 Poster: A snowHead
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Just booked hol with IGLU today - saw the webprice, called up and booked for a group of 4 - got the receipt and we've got over £200 of extra charges including LATE BOOKING charges!!!!!!!!!  No mention of this on the call. What a bloody cheek - I am so annoyed if they had explained up front I wouldn't be so cross. Can they do this without explaining all the charges beforehand??? Grrrr........
Last edited by Poster: A snowHead on Wed 17-02-10 14:05; 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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Parkyparcours, surely they should have told you the price before they charged you?
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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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They told me the total - but when I spoke tto them earlier they said there was someone else interested and so I booked in the 10 spare mins had at work today - should never have fallen for it!!! darn it!!! It was when I started letting the other travellers know what they owed that I thought "hang on this doesn't add up". Have never had this kind of milarkey with any other ski hol.....
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
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What were the other charges?
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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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Surely it doesn't matter how the charges are made up - if the total is satisfactory, it is satisfactory?
Alternatively, if they added these charges on to what you had agreed to, then, yes, it does sound wrong.
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late payment charges , flight supplement, admin fees. Yellow Pyranha, hmm, don't think its very ethical not to tell people they aren't paying the web price. The price we are paying is fine even with the extra charges - the issue I have is that they didn't say anything. If only the Euro exchange rate would improve I'd go back to booking independantly...
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Parkyparcours, Sorry not quite with this. Before you clicked on payment were you not told what the total charge would be? So the website gave you the cost of the accommodation and flight then the supplements were added afterwards?
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I think it's the case with most TO or travel agent websites that the headline price is not the final price you pay. However, I've never heard of a 'late payment supplement' only flight supplements and under-occupancy supplements, then extras such as lift pass and ski carriage or rental.
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You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
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| queen bodecia wrote: |
| I think it's the case with most TO or travel agent websites that the headline price is not the final price you pay. However, I've never heard of a 'late payment supplement' only flight supplements and under-occupancy supplements, then extras such as lift pass and ski carriage or rental. |
I have come across a late payment supplement once.
I believe from what you have said, you rarely leave it to less than 8 weeks before travel to book, so it is unliklley a late payment supplement would apply to your bookings, even when the TO does make one.
TUI have never imposed one, it was Thomas Cook who did with me. But it was still included in the final price shown before I went to the payment screen.
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queen bodecia, we've paid so-called "late booking" charges. I'm not surprised you don't know about it though. You always book early! 
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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I did book late back in 2006. I hadn't been skiing for getting on ten years and it was an impulse purchase. The free lift pass offer at the time swung it for me although I paid brochure price for everything else. No late booking supplement though. I thought the purpose of leaving it to the last minute and taking pot luck was to get a nice reduction. Is a 'late booking supplement' a way for TOs to claw back some of this 'loss'? What sort of cost are we talking about?
I don't book late any more, trying to get the same resort/hotel/week as my ski buddies requires careful early planning.
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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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Normally, if you pay for a product, you decide whether the price is right. If you buy a washing machine, you're not asking how much for the hose, how much for the motor, how much for delivery from the factory to the shop. If you buy a holiday, know the price in advance and decide it's a good deal, why does it matter how the charges are made up?
And I bet those extra charges WERE there on the website. If not screaming at you in headline sizes. We all tend to just skip those pages of small print and tick the "OK" box at the bottom. Caveat emptor.
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From what i understand the issue îs not with the price but the way the price is made up. After all you could always cancal and iirc distance selling regs mean you don't pay a penalty.
As someone else wrote it feels like the late booking charge is a way of engineering a low sticker price to draw people in and then getting the profit through unavoidable charges. Hmmm budget airline pricing applied to everything we buy. Unfortunately this seems to work and makes buying almost anything a tiresome process. On top of that it makes you feel you have been ripped off even before you travel/use the product. Not good for long term customer satisfaction but works wonders for short-term bottom lines.
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You know it makes sense.
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Don't see what the fuss is about. If the total price you paid was the price you expected and you were happy with it, who gives a flying one how they make it up? Ryanair get loads of stick for charging for every little thing, and unavoidable 'extra' charges like for paying by a credit or debit card. but so what? If when you add up all the costs the price is right, you'll come on down, if it's not you wont.
Can't see the sense in accepting a price then bitching about how it was calculated 
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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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| pam w wrote: |
Normally, if you pay for a product, you decide whether the price is right. If you buy a washing machine, you're not asking how much for the hose, how much for the motor, how much for delivery from the factory to the shop. If you buy a holiday, know the price in advance and decide it's a good deal, why does it matter how the charges are made up?
