Change of holiday advice

SwanseaSouthStander

Hi all,

I booked a holiday with Direct Holidays online last August for May this year. I booked to stay at the Esperides Hotel in Faliraki. I lost my invoice so phoned them to send out a copy. Whilst checking my new invoice they had changed my hotel to the Sun Palace in Faliraki but if I hadn't requested the new invoice I wouldn't of known about the Hotel change. I phoned them and they said that the hotel was over booked and they had moved me to a similar hotel. But when you compare the 2 they haven't got the same facilities. Their t&c state that they can do this but it hardly seems fair. Any advice would be truly appreciated.

Direct holidays t&c are as follows:


Changes Made By Us Before Travel
From time to time we may have to change details of the Holiday you have booked. If any change will have a significant effect on your Holiday, we will tell you about it before your Holiday, if there is time. Changes we will tell you about include:

- Change of your UK departure airport
- Significant change of your destination
- A change of more than 12 hours to the time you leave the UK or your destination
- If we downgrade your accommodation by one full 'Tour Operator' rating or
- If the swimming pool will not be available for an extended period during your Holiday and no alternative pool is available either at the property or nearby.

If you do not want to accept a significant change, which we will tell you about before you depart, we will, if we are able to do so, offer you an alternative Holiday of equivalent or closely similar standard and price at no extra cost, or a less expensive Holiday, in which case we will refund the difference in price. If you do not wish to take the alternative we offer you, you can choose a different Holiday offered for sale by us and pay, or receive a refund of, any price difference. Or, if you prefer, you can cancel your Holiday and receive a full refund of any money you have paid to us, except for any amendment charges. We will consider an appropriate refund of insurance premiums paid if you can show that you are unable to transfer or reuse your policy.

Unless the change is as a result of circumstances listed in the paragraph below headed ¿Circumstances Beyond our Control¿, we will pay you compensation as shown in the table below. If you accept the significant change or amend to a different Holiday offered for sale by us you will receive compensation as per Option 1 in the table below. If you reject the significant change and cancel your booking you will receive compensation as per Option 2. The amounts in the table are by way of guideline only and may in appropriate circumstances be increased.

Period of notice we give you or your travel agent before departure
Compensation for each full fare paying passenger

Option 1
Option 2
57+ days
£0
£0
56-43 days
£10
£5
42-29 days
£20
£10
28-15 days
£30
£15
14-0 days
£40
£25
Compensation payments relating to a child place for which you have paid a child price are half the amounts shown (up to half the child price paid). There are no compensation payments payable to those travelling on 'free child places', 'free group places' or infants.

Alan_Bowen

The problem is whether the alternative hotel has the same rating in the brochure. If it does, then their own T & C seem to suggest you are not entitled to any compensation. If you can show there were particualr facilities at one hotel that do not exist at the new one, no pool for example, then irrespective of the conditions, ask for some form of compensation