Change of room type as room not built **Refunded**

[sduffield]

I have booked a 2 week stay at a new Egypt hotel for August 2014. The booking was made at a Thomas Cook store in May 2013 and the brochure states that the new hotel will be open in January 2013 (which it was).

 

The room type booked was a swim up room which attracted a £7 pppn supplement. The other room type we could have booked was a superior room (slightly larger than a standard room and has a sofa) which did not have a supplement. It was one of the stipulations that we advised Thomas cook that I booked the hotel on the understading that I paid the supplement for the swim up room (the swim up room was the important bit of the booking).

 

However we have now been advised that the swim up rooms are not built and therefore our booking has been changed to a superior room. Unfortunately the latest brochure now states that the superior rooms incur a £7 pppn supplement whereas the original brochure did not. Thomas Cook have so far, refused to remove room supplement for the swim up saying that the new room type is the same price as the original booking.

 

Thomas Cook has advised that they do not see this as a major change, however I beg to differ as the swim up room was stipulated as a "must" when booking and I do not believe the room type offered is not comparable to what was agreed in the contract (swim up room would have had it's own personal pool and can be accessed from the room terrace whilst the superior room does not have that facility).

 

Would anyone be able to advise on my perdicament?

[honeybee13]

Hello there.

 

I hope some experts will be along later. I have a quick question please. Do you have copies of the brochures with the different prices?

 

HB

[sduffield]

Yes I have the original brochure which shows superior room as £NIL supplement and a photocopy of the new brochure showing £7 pppn.

 

What actually started this was I received an email on Sunday with an invoice/e-tickets attached. It was only when I looked closely at the invoice/e-tickets that I noticed the change of room type. No other notices/letters had been received at that point advising of the issues.Yesterday I received the official notification from Thomas Cook advising of the issue with the swim up rooms. However the letter states that if I accept the alternative room, then I am do do nothing and a new invoice and tickets will be sent out. Unfortunately Thomas Cook had already sent new invoice/tickets out on Sunday, thus removing my right to decide if the room change is suitable.

 

At no point during the booking did Thomas Cook advise the swim up rooms were not built.

[king12345]

Cancel the trip all together and if they try to retain an admin fee take them to small claim court.

You have paid for one particular room and they want to flog you a different one.

The words "not as described at point of sale" spring to mind.

Travel republic matches any deal, so just re-book with them.

Don't let them con you!

[king12345]

also if they don't want to refund all the money, just do a chargeback through your card issuer.

[sduffield]

Thanks for the advice. I am trying to get someone from Thomas Cook to discuss the issue, however it is near on impossible to get any callbacks from their representatives. The only problem with doing a chargeback is that the deposit was paid nearly 10 months ago.

[king12345]

Small claim court it is then.

Send the ceo a letter before action and see what happens.

They won't do anything over the phone, they will just claim that you never called.

Put everything in writing via email or recorded delivery.

If they have it their way you could book a suite and get a standard bedroom.

Not as described!

Clear cut imo.

After all you paid for a private pool and they've not given it to you.

[sduffield]

Good news. After a long conversation with Thomas Cook on the phone yesterday, spelling out that the proper procedure had not been followed as the updated invoice and e-tickets were sent before the official letter, (effectively TC jumping the gun and assuming that I would accept the change), the manager of the shop called today to offer a full refund of the deposit.

 

I wonder whether they realised that by sending the official letter advising of the change and outlining my options after they had sent the changed invoice and e-tickets, they had made a huge mistake as the had not adhered to the rules stipulated in the Package Travel Regulations.

[king12345]

Well done!