Can they do this

[thegoodsamaritan]

Ok i'm glad to help out everyone with bank claims as someone on the "inside" but now it's time for me to ask for your help. Here's the story...

My Auntie booked a holiday cruise for her and my Gran a while back. My Gran is in her 90s and although very spritely for a woman of her age only agreed to go on holiday if they were leaving from somewhere close by as she doesn't like the hassle of long car or bus journeys.

Then all of a sudden on Friday they received a letter telling them that the ship is overbooked and that they will have to get a 2 1/2 hour bus journey to another port and they will knock £70 off the price. Can the company do this? My Auntie hasn't had the heart to tell my Gran yet.

Does my Auntie have the right to phone the company and insist on them keeping to the original agreement? I understand that overbookings can happen and need resolved but surely it is up to the company to negotiate with passengers and not just impose a change on them??

I'll hopefully get a look at the contract on Thursday and it should be clearer then but any advice in the meantime would help. Thanks.

[Bookworm]

It will really depend on what the contract says. But I certainly would create merry hell, and not let them off with a measly £70 and a bus journey.

Get back to us as soon as you have the contract, or is there an online site we could have a look at maybe?

[thegoodsamaritan]

Wow thanks for the speedy response!

Don't know which company it was booked with yet but will try and find out tomorrow (well i mean Monday)

[Loula]

Hi!

Who is the tour operator?

LOULA

[thegoodsamaritan]

Just back from my Aunties and found out all the details:

The company is called Travelscope, it was booked through a reader offer in "the Scotsman" (East of Scotland based daily newspaper)

In the small print it does indeed say that they reserve the right to change the port of departure. My auntie spent about an hour or so on the phone to Travelscope explaining the situation and pleading with them to allow them to sail from the original port (Rosyth) but they are being forced to go to Newcastle instead. To give a better picture they have to first get a ferry across the North sea and then they embark on a cruise up the Rhine on a different ship. So they phoned the ferry company in Rosyth and asked if they had availabilities for that date. "Plenty" said the ferry company "and you can still book for that date if you wish" So much for the ferry being overbooked!
My Auntie phoned Travelscope back, explained this and still no budging from them. She even said that she would pay herself at significant extra expense to book them all independently on the Rosyth ferry and then rendezvous with the cruise boat but again Travelscope said it was not possible. It does not sound true at all that they have overbooked, in fact by the sounds of it Travelscope do not have one passenger leaving from Rosyth, they are all being piled in a bus and packed off to Newcastle instead.

I can understand problems can and do occur with lack of take up for trips and companies needing to take steps to address this but as i discovered this is not a one problem with Travelscope...
Upon talking to other members of my family the same thing happened to another relative with the same company a couple of years ago. Also yet another couple in the family had their Travelscope cruise trip completely cancelled just last year! I don't think we'll be using them again! Thats three trips booked, one cancelled and two had the port of departure moved.

I suggested going to Watchdog but my Auntie didn't seem interested in that idea... My Grans first thought when she found out was to cancel the whole trip but she has reluctantly decided to go as it is too late to organise something else suitable.

Does anyone think they have any comeback on the holiday company or are Travelscope covered by the small print??
Also has anyone used Travelscope before and what did you think of them?
Thanks

[Loula]

OK!

As this is classed as a package tour then you have plenty of scope for complaint.

It is usually carried out after the trip, but hey I am always up for something different.

You need to address this issue in writing to

Customer Services Manager
Travelscope Holidays Ltd
Pioneer Avenue
Gloucester
Gloucestershire
GL3 4AW

I cannot find out any names or managers or directors.

Explain from beginning to end the problem and state that although they have it written into the T's and C's that they can change the departure port, it is unreasonable to expect someone in their 90's to travel so far in an overcrowded coach. Also explain that the ferry company have plenty of space and you reserve the right to travel from this point and meet with the ship in Newcastle.

Point at at every possible occasion where their sales staff have misinformed you.

As you have paid for travel from the ferry point not a coach pick - state you wish for a refund of the value of the original transfer part of the holiday. Coach travel is by far and away cheaper than the ferry.


I hope I haven't misunderstood the problem

Let me know if I have

LOULA

[thegoodsamaritan]

Thanks for that Loula! I'll give my Auntie a phone tomorrow and let her know. Do you work in the travel industry yourself?

What you're saying is basically right, though I should have said that the trip has always included return coach travel to and from the ferry port. Relatives would have given her a lift to the ferry (its that close) and offered to drive her to Newcastle and this looks like what may end up happening as it stands.

If they booked the ferry from Rosyth independently they could get to Europe and rendezvous with the cruise boat at the same port as the incoming Newcastle ferry (assuming timing works out ok)

Will let you know how we get on.

[Loula]

No, ex- insurance, specialising in the tourist industry. But not travel insurance.

Keep me posted on the outcome

LOULA