Borough Life Spring 2006: Taking the ache out of your break
Holiday heaven in picturesque Italy... but for many tourists the trip of a lifetime can become a journey to hell.
You’ve worked hard all year, spent what seems like half your entire waking life in a traffic jam and put up with 364 days of rain for good measure. And for what?
For many of us the warm hazy glow on the horizon is the chance to spend a week or two where the sun shines brightly and indeed where the sea is blue as Sir Cliff once crooned. The chance to indulge your sun-starved skin and drink enough green or red neon liquid (with fruit in it!) through a straw to make your own name seem like a distant memory.
It sounds idyllic, but remember - Holidays Can Be Hard Work!
We’ve all seen those Holiday from Hell TV programmes – couple book two weeks at the delightfhul Paradise Ocean View only to discover on arrival there’s no paradise, no ocean and no view – unless you count septic tanks and builders’ cleavage as a breathtaking vista.
Wigan Council’s trading standards team deals with hundreds of complaints each year from disgruntled holidaymakers across the borough – people who went in search of Eden…but found Elsbels!
And the advice from the team is simple: plan ahead and know what you are doing.
The first thing you can do when buying a holiday is to look out for a new sign on the high street that will make sure you get a good service.
The Association of British Travel Agents (ABTA) has launched its own code of practice, which has the backing of the Office for Fair Trading (OFT),
This means people in Wigan can have confidence that they will get a high standard of customer service in shops were they see the special logo (pictured).
Other benefits include access to the means to resolve any disputes if things go wrong, a set of model terms and conditions and a way of disciplining travel agents who do not follow the code.
Wigan Council’s chief trading standards officer, Alan Blundell, says: “This is good news for the borough’s holidaymakers. It means they will get a better standard of service.”
Here’s some sound advice from Wigan Council’s trading standards team:
- If what the brochure describes as a ‘secluded romantic getaway’ turns out to be Costa Del Building Site then you have grounds for action. Descriptions, including photographs, must not be misleading or inaccurate. Make sure you read the terms and conditions of your holiday. Check your confirmation notice carefully because this is the proof of your contract.
- You do not have to take the holiday insurance offered by the operator, so shop around for the best deal. Just make sure the cover is adequate for your travel needs.
- If you have a credit card and the holiday costs more than £100 then it is worth using it to pay. The law makes the credit card company equally liable for problems such as the trader going bust.
- Sometimes the tour operator may change important parts of the trip after you have booked. If they change the flight times or accommodation and you are not happy then they are probably in breach of contract. You are entitled to a full refund but you might want to change to a different holiday at a similar price.
- Take your insurance policy and a copy of the brochure. If things go wrong complain to the tour rep. If it is not sorted out quickly ask for an official company complaint form. Photos and video footage may be useful as evidence in a court case. Keep a diary of problems and keep receipts for any costs you incur.
- When you get back, write to the tour operator’s head office. Include copies of any evidence you have gathered and outline what compensation you want. Do not be fobbed off!
If all else fails you may consider legal action. This could be through the county courts and if your claim is less than £5,000 it will be heard as a ‘small claim’. If the tour operator is a member of ABTA or similar trade association, contact them to see what they can do for you. If you feel that you have been misled either verbally or in writing about aspects of your holiday then speak to trading standards.
You can contact the council’s trading standards team on 01942 827666 and/or the Association of British Travel Agents (ABTA), 68-71 Newman Street, London, W1P 4AH.
Tel: 0207 637 2444.