Thomson - surely breaking the law ?

Ashlowe1988

Hi all me and my partner booked our package holiday for santorini September 2016 for our wedding we booked this in May 2015. We booked the lovely bellonias villages in kamari for 14 nights. However two days before Christmas and my partner 38 weeks pregnant we get a phone call off thomson saying we can no longer stay at the bellonias villages because bellonias have cancelled there contract with them. Thomson have offers us a lesser hotel for the same money or we can have our money back (all prices have now gone up).

However we have good contacts at the bellonias so I rang the manager directly, he tells me that thomson never had the rights to sell the hotel in the first place and that his hotel were outraged when they discovered thomson was taking bookings. They contacted thomson in June to tell them of there anger, yet Thomson's manager tells me they only discovered the hotel was cancelled on the day they phoned me (two days before Christmas). The only thing thomson will offer me is to take the poorer hotel and they will give me half price extra leg room.

How can they advertise and sell something that does not belong to them ? All my family are the flight so I can't cancel the flights with them. Thomson have said they will give us 1,700 towards a hotel of our choice and keep our flights however the room we had with bellonias is now 2,300 so we,d be 600 pound out if pocket.

Can they do this to us ? Is it worth fighting or do I take the offer of the poorer hotel ? My fianc! is heartbroken. Thank you for any replies.

Moto2

I'll sell you a holiday to the moon if you want?

When you've paid I'll go away and try to make it happen, if I can't, I'll refund your money or offer you an alternative - Blackpool.

Companies are forever selling things they don't have, I suspect in your case the hotel owners and Thomson were negotiating and for whatever reason, it fell through. The hotel manager wouldn't necessarily be fully aware.

In the meantime, I'd book the hotel for the sake of the wedding and guests and then try to get a better payment off Thomson without the pressure.

blindman

Ashlowe1988 wrote: »

Can they do this to us ? Is it worth fighting or do I take the offer of the poorer hotel ? My fianc! is heartbroken. Thank you for any replies.

Look at the T&C's of your booking to see if there is a clause relating to change of hotel.

I do not agree with Moto2, you signed a contract to go to that hotel. If at the time you signed Thomson did not have the right to sell it them IMH they are breaking the law.

IMHO I would gather all the evidence from your contact at the bellonias then confront Thomson stating you want them to pay for the Booking at the Bellonias for you.

lavandergirl_2

I have been to Santorini and it's beautiful especially in Oia. It is in a different league than Kamari.

Can you find something cheaper around Oia, Fira or Imerovigli as you will get the caldera view?