'First Choice' fiasco! UPDATE reaching crisis point.

Miró

We have a holiday booked with 'First Choice' - travelling to the Dominican Republic in just over a weeks time- staying at the Sunscape, Punta Cana. I have been looking at the hotel's website and posting on it's forum and have just found out that the hotel is closing for refurbishment 5 days before our holiday! There is an announcement clearly stating this on their site. I have been in touch with our T/A asking what is happening and they say that they have not been informed by their local representatives of any changes and therefore our booking stands. They are refusing to do anything to help us until thery are informed 'officially' about the closure.

We only booked the holiday 3 weeks ago...surely they must have known then that the hotel would not be open...so why did the hotel accept the booking??

What on earth do we do?? Do we fly out in the hope that they sort something out when we get there? The holiday is fully paid for and we have also had other expenses such as car parking/insurance/pets booked into cattery etc.

Call_Centre_Guru

Hi Miro, this is clearly very naughty, did you speak to the manager at your T/A if not you should take in a screen print of the closure notification and if you get no joy there ask for the head office details and contact them straight away. One word of caution, some forum sites can contain false information, before you go back to FC I would email the hotel directly and get an 'official' notification.

Miró

Hi CCG

Yes, I've emailed the hotel directly, (as has the T/A), but not had a response yet. I've printed out the closure announcement ready to show the T/A....it's actually a very elaborate plan of what they are going to do with the refurb...if it is a hoax then someone has gone to a lot of trouble!

I'm going to stage a sit-in at the T/A's tomorrow til things are sorted!!

Now I'm wondering, if the holiday is cancelled, can we claim for all the out-of pocket expenses over and above the cost of the travel and accomodation that we have incurred?

Call_Centre_Guru

It's more likely they will offer you an alternative rather than cancel you, which hopefully will be a higher rating at no extra to you. The important thing is they offer you the choice before you get there not just re allocate you on arrival so you can decide if you want to cancel and get your money back.

Miró

This is getting ridiculous now - five days to go to our flight!!! Our travel agents say the terms and conditions of our booking still stand so we can't rebook or cancel without, (they say), losing the £2.500+ we have paid, and our holiday. We have also paid for airport parking, insurance, vaccinations, medicines, pet accomodation, bought new clothes etc and have arranged time off work. They say they can do nothing til they hear from their rep in the resort who appears to be non-existant! In the meantime they are doing nothing. I have contacted their head office, The Association of British Travel Agents, HolidayTravelWatch, Sunscape Hotels themselves, (all to no avail), and have moaned endlessly on the hotel website's forum and on TripAdvisor. I can't think of anything else to do now. Surely our contract is with the T/A and therefore it is their responsibility to sort matters out for us? Other people who were booked into this hotel, (all American), have been booked into other hotel's now (all upgraded).

I just feel sick with disappointment. Do we fly knowing what we know?? What if we arrive after our 10 hr flight with nobody to meet us and no accomodation arranged??? What was to have been a dream holiday has turned into a nightmare!

richardw

Perhaps telephone the hotel and first choice, e mails can be misunderstood, you might get more information.

Check https://www.telediscount.co.uk for international calls.

Sam_Bee

Try www.holidaytruths.co.uk you can get free legal advice. Probably on Monday though.

Miró

richardw wrote: »

Perhaps telephone the hotel and first choice, e mails can be misunderstood, you might get more information.

Check www.telediscount.co.uk for international calls.

Thanks...but I've spent hours on the phone to First Choice and have been into their travel shop twice in person. No reply from the hotel!!

Miró

Sam_Bee wrote: »

Try www.holidaytruths.co.uk you can get free legal advice. Probably on Monday though.

Thank you very much...that looks like a useful site....will register now.

Incapuppy

Mir! wrote: »

Thanks...but I've spent hours on the phone to First Choice and have been into their travel shop twice in person. No reply from the hotel!!

If it was me I would phone the hotel as richardw has already suggested - even if you don't get much joy from them you won't be in a worse position than you already are.

Miró

Incapuppy wrote: »

If it was me I would phone the hotel as richardw has already suggested - even if you don't get much joy from them you won't be in a worse position than you already are.

I have tried ringing the hotel several times...no reply! The place will have closed for the refit now too.