0:00:02 > 0:00:04We asked you - who's left you feeling ripped off
0:00:04 > 0:00:06when it comes to your holidays?
0:00:06 > 0:00:09And you came back with a catalogue of travel disasters.
0:00:09 > 0:00:12We save hard all year, we look forward to a holiday with our
0:00:12 > 0:00:16family... We felt absolutely desperate.
0:00:16 > 0:00:19This was never a three-star hotel. I wouldn't give it two.
0:00:19 > 0:00:23So whether it's a deliberate rip-off, a simple mistake,
0:00:23 > 0:00:25or indeed a catch in the small print,
0:00:25 > 0:00:30we'll find out why you are out of pocket and what you can do about it.
0:00:30 > 0:00:32Your stories. Your money.
0:00:32 > 0:00:35This is Rip Off Britain.
0:00:35 > 0:00:38Hello and welcome once again to Rip Off Britain, where we're
0:00:38 > 0:00:43bringing you a taste of summer from the sunshine of Gran Canaria,
0:00:43 > 0:00:46and we've come here so that we can look into a lot more of those
0:00:46 > 0:00:49holiday and travel stories that you've asked us
0:00:49 > 0:00:51to investigate on your behalf.
0:00:51 > 0:00:55And amongst the unmissable advice that we've got for you today,
0:00:55 > 0:00:58we're going to have some tips to help you through a situation
0:00:58 > 0:01:01that I think anyone who's ever stayed in a hotel has
0:01:01 > 0:01:04probably wrestled with at some time, I know I certainly have.
0:01:04 > 0:01:07And that is, what you do with your luggage when it's time
0:01:07 > 0:01:11to check out, but you aren't actually going home right away.
0:01:11 > 0:01:13Why does that sound all too familiar?
0:01:13 > 0:01:17Well now, chances are, the decision you made wasn't the right one
0:01:17 > 0:01:19and we'll have more on that later on the programme.
0:01:19 > 0:01:22But you may well be starting to plan your own trip away,
0:01:22 > 0:01:26whether it's to somewhere like this, albeit marvellous, or indeed
0:01:26 > 0:01:29to one of the many fantastic places to visit around the UK.
0:01:29 > 0:01:33And while the anticipation, wherever you're headed, can be a key part
0:01:33 > 0:01:34of all the excitement of going away,
0:01:34 > 0:01:38I'm afraid it's too easy for those great expectations
0:01:38 > 0:01:40that you had for your holiday to very quickly be dashed.
0:01:40 > 0:01:43Well, it may be because you hadn't fully understood what you'd signed
0:01:43 > 0:01:46up to or perhaps you'd made assumptions about what
0:01:46 > 0:01:48you were entitled to that didn't work out.
0:01:48 > 0:01:51Either way, we'll be getting to the bottom of some of the most
0:01:51 > 0:01:53common holiday scenarios that you've written to us about
0:01:53 > 0:01:56and, with a bit of luck, it'll stop you ending up
0:01:56 > 0:01:59in the same situations as the people we're about to meet.
0:01:59 > 0:02:04Coming up, after a holiday this family says didn't meet the grade...
0:02:04 > 0:02:07That is disgusting!
0:02:07 > 0:02:10..who works out how many stars a hotel deserves?
0:02:10 > 0:02:15That was never a three-star hotel. I wouldn't give it two.
0:02:15 > 0:02:19And a family desperate to get rid of their timeshare in the UK.
0:02:19 > 0:02:22Why they can't even give it away.
0:02:22 > 0:02:24It's just a lot of worry and stress,
0:02:24 > 0:02:27and I just wish we could find a way out of it.
0:02:31 > 0:02:34Now, if you're anything like me, and I'm going to be really honest
0:02:34 > 0:02:38here, you'll probably try and stuff more into your case than you
0:02:38 > 0:02:40really need wherever you go and whenever you go away.
0:02:40 > 0:02:44But even when you're not trying to take the kitchen sink with you,
0:02:44 > 0:02:47your luggage is always going to contain plenty of things that,
0:02:47 > 0:02:51one way or another, have a real value and importance to you,
0:02:51 > 0:02:54which is why this next story will strike a chord with so many of you.
0:02:54 > 0:02:57Now, it involves a situation probably most of us have
0:02:57 > 0:03:00been in at one point or another. You're checking out of a hotel, but
0:03:00 > 0:03:03there's a bit of a wait before you actually start your journey home.
0:03:03 > 0:03:07So, rather than lug all those bags and suitcases around with you
0:03:07 > 0:03:10as you enjoy that last morning in your resort or by the pool,
0:03:10 > 0:03:14you leave them under the watchful eye of the hotel staff.
