Can they do this...?

[Denise_uk]

Hi. We booked and paid for all inclusive accommodation in a 5* hotel in Sharm El Sheikh via the Asda travel website a couple of months ago. We only booked accommodation through them; our flights were booked seperately directly with the airline. The price for the hotel was about half what the same hotel was sold at on all other websites for that fortnight so we thought we'd got a good deal. Yesterday we received an email from Asda travel apologising for the inconvenience and cancelling our accommodation because it had been sold too cheaply!!! They've offered us an alternative hotel which is nothing even close to the standard of the one we booked but costs the same, or a full refund plus 10% for our inconvenience, which again won't get us anything even remotely as good, even assuming we're able to book something around the flights we're still tied in to, which are in 4 weeks time! We're furious. So in a nutshell, can they do this??? Thanks.

[dzug]

That contract with Asda Travel will have T&C relating to cancellation by Asda Travel.

If what you have been offered is in line with those T&C then they are in the clear.

What does 10% amount to? I'm looking at another operator's T&C and they would pay �30 a head in similar circumstances (28 days) or �40 (15-27 days) - not that much really.

[Denise_uk]

Hi. Thanks for your answers. The additional 10% amounts to about �110, so as you say it isn't that much. I thought it seemed too good to be true when we found it at the price we did! It just infuraites me that because of their error in charging the wrong price they can legally pull the rug out from under us within 4 weeks of our travel date!

[cassa333]

Have you found an alternative yet? and is the holiday any time soon?

I only ask as if you don't get the alternative you will have flights but no accomodation??

[Denise_uk]

Yes cassa, thats just about the situation. We have flights booked and as yet still nowhere to rest our bones when we land!!! Good eh? :o(

[stonekicker]

how about cutting your losses with a crappy company that obviously doesn't give a hoot about good quality travel and customer service and looking around for alternative deals that are ready to go? they are often much cheaper, you can almost always go where you were originally planning and you get some great bonuses (all inclusive or extra excursions etc.). don't worry it will all turn out ok in the end...x

[Twenty20]

As mentioned above, the terms and conditions will undoubtably say that 'errors and omissions' are excluded when quoting prices etc.

[cassa333]

I remember a few years back a friend booked a last minute holiday to somewhere exotic as a honeymoon. It was less than a 1/4 of the price and they thought they had bagged a real bargin.

It ended up as room only and at the end of the holiday had spent more on food than if they had paid full price for fully inclusive!!

Anything that seems too good to be true probably is.

Book something as soon as you can...