And I bet those extra charges WERE there on the website. If not screaming at you in headline sizes. We all tend to just skip those pages of small print and tick the "OK" box at the bottom. Caveat emptor. |
And I'd bet that they weren't. I've had a look at Iglu holidays before, and neglected to use them precisely for the fact that their headline prices were quite far away from the actual prices and that it was impossible to get the final price without calling them up. Also, I generally found that while their headline prices were usually low, the extras that got added made them more expensive than the other major TOs. The big tour operators have the facilitiy in their online booking systems to factor in late charges online (including under occupancy charges, late booking charges etc). Iglu only put up a headline price for a particular week but do not offer any information online for extra charges. All bookings or further information and extra charges can only be conclude by calling them directly; so it's only at that point you can find out exactly what the final price is.
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Poster: A snowHead
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I have a look at the website, find the holiday I want, then ring them up. Never had any hidden or additional charges on our trips, even after multiple changes of name, spellings of names, adding ski carriage (which was free!), taking off flights for some of the group, paying by debit card (they do charge the usual 2% or something for credit card, no surprise there) including 20 different payments for one holiday, and to be honest found them reasonable to deal with throughout. They were also the cheapest I could find, and prepared to match others prices for the same trips.
Last two trips I've found they were advertised for X amount, and that is exactly what I have paid, or better in a couple of cases.
It's not like it's hard to get hold of them, they are available into the evening for you to call, and their guys have always been very helpful to me. I've always got questions, and always need more than just the brief from the internet, and they have been honest about what to expect on different trips, and explained what is going on and availability etc straight up.
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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| Dav wrote: |
| .... All bookings or further information and extra charges can only be conclude by calling them directly; so it's only at that point you can find out exactly what the final price is. |
True of many operators. So you call them, get the final price, then take it or leave it. Where's the problem?
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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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| Quote: |
so it's only at that point you can find out exactly what the final price is.
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OK, if it's a system where you have to phone to book, then get a final price for the first time, then I still don't see a problem - and there are plenty of competitor sites where you can book in a different system, if that's what you want. You get the price, and decide whether you like it. Still don't see a problem, though I'd agree that a web-booking system where you didn't know what you were going to pay could well be a rip off.
The OP says this is a rip off, but that the price for the holiday is good.
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
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| pam w wrote: |
| Quote: |
so it's only at that point you can find out exactly what the final price is.
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OK, if it's a system where you have to phone to book, then get a final price for the first time, then I still don't see a problem - and there are plenty of competitor sites where you can book in a different system, if that's what you want. You get the price, and decide whether you like it. Still don't see a problem, though I'd agree that a web-booking system where you didn't know what you were going to pay could well be a rip off.
The OP says this is a rip off, but that the price for the holiday is good. |
I'm not disagreeing with that; but the OP is stating that the extra charges were not separately identified when calling to book. Whether that's the fault of the OP, or the TO, probably a bit of both. I know that if it were me I'd run through the charges and make sure that the total cost I was paying was the price I was expecting to pay. It's the risk you have with using sites like these rather than the To's who outline all charges and provide a full online bookign system.
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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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If you are booking late, always haggle and be prepared to walk away. If its a week to go or less and a TO still has the holiday on its books, they will take what they can get.
Make it clear that you are looking to purchase that day and that you have two or three other companies to ring if this holiday is not available at the price you can afford.
I have been haggling for everything I have bought in the past 6 months. That has included a car, a kitchen, lounge furniture and holidays. Discounts have ranged from a token 5% to over 30%, just for asking. Sometimes you get a 'no', it doesn't work every time. It may be that you have set your mind on hat product or that holiday and the convenience of closing the deal is worth paying the price stated. Your success will depend on how many other options you have. I certainly would not entertain extras for late booking though.
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I always make a call, just in case there is anything missing that I or they may have neglected. The upside of this, if you do find a good deal, you don't know how long it will last for, by relying on the website it might be there one minute gone the next. I've never been on a holiday where they've said "only 2 rooms left now", and found that the hotel isn't full when I arrived.
The person on the other end of the phone has access to the back end systems for the operators, and can sometimes find you a better deal. Or you could do an Omid Djallilli and actually barter with them a little, we've managed to get a little bit extra knocked off most of our holidays this way.
As long as they state the final price, and what I get for it, then all is fine.
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could I ask the OP to include the word 'Iglu' in the title please so that the TO becomes aware of the thread and comes on to tell their 'version of the truth'? Thanks 
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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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| Quote: |
And I bet those extra charges WERE there on the website. If not screaming at you in headline sizes. We all tend to just skip those pages of small print and tick the "OK" box at the bottom. Caveat emptor.
