What is it with "agents"? (long rant) .................

[Cobra]

(Abridged but still long)

Are they a secret society formed by some government department to make us mere mortals life hell?
After a total disaster with estate agents 18 months down the line and several house moves that have
gone totally tits up, we decided to draw a line under that particular part of our lives and move on.

To de-stress we decided to treat ourselves to a decent holiday

Cue the secret society of travel agents.........
We booked an on line holiday through a well known on-line agent on Saturday
we received confirmation of the booking.
10 minutes later a phone call from them
sorry that's not available
WTF?
No its fully booked
will you accept a replacement?
I agreed as long as it met certain criteria
ie quite restful and no bleeding discos / karaoke / or other noise making activities
a replacement was duly booked and the confirmation details emailed over
on inspection I found to my delight that the "resort" had a whole host of goodies
Disco's / Karaoke / beach parties and other noise making events!
a quick phone call to complain (20 minutes had elapsed)
You said that you would accept a replacement
Yes within the criteria stipulated!
forget it! if I wanted that type of holiday I would have gone somewhere like Spain
at a fraction of the cost
Ah well there is a 50% cancellation fee
WTF?
Yes well its booked now
Ok well do that then and I will speak to my solicitor, citizens advice bureau, trading standards
travel agents governing body, uncle Tom cobbley and all ( and all) on Monday ( this was Saturday)
Er don't be too hasty let me see if I can get the original destination booked
WTF?
Well occasionally they hold a couple back..
several more phone calls from me
I'll phone you back in 30 minutes
12 hours later
no sorry its all booked
But the operator will accept a 10% cancellation fee
What for your cock up?
Best I can do I am afraid

Ok cancel and I will speak to my solicitor, citizens advice bureau, trading standards
travel agents governing body, uncle Tom cobbley and all ( and all) on Monday.

Another phone call
I have your flights and the accommodation to the original destination I will email the confirmation tomorrow
no confirmation.............
I make another phone call several hours later
Erm yes we have the flights but no accommodation

This went on for 5 days uppers and downers
yes we have "it" no we don't
I'll call you back in half an hour ( 4 or 5 hrs if I was lucky)
I hate to think how much my phone bill is going to be

Finally tonight they found a "refurbished" accommodation that they had "forgotten about"
WTF?

Yes there is one that is ready but wasn't due to be ready for another few weeks
( a cancellation more like that saved their collective arses and Commission more like!)

I now have in my grubby little mitts ( electronically speaking) confirmation flight numbers E tickets
transfer flights accommodation reservations and all
5 days to book a holiday on line? WTF?
several man hours on the phone some paid by me some by them
Oh and of course the "holiday is more expensive than the originol on-line price AND their are still "several places available"
When I checked out the site.............
I guess this is some sort of ploy.
"Sorry thats gone but we can offer a less suitable one for the same price"
Stress levels through the roof ..............I will need a friggin holiday just to get over the booking of this one!
This had better be worth it!

 

[macky799]

So where are you going to de-stress :shrug:

 

[Cobra]

So where are you going to de-stress :shrug:

As the "long range" weather forcast for the UK is pretty bloody awful,.........
I didn't want to upset people by telling..................
.........OK OK you have forced it out of me ............
a small island in the Maldives

 

[Flash In The Pan]

All that for a week at Eastbourne? :shrug:

 

[Cobra]

All that for a week at Eastbourne? :shrug:

Yeah I know, hardly seems worth it does it :shrug:

 

[King of Groove]

Do you think someone should warn the Maldives Chris is coming?!!

 

[hepburn]

for heavens sake don't even go near an employment agency!

 

[Bawbee]

for heavens sake don't even go near an employment agency!

Dating Agency - No, best not, eh?

 

[candlestick]

I can't understand package holidays in this day & age!? Surely it's as simple to book a flight, and then finds accomodation online that meets your requirements exactly than pay a middleman to find you something that 'sort of' fits what you're looking for??? :shrug:

 

[Matt Sayle]

Cheese and rice. All that just to book a holiday!! The staff are all proberly school drop outs who catn get a job anywhere else!

 

[Cobra]

Do you think someone should warn the Maldives Chris is coming?!!

for heavens sake don't even go near an employment agency!

I'll try not too

Dating Agency - No, best not, eh?

Hmm better not tell the Mrs, on the other hand she might think its a good idea

I can't understand package holidays in this day & age!? Surely it's as simple to book a flight, and then finds accomodation online that meets your requirements exactly than pay a middleman to find you something that 'sort of' fits what you're looking for??? :shrug:

Fair comment and we usually do it that way, but couldn't find what we were looking for these clowns though claimed to have exactly what we wanted

Cheese and rice. All that just to book a holiday!! The staff are all proberly school drop outs who catn get a job anywhere else!

Probabley Matt probabley could even be the "work experiance crowd" of course

 

[lee]

Do you think someone should warn the Maldives Chris is coming?!!

Do you think someone should warn Chris about hurrican Marie? !!

















Just Kidding Chris have a fantastic holiday

 

[Cobra]

Do you think someone should warn Chris about hurrican Marie? !!

Just Kidding Chris have a fantastic holiday

Nothing would surprise me at the minute Lee

Thanks we will certainly give it our best shot

oh BTW the tickets have been confirmed within the last couple of hours
but they were confirmed last night :shrug: couldn't organise a bunk-up in a brothel that lot :bang:

 

[Bawbee]

Do you think someone should warn Chris about hurrican Marie? !!

