The Daily Telegraph - Saturday - Travel
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statements that are not aligned with our terms and conditions. Where we find unaligned practice we will take firm action, as we have done in the past.” It also said that it had announced last February that it would be “embarking on a programme of change to ensure that our leading low-cost offer is matched by a good customer experience. The scale of this overhaul should not be underestimated – we are making operational and cultural changes across eight countries.”
We will see if this makes a difference. But I think the root of the issue is not just the culture of the company, but the business model. The rental fee paid by the Which? researchers was £1.13 per day. Clearly this is not an economic rate; it is an artificially low price designed to attract gullible customers. Goldcar outlets can only make money on the hire by selling expensive insurance to customers on arrival. It is this that leads to pressure tactics by agents desperate to bring in more revenue, and it is not a healthy or transparent way to operate.
As I reported in June, the highest number of complaints from Telegraph and Which? readers about an individual supplier in the previous month were about Goldcar. The company also came bottom of Which?’ s reader survey (which. co.uk/carhirefirms).
Which? Travel has reported the findings of its investigations to the Competition and Markets
Authority, which is considering its response. The problem is that the CMA has no jurisdiction in Spain or any other country apart from the UK, and its influence in Europe will inevitably be undermined by Brexit.
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SOPHIE BUTLER
DESTINATION EXPERT
Dear Ray,
It is true that in Switzerland – and also Germany and Austria – debit and credit cards are not quite so widely accepted as they are here. Some small businesses, bars, restaurants and so on may take only cash – especially in a town like Chur (Zermatt is so tourist-focused that more places will accept cards).
Since the pound is so weak against all currencies at the moment, and especially the Swiss
Tui changed a customer’s flight date without telling them – so check your details regularly
In March I booked an allinclusive holiday for four adults to Vietnam with Tui, departing on Jan 6. It cost a total of £6,976 including extra legroom seats.
In July, I tried to choose seats using the booking manager on Tui’s website. It would not let me do so and directed me to ring a number. A Tui agent said there was an “operational change” and I would receive an email shortly. That was six weeks ago.
I have rung Tui several times to be told there’s no news other than it might change the aircraft and extra legroom seats might not be available. But what has really freaked me out is that the web sales page for our holiday now says flights will depart on Tuesdays instead of Mondays.
Given that we need to book work time off well in advance, I find it appalling that Tui has not notified us that our flight is departing 24 hours later. If we can cancel because of the date change we might fly with Qatar Airways and book the hotels direct. Can you find out what’s going on?
DEBBIE STOTHERT
QAGILL CHARLTON
READER CHAMPION
Putting the departure time back 24 hours is a major change under Tui’s booking conditions, so Mrs Stothert can accept it or ask for her £1,000 deposit back and book elsewhere.
I found Tui’s package very competitive. A return flight with Qatar from London to Ho Chi Minh via Doha, based on her dates, currently costs £627. Its Airbus 350 seats have a 32in pitch compared with 36in for the extra legroom seats on direct Tui flights. Booking.com is quoting £735 for three nights in two rooms at the Novotel Saigon and £3,684 for 11 nights in two deluxe all-inclusive garden doubles at the Vinpearl Resort and Spa. This totals £6,927 but excludes the private transfers included in the Tui price.
Tui told me it would be contacting Mrs Stothert “shortly”. I asked what this meant, and an agent rang her later in the day to confirm the change and ask what she would like to do. Why had it taken so long? Tui was unable to say.
This delay in notifying a customer about a major change is not acceptable. With current economic uncertainty there may well be more alterations to flight schedules this winter – check your details in the booking manager regularly.
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