0:00:02 > 0:00:04'I've battled for consumer rights for years,
0:00:04 > 0:00:06'but it seems some companies are still not getting the message.'
0:00:06 > 0:00:09The consumer is technically paying your wages
0:00:09 > 0:00:11and keeping your company afloat.
0:00:11 > 0:00:14'Day in, day out, thousands of you are being taken for a ride
0:00:14 > 0:00:16'and it's always the same old things -
0:00:16 > 0:00:20'shoddy products, the small print and bad customer service.'
0:00:20 > 0:00:22Customer service is really important
0:00:22 > 0:00:24and, if a company's good, I'll go back to it.
0:00:24 > 0:00:27'Too right! But some firms are driving you barmy,
0:00:27 > 0:00:28'causing you sleepless nights
0:00:28 > 0:00:31'and making you feel like you're the one to blame.'
0:00:31 > 0:00:32But don't despair,
0:00:32 > 0:00:36because I'll take them on to make sure you don't get done.
0:00:38 > 0:00:42'We work hard all year round and when we take a well-earned break,
0:00:42 > 0:00:47'there's nothing quite like it - relaxing, sun-filled skies
0:00:47 > 0:00:49'and good times.'
0:00:51 > 0:00:54But what happens when your holiday
0:00:54 > 0:00:57turns out to be nothing like what you were expecting?
0:01:04 > 0:01:08'Unfortunately, that's what happened to Dave and Leonie Robinson.
0:01:08 > 0:01:11'They shelled out £560
0:01:11 > 0:01:14'for what they hoped would be a family holiday to remember.
0:01:14 > 0:01:16'But as their photos show,
0:01:16 > 0:01:19'sadly, it ended up being one they'll never forget.
0:01:21 > 0:01:25'Their Pontins journey began when Leonie and Dave had just celebrated
0:01:25 > 0:01:27'the birth of their son, Jacob.
0:01:27 > 0:01:31'With two other children, James and Oliver, money was tight.
0:01:31 > 0:01:33'When it came to booking their yearly holiday,
0:01:33 > 0:01:39'Leonie and Dave decided to stay in the UK and take their family on a trip down memory lane.'
0:01:39 > 0:01:43We decided to go to Pontins because of my memories as a child.
0:01:43 > 0:01:47I have memories of it being fun and happy, things like that,
0:01:47 > 0:01:50lots of activities for the children to do.
0:01:50 > 0:01:54They can experience the memories that I had as a child.
0:01:54 > 0:01:57'After flicking through the glossy Pontins brochure,
0:01:57 > 0:01:59'Leonie and Dave decided to take their family
0:01:59 > 0:02:02'to the Brean Sands park in Somerset.'
0:02:02 > 0:02:05When I rang Pontins and asked about the sites,
0:02:05 > 0:02:07they said this was one of their best sites,
0:02:07 > 0:02:10so we thought this would be the one for us.
0:02:10 > 0:02:13'Then after taking a look on the Pontins website,
0:02:13 > 0:02:16'images like this sealed the deal.'
0:02:16 > 0:02:20We expected Pontins to be a lovely holiday.
0:02:20 > 0:02:23We thought it would be clean and tidy.
0:02:23 > 0:02:28We thought we'd have space, where the children could be in the chalet.
0:02:28 > 0:02:34We've caravanned before, and with a new baby we thought it would be too small to do that.
0:02:34 > 0:02:37So we decided to book one of their chalets.
0:02:37 > 0:02:42The children were very excited that they would meet the Crocodile Club
0:02:42 > 0:02:45and do the things that were advertised in the brochure.
0:02:45 > 0:02:48'But when the family arrived at the Brean Sands park,
0:02:48 > 0:02:51'the reality shattered all their dreams.'
0:02:51 > 0:02:57When we first got there, we realised that there was a lot of heavy machinery about -
0:02:57 > 0:03:00concrete mixers, things like that.
0:03:00 > 0:03:03At least 50% of the site was getting refurbished,
0:03:03 > 0:03:08which we weren't told about when we booked the holiday.
0:03:08 > 0:03:11I nearly cried when I walked in. The room was horrible.
0:03:11 > 0:03:14The entrance looked like it had been kicked in.
0:03:14 > 0:03:16The window wouldn't lock, so when they fixed it,
0:03:16 > 0:03:21they had to screw it shut so we didn't have a window to open in the middle of summer.
0:03:21 > 0:03:26What bed linen we had had holes in it. The bathroom was filthy.
0:03:26 > 0:03:31'After the initial distress, Leonie and Dave headed to reception to complain.'
0:03:31 > 0:03:37They said, "We can't do anything. You have to go to where you collected your linen from."
