Warning that Holiday Complaints can lead to Poor or No Compensation Without Advices!
The 2009 holiday season, despite the credit crunch, has started with the usual flow of holiday complaints; these include:
- Cramped cruise cabins for families;
- Low holiday deposit disputes;
- Failure by ATOL/Insurance Companies/Credit Card Companies/ ABTA to resolve payments following collapse of XL & Freedom Direct;
- Pressure selling of holidays;
- Insurance company failing to declare underwriter for 2 years;
- Denial of Significant Change rights;
- Poor or non-existent responses to holiday complaints;
- Cleaners using the same cloths to clean toilets and bedroom furniture;
- One toilet brush being used by cleaners for every toilet on the same landing;
- Furniture not bolted down in a cabin on a cruise;
- Exposed electrics;
- Cockroaches in bedrooms;
- Hotel room ceilings hanging down;
- Mould in hotel rooms;
- Building work;
- Holidaymakers subjected to last minute hotel changes;
- Holidaymakers exposed to solvents;
- Holidaymaker suffered electric shock;
- Rats;
- Flies;
- Failure to clean food spillages leading to fall;
- Food served lukewarm;
- Buffet food left open to elements;
- Food left out for long periods;
- Cooked and uncooked meat presented on the same trays;
- Chicken served pink;
- Meat served raw;
- Salads not chilled;
- Omelettes served runny;
- Green swimming pools;
- Severe long term diarrhoeal illnesses;
- Severe anal infections;
- Hospitalisation of holidaymakers upon return to the UK;
- Salmonella.
The following are case study examples of recent cases:
Mrs A had booked a special holiday for herself and her husband to Madeira. On arrival they discovered that the conditions at the hotel were not what they paid for - rooms were dark, consisted of campbeds, one third of the facilities were open, unclean swimming pool – and meant that they spent the first 2 days of their holiday making complaints before being transferred to a new hotel at their expense! They lost 2 days of a seven day holiday. The tour operator refuses to make any offer of compensation!
Mrs B went on holiday to India and suffered serious illness due to poor facilities and poor food. She is still suffering several weeks following her return. She has made a complaint to the hotelier and tour operator – they have at this stage failed to acknowledge her correspondence!
Mrs C went with her family of six to Bulgaria. A combination of poor food and hygiene, meant that 5 out of the 6 of this group suffered with serious gastric illness from day 2 of their holiday. They were only able to enjoy the first day and a half of their 7 day holiday. There is a diagnosed illness within this family and one other has been hospitalised. The tour operator has offered the family £500 for a holiday that cost over £2000!
Mrs D went with her husband to Tunisia. Their holiday was subject to a change of accommodation on arrival at the airport. The hotel allocated was subject to major building and refurbishment work. There was no heating in their rooms and she suffered a minor injury. Complaints were ignored. They paid £1200 for their holiday and were offered £80 in compensation!
HolidayTravelWatch has earlier this year expressed its concern on poor levels of holiday compensation through its press release - ‘Consumer Group warns on Holiday Compensation’.
Frank Brehany, the Senior Consumer Advocate for HolidayTravelWatch states:
“I make no apology for raising this issue again. It is time that Travel Consumers were treated to safe holiday accommodation, a good holiday product and either a proper response to holiday complaints or fair holiday compensation! Holidaymakers must consider any offer that is made very carefully; if you receive an offer, you should seek advice before accepting – remember, if you fail to do so, you cannot have two bites of the cherry!”
HTW has noted that amongst the submissions to the Committee on Toxicity (COT) it has been suggested that the symptoms highlighted by crew and passengers were akin to the condition of hyperventilation.
HTW has for many years received reports from concerned holiday makers or independent travellers as to the safety of their aircraft, ship or boat, train or road transport.