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Completely agree with this EXCEPT I booked it on the phone so would have expected him to quickly run through the supplements verbally before he processed the payment. Thats what I was cross about, if he'd have mentioned them during our conversation I wouldn't have minded - I'm pretty pragmatic about this though. I actually had a real soft spot for them as their staff once took me skiing years ago when I was a lone skiier but If they do stuff like this, then they'll see the results in return customers. simples.
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oh and I'm a she 
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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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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If you're not happy, cancel and book with someone else.
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| Parkyparcours wrote: |
| Just booked hol with Iglu today - saw the webprice, called up and booked for a group of 4 - got the receipt and we've got over £200 of extra charges including LATE BOOKING charges!!!!!!!!! No mention of this on the call. . |
If that is £200 added onto the price then this is fraud. Even if you agree that it is a good deal it is still wrong.
If however, they said it will cost eg £500 and it is £300+200=500 then that is fine. they quoted the total and you accepted.
If they quoted £500 and you were charged £700 then call your bank/card company.
cheers
Bob
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You know it makes sense.
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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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Parkyparcours, So just for clarity did the total price come to what you expected (and were told beforehand) or was it 'inflated' by the extras?
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Poster: A snowHead
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Ok, went on the website & saw the prices. Called up Iglu and said I want to book 4 to go to this chalet for this date. He said - ok the total is £X, how would you like to pay. Obviously at this point, I should have pulled a calculator out of my pocket (whilst on the run) and realised that 4 x the quoted price did not equal the amount he said. At the end of the workday I sat down to work out who owed what and it was then that I realised the breakdown didn't add up to what I was expecting.
Should I have been more careful and waited till the following day and I had more time? Probably
Should Iglu be upfront about the costs on the website and disclose them during the booking process? Probably
BTW - even by their own calculations they had overcharged me - by £4!!!!! 
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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| Parkyparcours wrote: |
| ....they had overcharged me - by £4!!!!! |
That's nearly half a pint of lager in the Alps these days!
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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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| Parkyparcours wrote: |
| Ok, went on the website & saw the prices. Called up Iglu and said I want to book 4 to go to this chalet for this date. He said - ok the total is £X, how would you like to pay. Obviously at this point, I should have pulled a calculator out of my pocket (whilst on the run) and realised that 4 x the quoted price did not equal the amount he said. |
No, you should have known what 4x the website price was before you made the call.
(not wanting to be a smart#rse or rub salt in any wounds, though)
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
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Higs, Only in the cheaper resorts! 
Parkyparcours, So forgive me, but you were given a price which you accepted (possibly without looking at the detail but that's not Iglu's fault), and that is what you paid. Leaving aside the £4 this doesn't strike me as a 'rip off'. More a case of buyer not paying attention. Their pricing structure (like many organisations) means that the final price is not the same as the website headline 'advertised' price, but come on, who doesn't know this?
IMHO your rant against them is unfounded.
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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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| Higs wrote: |
| Parkyparcours wrote: |
| Ok, went on the website & saw the prices. Called up Iglu and said I want to book 4 to go to this chalet for this date. He said - ok the total is £X, how would you like to pay. Obviously at this point, I should have pulled a calculator out of my pocket (whilst on the run) and realised that 4 x the quoted price did not equal the amount he said. |
No, you should have known what 4x the website price was before you made the call.
(not wanting to be a smart#rse or rub salt in any wounds, though) |
I do agree with you, it's the responsibility of the customer to understand that the headline price on the website may not be the price you actually pay, and to check the final price thoroughly before confirmation. That said, it's also a bit disappointing that the TO didn't run through all the extra charges before providing the total price. In fairness to Iglu, when I've had quotes from them before I've also had them emailed to me so that the breakdown of charges is there in black and white. It seems that in Parkyparcours's case, the temptation of a potential bargain from the headline price on the website has led to making a booking before checking on the final price per person. You live, you learn! Still, you're going skiing so who cares!
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I hear you. I just don't think its very good customer service. Yes, am cross with myself and will take all of the flack but don't agree that just because TOs do it, it doesn't make it right. Good grief, if we stayed with the status quo we'd still be burning witches!!!!
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Parkyparcours, It would have been far better for the TO to have explained the extras but to be fair to them, they asked if you wanted the holiday at price £XXXX and you said yes. That's not a rip off at all.
A rip off would be if you said you wanted it and they billed you at a figure above what you were expecting... without telling you.
If anything though, Iglu might have got some business out of this thread. I looked at their website and saw some very nice catered chalets, at very good prices. They have a potential customer in me for next year.
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I think that the only unreasonable thing Parkyparcours has posted is her thread title - made worse by including the name of the company (assuming it's a widespread practice in the TO business.) It's an interesting point for discussion, it's a bit underhand, it's something to be wary of - but it's not a rip-off.
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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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Kruisler, you are Kofi Annan and I claim my €5
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