 Poster: A snowHead
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You are such a clever bunch on here I'd like to seek your advice please. What would you do if you were in this situation:
Briefly this is what has happened. In April 2008 I booked a holiday for 11 of us to go to ADH. Before booking I had checked with the telephone agent that the creche was near the hotel and he assured me it was. The holiday cost over £11000 and took place 28/12/08 to 3/1/09.
In the summer I was browsing the net, looking forward to my holiday, and was shocked to notice that it said that childcare could not be booked at that particular hotel. I phoned First Choice and they told me that I could book childcare but that it was far from the hotel!
I then spent the next few months making numerous calls trying to sort it out. They said I could move hotels but they were all far inferior hotels and therefore I didn't think it fair to move the whole party to a rubbish hotel because of my childcare problem. They then said I could cancel at no cost to myself. I searched for days but it was just after the airline companies had gone bust, flights were in short supply and we were a large group trying to book in for New Year quite late so everything I found was double the price. So again not a viable option.
First Choice said we could get a taxi in resort (at our expense), when we arrived we got a taxi number off the rep. We phoned them from the hotel on arrival and despite guaranteeing them a round trip journey twice a day for six days they said the journey was too short (assumed they just did airport runs). The hotel tried two more companies who said the same thing. First Choice also said we could get the ski bus which would be a 10 minute journey followed by a twenty minute walk (thus a total of 30 minutes each direction, twice a day = 2 hours a day plus waiting time for the bus). We would have had to have walked to the other hotel and back each time to change shoes/ski boots and pick up/drop off skis. The walk to the other hotel was 30 minutes each direction, twice a day (so a big hike but quicker than hanging around for a ski bus).
So each day my daughter and husband set off at 8am to the creche. He would be back around 9.15am and we would go and ski for a few hours before he would head back at lunch time for the next 1hr plus round trip to pick her up (we only put her in creche in the morning).
I think I spent about £30 in phone calls to the company, and hours and hours on hold and repeating the whole situation to whichever agent picked up the phone. It was all a really frustrating upsetting time. Add to that trying to get out the door for 8 while on holiday and my poor husband walking 2 hours a day because of the agents disshonest/incompetence then I am a bit cross about the situation. Also, Crystal Ski and First Choice merged during this time and the right hand side hadn't a clue what the left hand side was doing so even more aggro!!
First Choice offer no compensation, ABTA say they have offered to resolve the situation by saying I could cancel so there is no comeback with them.
Does anyone have any advice for me as I feel totally shaft3d? Thanks in advance
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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HH, I think you have no options. The childcare was not nooked through 1st choice and therefore you are snookered. All they did was offer some information.
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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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i don't understand how this is Firstchoice's fault. In fact, it sounds like they have tried quite hard to make the best of a bad job. Sounds like the agent misrepresented what was available and they should be the ones who get the grief.
I may be missing something of course
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
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Hi
The childcare was booked through first choice. The day I booked their computers were down and so they took a manual booking, I did book childcare at the same time, when I noticed the web page saying I couldn't book I got out my invoice and sure enough the creche wasn't on there. I assume had the computers been working then we wouldn't have had the problem as the computer would have prompted him that childcare could not be booked. I'm then assuming that later when he did put it through on the pc that he didn't phone me and let me know as he didn't want to lose the commission on an £11,000 holiday so he just kept quiet...
To me I don't see it as information, I see it as being missold a holiday. It's like telling you the hotel has a swimming pool but it doesn't.
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brian
brian
Guest
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HH, was the telephone agent with a separate travel agency or were you booking direct with First Choice ?
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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I think you have had a degree of bad service and rightly you feel as if you have shafted, but I do not think you have much of a case because it is simply your word against who ever said that child care was local to your hotel, and the 'default' of having to walk in the morning to get your child to child care is small in comparison with the overall booking.
just let it go for your own sanity 
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| brian wrote: |
| HH, was the telephone agent with a separate travel agency or were you booking direct with First Choice ? |
Direct with First Choice
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Hmm. You went. You suffered, but, in comparison with the cost of the holiday, lost very little money. You are now miffed by FC, and want 'compensation'. For what? Looks like you want some sort of vengeance. I cannot see it is worth the little you might just possibly make.
