Nightmare holiday - how to approach a claim?

KeysMcK

Hey, I’m looking for some advice.

I’m currently in the Caribbean on an all inclusive trip bought through Thomas cook, and it’s turned into a nightmare. We’ve ended up really counting down the days until we get home.

I’ve heard a lot about people claiming for holiday sickness via claims management companies, or with no win no fee solicitors, but is this the best way forwards? Or is there an easy and painless way I could pursue this directly?

Just to show I’m not a con man, bringing a frivolous story forwards, please feel free to read my write up below about what I’m referring to.

Aircon - From day one my other half hasn’t been well. Started getting cold like symptoms, and did I eventually do we just figured it was a common cold, or us struggling to acclimatise. It got worse and worse, out tonsils came up, noses are constantly blocked, coughing up all sorts, sleep is interrupted by a tickly dryness in our throats and coughing fits. We figure it was bad luck. Until today (last full day here) I decided to check the aircon on the advice of somebody else. Filthy. Thick layer of dust all over the filter. Doesn’t look like it’s ever been cleaned. Also what looks like mould in pipes that feed the air into our bedroom (there’s water in there so it’s likely). Told them about that today and asked them to clean it ASAP. I will come back to why this has become a bigger issue.

Water - Today we also don’t have any water at all on the resort. This is the second full day of having no water whatsoever for a full day. Food is still going out, but there’s no way to wash hands, or utensils, by us or the staff who all prepare food without any gloves. No flushing toilets either on these days, that leads to my next problem.

Sickness - I’ve had a very bad stomach since day 8. The sort where you hardly move away from a bathroom. I ended up relenting and seeing the hotel doctor on day 10/11. He gave me a course of antibiotics (1.5 days, 8 pills) and an electrolyte sachet (apparently better than my dyralite) for the low low cost of £85. These didn’t work, so I had the honour of paying a further £25 yesterday for a different antibiotic. 2.5 days worth this time. Things have calmed down but I’ve still got serious problems. They didn’t tell me that what I was being given was an antibiotic, but said it will be because of too much sun (I’m a shade hunter and a burnaphobe!) or too much drinking (I’ve been drink twice this holiday, most days I’d have 1/2 beers at lunch and a couple after dinner, not to excess). I’ve not drank a drop of alcohol since falling ill, I’ve also been staying in my room bar a few hours here and there, which has unwittingly been making things worse again due to our dirty air con! We’ve spent much of week 2 in our room watching Netflix, or with me on the toilet or finding me a toilet to use. Also, if these were the problem, why has he given me two types of quite hefty antibiotics, both made to treat acute bacterial stomach issues?

Food - I’ve been a strong supporter of the food here. Lots of guests have been loaning because there’s “nothing to eat” (I.e. no chicken nuggets), but we’ve been enjoying the local cuisine. One day though I went to the beach bbq snack bar and got some chicken wings. First was great, second I noticed was a little moister than the first, Got into it a bit more and found it was fairly pink/red inside. I went to tell the chef that it was undercooked. He shrugged it off. I then saw him pour an icecream tub full of raw chicken wings, juices and all, on top of the grill, on top of and touching the sides of the fully cooked ones ready to serve.

Pools- often green. We go in the sea though so less of an issue.

Room - view is amazing, sea view of the Caribbean. However aircon hasn’t been the only issue. I got locked on the balcony by my Mrs at one point, I was out, she closed the sliding door, and I found the handle was missing on the other side. We’ve also had an issue with our plug sockets popping. They always come back and fix them, but w have worried as they make a loud pop and a spark every time. They said it was because our devices are the wrong voltage, but the two first ones to go we’re the plugs the TV and the fridge were attached to!

There’s more, but I appreciate this has been an essay, and I’m not saying this hotel has been the worst place on earth. The location is breathtakingly amazing, and lots of the staff are fantastic. We’ve had some enjoyment, but there’s always been a cloud over it. Bottom line is I paid £3000 for this, and taken 10 of my 20 days annual leave to come here, and I’ve not seen that sort of value. I’m convinced that I deserve to have some money back. Resort is locally rated 5 stars, TC rated 4.

Any comments appreciated, positive or otherwise!

koalakoala

What are the TC reps saying about this?

soolin

Can you also just clarify this bit

I ended up relenting and seeing the hotel doctor on day 10/11

Did you tell anyone, complain to rep or see a doctor before day 10/11?

Also as above, what is the rep saying about the water situation - and are others ill ?

Pollycat

soolin wrote: »

Can you also just clarify this bit

I ended up relenting and seeing the hotel doctor on day 10/11

Did you tell anyone, complain to rep or see a doctor before day 10/11?

Also as above, what is the rep saying about the water situation - and are others ill ?

A very important question.

As is what the OP said to the rep, when he said it and what was the result.

KeysMcK wrote: »

I’ve heard a lot about people claiming for holiday sickness via claims management companies, or with no win no fee solicitors, but is this the best way forwards? Or is there an easy and painless way I could pursue this directly?

Be aware that holiday companies have toughened up on bogus claimers.
I'm not saying that that applies to you.

But if there are photos of you on social media, making merry and really enjoying yourself during the period that you say you're ill, it may come back to bite you on the bum.

Tour operators have fought back against bogus claims - and won.

