Thomas Cook make me so angry

[mouse]

:mad2:
:mad2:
firstly sorry this is nothing to do with the USA but I need to get things off my chest.

We were booked for Easter to go to Cyprus 4* AI with Thomas Cook, guess what just after we paid the balance they notified building work including fitting out of shells and excavating of foundations. My suspicion is they knew before they took the balance. Do they want to help sort things out NO..... if we move to another hotel that is 4* we have to pay the difference between what we paid and what we would have to pay for that holiday today (compounded by no space on the flights so can't really tell the difference) and they are talking best part of a £1000 for the 5 of us. As we are waiting to hear if we are to be made redundant (we both work for the same company) at the end of February paying more is not an option.

So they give us a take it or leave it option of moving to a 3* so down grading in another area of Cyprus were we have been loads of times before, and wanted a change from at no extra cost but we lose the taxi transfers and they admit this is a cheaper hotel but that is just tough.

I feel they have me over a barrel I have no choice but move, or suffer the building work. It doesn't seem right they can act like this but it looks like they can, and everything takes ages as they are merging with Airtours and they have lots of problems.

Any thoughts on what I can do at present i think we are going to have to down grade and basically get ripped off by them.

I would suggest any one thinking of using Thomas Cook think twice as they don't care once they have your money in my opinion.

:angry: :angry: :angry:

[jdybnsn]

Sorry this going pear shaped for you - just when you don't need it. :(

Suggest you go onto the Holidaytruth.com website.... they have a solicitor on there, "Ros" she specialises in travel industry law.

She gives free help & advice if you get in touch with her through there - worth a try. :confused2

[mouse]

Thank you so much for the advice, will see if there is anything I can do.

[Sue Bradley]

I think this is outrageous. How about contacting one of the TV consumer programmes or the solicitor in the mail on wednesdays that sorts out problems like this for people. I really hope and pray that you get a good resolution to this-I think these big companies forget that the majority of us save for ages and look forward to these tripe for months if not years.

[mouse]

I am going to try watchdog think you are right, they don't realise the effect they have on us.

[surferqueen]

Great Advice so far. We have just had a bad experience with them as well, we cant do night flights and after tralling the net to get good flights we booked our holiday with Direct holidays, they have now changed our flight by over 14 hours!! this means that we have to take another days holiday. Response was basically TOUGH!! Dont book Thomas Cook.

[jdybnsn]

Just FYI Ros often appears in an advisory role on Holiday Watchdog. :)

[mouse]

Contacted trading standards today who advise that they should be behaving like this. Advice is to write to head office recorded delivery (letter on printer already) give them 14 days to resolve and if not they will look at taking it up.

[mouse]

An update after 14 days no reply evem though sent recorded delivery. Tried to phone if you get into the queue which is unusual as it normally says we are busy try again later and cuts you off, no one ever answers have waited for the full 1 hour time and time again. Phoned the TA which is Thomas Cook who told us we have to take it up with head office and they phoned back to say that they are currently dealing with letters from November so expect a response in 3 months but they will issue a we have received your letter in the next 2 weeks to comply with ABTA. So no chance of sorting things out before the holiday. Would definely suggest keeping away from Thomas Cook as they obviously have alot of complaints. Not that I am surprised after what we have seen.
Will see what trading standards and ABTA suggest next but I am beginning to think that they just ignore you once they have your money.

[Peter H]

Sorry you had such a bad experience with them. They were good when we went to NYC, but reacently they have been dissapointing. The company I work for has a discount scheme with them. We checked them out for Venice and Disneyland Paris and even with the discount we could get it cheaper sorting it out ourselves. They are not at the top of our list to book for Florida in 2010.

[mouse]

Finally reply from Thomas Cook tough this is the only option if you want the holiday, which we did as my husband has just lost his job. They don't have any respect for the customer once they have your money they don't care it took nearly 6 weeks to reply and then "sod off" I would never book with them again and would suggest that looking at all the problems people are having we all look to use FC and Thomsons, can't see any reason why anyone would want to use Thomas Cook as their product is inferior. other companies do price match and they don't even know what customer services is............. if people vote by stopping using them just maybe they will start looking after the bookings they have and for some dibbers that might be in time for them to avoid problems.

[tomnj]

I guess I am late but did you look at the resort's website or call them to see how extensive the construction project? Sometimes its not too intrusive.

Sorry about your husband :(

Please enjoy the trip and not worry.

[Sue Bradley]

I am so sorry you have had such a rough ride with this company-at a time when other carp is going on in your life. I would still continue the complaint through ABTA if you can stand to. We did this some years ago when I took my mum away to greece and the hotel we booked was featured on a holiday nightmare programme. We tried to swap hotels,they wouldn't let us do it for free,we were told the hotel was fine. I lodged with ABTA-sameas you the response period meant we had no choice. These companies should be ashamed of their poor customer service and deserve to close.

[mouse]

Thanks for the support, web reviews are bad in relation to the building work............. will just make the best of the break and if I can face it try and go to ABTA after but I somehow feel I would end up with Thomas Cook vouchers and even if you paid me double I would never travel with them again