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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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HH, I can sympathise in annoyance with First Choice - I'm currently awaiting a response to my complaint letter after we spent Christmas week in a different hotel to the one we'd booked. - on the coach to resort we were told there had been a mix-up and we couldn't stay in the right hotel, so had been moved to another owned by the same family, trouble was it was not ski-in ski-out, not right by the gondola and not with new 5* spa area - the very three reasons we booked!!! They've actually breached ABTA guidelines now as they received my letter 14 days ago today, and have not acknowledged so. 
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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Was it not an option for just yourselves to move hotel? Why did all 11 of you need to move? That would have been the obvious solution.
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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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HH, hard luck. That sort of disappointment is hard to take, especially when you're paying £1000/head and think that you have everything sorted. I've had experience of 'misunderstandings' between me and TO people, which is one reason why I don't use TOs anymore. I daresay that the mistakes are genuine errors, rather than attempts to get a booking which they might not get otherwise, but that's little consolation. In htis case it does sound as if the TO did what they could to address the problem caused by their error, but there was no entirely satisfactory solution.
It would be nice if 1st Choice made some gesture of compensation; ABTA's idea that offering to cancel without penalty is a satisfactory solution is ludicrous.
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I am stunned that people expect to take kids away, leave them with 'whoever' and they then complain when it goes wrong.
Kids are for taking on a holiday that you will have with them, or for not having.
I'm amazed that TOs even offer creches at all. The potential liability is massive. Other countries don't have anything like the checks that we have here and people who dump their kids in unknown creches, for a few quid, really should go to the Caribbean and have a family holiday.
You were offered, when you tried to book the childcare (to make a contract), creche facilities some distance from your hotel. You were offered your money back but chose to go anyway knowing that the creche was some distance, hoping to leave your child somewhere (anywhere?) whilst you skied.
How can First Choice be at fault if it was indeed some distance?
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You know it makes sense.
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HH, First, I am constantly amazed at the attitude of many many people who have little sympathy for customers in a situation where a TO specifically offers a service (for a price), the customer pays and then the TO is unable to provide the service. Noone coerces the TO to offer this service, if they cant fulfil their obligations, it is THEIR FAULT and they should have to pay the price....
In saying that, in this case, unfortunately, your options are limited.
Theoretically, you have a case. Look at First Choice's T&C's. They state that where they make a major change you are entiltled to cancel or acceot the change and, either way, they are liable to compensation. 2 problems though:
1. Is this a major change? Thats debatable - there are guidelines on the ABTA as to what is considered a "significant change" but its a matter of interpretation - given the significant extra hassle/expense it caused you, you might be succesful in arguing it but its not a slam-dunk by any means..
2. Even if you pass that hurdle, the FC T&C's have a range of compensation amounts available in this type of scenario and they dont go beyond £50 per person. Is it worth the undoubted hassle to recoup a few quid? Thats up to you but throwing more time and energy at this might not be worth it.
Anyway, thats my 2 cents worth. I wish you the best of luck.
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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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drkpower, I do not see that a creche further away than expected would be a major change with respect to the booking for 11 people for a week skiing. the resort is the same, the flights were the same, the week was the same, the hotel was the same, the creche facility was the same but was just further away than expected. Nothing has actually changed except that the distance of the creche from the hotel was mis-represented maybe. The TO offered some options - an alternative hotel or a full refund, they could not offer a closer creche because it did not exist (i presume), and they have done all they could reasonably be exppected to have done.
Is compensation a possibility - naahh
Page 2 yet 
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Poster: A snowHead
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| bar shaker wrote: |
I am stunned that people expect to take kids away, leave them with 'whoever' and they then complain when it goes wrong.
Kids are for taking on a holiday that you will have with them, or for not having. |
Says who? If you have a kid below the age of 4 or 5, or possibly older, it will either not be sking at all or not for a lot of the time. You (a) leave it at home with a trusted carer, (b) take it with you and take a trusted carer with you; (c) take it with you and stick it in a reputable creche for some of the time; (d) don't go skiing. For many, (a) and (b) are not practical options; what on earth is wrong with (c)? Sure, you take advice on the quality of creches, you check when you get there and each time you visit to take or pick up the kid and, if you're not happy, you take the kid out. It may come as a surprise to some people, but many kids enjoy spending time with other kids in a well run creche.
This is not the first post recently containing self righteous drivel about the undesirability of putting kids in creches on skiing holiday. Where on earth does the idea come from? Don't you send your kids to nursery school?