Deborah Briton, 53, and her partner Paul Roberts, 43, claimed via David Norman Solicitors, that they and their two children were ill on two all-inclusive holidays in Majorca. Briton’s other daughter Charlene Briton, 30, submitted a further claim for herself and her young daughter for their holiday.
Last week, the trio pleaded not guilty to six counts of fraud at Liverpool magistrates court.
The case was adjourned until August 10 and the defendants granted bail. If found guilty, they face up to six years in prison.

Cook last week successfully defended a civil claim for £10,000 compensation from Julie Lavelle and her partner Michael McIntyre after a court found them to be “fundamentally dishonest”.

http://www.travelweekly.co.uk/articles/283779/special-report-tui-holiday-sickness-case-prompted-law-firm-to-drop-3500-claims

verityboo

I realise you are listing several issues but taking the first, you say your other half has been ill from the start of the holiday. How do know that this was not something could at the airport or on the plane?

KeysMcK

thanks for all of the replies!

I’d mentioned my stomach issues to a few of the CS people at the resort but all seemed to make light of it, said some rest and drink plenty of water. I just thought I’d give that a shot rather than seeing a doctor over a bad belly! Wasn’t until the 11th when things got particularly grizzly (blood etc). Also I knew it was £85 for the initial meeting with the doctor, so I wanted to flush it out myself if possible! Symptoms are still present, although less violent now (probably due to the two courses of antibiotics). I reported my illness to TC on day 11, after seeing the doctor. I made sure he took note of it.

No pictures have been published of us doing anything remotely exciting since a few days before things hit the fan, we’ve not been out much and certainly haven’t felt photogenic!

Other half - as I said we did just assume at the beginning that we just picked up a cold on the way. And then I caught it. And then it got worse. Then we were getting inflamed throats, then we were coughing up bloody mucous. Yesterday I checked the aircon, and there’s no doubt in my mind that the black mold and thick dust covering that is the cause of our illness. I recorded my conversation with CS asking for that to be fixed, and her saying it would that day. I also recorded the conversation with the same CS lady at 8pm the same night of me telling her it hadn’t been fixed, her saying she would make a complaint to the head of maintenance and hotel manager about the engineer not doing as he said he would. She then offered me a room change (impractical as we leave at 1pm today and had to pack, so we said we’d have to do without aircon instead!), a bottle of champagne (I said no, as I’m still not drinking), and a late check out (this we accepted, gave us a bit more time to pack, and some time to enjoy our anniversary a bit which is today). TC rep wasn’t around yesterday but I will be reporting the aircon issue to him today too and I’ll make sure he takes note.

I’m not worried about this being thought to be frivolous, I’ve been sick, I’ve hardly been seen around the resort for much of the last week of my holiday. I have doctors invoices and the packets for two quite serious antibiotics that are both listed as being used for acute bacterial diarrhoea, I have photos and videos of the aircon, showing how filthy it is, I have photos of the staff handling food with their hands despite the entire resort having no water at all for the full day. I’m just not sure how to approach it. Should I write to them direct, or should I use a solicitor? My gut says that a legal route will make it harder for them to BS me and fob me off, but on the other hand it does seem a bit heavy handed, and expensive.

Oh, the water also went off again today for another 6 hours too!

Sorry if I missed any replies, I’ll check back now and make sure I’ve covered all bases

KeysMcK

Others ill - yes, met a few couples last night who seem to have similar stories, similar start dates.

Some I personally put down to the fact they spent the first week in the pool drinking constantly. Others I think are in the same boat as me!

TC reps say things like you’re not used to the food/temperature. They just have different bacteria to us and we’re not used to it.

I said surely that would have hit me a lot earlier than over a week in if that were true!

eamon

How old are you & your partner?


Were you in any way medically compromised before you left the UK i.e. any illness over Winter?


Are you and your partner physically well enough to return to the UK? If you don't think so get to see another Doctor and inform your travel insurance imediately (you should already have done so as you have been there for over a week and sick!).


A faulty air conditioning unit and stagnant water has me concerned. If you have sufficient credit cards I'd be out of there so fast and into an international brand hotel were they know how to take care of paying guests.

KeysMcK

Thanks for the reply

We’re both mid 20s, no previous illnesses.

Just touched down at home. We got to see the TC rep before we left on Wednesday morning and he seemed to take it quite seriously. He took my pictures of the aircon unit and left his desk looking quite concerned saying he needed to speak to the hotel management.

We’re both still coughing, leaking and wheezing but we need some sleep so we’re going to get to a UK doctor later today/tomorrow morning if we can get an appointment to get checked over. We’ve had a horrible rattling cough all the way home.

Oh, resort had no water again before we left too! It’s been such a poor experience.

cakey456

Don't want to worry you but legionnaires disease is a possibility. Get checked out sooner rather than later.

f4phixeruk

KeysMcK wrote: »

Thanks for the reply

We’re both mid 20s, no previous illnesses.

Just touched down at home. We got to see the TC rep before we left on Wednesday morning and he seemed to take it quite seriously. He took my pictures of the aircon unit and left his desk looking quite concerned saying he needed to speak to the hotel management.

We’re both still coughing, leaking and wheezing but we need some sleep so we’re going to get to a UK doctor later today/tomorrow morning if we can get an appointment to get checked over. We’ve had a horrible rattling cough all the way home.

Oh, resort had no water again before we left too! It’s been such a poor experience.

Hope you only gave him copies of the photos. Otherwise you've got no proof of anything