Holiday Complaints

Do you have a holiday complaint? For help and advice post in here.
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We too have had serious problems with on the beach, we chose our hotel and flights, checked all the info on the final screen and clicked to pay, we then received a receipt for a completely different hotel and they put baggage charges on us. We are struggling to get our money back and they have basically said to us that we chose this holiday, which we absolutely did not. The hotel is an absolute hole and if we'd chosen this it would have cost us £60-£70 per person cheaper. We have told them to look back at the prices of the holidays at the time, but they are completely dismissing us and sticking to their story. We booked on our credit card, but they have complained to on the beach and told us that as their story conflicts with ours that they can't do anything. We are now looking at losing £1700 as there were 5 people booked! We have approached trading standards now, who have said that it will be tough as there's no proof. BUT nobody is taking into consideration the difference in price of the holiday at the time of we thought we were booking and the holiday they told us we booked. Surely they can look back into an archive of holiday prices from the day we booked?? We are going to take this all the way through to the Ombudsman and small claims court. We are NOT going to give up, please ANYONE who feels they have been treated unfairly take your complaint further as there are so many of us they just can't get away with this. Good luck all and please keep this thread going....I will update on our situation as and when, if anyone has any advice, please let us know!!
  • Edited by Sarah E Young 2009-06-01 20:00:34
    to remove libelous comment.
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Wow I am so glad I have read your comments, I have looked at the OTB website many many times, and was tempted to book a cheap week in August, as money is a bit tight - looks like you have saved me from wasting my money.

Thanks so much :tup
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I have just travelled with OTB with no problems at all as did my friends last year.

Not calling anyone a liar but find me any operator that is interested in complaints, because I have had bad experiences with the big companies aswell so now just take my luck with the cheaper options and cover myself as much as possible.
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And to scammed,

I have no idea how on earth they have managed to book you into the wrong hotel :( but price wise they clearly state on their website that their prices are not on a live system, so they have covered their backs really(not saying that this is right btw)
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This 'live system' is just an excuse, they put us in the wrong hotel and isn't it strange that they charged us the exact same price as the hotel we actually chose??? They are just making things up to cover their own backs!! I have used online sites before to book holidays and never had any problems! Travel Republic is a site I've used before and is fantastic! The site is easy to use, value for money and the customer service is great! I have never had any problems at all with them and will be using them in the future every time.
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On the Beach reinforce that we will look into any ones comments and respond in full to all queries received. We request you send details of your query along with your MYB reference number to forums@otbeach.com. Since we offered this e-mail address on our previous post we have received no contact from any users of this forum.
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On the beach are the worst company I have ever dealt with. We booked a holiday with on the beach , with my brother in law, and elderly parents making three separate bookings, all going to the same hotel,we booked 2 of the holidays on- line, everything was fine, but on the third, taking the procedure very slow, making sure everything was correct, we pressed book, it went through very slow,thats where it all went wrong.
The next screen showed the holiday we ordered with the details of the wrong hotel,it was a hotel and it was £300.00 more expensive then the holiday we booked and filled in on booking form We are 100% sure the right information was on the booking form and when we back spaced it showed the correct details. But the wrong details on end page!
Within seconds!!! we rang "on the beach" explained the problem, we were told in the first sentence ,that we were the first people ever to have a problem with their website. They were really dismisive, and rude,I asked to speak to manager who told us we needed to email them and they will reply in 48hrs. When I explained we had booked with elderly relatives one of which,quite ill, so we needed to be in the same hotel , he said I cannot do anything, we may move you or not, but whatever happens the holiday price is still 300.00 more that what the our original cost of the holiday which we thought we were booking when we pressed book!!!
Next day rang admin 5 times who never once rang me back, told admin manager away from desk, on another call, he will ring you back but never did. I explained wouldnt come off phone till spoke to who ever dealing with this and then was told no one can help, website down all day. Next day recieved email saying changed hotel but holiday still cost £300.00 more due to the price on the website not being "live" so this was correct price. Told admin manager ***** I will get in touch with "abta" she giggled and said ok do it.(seemed she'd heard that one before). Checked price on" on the beach" website and the hotel and holiday is still £300.00 cheaper.- with no chance of us getting a refund - can anyone help!!! This is the first letter of complaint I have ever written in my life:and if your thinking of
booking with this company please dont because they don't care. Trust me I know! P.s I'm going to ring abta but does anyone know what else I can do?