0:03:37 > 0:03:39They sorted the basic bits out -
0:03:39 > 0:03:42the lack of pillows and duvets and things.
0:03:42 > 0:03:48We were still in a dirty tiny room where we had to move the furniture round to get us all in.
0:03:48 > 0:03:52'Leonie and Dave tried to remain upbeat for the sake of the children
0:03:52 > 0:03:57'and decided to take them swimming, which is what they love to do.'
0:03:57 > 0:04:03We booked Pontins after asking specifically whether their water slide was working.
0:04:03 > 0:04:07The day we went into the pool, not only was it too cold to go in,
0:04:07 > 0:04:11but the water slide was out of order because they were under-staffed,
0:04:11 > 0:04:14so the children couldn't even use the water slide.
0:04:14 > 0:04:16The holiday was rubbish
0:04:16 > 0:04:22because it was too cold to go swimming in the big pool.
0:04:22 > 0:04:24The swimming pool facilities were disastrous.
0:04:24 > 0:04:28I used the female changing rooms with my two youngest children.
0:04:28 > 0:04:31They were just filthy. Nobody had cleaned them.
0:04:31 > 0:04:35There was rust on the wall where the disabled chair had been pulled off.
0:04:35 > 0:04:39The changing mat was dirty. It was supposed to be anti-mould.
0:04:39 > 0:04:44It said "anti-fungal changing mat". It was covered in mildew and mould.
0:04:44 > 0:04:47It was filthy. I daren't even put my baby on it.
0:04:47 > 0:04:49'That was the final straw.'
0:04:49 > 0:04:52I decided that was it, I wanted to go home.
0:04:52 > 0:04:56Any family holiday should leave you with memories that you treasure
0:04:56 > 0:04:59for the rest of your life. Unfortunately,
0:04:59 > 0:05:02with David and Leonie, it's a different sort of memory.
0:05:02 > 0:05:05I'm about to find out what went wrong.
0:05:05 > 0:05:08'Leonie and Dave feel they're at a dead end as they've had no luck
0:05:08 > 0:05:12'talking to anyone at Pontins about their horrendous holiday.
0:05:12 > 0:05:16'I've come to see if there's anything I can do to help.'
0:05:16 > 0:05:19- How you doing? Is Leonie in? - Yes. Come on in.
0:05:20 > 0:05:26If I said "describe Pontins on that first day in one or two words",
0:05:26 > 0:05:28Leonie, how would you describe it?
0:05:28 > 0:05:30A disaster zone. It was awful.
0:05:30 > 0:05:34- What would you say, David? - Filthy, unsafe.
0:05:34 > 0:05:38Must be a huge disappointment. You'd just had a birth, hadn't you?
0:05:38 > 0:05:43We tried to make the best of it. We thought, "We'll see how it goes tomorrow."
0:05:43 > 0:05:45The next day, we went to the pool area.
0:05:45 > 0:05:50There was dirt everywhere. The grout between the tiles was green and black.
0:05:50 > 0:05:55There was empty packets and dirty nappies just abandoned all over the place.
0:05:55 > 0:05:59- What happened when you went to complain? - We asked to talk to the manager.
0:05:59 > 0:06:03We were told the manager was busy so we said, "Fair enough. We'll wait."
0:06:03 > 0:06:08We were there a couple of minutes and the manager came out of the back room.
0:06:08 > 0:06:13I said, "I want to go home." He talked me round. He was very pleasant.
0:06:13 > 0:06:16He said he would upgrade our accommodation
0:06:16 > 0:06:19to nicer accommodation that had been refurbished
0:06:19 > 0:06:24and didn't have a 1960s dirty bathroom suite in it, and we could check it first.
0:06:24 > 0:06:28'As it was getting quite late and the kids were hungry,
0:06:28 > 0:06:31'the manager offered the family a free Sunday lunch and drinks.'
0:06:31 > 0:06:37We thought, "They're trying to make amends and make things better for us."
0:06:37 > 0:06:40On first inspection, it looked like it was quite nice.
0:06:40 > 0:06:43It was more up-to-date and more refurbished.
0:06:43 > 0:06:48When we'd stayed a day or two, we realised it wasn't that good.
0:06:48 > 0:06:51Anything on the floor ended up dripping wet.
0:06:51 > 0:06:55The floor was rippled, the lino, which had supposedly just gone down.
0:06:55 > 0:06:58When you opened the drawers, they were falling off the hinges.
0:06:58 > 0:07:01- These were supposed to be new. - Were the beds OK?
0:07:01 > 0:07:07My side of the bed was fine but my wife's had a dirty great spring stuck through the bottom.
