Anyone used ABTOT /AITO arbitration service, any other options to pursue complaint vs tour co.?

kuepper

Went on UK small group (16) tour which was basically hotel-based with a different itinerary for 4 days. It ruined by tour guide pandering to pressure from a vocal minority who wanted to return to the hotel earlier than planned most days so the itinerary was shortened and we didn't get to see all the sights we expected to see that had been advertised.in the brochure. I complained in writing after the holiday finished but they won't offer more than an apology. Their main line of defence is that I should have complained more directly at the time rather than just express my unhappiness to the tour guide. I really don't see what more I could have done without creating a bad atmosphere among the group and there was no way the   guide was going to take us back to see places we'd missed. The t&c mention using ABTOT or AITO arbitration services if a customer remains dissatisfied with the company's response but when I looked at these schemes you have to pay £120 to even lodge a complaint and that's probably as much as I expected to get in compensation anyway.

Alan_Bowen

Normally I am a big supporter of arbitration, I was involved with ABTA arbitration for a number of years and the majority of customers were very satisfied. However, I have never heard of the company they use for arbitration and they are not a member of the recognised Alternative Dispute Resolution Association.

In every other scheme, the winner gets back his fee as well, paid for by the losing operator, but that does not seem to be the case here. Usually, this acts as an incentive, when the claim is small, for an operator to contemplate settlement as they have to pay more than the consumer just to start the arbitration and if the customer gets a penny more than any previous offers, they have to refund the customer fee but in the absence of such a term in this scheme, I can see no benefit at all in using it.