The HfP chat thread – Sunday 18th April

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• M says:

  18 Apr18 April 10:10

  My parents are on holiday now (both fully vaccinated and flying from EU in case anyone wonders). They booked and paid for a villa with pool, but on arrival only got a villa without pool. I know, a first world problem definitely.

  What should they expect/negotiate in terms of compensation? Thanks

  • Rob says:

    18 Apr18 April 10:19

    If they’d walked out on Day 1, 100% back. If they stay for the full holiday and try to get a refund afterwards, I doubt you’d get more than 20% – 25% (since it clearly wasn’t bad enough to make them walk out).

  • Harry T says:

    18 Apr18 April 10:43

    They should walk on day one of the hotel doesn’t fulfil it’s contract, I agree with Rob.

  • Anna says:

    18 Apr18 April 11:04

    I’d say no pool would definitely be a deal breaker, but presumably if they walked out straight away they’d be stuck with finding and paying for alternative accommodation which might be easier said than done?

    • M says:

      18 Apr18 April 11:22

      Walking out is not an option anymore, as they have already spent their first night there.

      I guess they can try to get the partial refund then.

      Thanks

      • meta says:

        18 Apr18 April 11:40

        It’s strange they didn’t complain on arrival. I know I would. If you make a fuss on arrival you can get a refund. How did they book?

      • TGLoyalty says:

        18 Apr18 April 12:14

        Wouldn’t say it’s not an option.

        Plenty of hotels let you walk without further penalty if it’s not as advertised but speak to whoever they booked with today.

        If the pool isn’t a deal breaker they may offer other compensation I don’t know what type of property it is but better suite, meals, money off etc

      • Lady London says:

        18 Apr18 April 12:52

        If they arrived late in the day after a difficult journey and exhausted then provided they complain at breakfast time or before the following morning then they should be able to demand ideally to be moved to same or better with the type of pool promised or to receive a very substantial refund off the whole holiday cost (not just the hotel component but off the whole holiday cost as they only took the flight due to the whole offering including the pool).

        Depending on level of holiday purchased and quality of the holiday provider I would say 25%-60% of cost should be given back if they are prepared to stay.

        Personally I wouldnt be prepared to stay and walking out to a tent if necessary on arrival would have been best, as Rob says. But action and insistence and packing bags and having them brought down to the lobby while you are on the phone to the provider and rejecting to any accommodation staff presentis essential.

        Make sure you keep a record and timing of all calls and whi you.speak to and try to send emails as well.

        Resolve it now and complain under ATOL/ABTA later or at least let them know even if you accept a solution. This is to hell others. IME this is rarely an isolated incident occurring with a provider.

        Please keep us informed

        • Lady London says:

          18 Apr18 April 12:59

          or if booked under the EU country of departure’s regime then raise with that country’s equivalents.

          Do not accept this – 98% it was not an accident or circumstances whatever they say. It was either mis-sold or deliberate non-provision by the accommodation provider. They knew they didn’t have enough/any accommodations with the pool promised. But prompt action and ejection is really essential.

  • BP says:

    18 Apr18 April 11:56

    I experienced this with Hotels.com in Vietnam. Booked a villa with private pool in a 5* hotel. On arrival there was no pool. The hotel didn’t have any villas with private pools. Hotels.com moved us to a more expensive hotel but only picked up 50% of the difference. It was worth paying the little extra as the hotel we moved to was incredible.

    My wife and her friends booked a penthouse in Barcelona via Airbnb. On arrival the penthouse wasn’t available so they got a ground floor apartment. Airbnb wasn’t really interested. I think they got £100 back. A clear scam.

    • meta says:

      18 Apr18 April 12:08

      I had this with hotels.com in a Paris too on a reward night booking. They immediately issued a refund of reward night, plus moved me to another better hotel free of charge. It was a one night stay, so easier I guess easier to comp. I did complain immediately after check-in.

      • kitten says:

        18 Apr18 April 13:06

        I had that in Paris and refused to take the room at checkin. I was in Reception over 2 hours refusing. I had started speaking English so was able to know immediately when the reception staff started talking in French and it was immediately clear the hotel knew they’d literally overlooked the booking and didn’t have the room type available and had no solution.

        This gave me courage through the 2 hours and eventually the holiday co moved me to a nicer hotel in a slightly better area and refunded my taxi. I booked with them again.

  • Lady London says:

    18 Apr18 April 12:53

    Pools are very serious for holidays if promised. Go after them with a vengeance.

    • M says:

      18 Apr18 April 20:54

      Thanks for all your advice, I will keep you posted.

• Aron says:

  18 Apr18 April 10:11

  Hi all, happy Sunday. A random but urgent request.

  Anyone able to help find some accommodation (hotel or AirBnB) as close to Kings College Hospital as possible? My partner’s Mum is due to be starting on a cancer treatment trial tomorrow and her AirBnB host has just cancelled as the previous occupant tested positive.

  There’s the Premier Inn Brixton but doesn’t look to be much else close by / available?

  • ChrisA says:

    18 Apr18 April 10:17

    It might be worth looking on booking.com for any apartments etc. Best wishes to her.

    • Lady London says:

      18 Apr18 April 13:22

      Premier Inn seems to have a few close by. Maybe take a night or two while you find something else if she’s staying longer? also looks like there are trains from Victoria to Denmark Hill very close if density of hotels is required to get good rates.