0:07:07 > 0:07:10- So you couldn't sleep comfortably? - No.
0:07:10 > 0:07:13When you check your accommodation, you see if it's clean.
0:07:13 > 0:07:19You don't lay on the bed and check there's no springs sticking through or there's holes in the bed linen.
0:07:19 > 0:07:22'Leonie and Dave were set to pack up and go home,
0:07:22 > 0:07:26'but before they arrived at Pontins, they had forked out
0:07:26 > 0:07:29'on expensive tickets on a nearby safari park.'
0:07:29 > 0:07:34The children were looking forward to it. It was the only nice day of our holiday.
0:07:34 > 0:07:37We stayed four days simply so we could go there.
0:07:37 > 0:07:42We went to the zoo and it was fantastic.
0:07:42 > 0:07:47'As soon as they got back to Pontins, Leonie started getting ready to leave.'
0:07:47 > 0:07:51I handed my keys back and said, "We can't stand it any more."
0:07:51 > 0:07:53Did you ask for a refund?
0:07:53 > 0:07:58They said, "You'll have to e-mail us when you get home and complain.
0:07:58 > 0:08:00"Send in all your complaints sheets."
0:08:00 > 0:08:03When we got home, I decided against e-mailing.
0:08:03 > 0:08:07I decided I was going to write a letter to the head office.
0:08:07 > 0:08:10They then forwarded my letter to Brean Sands.
0:08:10 > 0:08:16Apparently, all of their complaints are done in-house on the site where you stay.
0:08:16 > 0:08:21Your complaint is forwarded on to the people you're complaining about?
0:08:21 > 0:08:26They think, "We don't want to give their money back. We'll sweep that under the carpet and leave it."
0:08:26 > 0:08:28'After not getting a response from Pontins,
0:08:28 > 0:08:32'Leonie decided to give the Brean Sands park a call.'
0:08:32 > 0:08:35They said they hadn't actually received the letter yet.
0:08:35 > 0:08:40'Leonie waited a day or two then called Brean Sands again.
0:08:40 > 0:08:43'They said they'd received their letter but hadn't read it,
0:08:43 > 0:08:45'so asked her to call back in a few days.'
0:08:45 > 0:08:50I just kept hitting brick walls when I phoned Brean Sands.
0:08:50 > 0:08:53They kept handing the problem to somebody else.
0:08:53 > 0:08:56Or say, "I'll get back to you after my lunch."
0:08:56 > 0:09:00Or "He's not here at the moment. He'll ring you back."
0:09:00 > 0:09:03Given up phoning cos nobody wanted to speak to us.
0:09:03 > 0:09:07'Leonie says she spent weeks trying to call Pontins, but without success
0:09:07 > 0:09:13'and gave up thinking she would ever talk to somebody about her complaints.'
0:09:13 > 0:09:15How do you feel about them now, generally?
0:09:15 > 0:09:20I'm so cross with them. So cross that they could take people's money,
0:09:20 > 0:09:23head-earned money that you've saved up all year to go on holiday
0:09:23 > 0:09:27and take your children and disappoint families - I'm so cross with them.
0:09:27 > 0:09:33We thought, "We have to take photos cos people aren't going to believe what we're talking about."
0:09:33 > 0:09:36We took photos on the camera. We took them on our phones.
0:09:36 > 0:09:39Most people take photos of nice things on holiday.
0:09:39 > 0:09:42We took them of nightmares.
0:09:42 > 0:09:46We never got one nice photo of us together on holiday.
0:09:46 > 0:09:49- Could you show me these photos? Where are they?- Yeah. Over there.
0:09:49 > 0:09:53'I'm glad Leonie and Dave have done the most sensible thing
0:09:53 > 0:09:58'and taken hard evidence of the state of the Brean Sands holiday park.'
0:09:58 > 0:10:00That's the ripped bed linen.
0:10:00 > 0:10:03- That was in your chalet? - In the room, yes.
0:10:03 > 0:10:06That's the pillowcase that was all ripped.
0:10:07 > 0:10:09- Not a very welcoming sight. - Not really.
0:10:09 > 0:10:14That was the cobwebs in the corner and even the spider still there.
0:10:14 > 0:10:16Yeah. Surprised HE hasn't moved out.
0:10:16 > 0:10:22This is the new drawers. The drawers don't shut properly.
0:10:22 > 0:10:24These are the works going on.
0:10:24 > 0:10:27- That's a building site. - That's a concrete wagon.
0:10:27 > 0:10:32- I'm pretty shocked. - It should be a nice family safe area and it wasn't.
0:10:32 > 0:10:36- What a waste of your first holiday for a year.- It was.
0:10:36 > 0:10:39- And the first holiday of my youngest son as well.- Yeah.
