0:00:02 > 0:00:04We asked you who's left you feeling ripped off
0:00:04 > 0:00:05when it comes to your holidays.
0:00:05 > 0:00:09The amount of money that it's cost is just astronomical.
0:00:09 > 0:00:13It wasn't just the money, it was their attitude.
0:00:13 > 0:00:15Whether it's a deliberate rip-off,
0:00:15 > 0:00:18a simple mistake or a catch in the small print,
0:00:18 > 0:00:21we'll find out why you're out-of-pocket
0:00:21 > 0:00:23and what you can do about it.
0:00:23 > 0:00:25Your stories, your money,
0:00:25 > 0:00:26this is...
0:00:29 > 0:00:32Hello and a very warm welcome to Rip Off Britain,
0:00:32 > 0:00:35battling on your behalf at home and indeed abroad,
0:00:35 > 0:00:38which as you can see is exactly where we're today.
0:00:38 > 0:00:40We're on the island of Tenerife, and lovely it is,
0:00:40 > 0:00:43investigating problems to do with your holidays,
0:00:43 > 0:00:44and serious ones at that.
0:00:44 > 0:00:47Because, frankly, any holiday has the potential
0:00:47 > 0:00:50for something to go wrong somewhere along the way,
0:00:50 > 0:00:52even if it is only very minor.
0:00:52 > 0:00:55But among the stories that we're going to be hearing about today
0:00:55 > 0:00:57are some that are much more dramatic.
0:00:57 > 0:01:00Either bringing the holiday to an abrupt end or, Gloria,
0:01:00 > 0:01:03even worse than that, ending it altogether.
0:01:03 > 0:01:06Now, when disaster strikes, sometimes it can be just bad luck.
0:01:06 > 0:01:09And while of course you can't predict the unexpected,
0:01:09 > 0:01:11there are ways you can prepare for it.
0:01:11 > 0:01:15So as we hear what happened to the people sharing their stories with us,
0:01:15 > 0:01:17we'll also have advice to stop you ending up
0:01:17 > 0:01:20in exactly the same boat.
0:01:20 > 0:01:23Coming up, the hotel that lost this couple's passports
0:01:23 > 0:01:25but tried to blame THEM.
0:01:25 > 0:01:29The amount of money that its cost is just astronomical.
0:01:29 > 0:01:31I was gutted, absolutely gutted.
0:01:31 > 0:01:36And a desperate battle for survival on a holiday without insurance.
0:01:36 > 0:01:41To get home, I don't even think desperate came close.
0:01:41 > 0:01:43I'd have literally got on my hands and knees
0:01:43 > 0:01:47and begged the Queen, if I had to.
0:01:49 > 0:01:51Next, a disastrous experience
0:01:51 > 0:01:53which frankly could happen to any one of us
0:01:53 > 0:01:55when we're checking in to a hotel abroad.
0:01:55 > 0:01:57So let me just set the scene for you.
0:01:57 > 0:02:01You're in a hotel, in a country that you've never visited before.
0:02:01 > 0:02:03And maybe you've had a very long day's travel,
0:02:03 > 0:02:04you're a little bit tired.
0:02:04 > 0:02:07And as you're filling in the hotel's registration form,
0:02:07 > 0:02:10they ask you to hand over your passport
0:02:10 > 0:02:13and say that they are going to hold on to it
0:02:13 > 0:02:15for the duration of your stay.
0:02:15 > 0:02:17But is that the right thing to do?
0:02:17 > 0:02:19Well, certainly for the couple but we're about to meet,
0:02:19 > 0:02:21it was not.
0:02:21 > 0:02:23Because that very simple request
0:02:23 > 0:02:29ended up landing them in a whole heap of trouble and expense.
0:02:29 > 0:02:30Alfie!
0:02:32 > 0:02:35Pampering pooches can be hard work.
0:02:38 > 0:02:41And it's kept Debbie Mortimer and Kevin Crosland so busy
0:02:41 > 0:02:45that in all the time that they've run their dog grooming parlour in Grimsby,
0:02:45 > 0:02:48they haven't been able to take a proper holiday.
0:02:48 > 0:02:50So when they did get round to planning one,
0:02:50 > 0:02:52they wanted it to be really special.
0:02:54 > 0:02:57It was our first holiday in 12 years.
0:02:57 > 0:03:01Kevin and I had always gone away for just weekends, long weekends.
0:03:01 > 0:03:05But we decided this time, let's go for a week.
0:03:05 > 0:03:06So I was looking forward to it.
0:03:08 > 0:03:11They plumped for a week on Turkey's Turquoise Coast,
0:03:11 > 0:03:17booking with Thomas Cook to stay at the Marcan Resort at Oludeniz.
0:03:17 > 0:03:19And at first, all went well.
0:03:19 > 0:03:22They arrived at the resort without a hitch.
0:03:22 > 0:03:24When they checked in at the hotel,
0:03:24 > 0:03:26they were asked to hand over their passports.
0:03:26 > 0:03:28The receptionist told them they'd keep hold of them
0:03:28 > 0:03:30for the duration of their stay.
0:03:30 > 0:03:32And they didn't see any reason to question that,
0:03:32 > 0:03:35or indeed to suspect that it might cause a problem.
0:03:36 > 0:03:38The gentleman took them away
0:03:38 > 0:03:41and really didn't think anything more of it
0:03:41 > 0:03:44because that is the norm, really, when you go away abroad.
0:03:45 > 0:03:48With that, the holiday proper began
0:03:48 > 0:03:52and their week in the sun more than lived up to expectations.
0:03:52 > 0:03:55It was the holiday of a lifetime.
0:03:55 > 0:03:57We arrived - 40 degrees,
0:03:57 > 0:04:01beautiful sunshine, beautiful hotel, beautiful pool -
0:04:01 > 0:04:03everything was just superb.
0:04:03 > 0:04:07But all too soon, it was time to get ready for the journey home,
0:04:07 > 0:04:11which involved a very early departure.
0:04:11 > 0:04:15We went down to hotel reception around about 1:45 in the morning.
0:04:15 > 0:04:17Our transfer was 2:45.
0:04:18 > 0:04:21We went to reception and asked for the passports
0:04:21 > 0:04:24and the gentleman behind reception said,
0:04:24 > 0:04:27"I'm sorry, we haven't got your passports."
0:04:27 > 0:04:28I said to him, "Yes, you have.
0:04:28 > 0:04:31"You took them off us when we arrived."
0:04:31 > 0:04:34But the receptionist was having none of it.
0:04:34 > 0:04:36He said, "No, we don't keep passports."
0:04:36 > 0:04:39I said, "Well, please, can you look for them?
0:04:39 > 0:04:41"Because we are due to get our flight home."
0:04:41 > 0:04:43He did look in a drawer.
0:04:43 > 0:04:46When he opened the drawer there were four passports.
0:04:46 > 0:04:49I thought, "Oh, fantastic." You know, "They've got them!"
0:04:49 > 0:04:53But when looking at the passports, they were not ours.
0:04:53 > 0:04:54By this time,
0:04:54 > 0:04:56I was just absolutely dumbstruck.
0:04:56 > 0:05:00I didn't know what to do, I didn't know which way to turn.
0:05:00 > 0:05:04No passports meant no prospect of getting on the plane back to Britain.
0:05:04 > 0:05:06And they didn't feel that the hotel
0:05:06 > 0:05:09was particularly interested in helping them.
0:05:09 > 0:05:11The gentleman behind reception,
0:05:11 > 0:05:13when we asked him if we could have a room
0:05:13 > 0:05:15or was there anywhere we could stay,
0:05:15 > 0:05:18he just pretended he couldn't speak English,
0:05:18 > 0:05:21which he had been doing, obviously, the previous week.
0:05:21 > 0:05:23Debbie and Kevin told us
0:05:23 > 0:05:25that the hotel wouldn't even let them have their old room back.