** Edit to remove potentially libellous comments. Also please do not name any member of staff personally - Admin**
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just read comment from on the beach reply - and yes I have emailed them with all my details, and I can't help noticing that theres no mention on the website that if an error does occur( which was down to otb or not) they will take the the money whatever the cost and you will not have any chance of getting your money back!! p.s I will be not be leaving this go!
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To Joet,

Firstly you need to write a letter of complaint to Otbeach explaining absolutely everything about your experience both with the website and with their 'customer service'. Exactly the same thing happened to us and we have been firing lots of letters at them. when they write back to say they can't do anything as it's your fault (which they did to us), then write back and tell them you're still not happy (this is what the ABTA will tell you to do. In the second letter tell them what You are prepared to accept to resolve this. Google complaint letters to get ideas of how and what to write. We told them we would only accept a full refund. Now they have offered to refund our hotel as a ‘goodwill' gesture, but this isn't enough, the flights are no good without a hotel, plus we're booking with someone else now. When you send this letter, then also go on ABTA website and follow their procedure, write to them. Also ring Trading standards! They too have told us that we're the only one's who have had issues with their website, which is completely untrue. Keep going and don't take no for an answer, we're finally getting somewhere with it and don't intend to stop! The more people who follow their complaints through, the less this company will get away with it. Keep on it and let us know.
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lillys .. I have removed your post as this forum is intended for members who require advice or assistance with a specific complaint, rather than for those who may wish to recommend a rival company to the one being discussed here. However, as you share an IP address with joet, perhaps details of your complaint are already posted under that username.

David :wave
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Just so disappointed with on the beach, this is the first time I have lost money and in such a blatent way!!! and I'm really really upset. Thank you so much scammed 76 for your advice, we're taking it up and have already written the first letter!! Sounds like you had the same problem with their website, which their not admitting to having.
I actually had a lower price in front of me Otbeach website when the admin manager told me we had to pay a higher price, as this isnt the price and I had been charged but the "live" price ,that was 3 days ago now and I have checked their website every day now for 5 days and to add insult to injury , I checked our chosen accomodation on otb, and the price had actually gone DOWN!!!
I am in the belief that the companies actions are tantamount to fraud and will have no hesistation in taking this matter as far as required in order to get the result we are looking for!!also I will try to stop any unsuspecting potential otb customers from going through the same upsetting experience as me!!

**Edit - Joet, this is at least the second time we have had to edit your post for comments that can not be allowed -please consider carefully what you are posting - Admin**
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joet
you need to keep your letter short, unemotional (regardless of how angry you are about what has happened) and to the point - on a single page if possible.
Regards
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Hi Joet

We have not received any details of your order to our address forums@otbeach.com. Please can you send us your MYB or OTB reference to this address so that we may help you with your issue. Please also include your username in the Subject so that we can trace the post you come from.

Many Thanks
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Thanks prettypolly for advice. All points from holiday truth admin taken on board.Email on way to on the beach.
Regards
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Joet

We are still awaiting your email to the address we provided, if you email us we can help resolve your issue.

Thanks
On the Beach
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joet ... last Thursday you told us that you had already emailed OTB. The following day you told us that your email was on the way to OTB.

But OTB told us last week and again this morning that no email has been received from you.

Can you clarify if you have actually sent any email to the address given ?

David :wave
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Yes I can clarify I have sent email of complaint,to on the beach 8th june advising them of error, they emailed back to say we needed to write letter of formal complaint We replied to this which was from admin,Wrote a more formal and detailed letter of complaint 11th june and they have replied on the 13th june, advising us that "It is not possible for the hotel to change when booking" and told me I needed to "post" the letter of complaint" not email", to customer service which I have done today at 9.30.
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Was the email made to the address given by OTB above Joet ???
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Lynwestie,

No, the e-mail was sent to both admin@onthebeach and customerservices@onthebeach, which is what we were directed to do by OTB.

We have been told in writing by OTB, not to disclose MYB numbers or any other details of our holiday to anyone that we don't want to be able to alter our holiday details. This we have not done.

We have no idea who forums@otbeach.com are and they have not been mentioned on any of the "official" correspondence received to date by OTB.

If someone from OTB wants to verify their authenticity, we will forward them details of our particular problem if necessary.

We've been scammed once and are not prepared to take any more risks unnecessarily.
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