0:10:39 > 0:10:41It's the kids' memories.
0:10:41 > 0:10:46- OK, David. Can you e-mail me those photos and I'll print some of them off?- Yeah.
0:10:46 > 0:10:50- Tell Leonie I said goodbye and I'll be in touch soon.- All right.
0:10:51 > 0:10:55'Unbelievable! Leonie and Dave have had a really awful holiday.
0:10:55 > 0:10:59'Let's see what Pontins have to say when I ring them up.
0:11:00 > 0:11:05'Pontins is one of the oldest and best-known names in British holidays.
0:11:05 > 0:11:08'They've been around since 1946 and have five parks
0:11:08 > 0:11:11'offering half-board and self-catering holidays
0:11:11 > 0:11:13'with regular entertainment on offer.
0:11:13 > 0:11:17'Their slogan WAS "All your want-ins at Pontins".
0:11:17 > 0:11:21'Sadly, in November 2010, the company went into administration.
0:11:21 > 0:11:24'It was bought by the Britannia Hotel Group,
0:11:24 > 0:11:27'whose trading name is Britannia Jinky Jersey Ltd.
0:11:27 > 0:11:32'This company has kept the resorts open and the Pontins name alive.
0:11:33 > 0:11:38'I'm going to try and get hold of someone at the Brean Sands park where Dave and Leonie stayed.'
0:11:38 > 0:11:40PHONE RINGING
0:11:40 > 0:11:42RECORDED VOICE: Welcome to Pontins.
0:11:42 > 0:11:45Please hold for one of our holiday advisors.
0:11:45 > 0:11:50Your call may be recorded for quality and training purposes.
0:11:50 > 0:11:53'A Pontins holiday advisor answers.
0:11:53 > 0:11:56'She'd prefer her voice not to be broadcast.'
0:11:56 > 0:12:01I need to speak to somebody about a problem with one of the chalets that's been rented out.
0:12:01 > 0:12:03'She asks which park I'm referring to.'
0:12:03 > 0:12:05It's Brean Sands.
0:12:05 > 0:12:08'She informs me that usually complaints about the accommodation
0:12:08 > 0:12:12'are dealt with at the park by the customer services desk.'
0:12:12 > 0:12:16It's gone beyond that. 'The lady then puts me on hold.'
0:12:16 > 0:12:21That's quite interesting. As soon as I spoke to that lady, she was very polite,
0:12:21 > 0:12:26and said "I need to speak to you about a problem" she said "normally they're taken care of on site".
0:12:26 > 0:12:28That wasn't the case for Leonie.
0:12:28 > 0:12:33If that is the case, why weren't they taken care of on site?
0:12:33 > 0:12:36'I'm transferred to one of the managers at the head office,
0:12:36 > 0:12:39'who would also prefer that we don't use their voice.'
0:12:39 > 0:12:44A Customer of yours complained to us about a holiday they've had very recently.
0:12:44 > 0:12:49They did take it up at the time with the people at the park
0:12:49 > 0:12:51and they weren't able to resolve it.
0:12:51 > 0:12:54They've asked us if we can try and sort this out.
0:12:54 > 0:12:57'I quickly learn that she's a sales manager,
0:12:57 > 0:12:59'so can't help with a customer complaint,
0:12:59 > 0:13:03'but she will call me back with a number for Eileen Downey,
0:13:03 > 0:13:06'the Operations Director of Britannia Hotels.
0:13:06 > 0:13:09'However, ironically, she's on holiday for two weeks.'
0:13:09 > 0:13:12Smashing. Nice talking to you. Bye-bye.
0:13:13 > 0:13:17Got to say - very charming lady. Most of my calls start off that way.
0:13:17 > 0:13:22I've got the names of the important people. I'm going to send them an e-mail and wait for their call back.
0:13:22 > 0:13:25Then I'll start the ball rolling, well and truly.
0:13:29 > 0:13:34'This case has got me thinking about what our rights are when a holiday goes wrong.
0:13:34 > 0:13:39'I've contacted Steve Playle from Surrey County Council Trading Standards to find out.'
0:13:39 > 0:13:43UK holidays are covered by the Supply of Goods and Services Act.
0:13:43 > 0:13:47Accommodation has to be supplied using reasonable care
0:13:47 > 0:13:50and the services must be provided with reasonable skill.
0:13:50 > 0:13:52Hopefully, that contributes to consumers having a decent holiday.
0:13:52 > 0:13:56'A common cause of complaint is the standard of accommodation.
0:13:56 > 0:14:00'What should you do if you're unhappy?'