0:05:25 > 0:05:28And they say that as they had already checked out,
0:05:28 > 0:05:30the passports were now their problem.
0:05:30 > 0:05:32In despair, Debbie got straight on the phone
0:05:32 > 0:05:34to the local Thomas Cook rep.
0:05:34 > 0:05:36The person on the end of the phone said,
0:05:36 > 0:05:38"Well, we will report this
0:05:38 > 0:05:41"but obviously there's nothing we can do this time of the day.
0:05:41 > 0:05:44"So you'll have to wait until your representative
0:05:44 > 0:05:46"comes to the hotel in the morning."
0:05:47 > 0:05:51So the couple were left to wait in the hotel reception,
0:05:51 > 0:05:52while over at the airport
0:05:52 > 0:05:55the plane they were booked on took off for Doncaster.
0:05:55 > 0:05:57I was absolutely devastated,
0:05:57 > 0:06:01thinking that I wasn't going to get home.
0:06:01 > 0:06:03I didn't... I really didn't know how I felt.
0:06:03 > 0:06:07I was just absolutely scared, to be perfectly honest.
0:06:07 > 0:06:10They had no choice but to sit miserably
0:06:10 > 0:06:11and wait for the cavalry to arrive,
0:06:11 > 0:06:14in the form of that Thomas Cook rep.
0:06:14 > 0:06:17The next morning, when the rep arrived, I sort of...
0:06:17 > 0:06:19"Oh, thank God you're here!"
0:06:19 > 0:06:22And she sort of said, "Why? What is the matter?"
0:06:22 > 0:06:25And I said, "The hotel have lost our passports."
0:06:25 > 0:06:28And she just said, "You are joking?!"
0:06:28 > 0:06:31To get home, they first had to report the loss of their existing passports
0:06:31 > 0:06:33to the local police.
0:06:33 > 0:06:37Then they needed to visit the local British consulate
0:06:37 > 0:06:39to obtain emergency travel documents
0:06:39 > 0:06:41that would at least enable them to fly back.
0:06:41 > 0:06:45It was a very long, tiring day.
0:06:45 > 0:06:47Very stressful and very upsetting.
0:06:47 > 0:06:49To be perfectly honest, I couldn't stop crying.
0:06:53 > 0:06:55Around 80 emergency travel documents
0:06:55 > 0:06:58are issued to British nationals around the world every single day,
0:06:58 > 0:07:01and that's nearly 30,000 a year.
0:07:01 > 0:07:05But these are only temporary and simply enable you to get home.
0:07:05 > 0:07:08You still need to apply and pay for a new full passport
0:07:08 > 0:07:10when back in the UK.
0:07:11 > 0:07:13But while Debbie and Kevin did now have
0:07:13 > 0:07:15the paperwork that they needed,
0:07:15 > 0:07:17their troubles weren't quite over.
0:07:17 > 0:07:19Thomas Cook had not been able
0:07:19 > 0:07:21to book them on a flight back to Doncaster,
0:07:21 > 0:07:22which is where their car was parked.
0:07:22 > 0:07:25Instead, they'd be flying to Manchester,
0:07:25 > 0:07:27once again in the middle of the night,
0:07:27 > 0:07:30meaning a second night with no sleep.
0:07:30 > 0:07:32We went back to the hotel
0:07:32 > 0:07:35and basically we just had to stay there.
0:07:35 > 0:07:38We weren't offered food, we weren't offered drink,
0:07:38 > 0:07:41there was no rep that came to see us to see if we were all right.
0:07:41 > 0:07:44Basically, we were just sat there with suitcases
0:07:44 > 0:07:45in two chairs in reception
0:07:45 > 0:07:48and no-one even spoke to us.
0:07:48 > 0:07:51By the time they finally arrived back in Britain,
0:07:51 > 0:07:54they were seriously out of pocket.
0:07:54 > 0:07:57Add together the cost of the emergency passports,
0:07:57 > 0:07:59the new ones they would need to apply for
0:07:59 > 0:08:01AND getting back from Manchester to Doncaster,
0:08:01 > 0:08:05Debbie and Kevin were now down by over £900.
0:08:06 > 0:08:10The amount of money that it's cost is just astronomical.
0:08:10 > 0:08:11I mean, I couldn't believe
0:08:11 > 0:08:14that I'd already paid that to go to this resort
0:08:14 > 0:08:18and then to actually pay near on exactly the same to get back home,
0:08:18 > 0:08:21I was gutted, absolutely gutted.
0:08:22 > 0:08:25Debbie asked Thomas Cook to help with that money
0:08:25 > 0:08:28and initially the company only offered to pay
0:08:28 > 0:08:29half of their extra costs -
0:08:29 > 0:08:31£456.25.
0:08:32 > 0:08:35But then, there was a final twist to the tale.
0:08:35 > 0:08:37At the time Debbie and Kevin had checked out,
0:08:37 > 0:08:40the hotel had denied having their passports.
0:08:40 > 0:08:43But we know for sure that they did
0:08:43 > 0:08:46because it turns out that they gave them to someone else.
0:08:48 > 0:08:50We have tracked down a fellow British holiday-maker
0:08:50 > 0:08:53who stayed at the Marcan Resort at the same time.
0:08:53 > 0:08:56And by coincidence, even shared drinks with Debbie and Kevin.
0:08:56 > 0:09:00He was handed their passports by reception
0:09:00 > 0:09:03but only noticed he'd been given the wrong ones on the journey home.
0:09:03 > 0:09:06He handed them in to the police as soon as he got back to Britain.
0:09:06 > 0:09:09But by then, Debbie and Kevin had already cancelled them.
0:09:09 > 0:09:13But it does prove that the hotel did have them all the time.
0:09:14 > 0:09:16When we contacted Thomas Cook,
0:09:16 > 0:09:19they told us that they would pay the full £900
0:09:19 > 0:09:22that the couple had to fork out because of all of this.
0:09:22 > 0:09:24Not only that, they've also refunded
0:09:24 > 0:09:27the entire cost of the holiday itself.
0:09:27 > 0:09:30They told us they would like to apologise to Debbie and Kevin
0:09:30 > 0:09:34and said that although incidents of this kind are extremely rare,
0:09:34 > 0:09:36they are working with the Marcan Resort
0:09:36 > 0:09:39to ensure that their security processes and procedures
0:09:39 > 0:09:42do meet with the company's stringent requirements.
0:09:43 > 0:09:46Well, the refund is obviously really good news for Debbie and Kevin
0:09:46 > 0:09:49but clearly, that's something that could happen to any one of us
0:09:49 > 0:09:51when we're travelling abroad.
0:09:51 > 0:09:53So if you're asked to hand over your passport
0:09:53 > 0:09:55when you're checking into a hotel,
0:09:55 > 0:09:57what should you actually do?
0:09:58 > 0:10:01Well, the best advice is to let them take a copy
0:10:01 > 0:10:03but not let them hold on to the passport itself.
0:10:03 > 0:10:07And make sure that you have a photocopy of your own passport
0:10:07 > 0:10:10and keep it safe in case the worst happens.
0:10:12 > 0:10:14Well, Debbie certainly won't be
0:10:14 > 0:10:16letting her passport out of her sight ever again.
0:10:16 > 0:10:20I would advise anybody, if they ask for your passports,
0:10:20 > 0:10:21by all means give them over
0:10:21 > 0:10:23but wait for them to come back.
0:10:23 > 0:10:26Do not wait a day, do not wait an hour,
0:10:26 > 0:10:29make sure you get them back immediately.
0:10:34 > 0:10:37Now, I'm prepared to bet that for quite a lot of us,
0:10:37 > 0:10:40the idea of being able to tack a couple of extra days on the end of our holiday
0:10:40 > 0:10:44is actually quite appealing and probably a lot of fun.