Just Kidding Chris have a fantastic holiday

Nah, Hurricanes are in the Atlantic Ocean only.

In the Maldives they only have Typhoons and Tsunamis

 

[Cobra]

Nah, Hurricanes are in the Atlantic Ocean only.

In the Maldives they only have Typhoons and Tsunamis

I'm gonna get a bit wet then I guess

 

[MikeeB]

Nice I can't wait to get away in a couple of weeks to Crete. Warm sun, blue skies and a relaxing villa with a pool.

Enjoy the Maldives! I know a few people who have been there that have recommended it.

 

[Cobra]

Cheers Mikee
Crete is a great place too .............. enjoy

 

[fracster]

Muchos jelousos Chris.....enjoy dude.......

 

[Mohain]

Wasn't Virgin Holidays by any chance was it?

I can't understand package holidays in this day & age!? Surely it's as simple to book a flight, and then finds accomodation online that meets your requirements exactly than pay a middleman to find you something that 'sort of' fits what you're looking for??? :shrug:

Often package holiday companies can get you flights and accomodation cheaper than you can buy them directly as they will buy blocks of rooms/flights. Also they can offer cheap transfers and you have an English speaking rep should there be any problems with your accomodation etc. If you're spendind a lot of money on a holiday it often makes sense.

 

[Cobra]

Muchos jelousos Chris.....enjoy dude.......

Cheers Ade

Wasn't Virgin Holidays by any chance was it?

Often package holiday companies can get you flights and accomodation cheaper than you can buy them directly as they will buy blocks of rooms/flights. Also they can offer cheap transfers and you have an English speaking rep should there be any problems with your accomodation etc. If you're spendind a lot of money on a holiday it often makes sense.

/\ that all makes a lot of sense and what I have found out since I am sure
you are correct
Actually it was last minute ( Thompson)

 

[candlestick]

Wasn't Virgin Holidays by any chance was it?



Often package holiday companies can get you flights and accomodation cheaper than you can buy them directly as they will buy blocks of rooms/flights. Also they can offer cheap transfers and you have an English speaking rep should there be any problems with your accomodation etc. If you're spendind a lot of money on a holiday it often makes sense.

Truth accepted - I suppose it depends on what you're doing. We don't tend to do resort holidays so I'm not probably the target market for Thomas Cook etc. The closest we've got to using an agency was Trailfinders for bits of our honeymoon to the Far East.

 

[ekimeno]

Cobra, I used to work at ABTA in their complaints department - me and a team of about 6 people would get about 20-30 complaints every day each for cases just like yours... mostly from reputable UK travel agents. We had a 3-6 month backlog of arbitration cases as well.

I never book packaged holidays...

 

[birdy961]

Blimey Mate, does make you wonder:bang:


I hope that you manage to enjoy your holiday when you get there

 

[Cobra]

Cobra, I used to work at ABTA in their complaints department - me and a team of about 6 people would get about 20-30 complaints every day each for cases just like yours... mostly from reputable UK travel agents. We had a 3-6 month backlog of arbitration cases as well.

I never book packaged holidays...

Thanks for confirming my worst fears
I did consider complaing but wondered if there actually was any point :shrug:

Blimey Mate, does make you wonder:bang:
I hope that you manage to enjoy your holiday when you get there

Thanks Robin
my luck has to change sooner or later I guess hope :shrug:

 

[pxl8]

I can't understand package holidays in this day & age!? Surely it's as simple to book a flight, and then finds accomodation online that meets your requirements exactly than pay a middleman to find you something that 'sort of' fits what you're looking for??? :shrug:

I did this for our honeymoon a few years back. Found the hotel in the brochure, got in touch and booked direct. Saved over a grand. The following year the hotel had hiked their prices by 70% so they were inline with the package deal. I suspect they were under pressure from the agent who didn't want folks like me to cut them out of the equation. In the end it still worked out cheap because the room we booked wasn't available when we arrived so we had a different room. On checkout day I was prepared for an argument about prices but they said we didn't have to pay the balance (30% deposit when we booked) so we left with 1400 euros in the bank

 

[wack61]

So where are you going to de-stress :shrug:

Nowhere, the airline will have gone bust by then

 

[Cobra]

I did this for our honeymoon a few years back. Found the hotel in the brochure, got in touch and booked direct. Saved over a grand. The following year the hotel had hiked their prices by 70% so they were inline with the package deal. I suspect they were under pressure from the agent who didn't want folks like me to cut them out of the equation. In the end it still worked out cheap because the room we booked wasn't available when we arrived so we had a different room. On checkout day I was prepared for an argument about prices but they said we didn't have to pay the balance (30% deposit when we booked) so we left with 1400 euros in the bank

Cool
everynow and again you strike it lucky, must be my turn soon

Nowhere, the airline will have gone bust by then

Yeah knowing the way my luck is running at the moment it wouldn't surprise me

 

[Matt Sayle]

Nowhere, the airline will have gone bust by then

There is a confidence boost for you Chris

 

[Cobra]

There is a confidence boost for you Chris

Yep just what I needed Matt

 

[Toothie]

good luck Chris fingers crossed fro you

 

[Cobra]

Thanks Ruthie

 

[Woodsy]

Jesus dude, I'd have gone mental over all that. You deserve a nice break now!

 

[Cobra]

Jesus dude, I'd have gone mental over all that. You deserve a nice break now!

Cheers Woodsy I was close to it ...Very close to it
I just hope that it all goes smoothly here on out 13 days and counting