TUI Holiday Mis-selling? Help welcomed!

gettingtheresometime

With regards to the arguement that booking direct would have prevented this problem I'm not really sure it would have, unless Disney put in big bold neon lights that by having the free half board meal plan means that you have to go to this breakfast counter and not to the hotel's restaurant.

I'm also wondering if the abta saying 'not as expected' isn't ambiguous in itself. As I've said before it wouldn't have occurred to me that breakfast wouldn't be in the hotel's restaurant but if it can be argued that the information is freely available then tui have their get out clause.

Hopefully the issue can be sorted out or at least a compromise reached

Westin

cubegame wrote: »

Wish you luck on the outcome but next time..... Book direct!

The OP has booked with a well established and what should be reputable tour operator. They should not be experiencing these problems. The book direct mantra is not really appropriate in this case.

Kynthia

Is the £200 Just to get the breakfast upgrade or is it changing your dining plan from Standard half board to Plus or Premium half board? If the later then I doubt TUI will fund all of it as it upgrades your lunch/dinner options as well as getting you breakfast in your hotel.

photome

What happened

Skyhigh

So, the only route they'd offer is £254 to upgrade to have breakfast in the hotel (we have "free half board Plus" already). Store wouldn't move at all, tried talking me around saying that they all preferred not eating in the hotel, and the selection was better, it wasn't that far to walk (24 mins/2km), etc.

They kept repeating "it's a Disney package, there's nothing we can do", whereas I highlighted that they didn't tell us that if you get half-board for "free" then it's different to when you pay.
(i.e. it's fair to assume you're getting the same thing without paying, not that it's a different package).

This is despite me pointing to ABTA ('<holiday> as expected'), contracts, etc.

To go any further, they said I'd have to talk to a third party - and if I went to TUI, they'd just refer the complaint to them.

On the morning I also:
1) Spoke to Disney again, they said travel agent is at fault.
2) Spoke to TUI customer services, they were surprised and said to complain to head office so they could look into it.

Interestingly - I'd forgotten that the Disney confirmation we got sent after we booked, signed & paid also said FLYBE "Class X hand-luggage only", and I'd have to query this with TUI as they said we'd get a hold luggage allowance. They confirm the paperwork was wrong.
Same paperwork says "counter service" - but that's correct.
Doesn't really give us much faith in what else might be wrong - or rather, in TUI's words what we've "assumed" (e.g. breakfast in the hotel).

Westin

Poor showing from TUI, IMO

Skyhigh

It's disappointing but we won't let it spoil our trip and we'll crack on.

...while I pick up a conversation with TUI HQ and subsequently ABTA. If they say 'no' then at least I've done all I can.

Jane_B

You mentioned you asked the staff when booking if the food was served in the hotel...this seems odd. As your main point is that most people assume half board means eating in the hotel, which by definition would cast doubt on you asking them if the food is served in the hotel.

Why would you ask if you didn't have doubts? and if you had doubts why not research yourself?

It seems like you assumed by half board it meant eating in the hotel, you were wrong and now want TUI to offer compensation?

Skyhigh

Jane_B wrote: »

Why would you ask if you didn't have doubts? and if you had doubts why not research yourself?

It was one of many questions as our daughter has a medical condition with some requirements in this area. The question was about choice of food and location - as we know that sometimes breakfast can be in a dining room which is a 'trek' from your room - which wouldn't be great for us.

In hindsight, it's easy to say "if it's so important then...", but the point was that we asked and were told yes by the staff - so we got an answer.
(the mother in law also called for a quote from the same place in June and asked the same question - she's spitting feathers btw).

Again, in retrospect "make sure it's written down" is a good rule and one we'll have to stick closer to, but:
1) If someone said "yes" on the phone when quoting and "yes" when booking
and
2) It's breakfast, where else is it going to be apart from in the hotel? (assumption)
- hence, we'd never have reason to get it 'written down' as we were given answers and had no reason to think otherwise.

As I said, it was one question of many we asked when booking - they didn't write our entire conversation down unfortunately!
(e.g. luggage allowance, should get taxi/bus/TRV, how easy is it to get taxis, etc, etc, etc)

> I haven't gone down this route as it quickly turns into a "he said, she said" scenario, with no proof on either said. So it's generally fruitless as an argument.

WinOrDie

I had the exact same problem as you have had but my problem is with Thomas Cook.
TC staff acted just the same way as TUI staff did with you.
The outcome for me so far is, TC told me, upgrade would cost £448 but they would pay £222 as a goodwill gesture, I said no thanks, I agreed to pay £150 and I get to keep the breakfast vouchers as well as getting the buffet breakfast.
TC says, we have to pay for hold luggage.
Hope you can get a good deal and some justice for you and your family.