0:10:44 > 0:10:48But if it's something that's forced on you at the very last minute
0:10:48 > 0:10:49through no fault of your own,
0:10:49 > 0:10:53well, obviously it's going to be a lot less enjoyable.
0:10:53 > 0:10:56And that's exactly what happened to the couple that we're about to meet.
0:10:56 > 0:11:00And frankly, it's a situation that could affect any one of us.
0:11:00 > 0:11:01And you know what?
0:11:01 > 0:11:03There's not an awful lot you can do about it.
0:11:07 > 0:11:11The Man family live next to the UK's most famous surfing beach,
0:11:11 > 0:11:13Fistral Beach in Newquay.
0:11:13 > 0:11:16It's a magnet for those wanting to catch that perfect wave.
0:11:16 > 0:11:20And Ashley, a keen surfer, is no exception.
0:11:20 > 0:11:21Not so good today.
0:11:21 > 0:11:24Sun's shining, wind's blowing hard and it's a bit onshore
0:11:24 > 0:11:26but surf's surf.
0:11:26 > 0:11:28But when even the thickest winter wet suit
0:11:28 > 0:11:30starts to let in the cold,
0:11:30 > 0:11:32Newquay residents, like the rest of us,
0:11:32 > 0:11:35may start searching for sunnier shores.
0:11:36 > 0:11:39I mean, we've got to be some of the luckiest people ever,
0:11:39 > 0:11:41to have such a beautiful place on our doorstep.
0:11:41 > 0:11:43But it gets to a stage at this time of the year
0:11:43 > 0:11:46where the elements take hold. It gets cold.
0:11:46 > 0:11:49So, back in November of 2011, with the weather getting chilly,
0:11:49 > 0:11:51Ashley and his wife Lisa decided it was time
0:11:51 > 0:11:54to swap the port of Newquay
0:11:54 > 0:11:56for the taste of a very different kind of port -
0:11:56 > 0:11:58the kind that comes in a glass.
0:12:00 > 0:12:04I think the passion for port's really got to be mine.
0:12:04 > 0:12:06Really growing into it over the past few years.
0:12:06 > 0:12:08I'm a great port lover, as well.
0:12:08 > 0:12:10So we've been really looking forward
0:12:10 > 0:12:12to going and enjoying tasting different port.
0:12:12 > 0:12:15Lisa and Ashley teamed up with two other couples
0:12:15 > 0:12:17to head to the city which gave its name
0:12:17 > 0:12:19to the drink that they love so much,
0:12:19 > 0:12:21Porto in Portugal.
0:12:21 > 0:12:23We were looking forward to it.
0:12:23 > 0:12:25Usually we do big family holidays
0:12:25 > 0:12:27so this was something that we thought,
0:12:27 > 0:12:30"Three-day break without the children - a real treat."
0:12:30 > 0:12:33Their flights would involve a short hop to London
0:12:33 > 0:12:35before heading to Portugal the next day
0:12:35 > 0:12:38with a different airline, easyJet.
0:12:38 > 0:12:42All went smoothly and they arrived in Porto with no problems,
0:12:42 > 0:12:44ready to immerse themselves in the local culture.
0:12:44 > 0:12:47But just hours after touching down,
0:12:47 > 0:12:51they got news that left a sour taste in their mouths.
0:12:51 > 0:12:53There was a text message to say
0:12:53 > 0:12:58that easyJet had cancelled our flight home on Thursday.
0:12:58 > 0:13:02"Please get to your nearest internet
0:13:02 > 0:13:06"to be able to rebook the next most convenient flight."
0:13:06 > 0:13:08They returned to their hotel
0:13:08 > 0:13:10to go online and see what was going on,
0:13:10 > 0:13:13quickly discovering that they faced a major problem,
0:13:13 > 0:13:16one that couldn't easily be resolved.
0:13:16 > 0:13:20We realised it wasn't just an individual airline such as easyJet.
0:13:20 > 0:13:24This was a, sort of, strike across-the-board
0:13:24 > 0:13:27by taxi services, trains, flights...
0:13:27 > 0:13:29We were due back on the Thursday.
0:13:29 > 0:13:33They couldn't get us home until the Sunday.
0:13:33 > 0:13:34That...our stomachs sank.
0:13:36 > 0:13:38As it dawned on Lisa and Ashley
0:13:38 > 0:13:40that there was a major strike on across Portugal
0:13:40 > 0:13:42and that easyJet could only get them back
0:13:42 > 0:13:45three full days after their original flight home,
0:13:45 > 0:13:47panic set in.
0:13:47 > 0:13:49I mean, we're down on the internet now
0:13:49 > 0:13:52and we're frantically looking at our options available.
0:13:52 > 0:13:53We've got the map out.
0:13:53 > 0:13:56We're looking at the map, "Do we grab a car?
0:13:56 > 0:13:58"Do we drive to Madrid? Do we get the flights from Madrid?"
0:13:58 > 0:14:02We were just up for anything at that stage.
0:14:02 > 0:14:04It was the call of children and work,
0:14:04 > 0:14:07Lisa is a primary teacher and Ashley a paramedic,
0:14:07 > 0:14:09that meant it would be a real problem
0:14:09 > 0:14:11for them to stay away longer than planned.
0:14:11 > 0:14:15There was no way they could stay for the extra days.
0:14:16 > 0:14:19We had childcare. We had to get back for the kids.
0:14:19 > 0:14:20We had jobs to get back to.
0:14:20 > 0:14:23We had pre-booked flights even when we got back to London
0:14:23 > 0:14:25to get back down into Cornwall.
0:14:25 > 0:14:29So logistically, it was an impossible situation.
0:14:29 > 0:14:31Ashley and Lisa felt they simply had no alternative
0:14:31 > 0:14:36but to accept easyJet's offer of a refund on the cancelled flight
0:14:36 > 0:14:38and find another way to get home.
0:14:38 > 0:14:40But it was going to be an expensive business
0:14:40 > 0:14:41and not only that,
0:14:41 > 0:14:45it seemed the only way to get home before the strike began
0:14:45 > 0:14:48was to book new flights that left early the very next day.
0:14:48 > 0:14:51We bit the bullet, we paid the price
0:14:51 > 0:14:54and we headed back to London just in the nick of time.
0:14:54 > 0:14:57We've not even been there for 24 hours.
0:14:57 > 0:15:01They'd had to buy new flights to London on a different airline,
0:15:01 > 0:15:04at a cost of £350 each.
0:15:04 > 0:15:07They then had to pay for two nights in a hotel in London
0:15:07 > 0:15:10whilst they waited for their already booked and paid for flight
0:15:10 > 0:15:12back to Cornwall.
0:15:12 > 0:15:16After all that, each couple was nearly £1,000 out-of-pocket.
0:15:17 > 0:15:20What was going to be a reasonably well-organised,
0:15:20 > 0:15:22cheapish trip to Porto
0:15:22 > 0:15:25has turned out to be one of the most expensive holidays.
0:15:25 > 0:15:29Over the last couple of years, as austerity has taken hold,
0:15:29 > 0:15:31Europe has seen a wave of strikes,
0:15:31 > 0:15:34not least among air-traffic controllers.
0:15:34 > 0:15:37Thousands of British holiday-makers have been hit
0:15:37 > 0:15:41as airports at popular destinations in France, Spain, Portugal and Greece
0:15:41 > 0:15:42have ground to a halt.
0:15:44 > 0:15:47The frustration for travellers is that strike action
0:15:47 > 0:15:50is often classed as an extraordinary circumstance,
0:15:50 > 0:15:51meaning that as long as your airline
0:15:51 > 0:15:54gets you on another flight at the earliest opportunity
0:15:54 > 0:15:57and provides you with somewhere to stay while you wait
0:15:57 > 0:15:59then they have fulfilled their obligation to you.
0:15:59 > 0:16:02But as Lisa and Ashley had accepted a refund,
0:16:02 > 0:16:05easyJet didn't need to offer them anything further.
