Know Your Rights
whilst on Holiday
I'm
not going to go into to much detail but a few people have been writing
after their holiday to say, thankfully, that their holiday here was one
of the best and "could have been perfect, if only ......" That is to
say, something small, sometimes not so small, was wrong and spoilt an
otherwise ideal holiday. So, a little help here to get things put right
if they go wrong. By the way, if any holiday reps are reading this
thinking I'm just going to make your job harder, sorry but that's the
job. I myself am a holiday rep and it's part of my job and in the end
it makes things a lot easier for everyone.
Did you know - If you
book a package holiday here with a tour operator, they are responsible
for what happens to you, not the hotelier, not the manager of the
apartment complex or anyone else, it is the tour operator who looks
after you and ensures you get the holiday you paid for. If there's a
problem, an accident, a disaster or simply a dripping tap, the tour
operator provides you with the services of a representative to make
sure matters are resolved to your satisfaction as soon as they are
discovered.
So, if you find a
faulty tap, electrical appliance, a window that won't close properly or
anything else that looks dangerouse or likely to spoil your enjoyment
of your holiday, tell your rep! It may just be a simple maintenance
problem, easily fixed, in which case you could tell reception first and
they may fix it in minutes. However, when you next see your rep, if the
problem's still there, tell him/her. They are then responsible for
chasing up the matter, not you. You should just be able to relax and
get on with enjoying your holiday.
Did
you know - What it says in the brochure is what you should get, that's
the law (in the UK at least). Strict guidelines have to be followed and
tour operators take great care to make sure their brochure description
is not misleading and ensure it is 100% accurate. If there is something
in the brochure that's not available, you should be told in advance and
offered the chance to cancel your holiday with a full refund, maybe
offered an alteative. Take the description with you and if you don't
agree with the description, tell your rep. Do not wait until you get
home and have a look then and write a letter after your holiday, it's
too late. You MUST bring to the attention of your rep anything you
disagree with. They are then allowed the chance to put things right. If
they can't put things right for you, one of two things should happen.
1)
They offer you an alternative or money, as compensation. If you agree
with this you will be asked to sign a waiver to say the problem's fixed
and you're happy.
2)
The problem is not fixed to your satisfaction - you fill in a holiday
report form (get one from your rep) saying what happened and why you
are not happy. The rep will sign it with you and keep all but one copy,
the one you get to keep. In this case, it may take time for the tour
operator to solve the problem, that it can't be resolved whilst you are
on holiday.
3)You should then
write to your tour operator when you get home & enclose a copy
of the report form. They will then decide if they can offer you either
compensation or an explaination why they can not be held responsible.
If you're still not happy with their response then you can seek legal
advice but make sure you have that holiday report form.
Basically, if you're not happy for whatever reason, tell your rep.
Do
- Give your rep a chance to put things right for you
Do
- Tell your rep is something where you're staying looks unsafe
Don't
- Wait until you're at the airport on your way home to complain to your
rep
Don't
- Keep asking reception/maintenance to sort a problem out.
Ask
them once only and tell your rep