  • BS says:

    18 Apr18 April 10:20

    It is also worth contacting the PALS service at KCH – they have lists of local apartments/hotels precisely for this reason. Good luck!

  • Amit says:

    18 Apr18 April 10:24

    Sorry to hear Aron, wish her all the best. How long do you need it for?

    • AnotherUser says:

      18 Apr18 April 19:46

      I’d agree about seeing what the hospital can suggest. Depending how well-resourced the trial is, it might also be worth contacting the trial nurse. There’s the Staybridge Suites in Vauxhall (though I’ve never stayed myself, and it’s slightly further) if she wants a kitchen. I hope all goes well with the trial.

• Rob says:

  18 Apr18 April 10:31

  Yes.

  No impact on eligibility for BAPP and Plat, you are blocked from all the rest.

• Reney says:

  18 Apr18 April 10:41

  Has anyone ever brought furniture from oak furniture land on financing. The sales person insists we can pay it off early using an amex. It would be a good way to meet the bonus spend requirement but I’m worried it might go through as a cash transaction. Just wanted to check if anyone has experience.

  • Harry T says:

    18 Apr18 April 10:43

    Will they let you try a small test transaction first?

    • Reney says:

      18 Apr18 April 11:03

      That’s my next step, thought i would try out the wisdom here first since customer service is close today anyway.

      • Sandra says:

        18 Apr18 April 11:26

        I’ve bought from them via BA E Store paying with Amex so I’ve got the Avios from E Store and MR from Amex (and Avios have credited quickly). However with finance I would think you will be paying a finance company not Oak Furniture land so you’d probably have to confirm with them that they allow Amex.

• Rob says:

  18 Apr18 April 10:56

  Anyone with Billhop experience:

  I am registering with them in order to make Business payments to various suppliers, but I’m getting met with ojbjections to the company address details and now I need to faff around with sorts of documents.

  Is it essential to use the company version or could I just use the private individual account even though it is for business payments?

  Thanks

  • Russ says:

    18 Apr18 April 11:32

    What precisely are they objecting to? You can usually just add them.

• Anna says:

  18 Apr18 April 11:37

  So we’ll need a PCR test before returning home from any foreign travel this summer but what would happen in the event that one of your party tested positive?

  • John says:

    18 Apr18 April 11:47

    You would follow that country’s rules for what happens to people testing positive and then at some point get another test as it still needs to be negative before you can fly to the UK

  • Optimus Prime says:

    18 Apr18 April 11:48

    I guess you wouldn’t be allowed to board your return flight and likely to be asked to quarantine. Trailfinders insurance would cover your extended stay/quarantine (remember to get a medical certificate)

    • Anna says:

      18 Apr18 April 12:00

      We’ve got insurance but I’m wondering if the whole family would then be banned from travelling home – usually policies will only allow for one person to remain with anyone who’s too ill to travel. I will check our policy though, obviously. It’s a bit complicated as OH, son and I would be on OH’s work policy and our nephew would be on a standalone policy – I will check Trailfinders though to see if it will cover him for a single trip.

  • blenz101 says:

    18 Apr18 April 11:54

    You won’t be able to fly and can expect to spend a couple of weeks extra abroad.

    The rules on what happens after you test posistive will be determined by the country you are visiting. Could vary from being asked to remain in your hotel accomodation to goverment approved secure isolation facilities.

    • Anna says:

      18 Apr18 April 12:02

      This is something nobody seems to have considered much – it adds a whole extra dimension to the already tortuous process of potentially travelling abroad this summer!

      • Blenz101 says:

        18 Apr18 April 12:31

        Well if reports of just eight countries being on the green list and little chance of getting into several of them for UK departures it isn’t going to be something most people will need to consider.

        The extortionate costs of PCR tests in the UK will be another limiting factor.

        • Anna says:

          18 Apr18 April 12:38

          Well if the US is on the green list & allows us in from the UK that’s a few obstacles overcome, but there’s still the possibility of flights being cancelled & testing positive at either end!

      • Sandra says:

        18 Apr18 April 13:13

        I suppose it’s something anyone travelling will have to consider and take responsibility for themselves until things become more certain. Personally until there is certainty we won’t be going overseas, I’m ok but OH couldn’t risk not being allowed to return because of a + test due to having to go into work most days as a key worker. Some things you have to decide for yourself if the risk is worth it.

  • Sam G says:

    18 Apr18 April 13:32

    There have been plenty of tales of this happening e.g. Dubai at Xmas time. people got stuck for weeks waiting to test negative. Luckily no problem for me as my work is very flexible but anyone who must get back for any reason will need to consider this before booking any travel.

    There is also a risk with places like Greece who do random test on arrival – there were some people carted off to very spartan quarantine camps for their holiday instead of their planned nice hotel last summer

• Alex says:

  18 Apr18 April 12:05

  Anyone has Interactive Investor Trading ISA promotion code?

  • Peter says:

    18 Apr18 April 12:13

    You can use my refer a friend offer if it helps

    http://www.ii.co.uk/ii-for-friends

    peterwakelin at hotmail dot com

    just register the offer on the link and then sign up

• John says:

  18 Apr18 April 12:12

  NYT simulated 2 million air particles to try and establish…

  https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2021/04/17/travel/flying-plane-covid-19-safety.html

  (enjoy)

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