0:16:06 > 0:16:09EasyJet told us it wasn't their fault
0:16:09 > 0:16:13because it was extraordinary circumstances beyond their control
0:16:13 > 0:16:16and that the best they could offer
0:16:16 > 0:16:19was the flight home at a later date.
0:16:19 > 0:16:21So what about their travel insurance?
0:16:21 > 0:16:23Would that help?
0:16:23 > 0:16:26They basically said it was very interesting.
0:16:26 > 0:16:28It was a pre-planned strike.
0:16:28 > 0:16:29They wanted nothing to do with it
0:16:29 > 0:16:32and this was to our real frustration.
0:16:32 > 0:16:34In fact, most travel insurance policies
0:16:34 > 0:16:36won't cover you for strike action
0:16:36 > 0:16:39that's already been planned when you book your trip,
0:16:39 > 0:16:41whether you knew about it or not.
0:16:41 > 0:16:43But when she got back home,
0:16:43 > 0:16:46Lisa started to wonder at what point easyJet had known about the strikes
0:16:46 > 0:16:48and whether that information
0:16:48 > 0:16:50could have been passed on to passengers sooner.
0:16:50 > 0:16:52After a bit of online research,
0:16:52 > 0:16:55she found that a full ten days before they had travelled,
0:16:55 > 0:16:58the Portuguese national airline had issued a notice
0:16:58 > 0:17:02alerting customers to the possibility of strike disruption,
0:17:02 > 0:17:03which made her wonder
0:17:03 > 0:17:06if easyJet could have let them know earlier, too.
0:17:07 > 0:17:10Is easyJet had told us before we'd flown,
0:17:10 > 0:17:15what we would have done is actually rescheduled our holiday.
0:17:15 > 0:17:18It would have given us an opportunity
0:17:18 > 0:17:20to decide what we needed to do.
0:17:20 > 0:17:21And we could have then
0:17:21 > 0:17:23organised our work and our children around that.
0:17:25 > 0:17:27When we contacted easyJet,
0:17:27 > 0:17:29the company told us that while the strike...
0:17:32 > 0:17:34It was...
0:17:36 > 0:17:39They insist that the next available flight was offered
0:17:39 > 0:17:43and what's more, had Lisa and Ashley chosen to fly on it,
0:17:43 > 0:17:45easyJet would have covered the extra costs
0:17:45 > 0:17:48for their hotel, transfers and sustenance.
0:17:48 > 0:17:51But as Lisa and Ashley decided to make their own arrangements,
0:17:51 > 0:17:55the airline had instead refund the cost of the easyJet flights...
0:18:00 > 0:18:03As for whether they could have given earlier warning,
0:18:03 > 0:18:05easyJet says that even after they are notified
0:18:05 > 0:18:07of probable strike action, it can be...
0:18:10 > 0:18:13They're confident they gave notice as soon as possible
0:18:13 > 0:18:16and stressed their aim is always to...
0:18:18 > 0:18:20..and to abide by the EU regulations.
0:18:22 > 0:18:26The airline did however offer a goodwill voucher of £150
0:18:26 > 0:18:29split between all three couples who, it's true to say,
0:18:29 > 0:18:31might have ended up in a similar position
0:18:31 > 0:18:33whoever they'd flown with.
0:18:33 > 0:18:37But after we'd contacted Ashley and Lisa's travel insurance company, HSBC,
0:18:37 > 0:18:39there was good news.
0:18:39 > 0:18:41They have now looked again at the couple's claim
0:18:41 > 0:18:45and as a result, paid out just over £900 to them.
0:18:45 > 0:18:46Still, Lisa and Ashley feel
0:18:46 > 0:18:50that a lot of hassle could have been avoided if they'd been told
0:18:50 > 0:18:52there was a risk of strike action affecting their trip
0:18:52 > 0:18:56before they'd travelled, rather than after they'd arrived.
0:18:56 > 0:19:00It's about the principle that you can arrive in a foreign country
0:19:00 > 0:19:04and have a text to say your flight is cancelled.
0:19:04 > 0:19:05It still feels a joke.
0:19:09 > 0:19:11Still to come on Rip Off Britain,
0:19:11 > 0:19:14the big-name holiday company that booked this family
0:19:14 > 0:19:17into not one but two unfinished hotels.
0:19:17 > 0:19:20When they change the holiday to the second destination,
0:19:20 > 0:19:24they reassured us that it would definitely, definitely be ready.
0:19:31 > 0:19:34For one weekend last summer, with the help of a team of experts,
0:19:34 > 0:19:38we set up a free advice clinic in a busy shopping centre in Liverpool
0:19:38 > 0:19:41to tackle as many of your problems as we could.
0:19:43 > 0:19:46Our pop-up shop gives us the opportunity
0:19:46 > 0:19:48to hear first-hand of the situations
0:19:48 > 0:19:50where you think you've been ripped off
0:19:50 > 0:19:53and here in Liverpool, you're really telling us.
0:19:53 > 0:19:55After a problem at the airport,
0:19:55 > 0:19:57Sarah and Phil's dream trip to India
0:19:57 > 0:19:59almost never got off the ground.
0:19:59 > 0:20:02And they're hoping travel expert Simon Calder
0:20:02 > 0:20:05can help with their claim for compensation.
0:20:05 > 0:20:07We applied for our visas for our trip to India,
0:20:07 > 0:20:08turned up at the airport
0:20:08 > 0:20:11and then were told that we couldn't board the flight
0:20:11 > 0:20:12cos the visas were incorrect.
0:20:12 > 0:20:14Right. What was wrong with them?
0:20:14 > 0:20:18- Well, apparently they've got the word "Cochin" stamped here.- Yeah.
0:20:18 > 0:20:22- And our flights were due to land in Mumbai.- Right.
0:20:22 > 0:20:24So they basically said,
0:20:24 > 0:20:26"You need to enter at the port stated on your visa
0:20:26 > 0:20:29"so we can't let you fly into Mumbai.
0:20:29 > 0:20:31"You can't board the plane and your options are
0:20:31 > 0:20:33"you either don't go on your trip..."
0:20:33 > 0:20:36or they suggested that we buy another airline ticket
0:20:36 > 0:20:37that actually flew into Cochin.
0:20:38 > 0:20:41And it was the airline that was making the objection, was it?
0:20:41 > 0:20:45- Yeah.- You, then, had really no choice.
0:20:45 > 0:20:47No. Fortunately, we were in a position
0:20:47 > 0:20:50where we could just put two flights on our credit card
0:20:50 > 0:20:52and off we go. Cos we'd saved up our annual leave
0:20:52 > 0:20:55and didn't want to miss out on our holiday, really.
0:20:55 > 0:20:58So, you are now many hundreds of pounds out of pocket?
0:20:58 > 0:21:01- Yeah.- Yeah.- You had a very stressful start your trip?
0:21:01 > 0:21:04We had a night, then, in Cochin Airport and then
0:21:04 > 0:21:07had to get an internal flight up to Mumbai the next morning.
0:21:07 > 0:21:09And we lost a day of the holiday doing that.
0:21:09 > 0:21:13I guess, if I took it up with the Visa providers, they would say,
0:21:13 > 0:21:17"Ah, they put on their form that they were entering in Cochin."
0:21:17 > 0:21:19Is that possible, do you think?
0:21:19 > 0:21:22- No. We've got copies of our visa application forms.- Have you?- Yeah.
0:21:22 > 0:21:24And they clearly say,
0:21:24 > 0:21:26"Port of entry: Mumbai. Port of exit: Cochin."
0:21:26 > 0:21:29- Right, OK.- Yeah.- So the next thing I'm saying if I'm the Visa company
0:21:29 > 0:21:32is, "Ah, well, you should have told us that we'd made the mistake."