Last edited by Poster: A snowHead on Wed 21-01-09 0:10; edited 1 time in total
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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| Quote: |
drkpower, I do not see that a creche further away than expected would be a major change with respect to the booking for 11 people for a week skiing. the resort is the same, the flights were the same, the week was the same, the hotel was the same, the creche facility was the same but was just further away than expected. Nothing has actually changed except that the distance of the creche from the hotel was mis-represented maybe. The TO offered some options - an alternative hotel or a full refund, they could not offer a closer creche because it did not exist (i presume), and they have done all they could reasonably be exppected to have done.
Is compensation a possibility - naahh
Page 2 yet
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rayscoops, they could have given the correct information in the beginning, that would be reasonable in my eyes..........?!?
But i agree, a major change is a bit of a stretch - although the guidance in the ABTA code does have quite a subjective element but still an outside bet.
This one is a 10-pager for sure....... 
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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 agree. It's a perfectly acceptable thing to do. But you do have to make sure you get the details nailed down.
1. Leave nothing to chance.
2. Take no-one's word for it.
3. Check everything.
LTC = Leave The Children
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
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PJSki, Children best left with their Nanny
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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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PJSki, absolutely. We were lucky enough to be able to leave our nippers at home while we skied, until they were 4. They spent the next couple of ski hols in a creche, skiing for a an hour or two each day and spending some whole and part days with us, 'skiing' a bit and doing other stuff, and then they moved on to ski school and skiing with us. Now, of course, they leave us far behind. The kids enjoyed all the hols enormously.
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You'll need to Register first of course.
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| Arno wrote: |
i don't understand how this is Firstchoice's fault. In fact, it sounds like they have tried quite hard to make the best of a bad job. Sounds like the agent misrepresented what was available and they should be the ones who get the grief.
I may be missing something of course |
Firstly, I booked direct with First Choice. Secondly I asked quite a simple question "Is the creche near to our hotel?", the sales guy replied "yes". Dont know how an hours round trip walk can ever be misinterpreted as close in this situation?
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becsinbath
Isn't it a joke how we get treated, they have all the power. When paying for this holiday they'd changed our booking from First Choice to Crystal though the letter they sent us didn't actually say this it just said we had a new reference number and to use that and the new telephone number for any future correspondence. So when it came for paying for the holiday we did just that. About four days later we get a letter asking us to pay for the holiday so I phone yet again, go on hold for 40minutes yet again, and when I get through I get the message that "yes sorry you have paid for the holiday but they need to transfer the payment over to First choice (from Crystal) so that's why they think we haven't paid!". A week later, what happens? Another letter, saying "if you dont pay within the next seven days we are cancelling your holiday". Phone company agin, told by sales person again "your holiday is paid for, my computer says so"!!!!! Argh!!!!!!!! I explain thet I have a letter in my hand saying I haven't paid for it. I then phone the old telephone number and use the old booking reference number and they say there's been a mistake and we still owe a couple of hundred quid and we should have paid them not Crystal. Absoloute madness!
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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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HH, it does sound like madness, but the travel industry seems to be a 'law to itself' and seems to get away with it - it is a 'cop-out culture', but your issue comes down to the sellers interpretation of whether the creche was 'close by' compared with your interpretation. If you had been quoted 500 meters and the creche was actually 5 miles away maybe you would have more to argue about, but unfortunately I think your options are limited and all you can really do is have a good moan and avoid the TO in the future.
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| bar shaker wrote: |
I am stunned that people expect to take kids away, leave them with 'whoever' and they then complain when it goes wrong.
Kids are for taking on a holiday that you will have with them, or for not having.
I'm amazed that TOs even offer creches at all. The potential liability is massive. Other countries don't have anything like the checks that we have here and people who dump their kids in unknown creches, for a few quid, really should go to the Caribbean and have a family holiday.
You were offered, when you tried to book the childcare (to make a contract), creche facilities some distance from your hotel. You were offered your money back but chose to go anyway knowing that the creche was some distance, hoping to leave your child somewhere (anywhere?) whilst you skied.
How can First Choice be at fault if it was indeed some distance? |
I have two children, one aged seven and one aged 2. We started skiing when my first daughter was 3, coincidentally this is when ESF accept them into ski school. So my daughter went to ski school in the morning. Do you also dissapprove of ski school? Surely you must as the liability must also be huge, if not greater so than leaving a child in creche with trained nannies (British gualifications - so your argument of "other countries" checks is rather weak to say the least), added to that youre putting ski boots and skis on them for the first time and surely the potential for accidents is then greatly increased.
