Holiday problems and complaint

silvercar

Your only complaint of any substance is the water issue. Everything else are minor issues which go with holidaying abroad.

The water issue is a valid complaint, but I would be concerned with the lack of options given to you, rather than the issue happened. No one could have foreseen 2 burst water mains. You have to accept when abroad, some fixes can take a longer time than they would in the UK or Spain.

Alan_Bowen

If you live abroad using the English legal system will be impractical for a relatively small claim. You can use ABTA's complaint scheme and sometimes the risk of losing encourages companies to increase the previous offers before arbitration begins, equally if an arbitrator decides the offer was reasonable and you don't get anymore, you must pay a relatively small sum to the winning operator. Look up the details at abta.com

NoodleDoodleMan

Alan_Bowen said:

If you live abroad using the English legal system will be impractical for a relatively small claim. You can use ABTA's complaint scheme and sometimes the risk of losing encourages companies to increase the previous offers before arbitration begins, equally if an arbitrator decides the offer was reasonable and you don't get anymore, you must pay a relatively small sum to the winning operator. Look up the details at abta.com

Did the OP make his reservations through a UK travel agency or organisation ?

Apolgies - that's not clear to me.

If not, I doubt ABTA can get involved.

eskbanker

NoodleDoodleMan said:

Alan_Bowen said:

If you live abroad using the English legal system will be impractical for a relatively small claim. You can use ABTA's complaint scheme and sometimes the risk of losing encourages companies to increase the previous offers before arbitration begins, equally if an arbitrator decides the offer was reasonable and you don't get anymore, you must pay a relatively small sum to the winning operator. Look up the details at abta.com

Did the OP make his reservations through a UK travel agency or organisation ?

Apolgies - that's not clear to me.

If not, I doubt ABTA can get involved.

OP booked a TUI holiday departing from the UK but doesn't disclose whether that was a purchase direct from TUI themselves or via an agent, but if the latter I'd have thought that the balance of probability would be more towards a UK-based business than one in Spain?  The fact that the voucher offer is priced in sterling would suggest that it's TUI UK rather than elsewhere within their group too....

NoodleDoodleMan

eskbanker said:

NoodleDoodleMan said:

Alan_Bowen said:

If you live abroad using the English legal system will be impractical for a relatively small claim. You can use ABTA's complaint scheme and sometimes the risk of losing encourages companies to increase the previous offers before arbitration begins, equally if an arbitrator decides the offer was reasonable and you don't get anymore, you must pay a relatively small sum to the winning operator. Look up the details at abta.com

Did the OP make his reservations through a UK travel agency or organisation ?

Apolgies - that's not clear to me.

If not, I doubt ABTA can get involved.

OP booked a TUI holiday departing from the UK but doesn't disclose whether that was a purchase direct from TUI themselves or via an agent, but if the latter I'd have thought that the balance of probability would be more towards a UK-based business than one in Spain?  The fact that the voucher offer is priced in sterling would suggest that it's TUI UK rather than elsewhere within their group too....

Yes, agreed, that appears to be the scenario.

I have seen a travel agent in Spain with the TUI brand name prominent in their window advertising.

Probably concerned with the German main arm of their organisation ?

No separate Spanish branch as far as I can ascertain.

I doubt a Spanish travel agent would/could be in a position to book a TUI UK deal for a local resident.

bagand96

NoodleDoodleMan said:

Alan_Bowen said:

If you live abroad using the English legal system will be impractical for a relatively small claim. You can use ABTA's complaint scheme and sometimes the risk of losing encourages companies to increase the previous offers before arbitration begins, equally if an arbitrator decides the offer was reasonable and you don't get anymore, you must pay a relatively small sum to the winning operator. Look up the details at abta.com

Did the OP make his reservations through a UK travel agency or organisation ?

Apolgies - that's not clear to me.

If not, I doubt ABTA can get involved.

If it departed from the UK on a package then it would be the UK TUI Tour Operator who are a member of ABTA and therefore bound by ABTA's rules.

It's not a stretch to imagine a UK national living in Spain but booking a TUI UK holiday. I've used the German TUI site to book hotels in the past without issue. 

I agree with @Alan_Bowen that not being a UK resident will make court action complicated. ABTA less so as it's all done via their website.