0:21:32 > 0:21:33Yeah, well, I think that's fair enough
0:21:33 > 0:21:36- but it doesn't say what that refers to at all.- Yeah.
0:21:36 > 0:21:37If it said that was our port of entry,
0:21:37 > 0:21:39we would have been able to check
0:21:39 > 0:21:42- but because there is no reference to what that relates to...- Yeah.
0:21:42 > 0:21:44..we just assumed that it was the port of exit.
0:21:44 > 0:21:46We didn't know what it related to.
0:21:46 > 0:21:47Right.
0:21:47 > 0:21:49The airline, I can guarantee,
0:21:49 > 0:21:52is going to say it is entirely down to the passenger
0:21:52 > 0:21:56to make sure they have the right documentation.
0:21:56 > 0:22:00You might want to take this up with Money Claims Online,
0:22:00 > 0:22:02which is basically the Government...
0:22:02 > 0:22:07the court service's reasonably low cost way of retrieving a debt.
0:22:07 > 0:22:09It might be pouring good money after bad
0:22:09 > 0:22:12but my view is that you have a very strong case
0:22:12 > 0:22:15for actually going for more than just the money you're out-of-pocket.
0:22:15 > 0:22:17Happy with that?
0:22:17 > 0:22:19Yes, thank you very much. It was great.
0:22:19 > 0:22:21Sarah and Phil took Simon's advice
0:22:21 > 0:22:24and are now pursuing a claim to get their money back
0:22:24 > 0:22:28through the Small Claims Court, which the airline is contesting.
0:22:32 > 0:22:35Coming up, a story that dramatically highlights
0:22:35 > 0:22:38just how vital travel insurance can be when you're heading abroad
0:22:38 > 0:22:40and what can happen to you if you haven't got it.
0:22:40 > 0:22:41As you'll see,
0:22:41 > 0:22:44that can be especially the case for expectant mums.
0:22:44 > 0:22:46But listen out for some very invaluable advice
0:22:46 > 0:22:48for everybody else.
0:22:48 > 0:22:50Because while you might think it's OK
0:22:50 > 0:22:52to buy your insurance any time right up to when you leave,
0:22:52 > 0:22:55believe me, there are very good reasons why you could need it
0:22:55 > 0:22:57right from the moment you book.
0:22:58 > 0:23:02When Zoe Lyons from Leeds started planning a holiday last January,
0:23:02 > 0:23:05there were lots of reasons why it was special.
0:23:05 > 0:23:09But the main one was that she was expecting her first baby.
0:23:09 > 0:23:11So before the new arrival was due,
0:23:11 > 0:23:15she was looking forward to five days in the Spanish sunshine,
0:23:15 > 0:23:19visiting the parents of her partner, Sam, who have a villa in Alicante.
0:23:19 > 0:23:21Having a baby is a big responsibility.
0:23:21 > 0:23:25You don't get much time to yourself so I thought I'd just quickly go,
0:23:25 > 0:23:27you know, while we're still young
0:23:27 > 0:23:30to have a holiday, to see the beach.
0:23:30 > 0:23:34The rules on when mums-to-be can fly are very clear.
0:23:34 > 0:23:36In an uncomplicated pregnancy,
0:23:36 > 0:23:39they can do it right up until their 36th week.
0:23:39 > 0:23:43Zoe would only be 27 weeks pregnant on the day she was due to fly.
0:23:43 > 0:23:47But even so, she sought advice on whether she would be OK to travel.
0:23:50 > 0:23:53I asked every medical person, you know, "Am I safe to fly?"
0:23:53 > 0:23:57They said, "Yeah, as long as you take your vitamins and your other medicine,
0:23:57 > 0:23:58"you should be fine to fly."
0:23:58 > 0:24:00The flight was fine.
0:24:00 > 0:24:05But no sooner had they touched down in Spain than totally unexpectedly,
0:24:05 > 0:24:09there began to be signs that the baby was on its way very early.
0:24:09 > 0:24:11It was actually the Thursday night that we landed.
0:24:11 > 0:24:14I was experiencing some slight pain
0:24:14 > 0:24:18and then it was...the Friday was the worst day.
0:24:18 > 0:24:21That was when the pains kept on coming and coming.
0:24:21 > 0:24:24Well, I thought, "I need to go to hospital.
0:24:24 > 0:24:27She was right. Because there was no doubt about it at all,
0:24:27 > 0:24:29she was in labour a full 13 weeks early.
0:24:31 > 0:24:33They said, "We need to take you to a different hospital
0:24:33 > 0:24:35"for the emergency Caesarean."
0:24:35 > 0:24:38And when you get told emergency Caesarean, you think,
0:24:38 > 0:24:41"I'm 27 weeks, why now?
0:24:41 > 0:24:44"The baby's not going to survive."
0:24:44 > 0:24:46That kind of thing. You just think...
0:24:46 > 0:24:47You think the worst.
0:24:48 > 0:24:50The following morning,
0:24:50 > 0:24:53Zoe give birth to a beautiful little daughter, Ellizeah,
0:24:53 > 0:24:55but born so prematurely
0:24:55 > 0:24:57that Ellizeah weighed just two pounds
0:24:57 > 0:25:00and she urgently needed a life-saving operation.
0:25:03 > 0:25:07Somebody came up to tell us that "She's in critical condition
0:25:07 > 0:25:08"but she's alive."
0:25:08 > 0:25:10I wasn't allowed to see her.
0:25:10 > 0:25:12So I sent Sam down to go see her.
0:25:12 > 0:25:15He brought up a picture of a tiny baby
0:25:15 > 0:25:18with tubes everywhere,
0:25:18 > 0:25:21wires everywhere. She...
0:25:21 > 0:25:23It was just like a lifeless body.
0:25:23 > 0:25:26She was transparent, her skin... tiny.
0:25:26 > 0:25:30I cried that much that I don't think I could have cried any more.
0:25:30 > 0:25:33Although the initial operation was a success,
0:25:33 > 0:25:36Ellizeah was going to need a lot of additional treatment,
0:25:36 > 0:25:40which meant 12 more weeks in Spain before they could all go home.
0:25:40 > 0:25:42As well as being extremely traumatic,
0:25:42 > 0:25:45that would prove hugely expensive for Zoe and Sam.
0:25:46 > 0:25:48With each operation that she had,
0:25:48 > 0:25:53she ended up being, like, set back a couple of weeks.
0:25:53 > 0:25:56So it just prolonged her stay in hospital.
0:25:56 > 0:26:00Fortunately, the cost of the emergency medical care Ellizeah needed
0:26:00 > 0:26:03was covered by the EHIC arrangement shared between Spain and the UK.
0:26:03 > 0:26:06But all the other extra costs of staying in Spain
0:26:06 > 0:26:08would have to be paid for.
0:26:08 > 0:26:11And disastrously, Zoe had not taken out travel insurance
0:26:11 > 0:26:14for what she thought was going to be a straightforward trip.
0:26:15 > 0:26:17We stupidly thought,
0:26:17 > 0:26:19"Well, we're not going to a hotel,
0:26:19 > 0:26:22"we're just going to his parents' house for five days.
0:26:22 > 0:26:23"What could go wrong?"
0:26:23 > 0:26:27But the financial implications of that got even worse
0:26:27 > 0:26:30when the time came to think about taking Ellizeah home.
0:26:30 > 0:26:31They basically said that
0:26:31 > 0:26:34there's no way she'd be able to go on a normal flight.
0:26:34 > 0:26:37She had to fly home in a medical air ambulance
0:26:37 > 0:26:42and the cheapest that we was quoted was £12,000.
0:26:42 > 0:26:46To get home, I don't even think desperate came close.
0:26:46 > 0:26:47Erm...
0:26:47 > 0:26:50I'd have literally got on my hands and knees
0:26:50 > 0:26:54and begged the Queen, if I had to,
0:26:54 > 0:26:56just to get her home.
