Hi all,
Took a 14 day holiday through onthebeach this year in August in Marmaris, Turkey.
They sold us a hotel which was a 4*. When we got there it was a 2 star at best. Accommodation was filthy, dangerous with broken tiles in the bathroom as well as mould all up the walls. The swimming pool area was unsafe, basically a complete hole. It was nothing like a 4*.
After a couple of days of trying to make the best of it we called up onthebeach and told them we wanted to change hotels. After lots of failed promises to call us back and a total phone bill of over £160 we finally got moved after a week. It was honestly the worst customer service I have ever experienced and we just felt abandoned. They made us pay for the second hotel and told us that we would have to request a refund on the days not stayed at the hellhole when we got back.
Not having much choice this is what we did.
I wrote to them as soon as I returned. I provided 30 photographs of the mold, dirt, broken bathrooms and poor conditions. I asked them to acknowledge the complaint within 14 days and a response within 28 days but haven't heard a word since and it's now been nearly 6 weeks.
I expect to pay for the flights and the new hotel but feel it's completely reasonable for them to refund the original hotel costs especially seeing as we had to abandon this, my mobile phone costs which on the phone they agreed to pay and the costs of my drinks which was not a huge amount but the original hotel was a AI and the second was only FB.
Thinking I may have some protection from ABTA I contacted them to be told that although they are ABTA registered, the company they placed our holiday with is not. This company is called Youtravel and based in Greece!!!! So ABTA won't help and was a complete waste of time.
I was surprised by ABTA's response, especially seeing as onthebeach who is one of their members sold the holiday as a 4 star but if you look on youtravels website then they only sell it as a 3*. They have no basis to increase the rating of the hotel and I would thought this is a clear beach of their code. How can I make a decision as a consumer if they inflate the quality of the hotel?
I can pretty much guess what my chances for claiming money out of a company in Greece are.
Does anyone know what my chances are in court against onthebeach as I refuse to let this go, I've been travelling 15 years and never so much as complained to a rep before but the place was terrible, wish I could upload some of the pictures"¦
Thanks in advance for anyone's help.
Nick
Before anyone can give you advice we do need some more information. Can you please tell us the name of the hotel and resort. Did you complain to the rep and complete an "In resort complaint form"?
fwh
fwh
Thanks for your reply.
The hotel was the Club Pineta in Marmaris. There was no rep in resort but a number of call in the UK which is the one we called. We spent a lot of time chasing them to try and get moved and spoke with a number of people who kept promising to call back and then never did. It was only 1 person we got in the end who did finally arrange the move for us.
There was no forms to complete but the change of hotels was all organised by onthebeach who charged me for it..
.tripadvisor.co.uk/Hotel_Review-g298033-d602262-Reviews-Club_Hotel_Pineta-Marmaris_Mugla_Province_Turkish_Aegean_Coast.htm
Can't post it as a link but thats the place, the photos give a good idea....
The hotel was the Club Pineta in Marmaris. There was no rep in resort but a number of call in the UK which is the one we called. We spent a lot of time chasing them to try and get moved and spoke with a number of people who kept promising to call back and then never did. It was only 1 person we got in the end who did finally arrange the move for us.
There was no forms to complete but the change of hotels was all organised by onthebeach who charged me for it..
.tripadvisor.co.uk/Hotel_Review-g298033-d602262-Reviews-Club_Hotel_Pineta-Marmaris_Mugla_Province_Turkish_Aegean_Coast.htm
Can't post it as a link but thats the place, the photos give a good idea....
Friends of mine stayed at that dump last year 
booked through Thomas Cook.
By all means from the reviews I have read I totally agree about your complaint but the only advice I would give is to not stress too much about the star rating during your complaint process, instead stick with the facts.
The star rating is awarded depending on what facilities the hotel has and has nothing to do with the place being a dump. As far as I'm aware the official star rating for that hotel in Marmaris itself is four star(it certainly was last year) but also do bear in mind that ratings abroad compared to the UK are also very different.
booked through Thomas Cook.By all means from the reviews I have read I totally agree about your complaint but the only advice I would give is to not stress too much about the star rating during your complaint process, instead stick with the facts.
The star rating is awarded depending on what facilities the hotel has and has nothing to do with the place being a dump. As far as I'm aware the official star rating for that hotel in Marmaris itself is four star(it certainly was last year) but also do bear in mind that ratings abroad compared to the UK are also very different.
"I expect to pay for the flights and the new hotel but feel it's completely reasonable for them to refund the original hotel costs especially seeing as we had to abandon this, my mobile phone costs which on the phone they agreed to pay and the costs of my drinks which was not a huge amount but the original hotel was a AI and the second was only FB"
Hmm not sure why otb would agree to pay for the cost of the calls you made let alone the cost of your drinks which wasn't included in the full board option on the next hotel.
