Airtours Direct - Problems

Monkeeboy

I booked a package holiday to Orlando on 28/12/07 with the above operator over the telephone. I agreed and confirmed an all in price of £3,955. My invoice turned up on 2/1/08 showing total price £4,279. I called the customer care phone number and gave all the details to be told someone would call back (yeah I know that old line - it always works). I have tried several times since to contact Airtours and on most occasions have been cut off after speaking to an operator or simply never got through. After a week no-one has bothered to phone me. I have emailed and posted a formal complaint (recorded delivery) asking for an explanation and reserved my right to cancel without financial penalty. I also asked for a copy of the recorded telephone conversation and booking.

1. Has anyone any ideas on how to handle this situation or know exactly what my rights are?
2. I paid the deposit using my credit card - what protection does this afford me?
3. Has anyone had any luck with a similar complaint and have a direct number of someone I can contact?

The customer care line is an 0871 number which I used initially (10p per minute) but later used an 0800 number from SAYNOTO0870 website. Unfortunatley as mentioned above I have not been able to get anyone to help me. As usual they are quick to take your money but slow to help whne they get it wrong.

Any help would be appreciated.

cheers :beer:

exel1966

It may just be a simple mistake which they'll correct after looking into it.

Could some of the difference between the two figures be a charge for use of a credit card assuming you pay by card in FULL ? Is there any breakdown of the invoice as to what the charges are ?
For protection under the Consumer Credit Act 1974 (later updated) YOU would have to prove that a contract had been formed at the lower price or that they had failed to 'deliver' your holiday.

I know what you mean about call-backs, I have a severe distrust of companies promising to do this, but sometimes I am surprised even after a week. Maybe another call is due !

caveat_emptor

Look at Airtours T&C as they can change the cost due to certain factors such as increase fuel cost etc. but not within 30 days of you going. Airtours website gives contacts for questions about your holiday and for complaints. If all else fails contact ABTA through their website..

Monkeeboy

As you say it may be a simple mistake but if it was I would have expected them to be able to deal with this straight away on the phone!

I only paid the minimum deposit on the credit card which was only £99 plus 2% charge so it cannot be down to that.

Unfortunately there is no breakdown on the invoice either. I tried to be precise when I booked and did ask several times whether the £3955 was the full price including any booking charges etc and the operator confirmed this. What I think may have happened is that they have not applied all of the discounts to bring the price to £3955. But, like I said earlier if this is the case surely they would be able to identify it straight away. The fact it is taking a week to return a simple call makes me think they may have got the price wrong in the first place and are checking their recordings to see what the operator quoted!

I have called every other day and each time you call you get stuck in a queue for at least 40 minutes. The few times I got through I was told to call another number - which takes you to another queue, or to wait!

I understand that they can change the costs within a certain limit - however to increase it ny almost 10% on the same day it was booked is attempted theft! (the invoice was issued the same day I booked so they would have known this)

Monkeeboy

Update - I have just seen Watchdog tonight - didn't fill me with confidence!!

Monkeeboy

Well I am still awaiting a response from Airtours. My wife called them on Saturday and was told they had tried to phone but didnt have the correct number....what a pack of.....they also told her that a letter was being issued Saturday...still no sign of it today. I get the feeling I am being fobbed off. Its 2 weeks tomorrow since I raised the problem with them. I have sent a recorded delivery letter and 2 emails and still no contact from them.

I am considering trading standards by Friday. Has anyone had any luck with them resolving problems like this?

bagand96

Holiday companies take ages to repy, and it is very frustrating engaging in any sort of dialogue with them. ABTA regulations state tha from the date of recieving your letter they have 14 days to simply acknowledge receipt, and 28 days to issue you a full reply. And the holiday companies will make full use of that time.

moneysavingstu

This exact same set of circumstances just happened top my brother. he booked for his family of 4 to travel to Orlando later this year at a cost of £3500 agreed over the phone. On receipt of the invoice they ask for £3800. It seems that the additional cost is car hire insurance which they had explicitly stated was included in the price quoted to him. After 2 weeks of chasing them and being passed from one person to another with failed promises to call him back, he eventually got the original Airtours employee with whom he booked the holiday calling him back and claiming that he was lying about his version of events. Absolutely appalling.