0:26:56 > 0:27:01Luckily for Zoe, local TV and radio back in the UK took an interest.
0:27:01 > 0:27:04Her mum went on the regional news
0:27:04 > 0:27:07and one local radio station launched an appeal with listeners,
0:27:07 > 0:27:11donating the money needed to get the family back to Yorkshire.
0:27:11 > 0:27:13With the donations,
0:27:13 > 0:27:16a lot of them came from strangers and, you know,
0:27:16 > 0:27:18we'll always be grateful to those people.
0:27:18 > 0:27:21But Zoe is not the only one to realise too late
0:27:21 > 0:27:24how essential travel insurance can be.
0:27:24 > 0:27:26Elizabeth Philip also ran into bother
0:27:26 > 0:27:29after deciding to book herself two last childfree breaks
0:27:29 > 0:27:32before she would really have her hands full
0:27:32 > 0:27:33when her twins were born.
0:27:34 > 0:27:37It was my last chance to go out and have some fun
0:27:37 > 0:27:39before the babies arrived.
0:27:39 > 0:27:42So one holiday with a close friend of mine
0:27:42 > 0:27:43and one holiday with my husband.
0:27:43 > 0:27:47Elizabeth's final flight would be when she was 30 weeks pregnant.
0:27:47 > 0:27:49Even with the shorter cut off date
0:27:49 > 0:27:53of 32 weeks for anyone flying with multiple pregnancies,
0:27:53 > 0:27:55she thought that allowed her plenty of time.
0:27:55 > 0:27:58And she was also confident that there was plenty of time left
0:27:58 > 0:28:00to update her travel insurance.
0:28:00 > 0:28:02I always have an annual policy.
0:28:02 > 0:28:04This time, my annual policy had lapsed
0:28:04 > 0:28:06because we hadn't been away.
0:28:06 > 0:28:10But I would never travel without travel insurance.
0:28:10 > 0:28:12Rather than renew her travel insurance
0:28:12 > 0:28:14at the same time as booking her flights,
0:28:14 > 0:28:17Elizabeth intended to wait until nearer the time when she went away.
0:28:17 > 0:28:20But events moved faster than expected.
0:28:20 > 0:28:22Because unlike flights, as we know,
0:28:22 > 0:28:24babies do not stick to a schedule.
0:28:24 > 0:28:26The trouble I had this time was that within,
0:28:26 > 0:28:29I think it was six days of me booking the flights,
0:28:29 > 0:28:30I'd given birth.
0:28:31 > 0:28:32Oh, sister's awake.
0:28:32 > 0:28:35The twins had arrived 15 weeks early
0:28:35 > 0:28:38so with a pair of premature babies to look after,
0:28:38 > 0:28:40there was no way that Elizabeth
0:28:40 > 0:28:42would be taking the flights she'd booked any time soon.
0:28:42 > 0:28:44And of course,
0:28:44 > 0:28:46because she had not gotten round to sorting out the insurance,
0:28:46 > 0:28:48she didn't have any cover.
0:28:48 > 0:28:50Stuck with the tickets, all she could do
0:28:50 > 0:28:53was to see if easyJet would allow her to cancel.
0:28:53 > 0:28:55We'd looked at their terms and conditions
0:28:55 > 0:28:58and seen that in exceptional circumstances,
0:28:58 > 0:28:59they will offer a refund.
0:28:59 > 0:29:02The first response I got from easyJet stated
0:29:02 > 0:29:04that my situation was not exceptional
0:29:04 > 0:29:06but offered me the opportunity to change the flights,
0:29:06 > 0:29:09either for a different date and time and flight
0:29:09 > 0:29:11or a different passenger.
0:29:11 > 0:29:15I couldn't anticipate myself flying, even in the next year,
0:29:15 > 0:29:17and certainly the places I'd booked
0:29:17 > 0:29:20wouldn't have been suitable to go to with children,
0:29:20 > 0:29:22should they have been able to fly.
0:29:22 > 0:29:25So the intensity of the situation just really led me
0:29:25 > 0:29:27to not feel that was an appropriate response.
0:29:27 > 0:29:30But easyJet were not budging.
0:29:30 > 0:29:32And their terms and conditions are clear,
0:29:32 > 0:29:34that a refund is only possible
0:29:34 > 0:29:36in the most limited of exceptional circumstances,
0:29:36 > 0:29:39for example serious illness or death.
0:29:40 > 0:29:44And while Elizabeth was convinced that premature birth should count
0:29:44 > 0:29:46as one such exceptional circumstance,
0:29:46 > 0:29:50for easyJet, and indeed some other airlines, it doesn't.
0:29:51 > 0:29:53The second response stated,
0:29:53 > 0:29:56"Well, actually, the situation was a medical condition,"
0:29:56 > 0:29:59therefore I didn't qualify for a refund.
0:29:59 > 0:30:02However, on the easyJet terms and conditions,
0:30:02 > 0:30:05it clearly states that pregnancy is not a medical condition
0:30:05 > 0:30:08and that's what I went back and said to them.
0:30:08 > 0:30:10So the third response from easyJet
0:30:10 > 0:30:13stated that whilst my situation may have been exceptional,
0:30:13 > 0:30:16in their definition, exceptional only covers
0:30:16 > 0:30:19bereavement and terminal illness of a close family member.
0:30:21 > 0:30:23When we contacted easyJet, they told us
0:30:23 > 0:30:26that whilst they sympathise with Elizabeth's situation,
0:30:26 > 0:30:27they...
0:30:29 > 0:30:33And they reiterate that the only exception to that is when a...
0:30:37 > 0:30:38They stressed that they did offer
0:30:38 > 0:30:41to change the date of Elizabeth's flights to a later time.
0:30:41 > 0:30:43but added that they...
0:30:49 > 0:30:51And whilst the most important thing is that both mums
0:30:51 > 0:30:54now have beautiful, healthy babies doing well at home,
0:30:54 > 0:30:57in future, neither of them will risk booking a holiday
0:30:57 > 0:31:00without sorting out proper insurance as well.
0:31:00 > 0:31:02If you went on holiday then get insurance.
0:31:02 > 0:31:05If it's extra, if it's an extra £200,
0:31:05 > 0:31:06just don't risk it.
0:31:10 > 0:31:13Paris is the most visited city in the world.
0:31:13 > 0:31:19Each year, some 33 million tourists flock to Paris, the city of amour.
0:31:19 > 0:31:22But you know, so many visitors provide ample opportunity
0:31:22 > 0:31:25for some less than scrupulous locals to take advantage.
0:31:25 > 0:31:27So our travel expert Simon Calder
0:31:27 > 0:31:30has the lowdown on how to hold on to your cash.
0:31:31 > 0:31:352.5 million of us Brits cross the Channel to Paris every year.
0:31:35 > 0:31:40But the world's most romantic city is also one of the most expensive.
0:31:40 > 0:31:42And you could find yourself being scammed
0:31:42 > 0:31:44as soon as you arrive.
0:31:44 > 0:31:46If you're travelling by train,
0:31:46 > 0:31:48you will arrive at Gare du Nord in Paris.
0:31:48 > 0:31:49Do look at the beautiful station hall
0:31:49 > 0:31:53and do be careful of people who are trying to scam you.
0:31:53 > 0:31:56A stranger comes up to you with an official looking ID and says,
0:31:56 > 0:31:58"Can I help you?"
0:31:58 > 0:32:02You say, "Yes, I'm trying to buy an unlimited travel ticket
0:32:02 > 0:32:05"worth several days of getting around Paris."
0:32:05 > 0:32:08He says, "Let me help you" Does lots of tapping of the buttons.
0:32:08 > 0:32:12Then he says, "Oh, your credit card won't work in this machine
0:32:12 > 0:32:13"but I tell you what,
0:32:13 > 0:32:17"I'll put it on my credit card and then you can pay me in cash,"
0:32:17 > 0:32:19and comes out with this ticket
0:32:19 > 0:32:22which he says is going to cost you maybe 50 euros.