0:14:00 > 0:14:02If you're dissatisfied with the accommodation,
0:14:02 > 0:14:06don't suffer in silence, let someone know that you're dissatisfied.
0:14:06 > 0:14:09Find the site manager and give them the opportunity to put it right.
0:14:09 > 0:14:13'If you feel that your complaint has not been dealt with appropriately,
0:14:13 > 0:14:16'how can you take it further?'
0:14:16 > 0:14:20Always put the complaint in writing. Use old-fashioned pen and paper.
0:14:20 > 0:14:24Send it by recorded delivery. That way you can prove the complaint's got there.
0:14:24 > 0:14:27Spell out what you want them to do to put the matter right
0:14:27 > 0:14:31and give them a time limit in which to come back to you.
0:14:31 > 0:14:35If you are complaining about a holiday, you need to be reasonable at all times.
0:14:35 > 0:14:40If it gets escalated to a court case, the registrar will look at how you've behaved.
0:14:40 > 0:14:43If you've acted unreasonably, it may well count against you.
0:14:43 > 0:14:46Who else can we turn to?
0:14:46 > 0:14:49It's always worth paying using a credit card.
0:14:49 > 0:14:53You have some fantastic protection under the Consumer Credit Act.
0:14:53 > 0:14:58'If you buy anything on a credit card between £100 and £30,000,
0:14:58 > 0:15:01'you can turn to your credit card company if something goes wrong.'
0:15:01 > 0:15:05If the holiday company aren't prepared to play ball,
0:15:05 > 0:15:08sometimes you can bring pressure to bear by the credit card company.
0:15:08 > 0:15:12Just cos it's cheap doesn't mean it has to be nasty.
0:15:12 > 0:15:16One reason that Dave and Leonie were SO disappointed with their holiday
0:15:16 > 0:15:21was that it simply didn't live up to the promises made in the Pontins brochure.
0:15:21 > 0:15:24That could be the key to this case.
0:15:24 > 0:15:27'I've asked Dave and Leonie to make a list comparing what the brochure
0:15:27 > 0:15:32'and website claimed the park offered, and what they found on arrival.'
0:15:32 > 0:15:36This is what we were expecting. They've said it'll be clean.
0:15:36 > 0:15:38And they weren't. They were awful.
0:15:38 > 0:15:41That's the door where you went in.
0:15:41 > 0:15:45- This was all flooding and fag ends. - Full of dirty smelly water.
0:15:45 > 0:15:46It was horrible.
0:15:46 > 0:15:50'A brochure could be a true reflection of what you'll see on your holiday.
0:15:50 > 0:15:55'If what you get on arrival bears no relation, complain there and then
0:15:55 > 0:15:57'and request to be moved.
0:15:57 > 0:15:59'Always take photos and videos.
0:15:59 > 0:16:02'If other holiday-makers are experiencing problems,
0:16:02 > 0:16:06'get their names and addresses. The more who complain,
0:16:06 > 0:16:10'the better the chance of getting a company to listen to you.'
0:16:12 > 0:16:15Brean Sands advertises that they've got a heated swimming pool.
0:16:15 > 0:16:19- In fact... Well, you know what it was like! It was...- freezing.
0:16:19 > 0:16:23'Send all letters by recorded delivery and e-mail
0:16:23 > 0:16:27'so you can prove they received it, and always save a copy.'
0:16:27 > 0:16:29Anti-mould changing mat.
0:16:30 > 0:16:32The nappy somebody had left.
0:16:32 > 0:16:38'Disgusting! The reality paints a very different picture to what they saw online.'
0:16:38 > 0:16:42- It shows you the things that don't work!- Yeah.- Then they tell you
0:16:42 > 0:16:45this long list of things to go out of Pontins to do.
0:16:45 > 0:16:48'That's a solid list Leonie and Dave have got.
0:16:48 > 0:16:51'That could prove handy evidence, if I need it.
0:16:52 > 0:16:55'Back on the case, there's been a development.
0:16:55 > 0:16:57'Five days after I left a message,
0:16:57 > 0:17:01'Operations Manager Eileen Downey has rung on behalf of Pontins
0:17:01 > 0:17:04'and spoken to a member of my team.'
0:17:04 > 0:17:08She said that Pontins don't agree with what David and Leonie say
0:17:08 > 0:17:10and that they wrote and told them that.
0:17:10 > 0:17:14She says that they upgraded them to a brand-new chalet
0:17:14 > 0:17:17and gave them food and drink for the remainder of their stay,
0:17:17 > 0:17:22which was worth more than what they paid for the original chalet.
0:17:22 > 0:17:26'Leonie, on the other hand, says she never received a letter from Eileen,
0:17:26 > 0:17:30'that the new chalet they were moved to was in a poor state of repair
0:17:30 > 0:17:33'and that they were only given vouchers for one meal.
