complaint about virgin holidays...

[spaced]

we have booked ou honeymoon to Barbados, only to be told about 2 months before we leave that there will be building worls occuring. We were not advised of this.

I have complained to virgin, who are having none of it. Who can I complain to? Is there like a holiday watchdog or ombudsmen????

[Buenchico]

Virgin Holidays is a member of the Association of British Travel Agents. (Source: The Virgin Holidays home page carries the ABTA symbol and a link to the ABTA website).

All ABTA members are bound by a code of conduct, which has been approved by the Office of Fair Trading. Part of that code reads as follows:
"An ABTA Member must notify you as soon as possible of any serious building works at your destination. If you wish you can transfer to another holiday or cancel and have your money back [Code 2.5]"
(Source: http://www.abta.com/codeguide.shtml )

With regard to complaints:
"# If you have a complaint about your travel arrangements you should write to the ABTA Member concerned. They must provide you with a full reply within 28 days. If you remain dissatisfied you should write again pointing out the areas of dispute. Again the ABTA Member must respond within 28 days [Code 3.1].
# If you fail to reach a satisfactory position with the ABTA Member you can have the matter resolved through the ABTA Arbitration Scheme (see [Code 3.4]."
(Source: As above)

Note that you must have made TWO written complaints to Virgin Holidays before ABTA can become involved.

If you can't reach a satisfactory solution, you're entitled to use the ABTA arbitration scheme. This is administerd indepedently by the Chartered Institute of Arbitrators. There's a registration fee for this service (�72.85 for claims of up to �3000) but you would normally get this back if you won your case. If you lost your case, however, you would lose your registration fee and probably have to pay Virgin Holidays' registration fee (the same amount again) as well.

Chris

[Buenchico]

Alternatively, holiday companies can often be jolted into action by the involvement (or the threat of involvement ofthe media).

BBC TV's Watchdog programme can be contacted at [email protected] . Alternatively, write, enclosing photocopies of your correspondence with Virgin Holidays, to BBC Watchdog, 201 Wood Lane, London W12 7TS

Radio 4's You and Yours programme can be contacted by using the form here:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/radio4/youandyours/youand yours_contact.shtml

The quickest response, however, is likely to come from your BBC local radio station. Contact details can be found here:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/england/radindex.shtml

Or try contacting your local newspaper.

Chris

[B00]

you wont get far i'm afraid. you'll need to prove that virgin had prior knowledge of the buildings works at the time of booking. Sadly it's usually down to the hotelier to advise of building works at their property and they are usually reluctant to advise the tour operator until the last minute.

Despite Buenchicos excellant advise- threatening Virgin with media attention won't make the slightest bit of difference to Virgin or indeed any tour operator- they'll happily call your bluff on that one i'm afraid.

I'm presuming they offered you an alternative? My advise would be to take it- and not have the added stress of getting into a wrangle you more than likely wont win.