0:32:22 > 0:32:25So, you give him your cash, you try the ticket,
0:32:25 > 0:32:27it is for one journey.
0:32:27 > 0:32:33It is worth 1.70 and you have just lost an awful lot of money.
0:32:33 > 0:32:38The tourist in Paris has to be very careful of le scammer.
0:32:40 > 0:32:43Once you've outfoxed the fraudsters,
0:32:43 > 0:32:45it is possible to do Paris on a budget
0:32:45 > 0:32:47and there are ways you can soak up some culture
0:32:47 > 0:32:50without spending any money at all.
0:32:50 > 0:32:53What visit to Paris could be complete without a picture
0:32:53 > 0:32:56of you posing next to the Venus de Milo
0:32:56 > 0:32:58or maybe of the Mona Lisa.
0:32:58 > 0:33:01The trouble is, just one museum, The Louvre,
0:33:01 > 0:33:04is going to cost you 16 euros.
0:33:04 > 0:33:05So what to do?
0:33:05 > 0:33:07Well, you could either go to The Louvre
0:33:07 > 0:33:10on the first Sunday of every month, when admission is free,
0:33:10 > 0:33:12or simply choose another museum.
0:33:12 > 0:33:15For example, The Maison de Victor Hugo,
0:33:15 > 0:33:18Victor Hugo's house in the Place de Vosges,
0:33:18 > 0:33:21is a delight and it won't cost you a single centime.
0:33:21 > 0:33:25And after all, we all know what the Mona Lisa looks like, don't we?
0:33:25 > 0:33:27Here's my effort.
0:33:29 > 0:33:31And perhaps the best advice of all,
0:33:31 > 0:33:34worth remembering wherever you are France,
0:33:34 > 0:33:36is to do with that very British dilemma
0:33:36 > 0:33:39of whether to pay a service charge if you're eating out.
0:33:39 > 0:33:42Here's one tip, don't tip.
0:33:42 > 0:33:44It's not necessary in France
0:33:44 > 0:33:47because service is already included.
0:33:47 > 0:33:51If you've had a really nice meal, costing maybe 50 euros,
0:33:51 > 0:33:54well, you might want to add a couple of euros change
0:33:54 > 0:33:56but don't feel obliged to do so.
0:33:56 > 0:33:59After all, this is, according to a recent survey,
0:33:59 > 0:34:03the fifth most expensive city in the world.
0:34:03 > 0:34:05Save your money, you're going to need it.
0:34:09 > 0:34:11Now, after a disaster trip away,
0:34:11 > 0:34:14you'll very often hear people talk about having had
0:34:14 > 0:34:15a holiday from hell.
0:34:15 > 0:34:18And when you hear everything that went wrong for our next family,
0:34:18 > 0:34:20you can well understand why those words
0:34:20 > 0:34:23might be what they'd use to describe what does, I'm afraid,
0:34:23 > 0:34:26seem to be quite a catalogue of problems.
0:34:26 > 0:34:28And it was an experience that began to go wrong
0:34:28 > 0:34:30before they even got on the plane.
0:34:30 > 0:34:34With its white sand beaches, year-round sunshine
0:34:34 > 0:34:38and a spicy mix of ancient history and bustling bazaars,
0:34:38 > 0:34:40it's very easy to see why Tunisia
0:34:40 > 0:34:43has become such a popular destination.
0:34:43 > 0:34:45Sarah Pilcher and Colin Brewster
0:34:45 > 0:34:47thought it was just the perfect choice for a holiday
0:34:47 > 0:34:52for them and their four boys, aged from 18 months to 18 years.
0:34:52 > 0:34:54Dream holiday is all the children being happy.
0:34:54 > 0:34:57As long as they're happy, we're happy.
0:34:57 > 0:35:00And the Thalassa Village Hotel seemed to have it all.
0:35:00 > 0:35:03And best of all, it's own water park, called SplashWorld.
0:35:03 > 0:35:06So in October 2012, the excitedly went ahead
0:35:06 > 0:35:08and booked 11 days there,
0:35:08 > 0:35:11with Thomson's all inclusive brand First Choice.
0:35:11 > 0:35:12The only possible snag was
0:35:12 > 0:35:15that the facilities they were most interested in
0:35:15 > 0:35:16weren't yet finished.
0:35:16 > 0:35:18But they were booking well in advance
0:35:18 > 0:35:20and say that they were really assured
0:35:20 > 0:35:21that there was nothing to worry about.
0:35:21 > 0:35:25I talked to a representative and she guaranteed me 100%
0:35:25 > 0:35:27that the hotel will be ready.
0:35:28 > 0:35:30Unfortunately, the following February,
0:35:30 > 0:35:32four months before they were due to leave,
0:35:32 > 0:35:34the holiday company rang
0:35:34 > 0:35:37to say that the resort would not be finished on time after all.
0:35:37 > 0:35:41So Colin and Sarah went back to the Thomson shop
0:35:41 > 0:35:43to see where they could go as an alternative.
0:35:43 > 0:35:46And the hotel that Thomson offered them instead,
0:35:46 > 0:35:48the Skanes Family Resort,
0:35:48 > 0:35:50did sound like it had plenty going for it,
0:35:50 > 0:35:53including three swimming pools, three restaurants
0:35:53 > 0:35:57and a specially-built amphitheatre for entertainment.
0:35:57 > 0:35:59But it did not have SplashWorld and without that,
0:35:59 > 0:36:03the family's eldest son decided he would now be staying at home.
0:36:03 > 0:36:06We knew that that would be the last family holiday
0:36:06 > 0:36:08that he would come on with us.
0:36:08 > 0:36:10I was really upset.
0:36:10 > 0:36:11Although disappointed,
0:36:11 > 0:36:14Colin and Sarah decided the rest of the family would still go.
0:36:14 > 0:36:15The only niggle?
0:36:15 > 0:36:20The fact that this hotel was being refurbished for summer 2013 as well.
0:36:20 > 0:36:22But again, the couple say that they were told that
0:36:22 > 0:36:24that would not be a problem.
0:36:24 > 0:36:27When they changed the holiday to the second destination,
0:36:27 > 0:36:32they reassured us that it would definitely, definitely be ready.
0:36:32 > 0:36:36But when they finally arrived at the Skanes Family Resort,
0:36:36 > 0:36:39it looked like the hotel was anything but ready.
0:36:39 > 0:36:42The first thing we see was a JCB.
0:36:43 > 0:36:46And Sarah looked at me and I tried to reassure her,
0:36:46 > 0:36:47"No, that doesn't mean anything."
0:36:47 > 0:36:51Things, I'm afraid, didn't get better once inside the hotel.
0:36:51 > 0:36:56We walked into reception and we was just met with a wall of noise -
0:36:56 > 0:36:58people shouting and screaming,
0:36:58 > 0:36:59"Where's my room?
0:36:59 > 0:37:02"My room's not ready. We never booked this room."
0:37:02 > 0:37:04- And it was like... - There were mums crying.
0:37:04 > 0:37:07- There were children upset. - It was chaos.
0:37:07 > 0:37:09Thomson reps just running around
0:37:09 > 0:37:12and the actual hotel staff that they was...
0:37:12 > 0:37:14just in a blind panic.
0:37:14 > 0:37:18And the room they were allocated wasn't exactly toddler-friendly.
0:37:18 > 0:37:20The patio door, when you opened it,
0:37:20 > 0:37:23straightaway you had a very small patio with a pool.
0:37:23 > 0:37:27Which sounds nice, but we couldn't open the balcony door
0:37:27 > 0:37:29because of the one and a half-year-old
0:37:29 > 0:37:31would be straight into the pool and he can't swim.
0:37:31 > 0:37:34And when you see all the coping stones round the pool
0:37:34 > 0:37:36were not set in right...
