AI holiday that wasn’t

theresa_6

Advice needed please.  My husband and I purchased a 5* all inclusive holiday and flight through Voyage Prive at Avani Sepang in Malaysia for the first week of January 2020. On arrival we found out the holiday was not AI, but full board with soft drinks (water, coke and Sprite only - not bottles or cans) and tea/coffee during mealtimes.

We complained on arrival to VP and after a few email exchanges, said we would be in contact to officially complain on our return, which we did. The resort was neither 5* or AI and the alcohol prices were extortionate, £18 for 1.5 pints of beer and £35 for the cheapest bottle of wine.  I emailed listing a number of complaints including, trying to find food at the buffet that was not covered in flies and the fact that the pool was disgusting, which many Australians were also commenting on whilst we were there.  We asked for compensation for this most disappointing long haul trip.  

After, many emails, the final result has been the hotel offering a discount if we wanted to go back, which we don’t and VP finally offering £200 full and final offer after I said “I have screenshots from your website showing my holiday as all inclusive, plus a screenshot of the Voyage Privé description of an all inclusive holiday and the evidence that it has subsequently been changed to full board, which supports my claim. If I don’t hear from you I will escalate my complaint to ABTA”.  

This would more or less cover what we spend on drinks, but my question is, should I pursue as they were clearly selling a holiday under false pretenses?  Is this a trade descriptions/mis-selling?  Part of me wants to settle and put this trip behind us. Any advice welcome.

The_Rainmaker

Did it say AI - Including alcoholic drinks?

JJ_Egan

Take £200 

Or

I don’t hear from you I will escalate my complaint to ABTA”.  

Its more like a mistake rather than mis selling .

All depends upon what you are looking for in regards to compo .

Pollycat

The_Rainmaker said:

Did it say AI - Including alcoholic drinks?

+1 to this ^^^^.

What exactly does the screenshot say about alcohol drinks?

Does it say beer and wine are included?

davidmcn

theresa_6 said:

they were clearly selling a holiday under false pretenses?/

Do you really think they were deliberately misleading you and then just sitting back to wait for the complaints rolling in? I would have thought it's more likely to have been a c0ck-up.

 Is this a trade descriptions/mis-selling?

It might be, but even if it is that doesn't get you any money, just the vague satisfaction of Trading Standards looking into it.

hollydays

For future reference, from my experience ,if you are as picky as me withhotels , I'd look very closely at the " average" and " poor" reviews on tripadviser to see what comments people make about the food. Mostly, I only choose hotels that get a tripadviser minimum 4.5 star rating .

Hasbeen

theresa_6 said:

 I said “I have screenshots from your website showing my holiday as all inclusive, plus a screenshot of the Voyage Privé description of an all inclusive holiday and the evidence that it has subsequently been changed to full board, which supports my claim. If I don’t hear from you I will escalate my complaint to ABTA”.  

Please post the screenshots so posters can provide further advice. And are they ABTA registered?

hollydays

There is also some references to the term " dynamic packages" with this seller. I'm not sure what if any significance this may or may not have to the op.

Pollycat

Is it this one:

https://www.voyage-prive.co.uk/ppl/holidays-malaysia-kuala-lumpur-avani-sepang-goldcoast-resort-optional-singapore-stopover/64728/avis

Looking at the reviews on their own website, the latest (from Marc V) is a complaint about it not being 'all inclusive'.

Same complaint from Karine D.

But I think what was specifically in the description is key.

I've seen complaints from some people that the AI wasn't availalbe 24/7 when the website was clear it wasn't.

I've seen complaints from some people that watersports (for example) wasn't free when the website was was it wasn't part of the AI package.

Over to the OP for clarification.

Hasbeen

Pollycat said:

Is it this one:

https://www.voyage-prive.co.uk/ppl/holidays-malaysia-kuala-lumpur-avani-sepang-goldcoast-resort-optional-singapore-stopover/64728/avis

Looking at the reviews on their own website, the latest (from Marc V) is a complaint about it not being 'all inclusive'.

Same complaint from Karine D.

But I think what was specifically in the description is key.

I've seen complaints from some people that the AI wasn't availalbe 24/7 when the website was clear it wasn't.

I've seen complaints from some people that watersports (for example) wasn't free when the website was was it wasn't part of the AI package.

Over to the OP for clarification.

IF. The OP comes back and posts the  screenshots/description of what was actually booked, I am sure it will be clarified?

Pollycat

Hasbeen said:

Pollycat said:

Is it this one:

https://www.voyage-prive.co.uk/ppl/holidays-malaysia-kuala-lumpur-avani-sepang-goldcoast-resort-optional-singapore-stopover/64728/avis

Looking at the reviews on their own website, the latest (from Marc V) is a complaint about it not being 'all inclusive'.

Same complaint from Karine D.

But I think what was specifically in the description is key.

I've seen complaints from some people that the AI wasn't availalbe 24/7 when the website was clear it wasn't.

I've seen complaints from some people that watersports (for example) wasn't free when the website was was it wasn't part of the AI package.

Over to the OP for clarification.

IF. The OP comes back and posts the  screenshots/description of what was actually booked, I am sure it will be clarified?

One would think so?

Or maybe the OP has re-read the description and discovered that it wasn't really as all inclusive as they expected.