0:17:33 > 0:17:36'One thing IS for sure...'
0:17:36 > 0:17:42Pontins have said that the couple never complained about the swimming pool facilities during their stay.
0:17:42 > 0:17:44Well, they did.
0:17:44 > 0:17:48Here is a copy of the form Leonie filled in while she was there.
0:17:48 > 0:17:52'To be fair to Eileen, she may not have known about this when she rang.
0:17:52 > 0:17:56'We sent an e-mail with full details of Dave and Leonie's complaint
0:17:56 > 0:17:59'and asked her to comment on such issues as...
0:17:59 > 0:18:01'Leonie and Dave's dirty room,
0:18:01 > 0:18:05'the swimming pool being very cold, along with unclean changing rooms.
0:18:05 > 0:18:09'Since starting this investigation, it turned out Leonie and Dave
0:18:09 > 0:18:12'are not the only ones who've had a disappointing Pontins holiday.
0:18:12 > 0:18:16'I've now also heard from Louise Duggard from Middlesex,
0:18:16 > 0:18:20'who had a week's holiday to Camber Sands in September 2012.
0:18:22 > 0:18:28'After they received a special offer via e-mail, the holiday cost £150.'
0:18:28 > 0:18:32With our past experience, we thought it was an amazing price.
0:18:32 > 0:18:34So we went for it.
0:18:34 > 0:18:39'As soon as they stepped foot in the park, they weren't impressed.'
0:18:39 > 0:18:43The dirtiness of the chalets. It was filthy rotten.
0:18:43 > 0:18:45The games room was poor.
0:18:45 > 0:18:49The ceiling was falling down and I was worried for my son's safety.
0:18:49 > 0:18:53'As soon as they returned home, they wrote two letters of complaint.'
0:18:53 > 0:18:57Three weeks after we sent our letter to the manager, we had a reply,
0:18:57 > 0:19:02with the manager apologising and offering us 10% off our next holiday.
0:19:02 > 0:19:07We thought the offer was appalling and that we'd never go back.
0:19:07 > 0:19:10'In contrast, when Kirstie Harris and her family arrived at Pontins
0:19:10 > 0:19:14'in Prestatyn in north Wales, first impressions were good.'
0:19:14 > 0:19:17The park seemed nice
0:19:17 > 0:19:21and the outside of the main building seemed lovely.
0:19:21 > 0:19:23'But good vibes didn't last long.'
0:19:23 > 0:19:28When we got into the apartment, I instantly saw that it wasn't clean.
0:19:28 > 0:19:32The floor was dirty. The kitchen sides were dirty.
0:19:32 > 0:19:36The mirrors were dirty and the settee was filthy as well.
0:19:36 > 0:19:41I wouldn't have allowed the boys to go into the kitchen cos it was so dirty.
0:19:41 > 0:19:45I certainly wouldn't be making bottles or the kids' sandwiches on the kitchen sides.
0:19:45 > 0:19:50'Kirstie's boyfriend went straight to the manager to complain and ask for an upgrade.'
0:19:50 > 0:19:52He was told that would cost us £40,
0:19:52 > 0:19:58so we paid that and received the keys to a higher apartment.
0:19:58 > 0:20:01And the same dirt shocked us again.
0:20:01 > 0:20:05It doesn't matter how much a holiday costs, it should be a certain standard.
0:20:05 > 0:20:10The rooms should be clean. The staff should be friendly. You should have a nice time.
0:20:10 > 0:20:13'That's now three people who have been badly let down by Pontins.
0:20:13 > 0:20:17'However, there has been a development for Dave and Leonie.
0:20:17 > 0:20:21'They received a letter with an offer which sounds promising
0:20:21 > 0:20:23'and the couple are considering it.
0:20:26 > 0:20:32'Whilst they do that, I get back on the blower to Pontins' Operations Manager about Kirstie and Louise.'
0:20:32 > 0:20:34PHONE RINGING
0:20:36 > 0:20:39Eileen, good morning. It's Dominic Littlewood at the BBC.
0:20:39 > 0:20:42'She responds by saying, "It's who? Sorry?"'
0:20:42 > 0:20:45It's Dominic Littlewood at the BBC.
0:20:45 > 0:20:48From Don't Get Done Get Dom. We're making a programme.
0:20:48 > 0:20:51I sent you an e-mail six weeks ago... Eileen?
0:20:53 > 0:20:55Eileen?
0:20:56 > 0:21:00'Hm, how odd. Maybe it's a bad line. I'll try again.
0:21:00 > 0:21:03'This time, I just get a dead line.