0:03:14 > 0:03:17But if that's something you've done, and I know I have many times,
0:03:17 > 0:03:20then after watching this you'll probably think twice
0:03:20 > 0:03:22before you ever do it again.
0:03:22 > 0:03:25Come see. Come see, come see.
0:03:25 > 0:03:29Anne and Paul Arrowsmith live in Cannock Chase in Staffordshire,
0:03:29 > 0:03:32with their ten-year-old son Tyler and their pooch Millie.
0:03:32 > 0:03:36But once a year, they go in search of something this picturesque place
0:03:36 > 0:03:39can't always guarantee - sunshine!
0:03:39 > 0:03:43We obviously like it somewhere warm, we like a nice pool, near a beach.
0:03:44 > 0:03:49In September 2013, they set off on a particularly luxurious treat,
0:03:49 > 0:03:53an all-inclusive week at the five-star Liberty Hotels Lara Beach
0:03:53 > 0:03:57in Antalya, Turkey, with the tour operator Thomson.
0:03:57 > 0:04:00The holiday went by in a flash and they were having such a good time
0:04:00 > 0:04:04that the Arrowsmiths wanted to make the most of every minute,
0:04:04 > 0:04:06even on the day they were set to fly home.
0:04:06 > 0:04:10I said to Anne, "We'll check out first thing, get the cases packed,
0:04:10 > 0:04:13"go down to the reception for nine and then that leaves us
0:04:13 > 0:04:18"a full morning down on the slides and the beach and pool."
0:04:20 > 0:04:22Checking out at 9am, Anne asked the hotel
0:04:22 > 0:04:25if there was anywhere to safely store their luggage
0:04:25 > 0:04:28until the bus to the airport was due to depart at 2:15pm.
0:04:28 > 0:04:32And they said, "Yeah, it'd be absolutely fine to just leave them
0:04:32 > 0:04:34"to the left of the reception."
0:04:34 > 0:04:37I did query it, I said, "Is that OK to leave them there?"
0:04:37 > 0:04:40And they said, "Yeah, that'll be fine.
0:04:40 > 0:04:44"We have a bell boy that organises the cases
0:04:44 > 0:04:48"and makes sure they go on the right coach."
0:04:51 > 0:04:54Reassured that their luggage would be looked after by the bell boy,
0:04:54 > 0:04:57the family headed for a final few hours around the pool,
0:04:57 > 0:05:02returning to reception two hours before their bus was due to arrive.
0:05:02 > 0:05:05To our amazement, there was maybe 50 or 60 sets
0:05:05 > 0:05:08of luggage there, but my wife's bright pink case,
0:05:08 > 0:05:12which would stand out in the fog, was not to be seen.
0:05:12 > 0:05:17We spoke to reception and they said they'll be in the lock up room
0:05:17 > 0:05:21and we went in that room, which wasn't actually locked,
0:05:21 > 0:05:23we searched through there
0:05:23 > 0:05:27and there was a lot of cases in there but ours weren't there.
0:05:28 > 0:05:31The family's three bags were all missing.
0:05:31 > 0:05:35Beginning to panic, the Arrowsmiths sought help from the hotel's
0:05:35 > 0:05:37Thomson rep, who did her best to help.
0:05:37 > 0:05:40She actually spoke to the reception manager
0:05:40 > 0:05:46and she asked him would he ring the various tour operators
0:05:46 > 0:05:50that had had coach transfers that morning...
0:05:50 > 0:05:55and he did that to no avail.
0:05:55 > 0:05:58Nobody had found any cases.
0:06:00 > 0:06:02There was nothing they could do
0:06:02 > 0:06:06but go to the airport in the hope their cases might turn up.
0:06:06 > 0:06:11I was wearing a bikini, which was wet,
0:06:11 > 0:06:16and I had a sarong dress over the top, which was very flimsy
0:06:16 > 0:06:20and see through, and both my son and husband were in their
0:06:20 > 0:06:25wet shorts and T-shirts, and we all had flip flops on,
0:06:25 > 0:06:28that's all we'd got, what we were stood up in,
0:06:28 > 0:06:30and our holdalls with passports in.
0:06:30 > 0:06:32The family got to the airport
0:06:32 > 0:06:35and immediately tracked down a Thomson's rep to see if,
0:06:35 > 0:06:38for any reason, their cases had arrived ahead of them.
0:06:38 > 0:06:40I actually asked the question,
0:06:40 > 0:06:44"If our cases have come here on another coach, where would they be?
0:06:44 > 0:06:47"What would have happened to them?" She said, "Well, the coach driver
0:06:47 > 0:06:50"takes them off the coach and leaves them on the side of the road,
0:06:50 > 0:06:52"and then he drives off."