I am very lucky to have a terrific Mum and Dad who would just love it if we left the kids with them and went alone on holiday, but unfortunately for them (and your narrow minded views) our kids actually love their skiing holidays. They go to creche/ski school in the morning and then in the afternoon we have family time doing such stuff as sledging/making snowmen/swimming. This holiday their cousins came too and they had a blast making igloos etc. Our snow holidays expand on my childrens life experiences in a very positive way both physically and mentally, you are very short sighted indeed that you are not able to see that and just wish to judge someone for leaving their child in a safe environment for 18 hours out of a very rewarding week.
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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rayscoops
Yes, i think you are right. I will turn into a paranoid wreck trying to dot all the i's and cross all the t's and nailing them down on everything each time I book a holiday in future!
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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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| bar shaker wrote: |
I am stunned that people expect to take kids away, leave them with 'whoever' and they then complain when it goes wrong.
Kids are for taking on a holiday that you will have with them, or for not having.
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What a ridiculous generalisation.
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| HH wrote: |
| bar shaker wrote: |
I am stunned that people expect to take kids away, leave them with 'whoever' and they then complain when it goes wrong.
Kids are for taking on a holiday that you will have with them, or for not having.
I'm amazed that TOs even offer creches at all. The potential liability is massive. Other countries don't have anything like the checks that we have here and people who dump their kids in unknown creches, for a few quid, really should go to the Caribbean and have a family holiday.
You were offered, when you tried to book the childcare (to make a contract), creche facilities some distance from your hotel. You were offered your money back but chose to go anyway knowing that the creche was some distance, hoping to leave your child somewhere (anywhere?) whilst you skied.
How can First Choice be at fault if it was indeed some distance? |
I have two children, one aged seven and one aged 2. We started skiing when my first daughter was 3, coincidentally this is when ESF accept them into ski school. So my daughter went to ski school in the morning. Do you also dissapprove of ski school? Surely you must as the liability must also be huge, if not greater so than leaving a child in creche with trained nannies (British gualifications - so your argument of "other countries" checks is rather weak to say the least), added to that youre putting ski boots and skis on them for the first time and surely the potential for accidents is then greatly increased.
I am very lucky to have a terrific Mum and Dad who would just love it if we left the kids with them and went alone on holiday, but unfortunately for them (and your narrow minded views) our kids actually love their skiing holidays. They go to creche/ski school in the morning and then in the afternoon we have family time doing such stuff as sledging/making snowmen/swimming. This holiday their cousins came too and they had a blast making igloos etc. Our snow holidays expand on my childrens life experiences in a very positive way both physically and mentally, you are very short sighted indeed that you are not able to see that and just wish to judge someone for leaving their child in a safe environment for 18 hours out of a very rewarding week. |
well said
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You know it makes sense.
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| HH wrote: |
| bar shaker wrote: |
I am stunned that people expect to take kids away, leave them with 'whoever' and they then complain when it goes wrong.
Kids are for taking on a holiday that you will have with them, or for not having.
I'm amazed that TOs even offer creches at all. The potential liability is massive. Other countries don't have anything like the checks that we have here and people who dump their kids in unknown creches, for a few quid, really should go to the Caribbean and have a family holiday.
You were offered, when you tried to book the childcare (to make a contract), creche facilities some distance from your hotel. You were offered your money back but chose to go anyway knowing that the creche was some distance, hoping to leave your child somewhere (anywhere?) whilst you skied.
How can First Choice be at fault if it was indeed some distance? |
I have two children, one aged seven and one aged 2. We started skiing when my first daughter was 3, coincidentally this is when ESF accept them into ski school. So my daughter went to ski school in the morning. Do you also dissapprove of ski school? Surely you must as the liability must also be huge, if not greater so than leaving a child in creche with trained nannies (British gualifications - so your argument of "other countries" checks is rather weak to say the least), added to that youre putting ski boots and skis on them for the first time and surely the potential for accidents is then greatly increased.
