same post?