0:21:03 > 0:21:06'Do you think it was something I said?'
0:21:06 > 0:21:09I'll tell you what we'll do. We'll ring one more time,
0:21:09 > 0:21:13just in case she pressed the "off" button by accident.
0:21:13 > 0:21:16Can happen. CAN happen.
0:21:20 > 0:21:23- CONTINUOUS TONE - 'It's obviously just not my day.
0:21:27 > 0:21:30'I've been trying to get answers for all three cases,
0:21:30 > 0:21:35'but nearly eight weeks have gone by since we last heard from Pontins.
0:21:35 > 0:21:37'Since then, nothing.
0:21:37 > 0:21:41'I've even e-mailed Alex Langsam, the MD of Pontins' parent company,
0:21:41 > 0:21:44'the Britannia Hotels Group, but to no avail.
0:21:44 > 0:21:47'I'm giving up hope of ever getting any answers,
0:21:47 > 0:21:50'but I want to give it another try.'
0:21:50 > 0:21:52PHONE RINGING
0:21:53 > 0:21:56Could you put me through to Alex Langsam, please?
0:21:56 > 0:21:59'The man who answers enquires into who's calling.'
0:21:59 > 0:22:01Dominic Littlewood at the BBC.
0:22:01 > 0:22:03'He then puts me on hold,
0:22:03 > 0:22:08'but is soon back to tell me I have to e-mail Alex Langsam and arrange a meeting.'
0:22:08 > 0:22:10So no-one can put me through to the boss?
0:22:10 > 0:22:17'He says no. I have to make an appointment to talk to Alex Langsam through Customer Services.'
0:22:17 > 0:22:20I cannot get through to Mr Langsam.
0:22:20 > 0:22:24'Next up is Eileen Downey, the Operations Manager of Pontins.'
0:22:24 > 0:22:27Can I speak to Eileen Downey, please?
0:22:27 > 0:22:32'Apparently, today, she's at the Britannia Hotel Group office.'
0:22:32 > 0:22:35The two people I'm trying to ring are probably in the same office.
0:22:35 > 0:22:39What about if I left a message? Would you be able to get it to her?
0:22:39 > 0:22:43'The lady says she'll write down a message for Eileen and pass it on.'
0:22:43 > 0:22:46Smashing. Thanks very much for your help.
0:22:46 > 0:22:50'I tried my darnedest to speak to someone at Pontins
0:22:50 > 0:22:54'and their parent company, the Britannia Hotels Group, but to no avail.
0:22:54 > 0:22:58'Although Dave and Leonie have received an offer from Pontins,
0:22:58 > 0:23:01'I've heard nothing from them about Kirstie and Louise.
0:23:01 > 0:23:04'So is there anyone else they could turn to?
0:23:04 > 0:23:10'In all three cases, they felt the accommodation hadn't lived up to expectations from the brochures.
0:23:10 > 0:23:14'That sort of thing is dealt with by the Advertising Standards Authority.
0:23:14 > 0:23:17'One person who is an expert is Lindsay Taffe,
0:23:17 > 0:23:21'Director of Communications for the ASA.'
0:23:21 > 0:23:25The Advertising Standards Authority is the UK's regulator
0:23:25 > 0:23:28for advertising and we regulate advertising
0:23:28 > 0:23:31across all media - TV, radio, websites,
0:23:31 > 0:23:33what you see in newspapers, magazines.
0:23:33 > 0:23:36Any ads that mislead, harm or offend are removed.
0:23:36 > 0:23:42That's the first step. We make sure that the ad is withdrawn and it can't do any further damage.
0:23:42 > 0:23:47'Are there specific guidelines advertisers have to adhere to?'
0:23:47 > 0:23:51Advertisers need to ensure that what they advertise is available
0:23:51 > 0:23:55at the time the consumer expects to be taking advantage of it.
0:23:55 > 0:23:57If it's not going to be available,
0:23:57 > 0:24:01they need to make it clear, or withdraw it from the advertisement altogether.
0:24:01 > 0:24:07If the advertisement shows a particular standard of hotel or facilities at the hotel,
0:24:07 > 0:24:11that's absolutely what consumers should expect when they turn up.
0:24:11 > 0:24:13'As in the case of Leonie and Dave,
0:24:13 > 0:24:18'who think they haven't got what they thought they would, what can the ASA do?'
0:24:18 > 0:24:21We'll take steps to have the ad removed.
0:24:21 > 0:24:23Also, if we do uphold the complaint,
0:24:23 > 0:24:26there'll be negative publicity around that advertiser,
0:24:26 > 0:24:29which will damage them and will warn other consumers.