There are 2 Pineta hotels in Marmaris:
Club Pineta Hotel (this hotel through other suppliers is called the Pineta Park and is mainly rated as 3*)
(sorry can't provide a link apparently?)
Hotel Pineta Park Deluxe
If the claims are true that otb would agree to the above then that to me would suggest they're at fault and booked you in to the wrong hotel?
Otherwise it wouldn't be their problem and with regards to the refund to the remaining days you didn't stay at the Club Pineta this again would be out of otb's hands as they're bound by the suppliers (youhotels) terms and conditions which in turn are also bound by the hotels terms.
Which would probably state if cancelling within 4 days of check-in then it's 100% cancelation fee, meaning no refund available.
You may be dure a refund for the last 2 or 3 days but this will be a small amount because that hotel is basically cheap as chips.
Hmm not sure why otb would agree to pay for the cost of the calls you made let alone the cost of your drinks which wasn't included in the full board option on the next hotel.
There are 2 Pineta hotels in Marmaris:
Club Pineta Hotel (this hotel through other suppliers is called the Pineta Park and is mainly rated as 3*)
(sorry can't provide a link apparently?)
Hotel Pineta Park Deluxe
If the claims are true that otb would agree to the above then that to me would suggest they're at fault and booked you in to the wrong hotel?
Otherwise it wouldn't be their problem and with regards to the refund to the remaining days you didn't stay at the Club Pineta this again would be out of otb's hands as they're bound by the suppliers (youhotels) terms and conditions which in turn are also bound by the hotels terms.
Which would probably state if cancelling within 4 days of check-in then it's 100% cancelation fee, meaning no refund available.
You may be dure a refund for the last 2 or 3 days but this will be a small amount because that hotel is basically cheap as chips.
Thanks for your responses.
The drinks was more as a goodwill offer but the phone costs are down to their customer service(or lack of). They kept promising to return calls within 1 hour and not and then not ring back at all so I had to chase them which meant holding on the phone for 40 minutes at a time, constantly getting cut off etc. A superviosr on the phone agreed to pay this.
The hotel was the Club Pineta Hotel which is the Pineta Park and is advertised as a 4*. I've got screenshots of them selling it as a 4* and the same hotel advertised on youtravel as a 3*. I don't think they booked the wrong one but have basically inflated the rating which I think is false advertisement. They know that people use this as a key differentiator when booking hotels otherwise why would they allow you to search or remove hotels based on the star rating and if it was advertised as a 3* then I wouldn't have looked at it twice. Also if they put me into a contract with youtravel who advertise the hotel differently then how am i meant to know? Surely it should be exactly as Onthebeach advertise it.
To me this is no different if I offer to sell you a mercedes and a lada turns up but is the same colour.
The costs for the hotel was £1089, fairly cheap but really wasn't much in this and others at the same time. To me though it doesn't matter if it was £100 or £1000 it wasn't as described, was filthy dirty and unsafe so I should be entitled to a refund. I could understand if I didn't complain whilst I was there, stayed the 14 days and then just wrote to them when I got home but this isn't the case.
The drinks was more as a goodwill offer but the phone costs are down to their customer service(or lack of). They kept promising to return calls within 1 hour and not and then not ring back at all so I had to chase them which meant holding on the phone for 40 minutes at a time, constantly getting cut off etc. A superviosr on the phone agreed to pay this.
The hotel was the Club Pineta Hotel which is the Pineta Park and is advertised as a 4*. I've got screenshots of them selling it as a 4* and the same hotel advertised on youtravel as a 3*. I don't think they booked the wrong one but have basically inflated the rating which I think is false advertisement. They know that people use this as a key differentiator when booking hotels otherwise why would they allow you to search or remove hotels based on the star rating and if it was advertised as a 3* then I wouldn't have looked at it twice. Also if they put me into a contract with youtravel who advertise the hotel differently then how am i meant to know? Surely it should be exactly as Onthebeach advertise it.
To me this is no different if I offer to sell you a mercedes and a lada turns up but is the same colour.
The costs for the hotel was £1089, fairly cheap but really wasn't much in this and others at the same time. To me though it doesn't matter if it was £100 or £1000 it wasn't as described, was filthy dirty and unsafe so I should be entitled to a refund. I could understand if I didn't complain whilst I was there, stayed the 14 days and then just wrote to them when I got home but this isn't the case.
Yeah it's definately a 3* the Pineta Park or at least it was as just looked on the youhotels (youtravel) website and it is now officialy a 4*?
