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Couple warn of booking holidays by telephone

Wednesday 22nd June, 2016

Couple warn holidaymakers to use caution when booking holidays over the telephone

A Birkenhead couple are warning prospective holidaymakers to book with caution after their hotel in Turkey left them both so ill that they required medical attention.

 Mr and Mrs Harvey booked their annual holiday over the telephone after seeing an advertisement on the internet and when requesting a 4 or 5* hotel, were advised by the call operator to stay at the Atlas Hotel in Alanya, Turkey. Unfortunately for the couple, it transpired that this was not a regular 4* standard hotel and upon their arrival, they soon realised what a terrible hotel they had been sent to.

  The furniture in the communal areas was ripped and the hotel gym had been vandalised. None of the equipment was working and yet the gym remained open to the public despite being a health hazard. Hygiene, safety and cleanliness seemed to be non-existent at the Atlas Hotel.  Staff didn't wear gloves when serving food and throughout the whole holiday, Mr and Mrs Harvey did not witness the staff ever clean or wipe down any of the surfaces. Birds were landing on the food which had been left outside uncovered and the plates were chipped, broken and dirty. The food quality was poor and what wasn't eaten at breakfast was re-served again at lunch and then again as part of the evening meal.

  On the rare occasions that the staff did decide to clean, they chose to clean the drains whilst people were eating.  Perhaps most shocking is that Mrs Harvey found that there was human excrement on the floor of the toilets by the swimming pool and despite complaining about this, it was 5 days before it was cleaned up. Mrs Harvey was so distressed with the state of the hotel that she was in tears on 6 out of the 7 days that they spent at the hotel. The couple tried to arrange an earlier flight home but unfortunately were unable to.

 Despite their best efforts to eat the safe options when it came to food, Mr and Mrs Harvey both became ill within 2 days of staying in the hotel. Their symptoms continued throughout their holiday and upon their return to the UK. Both had to visit their GP in the UK and were given anti-sickness tablets.

 After having no luck in complaining to the hotel due to the language barrier, Mr and Mrs Harvey complained to the tour operator “Deal of the Day Holidays” upon their return. The response received was that they had only acted as an agent for the supplier and that the holiday was not a package holiday, thus Mr and Mrs Harvey were not entitled to any recompense for their awful experience.

 

As Mr and Mrs Harvey had booked their holiday over the telephone and paid one complete price, they assumed that they had booked a package holiday. Mr and Mrs Harvey were not aware that often tour operators offering holidays for sale via the internet and telephone use "dynamic packaging". This is a tactic used to disguise their package holidays in ways which make them look like they are a package holiday when actually they are not and thus do not afford the consumer the protection offered by the Package Travel Regulations. Deal of the Day Holidays alleged that Mr and Mrs Harvey had not booked a package holiday and therefore had no right to claim.

Aegis Legal pressed the Solicitors for Deal of the Day Holidays for proof that Mr and Mrs Harvey had been made aware that they had not booked a package holiday. However, despite requesting copies of the call recordings to check what had been explained to Mr and Mrs Harvey about their booking, no reply was received. Shortly afterwards, the Solicitors for Deal of the Day made an offer of settlement to Mr and Mrs Harvey to compensate them for their illnesses.

If you have suffered an illness as a result of food consumed whilst on a package holiday, please contact Aegis Legal for free advice as to whether you have a claim.  

 

 


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