0:24:29 > 0:24:32'The ASA can't help with financial compensation,
0:24:32 > 0:24:35'but there are other bodies who can advise you.'
0:24:35 > 0:24:41We'd always recommend contacting the advertiser directly, to see what they can do to put things right.
0:24:41 > 0:24:44Contacting Trading Standards, who might be able to help.
0:24:44 > 0:24:47Or contacting other bodies, such as ABTA or ATOL,
0:24:47 > 0:24:51which have in place financial and other consumer help and advice.
0:24:51 > 0:24:55'If you buy a holiday and it doesn't live up to expectations,
0:24:55 > 0:24:57'you know who you can turn to.
0:24:57 > 0:24:59'This could be useful advice for Kirstie and Louise,
0:24:59 > 0:25:04'if they decide to take their cases further. Despite my best efforts,
0:25:04 > 0:25:08'there is still no response from Pontins. Shame on you.'
0:25:08 > 0:25:12We'd never go back to Pontins and we'd never recommend it to anyone.
0:25:12 > 0:25:15It was devastating, really upsetting.
0:25:15 > 0:25:18We had to leave and book ourselves in a hotel.
0:25:18 > 0:25:22Pontins didn't make any effort to speak to me directly,
0:25:22 > 0:25:25but they have been in contact with David and Leonie.
0:25:25 > 0:25:28Let's see what they had to say for themselves.
0:25:28 > 0:25:32- Hi, Leonie. Hi, Dave.- Hi, Dom. - This'll be the last time!
0:25:32 > 0:25:34Can I come in?
0:25:34 > 0:25:39How do you think I got on with Pontins when I tried to tell them about this disastrous holiday?
0:25:39 > 0:25:43I hope you got on better than I did. I couldn't get through to anybody.
0:25:43 > 0:25:47I found out who was running operations at Pontins, a lady called Eileen.
0:25:47 > 0:25:50I got her phone number. I sent her an e-mail.
0:25:50 > 0:25:52I listed all your problems. I sent the pictures.
0:25:52 > 0:25:56I then tried to speak to her boss at Britannia Hotels.
0:25:56 > 0:25:58- Guess what his response was. - Nothing?
0:25:58 > 0:26:01You hit the nail on the head.
0:26:01 > 0:26:05Britannia Hotels and Alex, the boss of it, didn't come back to us.
0:26:05 > 0:26:08I didn't even get the chance to address the situation with them.
0:26:08 > 0:26:12All I wanted to do was to see what they were prepared to do.
0:26:12 > 0:26:16- In the meantime, you've told us that you've heard from them.- Mm.
0:26:16 > 0:26:18- After I got involved.- Yes.
0:26:18 > 0:26:20In what format? Did they ring you up?
0:26:20 > 0:26:24I received a letter shortly after you must have got involved.
0:26:24 > 0:26:28- Right. Have you got the letter? - I have. Yes.- Read it out to me.
0:26:28 > 0:26:34"Dear Mrs Robinson, further to your recent stay at the Pontins holiday park in Brean Sands,
0:26:34 > 0:26:36"I have agreed to refund your holiday in full.
0:26:36 > 0:26:42"Therefore, please find enclosed a cheque to the value of £556.75,
0:26:42 > 0:26:44"in full and final statement."
0:26:44 > 0:26:48- Where's the apology? - There is no apology. Nothing.
0:26:51 > 0:26:54- How do you feel about that? - Very disappointed.
0:26:54 > 0:27:00We're relieved to have our money, but we're cross, because it took getting you involved to do this.
0:27:00 > 0:27:02I'm glad you got your money back.
0:27:02 > 0:27:08- I wish I was here with something better than that, but you can wash your hands of them.- We can.
0:27:08 > 0:27:11You got your money back. Jacob's getting hungry.
0:27:11 > 0:27:15- It's time for me to go.- Thank you. - Good luck with your next holiday.
0:27:15 > 0:27:19I hope you end up having a nicer one. I'll see myself out.
0:27:19 > 0:27:21- See ya later.- Bye.
0:27:22 > 0:27:26Hello, Jacob. You little tearaway! See ya later, son.
0:27:28 > 0:27:31Leonie and David have their money back, and quite rightly so.
0:27:31 > 0:27:35I always judge companies on how they respond when a problem arises.
0:27:38 > 0:27:42In the case of Pontins, we may not have had all our questions answered,
0:27:42 > 0:27:46but we have now had a response from the company who owns Pontins,
0:27:46 > 0:27:50the Britannia Hotels Group, and they say...
0:28:08 > 0:28:10We're relieved that we got our money back.
0:28:10 > 0:28:14Because Dom got involved, we'll be able to take our family on holiday.