Rob
TS Team
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Funny you should say that. We saw a VIP Passholder over the weekend complaining vehemently about something over the weekend making that very point. I can't remember what it was mind.
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This is a popular topic that is fast moving Guest - before posting, please ensure that you check out the first post in the topic for a quick reminder of guidelines, and importantly a summary of the known facts and information so far. Thanks. - Thread starter bluesonichd
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Disaster of the Towers
Funny you should say that. We saw a VIP Passholder over the weekend complaining vehemently about something over the weekend making that very point. I can't remember what it was mind.
Plastic Person
TS Member
I reckon they should have split the difference and offered you the chance to personally kick out the last family who checked in. Seems like a fair compromise.
Austin Towers
TS Member
Luke Foley
TS Member
Don't really understand why such a fuss is being made of this :') They offered you a dry, safe room to replace the one you had booked plus a 25% discount, so to suggest that they kick someone out who had not checked in would put them in the exact same position you found yourself in. Talk about selfish.
Everyone makes mistakes, yes it's not ideal, but just email the park and tell them what you want as compensation. Why make it such a big deal? There's bigger things to worry about in the world than a double booked hotel room
Everyone makes mistakes, yes it's not ideal, but just email the park and tell them what you want as compensation. Why make it such a big deal? There's bigger things to worry about in the world than a double booked hotel room
Don't really understand why such a fuss is being made of this :') They offered you a dry, safe room to replace the one you had booked plus a 25% discount, so to suggest that they kick someone out who had not checked in would put them in the exact same position you found yourself in. Talk about selfish.
Everyone makes mistakes, yes it's not ideal, but just email the park and tell them what you want as compensation. Why make it such a big deal? There's bigger things to worry about in the world than a double booked hotel room
I think you missed the point that @bluesonichd was complaining about. When you make a booking many months in advance to ensure that you get what you paid for and then to be told that what you've booked is not available upon arrival despite having confirmation in writing, I think I would personally be mad too and would certainly make a big deal out of it too, especially if I was to booked this many months ago and travelled far. Like I said in my earlier post, a similar thing happened to us regarding an accessible room. At the end of the day, it's the resort mistake, it's the resort problem to sort out and not the guest.
Saying that, most hotels (and flights) operate by over booking and operate on the last man standing principle now-a-days
speedy
TS Member
It's the phrasing of the original post that gets me. Yes someone messed up but they can't magic up a hotel room out of nowhere. And to suggest someone else (who is probably out after setting down all their stuff in a room) should vacate is just selfish.
"Sorry sir still only a pod available, we can offer you a refund and would like to also offer 25% off your next stay "
I'm reading this as they would let you stay in the pod for free. There is nothing wrong with a pod! Unless as in @RoyJess case you have a specific need for a room, then sure it's not what you asked for but it's better than nothing!
If they were going to charge you for the pod, IMO you should have asked them to pay for you to stay in a hotel nearby.
Either way I think it's right to be upset but the resort gave you options. I don't think the angry forum post was necessary.
"Sorry sir still only a pod available, we can offer you a refund and would like to also offer 25% off your next stay "
I'm reading this as they would let you stay in the pod for free. There is nothing wrong with a pod! Unless as in @RoyJess case you have a specific need for a room, then sure it's not what you asked for but it's better than nothing!
If they were going to charge you for the pod, IMO you should have asked them to pay for you to stay in a hotel nearby.
Either way I think it's right to be upset but the resort gave you options. I don't think the angry forum post was necessary.
BarryZola
TS Member
Being offered worse accomodation with no monetary recompense is not exactly a good option to be offered. If they're offering you worse accomodation you need to be given a full or at least partial refund. 25% off an imaginary future visit is almost completely worthless. He did say earlier in the thread that he was not offered a refund and was only offered worse accomodation and 25% off a future stay so I'm not sure why people are still defending Towers as if they handled this sufficiently at the time of his stay. From what he has told us, they absolutely did not.
Rob
TS Team
The first post in this thread states that a full refund was offered along with 25% off a future stay.
The circumstances are unfortunate of course, and someone has messed up big time, but being offered free accommodation and a future discount is not too bad in my opinion. Not ideal, but not bad.
If I was offered a full refund and free on resort accommodation for the night (even if it was just a shed pod in a field), then I would have certainly bite their hand off. However I would have also demanded a free future return stay, complete with full platinum fast track with meal and drinks vouchers for the park), at the end of the day, they messed up, you can call the shots
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jon81uk
TS Member
I agree the first post was poorly phrased.
The hotel should have offered a full refund and a free night in a pod as a minimum (maybe ensuring you get access to regular breakfast in the Secret Garden as well). Some Fast Track or similar as well to offset the time you spent dealing with it would also have been nice.
The hotel should have offered a full refund and a free night in a pod as a minimum (maybe ensuring you get access to regular breakfast in the Secret Garden as well). Some Fast Track or similar as well to offset the time you spent dealing with it would also have been nice.
Luke Foley
TS Member
It's the fact he wanted another paying guest who hadn't checked in kicked out that annoyed me, that's just passing the buck to some other poor guest.
Rob
TS Team
Apologies. I had read the full thread initially but did not re-read the full thread before my post, and had forgotten about the later clarification!
I have a busy life to keep read through the entire thread again along with grey cells in my head that are no longer efficient in remembering things like they used to, but yes @bluesonichd was only offered a refund if he returned home or a bed in a shed if he stays, so no he wasn't offered a free stay on resort in a shed
So why should @bluesonichd be the poor guest that to be kicked out, he booked and paid for his stayed many months ago, so he has just as much right to what he paid for as much as any other potential guest that hasn't yet checked in. Money has already change hands here, so @bluesonichd is entitled to get what he paid for and it is the resort responsibility to provide that, even if it means giving him an upgrade. Either way, someone is going to be disappointed here and it's the resort mistake.
I too would be very much peeved if I was in @bluesonichd shoes, especially if I was told to return home again for a refund. A stay at the resort can take many months of planning as well as a day to pack. The fireworks event are only on once a year, it's not like you can return again in a few weeks time to experience the fireworks.
Luke Foley
TS Member
The fact is they can't magic a room out of thin air, he should have accepted the option given, and complained after to receive a refund in my opinion, rather than ruining a good day out over a room. Obviously the resort cocked up, which is entirely their fault, but if they have no rooms, they have no rooms. Take what you can get, and complain later.
No, but when money change hands, you have consumers rights.
Again no, as soon as you accept an offer in part or full, you will lose your rights to any further compensation or refund. So if you are not happy with whats on offer, then don't accept it.
I would say that the resort has already done that when they over booked the resort.
If you are not happy with anything, complain there and then. Don't take what's on offer if you are not happy with the outcome, and if you do come to some agreeable arrangement, i.e. like a refund or future free stay, get this in writing there and then.
If you don't get a satisfactory outcome, then I would put your complaint in writing to the company ASAP, first via email and then secondly send them a written copy via signed for post.
I'm not a lawyer or legal expert, but FYI Jess and I have recently won a 2 year legal case against a company that we took to court. For us to be successful, we had to research some of the legal law and consumer rights to build our case. So we have some idea on your rights and law, but this don't make us experts.
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Rick
TS Member
I think the difficulty comes where you have different types of accommodation. If you book a hotel room and are offered a shed and that is defined as a downgrade and vice-versa an upgrade, then I think there is some room for annoyance if offered the former, but equally they're still giving you a bed.
For work this week my hotel was overbooked and they sent me 5 mins walk down the road to another in the same chain, I couldn't really complain.
For work this week my hotel was overbooked and they sent me 5 mins walk down the road to another in the same chain, I couldn't really complain.