I am very lucky to have a terrific Mum and Dad who would just love it if we left the kids with them and went alone on holiday, but unfortunately for them (and your narrow minded views) our kids actually love their skiing holidays. They go to creche/ski school in the morning and then in the afternoon we have family time doing such stuff as sledging/making snowmen/swimming. This holiday their cousins came too and they had a blast making igloos etc. Our snow holidays expand on my childrens life experiences in a very positive way both physically and mentally, you are very short sighted indeed that you are not able to see that and just wish to judge someone for leaving their child in a safe environment for 18 hours out of a very rewarding week. |
Well said 
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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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| HH wrote: |
| bar shaker wrote: |
I am stunned that people expect to take kids away, leave them with 'whoever' and they then complain when it goes wrong.
Kids are for taking on a holiday that you will have with them, or for not having.
I'm amazed that TOs even offer creches at all. The potential liability is massive. Other countries don't have anything like the checks that we have here and people who dump their kids in unknown creches, for a few quid, really should go to the Caribbean and have a family holiday.
You were offered, when you tried to book the childcare (to make a contract), creche facilities some distance from your hotel. You were offered your money back but chose to go anyway knowing that the creche was some distance, hoping to leave your child somewhere (anywhere?) whilst you skied.
How can First Choice be at fault if it was indeed some distance? |
I have two children, one aged seven and one aged 2. We started skiing when my first daughter was 3, coincidentally this is when ESF accept them into ski school. So my daughter went to ski school in the morning. Do you also dissapprove of ski school? Surely you must as the liability must also be huge, if not greater so than leaving a child in creche with trained nannies (British gualifications - so your argument of "other countries" checks is rather weak to say the least), added to that youre putting ski boots and skis on them for the first time and surely the potential for accidents is then greatly increased.
I am very lucky to have a terrific Mum and Dad who would just love it if we left the kids with them and went alone on holiday, but unfortunately for them (and your narrow minded views) our kids actually love their skiing holidays. They go to creche/ski school in the morning and then in the afternoon we have family time doing such stuff as sledging/making snowmen/swimming. This holiday their cousins came too and they had a blast making igloos etc. Our snow holidays expand on my childrens life experiences in a very positive way both physically and mentally, you are very short sighted indeed that you are not able to see that and just wish to judge someone for leaving their child in a safe environment for 18 hours out of a very rewarding week. |
well said
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Poster: A snowHead
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Legally speaking it's potentially a misrepresentation but I doubt it (not material/major enough, subjective nature of "close", sales puff, etc). Plus you didn't really lose any money (i.e. damage). I guess you'll have to take consolation in the fact that I (and possibly a few other ) will now think twice before booking with First Choice/ Crystal and that they won't be getting any of your money again.
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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I think you should be due an ex gratia payment of say £100.00 for any misunderstanding over the childcare arrangements, but no more.
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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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Whilst the use of spurious or subjective statements by holiday companies are well overdue for legislative attention IMV, I think that by not seeking a clarification of the term "close" at the point of booking, you will unfortunately have an uphill struggle seeking any compensation. I suppose if you can prove that other definitions of close are within reasonable tolerance for FC/Crystal creche facilities then, by comparison, their confirmation of "close" in this particular regard may be termed as unreasonable. Whether that provides significant basis for reasonable compensation is pretty debatable and may only serve to frustrate you further.
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
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| HH wrote: |
| Arno wrote: |
i don't understand how this is Firstchoice's fault. In fact, it sounds like they have tried quite hard to make the best of a bad job. Sounds like the agent misrepresented what was available and they should be the ones who get the grief.
I may be missing something of course |
Firstly, I booked direct with First Choice. Secondly I asked quite a simple question "Is the creche near to our hotel?", the sales guy replied "yes". Dont know how an hours round trip walk can ever be misinterpreted as close in this situation? |
Very sorry to hear about your brush with First Choice. You must be furious.
In theory you do have a remedy (although nothing is certain in law).
A misrepresentation was made to induce you to enter the contract. The fact that it was oral (i.e. verbal) has no significance except from an evidential standpoint. I have little doubt that a judge would accept your version of events.
The misrepresentation sounds in negligence and/or became incorporated as a term in the contract.
There are 2 types of contractual term: 1) conditions 2) warranties.
Breach of the former entitles the wronged party to (amongst other things) rescind the contract i.e. set it aside. Breach of a warranty merely entitles the wronged party to damages i.e. monetary compensation.
Without going into the tedious details , suffice to say the term in your contract would be regarded as a warranty.
Breach would entitle you to damages.
Similarly, any remedy for negligent misrepresentation would lie in damages.
However, the amount of damages would be modest. I would have thought a couple of hundred pounds at most.