0:37:36 > 0:37:39It was all sticking up, jagged and that.
0:37:39 > 0:37:41Like, to walk round the pool,
0:37:41 > 0:37:44you needed a pair of flaming boots on. Very unsafe.
0:37:44 > 0:37:46I think you'll agree, not a great start
0:37:46 > 0:37:47and things only got worse.
0:37:47 > 0:37:49We went out at night for a meal.
0:37:49 > 0:37:51Come back, the door was wide open.
0:37:53 > 0:37:55The boys had their two iPod Touches on charge -
0:37:55 > 0:37:58Stolen. And the Blackberry phone.
0:37:58 > 0:37:59And so the next day,
0:37:59 > 0:38:02I spent half the day down the police station
0:38:02 > 0:38:03making a police report.
0:38:03 > 0:38:05Sarah and Colin's relaxing family holiday
0:38:05 > 0:38:07was turning out to be anything but.
0:38:07 > 0:38:11And it didn't look like Thomson could instantly put things right.
0:38:11 > 0:38:15I think they were so overwhelmed that with other people complaining,
0:38:15 > 0:38:17ours was just one complaint.
0:38:17 > 0:38:19So not a lot was being done.
0:38:19 > 0:38:21And the problems just kept coming.
0:38:23 > 0:38:25Nobody's air-conditioning worked.
0:38:25 > 0:38:30The electricity kept cutting off, in the evenings.
0:38:30 > 0:38:33Because there wasn't any evening entertainment,
0:38:33 > 0:38:35the amphitheatre hadn't been made,
0:38:35 > 0:38:37so there was nothing to do in the evenings.
0:38:37 > 0:38:39I went up and said, "Look, this isn't good enough.
0:38:39 > 0:38:42"We want to change our room." And basically, the rep said,
0:38:42 > 0:38:45"There's nowhere else for you to go."
0:38:45 > 0:38:47They made the best of it for the rest of the trip
0:38:47 > 0:38:49but as soon as the family arrived home,
0:38:49 > 0:38:51they got in touch with Thomson headquarters.
0:38:52 > 0:38:55A couple of weeks later, I had a telephone call.
0:38:55 > 0:38:58And the lady on the phone went through each complaint,
0:38:58 > 0:39:00each disaster,
0:39:00 > 0:39:02said that she couldn't apologise enough
0:39:02 > 0:39:05and offered us £270 in vouchers
0:39:05 > 0:39:08towards booking another holiday with them.
0:39:08 > 0:39:11And we won't be doing that.
0:39:11 > 0:39:14We won't be using Thomson's ever again
0:39:14 > 0:39:16cos it was just absolutely horrendous.
0:39:17 > 0:39:19Well, just for the record,
0:39:19 > 0:39:21we've heard from other families who stayed at the hotel
0:39:21 > 0:39:23throughout the rest of the summer,
0:39:23 > 0:39:25all of whom have similar complaints.
0:39:25 > 0:39:27Of the half-dozen other people we've spoken to,
0:39:27 > 0:39:30the only thing that really differs between their complaints
0:39:30 > 0:39:33is the level of compensation each of them received.
0:39:33 > 0:39:36So we asked Thomson how it decides in situations like these
0:39:36 > 0:39:39how much compensation should be paid.
0:39:39 > 0:39:41They told us that...
0:39:43 > 0:39:45And as such...
0:39:53 > 0:39:54Thomson also said
0:39:54 > 0:39:56though sorry to hear of the issues encountered
0:39:56 > 0:40:00at the Skanes Family Resort, the hotel...
0:40:00 > 0:40:02But they didn't explain why,
0:40:02 > 0:40:05after Colin and Sarah had first been booked into one hotel
0:40:05 > 0:40:07that turned out not to be finished,
0:40:07 > 0:40:09they were then booked into a second one
0:40:09 > 0:40:11that wasn't complete either.
0:40:11 > 0:40:13Meanwhile, the hotel itself has told us
0:40:13 > 0:40:16they disagree with what they say is a small number of complaints,
0:40:16 > 0:40:19insisting that the hotel was complete
0:40:19 > 0:40:21and there was no building work after the opening.
0:40:21 > 0:40:24But Colin and Sarah and the others we've heard from
0:40:24 > 0:40:26are adamant about what they say.
0:40:27 > 0:40:30- It was such a let down.- It was the biggest let down I've had in years.
0:40:30 > 0:40:32Because how can they promise you...
0:40:32 > 0:40:35One hotel that's not going to be ready, that's fair enough.
0:40:35 > 0:40:38But then the next hotel is not ready?
0:40:38 > 0:40:41I think that's just incompetence. It's a disgrace.
0:40:49 > 0:40:50Here at Rip Off Britain,
0:40:50 > 0:40:53we're always ready to investigate more of your stories
0:40:53 > 0:40:56and not just about holidays.
0:40:56 > 0:40:57Confused over your bills
0:40:57 > 0:41:01or just trying to wade through never-ending small print?
0:41:01 > 0:41:03When they sit you down to sign up for things,
0:41:03 > 0:41:06they don't really give you the chance or the time
0:41:06 > 0:41:09to read through all of that small print.
0:41:09 > 0:41:12These people have ripped me off...
0:41:12 > 0:41:14well and truly.
0:41:14 > 0:41:16You can write to us at...
0:41:22 > 0:41:24Or send us an e-mail to...
0:41:27 > 0:41:30Well, as I think we've seen very clearly on the programme today,
0:41:30 > 0:41:32the unexpected can happen to absolutely any of us.
0:41:32 > 0:41:36It really doesn't matter how well we've planned our holiday beforehand.
0:41:36 > 0:41:38But when something goes wrong when you're abroad,
0:41:38 > 0:41:41it really can be so much more complicated to put it right
0:41:41 > 0:41:43than if the same thing had happened at home,
0:41:43 > 0:41:46which really is why it's pretty much essential
0:41:46 > 0:41:48to have some sort of travel insurance in place
0:41:48 > 0:41:50when you're heading off on holiday.
0:41:50 > 0:41:52Because, as I think we've seen today,
0:41:52 > 0:41:56if you don't, then all sorts of things can happen.
0:41:56 > 0:41:57Can't they, Gloria?
0:41:57 > 0:41:58Of course.
0:41:58 > 0:42:01That doesn't mean that you should get the very first policy you see.
0:42:01 > 0:42:03Or that you should spend a fortune buying cover
0:42:03 > 0:42:05that chances are you might not need.
0:42:05 > 0:42:07Do shop around to get protection
0:42:07 > 0:42:09that's right for the sort of holiday you're taking.
0:42:09 > 0:42:11That's the really important thing.
0:42:11 > 0:42:14The right insurance for the type of holiday you're taking.
0:42:14 > 0:42:16That is absolutely the best advice.
0:42:16 > 0:42:18Because as we know only too well on this programme,
0:42:18 > 0:42:22travel insurance can come with its own issues.
0:42:22 > 0:42:24Lord knows we've investigated enough stories
0:42:24 > 0:42:26about policies that have not paid out.
0:42:26 > 0:42:30But with the most basic cover these days available pretty cheaply,
0:42:30 > 0:42:33well, then the pluses really do seem to outweigh the negatives.
0:42:33 > 0:42:37And remember, if your insurance really does create problems for you,
0:42:37 > 0:42:41let us know and see what we can do about sorting it out.
0:42:41 > 0:42:43Yes, we're here at home or abroad
0:42:43 > 0:42:45and we can look at any of your problems on a future programme.
0:42:45 > 0:42:48But until then, thank you very much for joining us
0:42:48 > 0:42:49and we'll see you again very soon.
0:42:49 > 0:42:51And by the way, if you are going on holiday,
0:42:51 > 0:42:53I hope it goes really smoothly.
0:42:53 > 0:42:55- Have a good one. Goodbye.- Bye-bye.