 Poster: A snowHead
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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Not using TOs has nothing to do with 'ski snobbery' and everything to do with cost and aggro. If like me you ski in Europe in school hols, TO prices are out of the question unless you're extremely well heeled. We've used TOs to N.America where the reverse seems to be true; TO's are cheaper than DIY at busy times. The TOs we used (usual suspects) were OK but always managed to cock something up, causing wholly unnecessary minor, occasionally major, aggro.
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Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
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richmond, I'd agree with you there. Haven't used US TO's. thinking of trying them out next year - any reccomendations?
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
You need to Login to know who's really who.
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| AxsMan wrote: |
Helen Beaumont,
Your experience of TUI group companies is uncannily similar to mine. - can't ALL be coincidence!
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Remember only one of the three companies she named are actually TUI group (Crystal).
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Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
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| richmond wrote: |
| Not using TOs has nothing to do with 'ski snobbery' and everything to do with cost and aggro. If like me you ski in Europe in school hols, TO prices are out of the question unless you're extremely well heeled. |
I think the "school holidays" is an important part of that. That is the time at which their resources are going to be most stretched, and also the time when they are closest to having a "captive market", where they can push up prices and still get sales.
At less peak times, I have found their prices to Europe to be about the same (booking fairly late) as the best I could manage DIY.
Their brochure prices are always pretty high, but who pays those, unless you have very specific requirements as to particular accommodation (and maybe resort, depending on size)?
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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alex_heney, and most of my bad experiences listed were with Crystal, and four of these were on the same holiday, just after they were taken over.
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| Crystal-lift passes given to another couple, causing us to lose a days ski school, booked into beginners classes despite asking for level 2 and 3. Rep failing to notify us of the departure time of the coach back to the airport. Smaller and poorer quality apartment due to overbooking (common problem it seems).On another occasion our rep had a broken leg and couldn't sort out prebooked lift passes for us, so we had to cancel them with him, then go and queue ourselves. Kids sleeping in 'bunk room' which was really just a cupboard, despite booking a twin, as they had given their room to a late booking who arrived before us. No breakfast on the morning of an early departure at one hotel because rep had forgotten to organise it. |
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AxsMan, Neither 
I just happen to have used them for more of my ski (and other) holidays than any other TO, and have not experienced any problems, nor personally come across others who have experienced more than minor problems with them.
I did actually have shares in Thomson just after they floated, but sold those before they were taken over by TUI.
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You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
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alex_heney, well if you count contacts made on the internet, with myself and Helen Beaumont, you have now personally come across two people who have experienced more than minor problems with them.
BTW mine resulted in exchanges of letters and substantial refunds, just to clarify that they were not 'minor' 
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AxsMan, I haven't generally counted those as "personal", although with this site I probably should.
I still think that your and Helen's experiences are the exception rather than the rule, but I accept that by the fact I have only ever been at off-peak times, I probably see them when they are least stretched, and so are less likley to have customer service issues. (the only time I have skied outside of January was my Canada trip, which wasn't with TUI group).
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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AxsMan, we usually used UK TOs to go to Canada, and although they never cocked things up to the extent of spoiling the hol, they always managed to get something wrong, such as a name, requiring correction, or misled us (never significantly) about the cost. I see no point in paying someone to cock things up for me; I can do it myself at no cost. I only used them because we couldn't compete on price DIY.
We used United Vacations, the holiday bit of United Airlines, to travel to Breckenridge. Got off to a bad start when they refused to honour the price they quoted on their website for the trip as it was apparently a mistake (which remained uncorrected for several weeks after they became aware of it). I reported it to my local trading standards office who seemed to be interested, but I don't know what happened. They were still competitive, and once I was back on speaking terms with them they gave us a good value hol. We stopped over in NY for a few days on the way back, and a good time was had by all.
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And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
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| richmond wrote: |
| ........... they refused to honour the price they quoted on their website for the trip as it was apparently a mistake (which remained uncorrected for several weeks after they became aware of it). I reported it to my local trading standards office who seemed to be interested, but I don't know what happened. .......... |
Under UK law, I believe that the price shown is an 'invitation to treat', but is not binding until or unless a deal is struck. Different in the US, I think.
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achilles, I think that's right, so far as UK is concerned, but it was irritating. While I did not have any cause of action, they may have been infringing TS rules and regs. They also kept the price displayed for a long time after the error was pointed out. The matter was complicated, I can't remember how, by a local travel agent who was also being misleading about the prices (possibly just by stocking the brochure). I doubt that UK TS officers can do much about the behaviour of a US company - they'd proably find themselves with a free all inclusive hol in Guantanamo Bay if they tried.
Last edited by So if you're just off somewhere snowy come back and post a snow report of your own and we'll all love you very much  on Mon 25-02-08 10:50; edited 2 times in total
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You know it makes sense.
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richmond, I think there was a ruling about travel agents prices , don't they now have to show price including all supplements? Could be wrong though.
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Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
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Sounds plausible. Now that I think about it, what happened was that I picked up a United Vacations brochure from the local branch of some dreary chain of travel agents, which showed a price for flights to N.America at Easter which was wrong (too low, natch). The error also appeared on the UV website, and stayed there, and it was clear when I first spoke to UV that they knew all about it (and didn't trouble to correct the website), so they were guilty of incompetence at best. The travel agent's 'offence' was to stock the brochure, which is a bit hard (not that I care for or about chain travel agents). Although the price difference was significant, UV's real price was still good, and they gave us a good trip, so I'd recommend them.
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Poster: A snowHead
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| achilles wrote: |
| richmond wrote: |
| ........... they refused to honour the price they quoted on their website for the trip as it was apparently a mistake (which remained uncorrected for several weeks after they became aware of it). I reported it to my local trading standards office who seemed to be interested, but I don't know what happened. .......... |
Under UK law, I believe that the price shown is an 'invitation to treat', but is not binding until or unless a deal is struck. Different in the US, I think. |
While it is only an "invitation to treat", the various incarnations of the Price Marking Regulations mean that (with some exceptions) prices advertised or displayed must be honoured.
While the TO doesn't have to "treat" with you at all, if they do then it must be at the advertised price unless there is an "obvious" error (which is the get out that has been used in the case of £200 cameras advetrised at £20 for instance).
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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It was 3 years ago, folks, so don't worry too much.
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FAQ
Thanks for the info 