In order to obtain that, you would have to engage in lengthy correspondence, waste enormous amounts of time and q possibly go to Court. You would ideally require legal assistance. It`s unlikely (given the sums involved) that such costs would be recoverable.
It`s a matter for you but I wouldn`t have thought it was worth it.
Re First Choice`s standard terms - I found (in the distant days when, to my shame, I acted for travel companies) that most district judges were sympathetic to claimants and not slow to find a way around standard terms & conditions.
Nevertheless, there is always a substantial element of risk.
On a personal note I was rather put off First Choice some years ago when we too booked a chalet holiday in ADH. Our holiday was ok but I felt for a young woman with whom we shared the chalet. She had booked what had been represented as a `singles` chalet. What she got was 4 families, including half a dozen kids under 4 ! I`ve steered clear of FC ever since.
I`m afraid I think Stoatsbrother is right. Also - take your business elsewhere next time. An £11,000 holiday is quite a loss - even to FC.
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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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| Chasseur wrote: |
| Whilst the use of spurious or subjective statements by holiday companies are well overdue for legislative attention IMV, I think that by not seeking a clarification of the term "close" at the point of booking, you will unfortunately have an uphill struggle seeking any compensation. I suppose if you can prove that other definitions of close are within reasonable tolerance for FC/Crystal creche facilities then, by comparison, their confirmation of "close" in this particular regard may be termed as unreasonable. Whether that provides significant basis for reasonable compensation is pretty debatable and may only serve to frustrate you further. |
No judge would regard an hours round trip as `close`.
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| Chasseur wrote: |
| Whilst the use of spurious or subjective statements by holiday companies are well overdue for legislative attention IMV, I think that by not seeking a clarification of the term "close" at the point of booking, you will unfortunately have an uphill struggle seeking any compensation. I suppose if you can prove that other definitions of close are within reasonable tolerance for FC/Crystal creche facilities then, by comparison, their confirmation of "close" in this particular regard may be termed as unreasonable. Whether that provides significant basis for reasonable compensation is pretty debatable and may only serve to frustrate you further. |
As, when booking this holiday and trying to sort out the creche issue, I was simply trying to sort out a decent holiday and not looking for a scenario where I might be able to claim some sort of compensation, I did not make notes etc regarding telephone conversations had so i can't give you the specifics here but....in one phonecall where I was trying to establish a rough distance to the creche the telesales person did tell me exactly the distance which they deemed to be "close", but I cant remember what it was. Also, I was not sad enough to physically measure the distance while out there so I think they have me firmly over a barrel!!
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HH, I feel for you. When I book family holidays one of the first things I check out is the quality and location of the creche. It has to be either near to the slopes and/or near to (if not in) the accommodation. To have been misled in this way must be hard to take and would certatinly have ruined my holiday, but my advice, as with some others, is to let it go on this occasion. Yes you may well end up with a few quid or better still a letter of apology, but is it worth the added stress etc. Learn from this experience, and move on to a TO free life in the future.
I hope that despite this, you had a good holiday.
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| jonty wrote: |
| bar shaker wrote: |
I am stunned that people expect to take kids away, leave them with 'whoever' and they then complain when it goes wrong.
Kids are for taking on a holiday that you will have with them, or for not having.
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What a ridiculous generalisation. |
Sorry but I agree.
My daughter was 1 and half when we first took her on a ski holiday and there was no way I was putting her in childcare as its her holiday as well. We did go with family and they offered to look after her occassionly but I only did this for few hours in the week (my choice) again because they are on hoilday as well. I gave up skiing until she was old enough for ski school or me and my husband took it in turns, took look after her so the other could ski. Putting a child into ski school is different to childcare. They cant ski at home but can play with toys and other children anytime without paying money to do it. I now have a 6 months old son and will be doing the same thing, giving up skiing until he is old enough for ski school.
Back to the main thread though
I dont think you will get any compensation from First Choice as they did offer you a different Hotel. Just let as many people know your problems and it might stop other people booking with them. This might make you feel a bit better.
Always check the web before booking a holiday to find out as much imformation on the resort and hotel as you can before booking.
I do DIY holidays so I can only blame myself if something is not as I imagined.
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HH, unfortunately you may be right. Roughly how far away was the creche? Distance as opposed to time. No-one's suggesting you need to have analy measured the journey, but most people have an idea of distance for a regularly travelled route.
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