Pineta Club Hotel
(AI) youtravel rating 4 YYYY
Location : Dalaman - Marmaris
Official rating : 4 stars
I bet they've now got a Spar?
Pineta Club Hotel
(AI) youtravel rating 4 YYYY
Location : Dalaman - Marmaris
Official rating : 4 stars
I bet they've now got a Spar?
I'm really sorry to hear of your holiday nightmare Nick, nothing worse than saving up all year for a relaxing, enjoyable holiday to find it's a hell-hole. I've been very lucky in the past as most of the places I've stayed have been pretty good (although saying that, Bizimtepe Hotel in Akyarlar wasn't all that good but we had a nice time anyway - basically because it was our first time in Turkey we did a lot of excursions and day trips).
The reason I'm replying to this thread is that I'm considering OTB as they are the cheapest option for Golmar Beach Hotel in Icmeler - I've looked on trip advisor for the reviews and it looks like a nice place.
I hope you get sorted with the money - I know it's more the principle I guess but stick with it mate
Justin.
The reason I'm replying to this thread is that I'm considering OTB as they are the cheapest option for Golmar Beach Hotel in Icmeler - I've looked on trip advisor for the reviews and it looks like a nice place.
I hope you get sorted with the money - I know it's more the principle I guess but stick with it mate
Justin.
Hi Nick,
Sorry to hear about your troubles. As an agent we also get quite a few complaints with the accommodation in Turkey, mainly because of the *ratings.
A turkish 4* in general is probably more like our basic 3* although there are some very good 4* and 3* hotels but there are some hotels, especially in the big tourist resorts that unfortunately just don't make the grade and how they get these ratings is a mystery.
Tour Operators grade properties in many different ways and do not always reflect its official rating, for example, one bed bank was rating a property as a 5* yet its sister company who is a major uk tour operator was rating it as a 3* - explain that one to me !!!
Regarding on the beach and adjusting the rating, to me that is a big no no, the hotel is a popular sell but if you are an agent then you should really be using the operators own rating unless you are making a direct contract with the hotel and no 3rd party involved, otherwise you are leaving yourself open to all sorts in my own opinion.
Sorry to hear about your troubles. As an agent we also get quite a few complaints with the accommodation in Turkey, mainly because of the *ratings.
A turkish 4* in general is probably more like our basic 3* although there are some very good 4* and 3* hotels but there are some hotels, especially in the big tourist resorts that unfortunately just don't make the grade and how they get these ratings is a mystery.
Tour Operators grade properties in many different ways and do not always reflect its official rating, for example, one bed bank was rating a property as a 5* yet its sister company who is a major uk tour operator was rating it as a 3* - explain that one to me !!!
Regarding on the beach and adjusting the rating, to me that is a big no no, the hotel is a popular sell but if you are an agent then you should really be using the operators own rating unless you are making a direct contract with the hotel and no 3rd party involved, otherwise you are leaving yourself open to all sorts in my own opinion.
Hi Nick,
Just to let you know, we had a problem with OTB in 2010, though not a major one. They booked us into a Hotel in Fuerte Ventura, for the wrong week. In fact the wrong month, they'd booked us for May and we turned up in April! Luckily the Hotel had a room but it did take quite a few phonecall to OTB to get them to confirm their mistake so that we didn't have to pay the bill ourselves when we checked out.
This was during the Volcanic Ash period so getting through to them was a nightmare! When we got home I sent a letter asking for the cost of my calls back, and also the price difference between April and May which was about £200 if I recall correctly.
It took about four letters and six weeks but eventually they paid, so do keep trying. I found a huge difference between different members of staff, some were very helpful some were awful. Another tip is to add them on Facebook, if you use it, and pester them on there, where everyone else can see
I have followed this page and seen quite a few replies from OTB when the customer had said they couldn't get through on the phone.
Good Luck, I hope you get your money back
Just to let you know, we had a problem with OTB in 2010, though not a major one. They booked us into a Hotel in Fuerte Ventura, for the wrong week. In fact the wrong month, they'd booked us for May and we turned up in April! Luckily the Hotel had a room but it did take quite a few phonecall to OTB to get them to confirm their mistake so that we didn't have to pay the bill ourselves when we checked out.
This was during the Volcanic Ash period so getting through to them was a nightmare! When we got home I sent a letter asking for the cost of my calls back, and also the price difference between April and May which was about £200 if I recall correctly.
It took about four letters and six weeks but eventually they paid, so do keep trying. I found a huge difference between different members of staff, some were very helpful some were awful. Another tip is to add them on Facebook, if you use it, and pester them on there, where everyone else can see
I have followed this page and seen quite a few replies from OTB when the customer had said they couldn't get through on the phone. Good Luck, I hope you get your money back
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