Unknown extra charges at holiday resort, do I have any rights?

50Thistle

We booked a package holiday with an online travel company for 10 days in Sardinia and paid for the holiday in full or so we thought.  From research we knew if we needed a towel we would have to rent it at 10 euros or bring our own and the cash deposit of 200 euros was required, however we were totally unaware of a 70 euro cleaning fee.  We never had a cleaner or clean sheets whilst we were there, instead we did have a sweeping brush and a washing machine.  We also had to pay 140 euros for electric, gas and water, making a total of 210 euros for which we had not budgeted.   I have looked at some of the popular booking sites and cannot find this information anywhere.  The online travel agency does not want to know that this was omitted from their resort information.  Do I just have to accept this or do I have some rights?

MeteredOut

Have you checked all the T&Cs/documentation for the holiday and was there any mention on any additional charges there (even in general terms and not specific)?
Did you sign any additional documentation when you reached the property?
Is the online travel company ABTA registered
How did you pay for the holiday?
Did you voluntarily pay the extra 210 or was it automatically taken from your card?

tightauldgit

Quite often these charges are there but just not made very obvious - was it definitely not shown anywhere before you booked? If not then I think you would have good grounds for complaint to the agent. 

TELLIT01

These kind of charges can be hidden in a seemingly innocent statement along the lines of "local charges may apply".

tightauldgit

TELLIT01 said:

These kind of charges can be hidden in a seemingly innocent statement along the lines of "local charges may apply".

Indeed. and since it's the resort charging them if there are issues (like paying for cleaning and not receiving cleaning) they really should be flagged up at the time with the resort. 

TELLIT01

'Local charges may apply' is becoming more and more common.  We were looking at a holiday in the USA, including Las Vegas and Hawaii.  In both locations the resort description on the tour operator site included that phrase.  Closer examination of the 'Local charges' showed a $50 per night 'resort fee' for things such as internet access.  There was no option to forego internet access and the resort fee!

photome

TELLIT01 said:

'Local charges may apply' is becoming more and more common.  We were looking at a holiday in the USA, including Las Vegas and Hawaii.  In both locations the resort description on the tour operator site included that phrase.  Closer examination of the 'Local charges' showed a $50 per night 'resort fee' for things such as internet access.  There was no option to forego internet access and the resort fee!

Vegas hotels have had resort fees for a good few years now some are $60 a night , it’s not just for internet access and there is no option to opt out

photome

tightauldgit said:

TELLIT01 said:

These kind of charges can be hidden in a seemingly innocent statement along the lines of "local charges may apply".

Indeed. and since it's the resort charging them if there are issues (like paying for cleaning and not receiving cleaning) they really should be flagged up at the time with the resort. 

The cleaning charge is probably for the cleaning between changeovers and is most likely in the t and c

TELLIT01

photome said:

TELLIT01 said:

'Local charges may apply' is becoming more and more common.  We were looking at a holiday in the USA, including Las Vegas and Hawaii.  In both locations the resort description on the tour operator site included that phrase.  Closer examination of the 'Local charges' showed a $50 per night 'resort fee' for things such as internet access.  There was no option to forego internet access and the resort fee!

Vegas hotels have had resort fees for a good few years now some are $60 a night , it’s not just for internet access and there is no option to opt out

Whatever the charge is for it's basically ripping of customers. If it isn't optional it should show in the basic cost of the accommodation.  It's nearly 20 years since we were last there and it wasn't added in the hotels we stayed in at that time.

photome

TELLIT01 said:

photome said:

TELLIT01 said:

'Local charges may apply' is becoming more and more common.  We were looking at a holiday in the USA, including Las Vegas and Hawaii.  In both locations the resort description on the tour operator site included that phrase.  Closer examination of the 'Local charges' showed a $50 per night 'resort fee' for things such as internet access.  There was no option to forego internet access and the resort fee!

Vegas hotels have had resort fees for a good few years now some are $60 a night , it’s not just for internet access and there is no option to opt out

Whatever the charge is for it's basically ripping of customers. If it isn't optional it should show in the basic cost of the accommodation.  It's nearly 20 years since we were last there and it wasn't added in the hotels we stayed in at that time.

I agree  that it should be shown in the cost of the room , but it is the way it is

I have been going to Vegas for 23 years, resort fees started maybe 8 or so years ago and have been going up every year since.

if you book direct with the hotel the  amount of resort fee is shown in the taxes and fees 

ps

Golden Gate doesn’t have resort fees and the TI they may be optional otherwise there is no getting out of them

50Thistle

MeteredOut said:

Have you checked all the T&Cs/documentation for the holiday and was there any mention on any additional charges there (even in general terms and not specific)?
Did you sign any additional documentation when you reached the property?
Is the online travel company ABTA registered
How did you pay for the holiday?
Did you voluntarily pay the extra 210 or was it automatically taken from your card?

Thanks for your suggestions, this is Opodo so I do not hold out much hope however it is now clear that this is a consumer rights issue.  They are not ABTA registered and I should not have booked a holiday through them.  However I have now written a letter of complaint to them.  I paid for my holiday by credit card so will try to make a claim if nothing comes from the letter.   I had to pay the 210 euros or I feel I would not have got the keys for the accommodation.