0:06:52 > 0:06:55So I said, "OK, if that's happened, where would they be?"
0:06:55 > 0:06:57"Well, airport security would
0:06:57 > 0:07:00"have blown them up because they would think there was
0:07:00 > 0:07:03"a bomb in them if they'd been left by the side of the road."
0:07:03 > 0:07:06So I said, "Have any bombs gone off this morning?" She said, "No."
0:07:06 > 0:07:09With no sign of their luggage, the family had little choice
0:07:09 > 0:07:13but to board their flight home, devastated, damp and half-dressed.
0:07:13 > 0:07:19We did get some funny looks. We had upgraded to premier class
0:07:19 > 0:07:22and we did feel like we stuck out like a sore thumb.
0:07:22 > 0:07:25It was a miserable end to a great holiday.
0:07:25 > 0:07:28But although it was clear their luggage was lost for good,
0:07:28 > 0:07:31the family was confident they shouldn't be left out of pocket.
0:07:31 > 0:07:34I was upset but I thought we've got to be
0:07:34 > 0:07:37positive about this. We are insured.
0:07:37 > 0:07:40We're insured with our travel insurance and we're insured
0:07:40 > 0:07:42with our home insurance.
0:07:42 > 0:07:46So Anne and Paul turned to their insurance company Nationwide
0:07:46 > 0:07:48to try and recoup their losses.
0:07:48 > 0:07:51As requested, they totted up their missing items, which stacked
0:07:51 > 0:07:55up to £3,000 worth of clothes, gadgets and jewellery.
0:07:55 > 0:07:58And they phoned me back and said, "We can't cover you."
0:07:58 > 0:08:01And I said, "Why not?" And she said, "I've spoken to
0:08:01 > 0:08:05"someone and they said that you've left your luggage unattended."
0:08:05 > 0:08:07Anne and Paul were confused.
0:08:07 > 0:08:10As far as they were concerned, they had left their luggage attended.
0:08:10 > 0:08:14After all, the hotel had said it would be looked after along with
0:08:14 > 0:08:17all the other cases holiday-makers had left with the bell boy.
0:08:17 > 0:08:21You may well have done something similar and thought the same,
0:08:21 > 0:08:23but the underwriters pointed them
0:08:23 > 0:08:26to an exclusion, which said lost luggage isn't covered when in
0:08:26 > 0:08:30transit, or when it's not looked after by an authorised person.
0:08:30 > 0:08:34And it was clear they didn't consider an authorised person
0:08:34 > 0:08:38to be a bell boy, who might be distracted by other duties -
0:08:38 > 0:08:41a decision Anne and Paul had not expected.
0:08:41 > 0:08:44As long as somebody's looking after your case, then it's not
0:08:44 > 0:08:49unattended, so I don't know how they could come up with that statement.
0:08:49 > 0:08:52Anne and Paul then tried their home insurance, with Aviva,
0:08:52 > 0:08:56which had cover for personal possessions when away from home,
0:08:56 > 0:08:59but that policy wouldn't pay out either because the hotel
0:08:59 > 0:09:02couldn't confirm that the bags were looked after all the time.
0:09:02 > 0:09:06And although the family appealed their travel insurer's decision
0:09:06 > 0:09:09with the Financial Ombudsman Service,
0:09:09 > 0:09:13their complaint was rejected on the basis that the policy's terms
0:09:13 > 0:09:14and conditions are clear.
0:09:14 > 0:09:17But Paul is shocked that something so many of us
0:09:17 > 0:09:20might do can have such disastrous consequences.
0:09:20 > 0:09:22I asked where to leave the luggage
0:09:22 > 0:09:25and I left it where I was asked to leave it.
0:09:25 > 0:09:28To me, I've done absolutely nothing wrong,
0:09:28 > 0:09:30yet I'm the one without my luggage.
0:09:31 > 0:09:34We contacted the tour operator, Thomson,
0:09:34 > 0:09:36who told us that they're...
0:09:38 > 0:09:40But pointed out that...
0:09:43 > 0:09:45..and in this particular hotel...
0:09:51 > 0:09:53They believe they have done everything possible to help,
0:09:53 > 0:09:58including an immediate investigation and reviewing CCTV footage.
0:09:58 > 0:10:01They say incidents like this...
0:10:03 > 0:10:06..but they have offered the family a £50 gesture of goodwill
0:10:06 > 0:10:10for the disappointment they felt over the handling of the situation.
0:10:10 > 0:10:12We also spoke to the insurance companies who
0:10:12 > 0:10:14turned down the family's claims.
0:10:14 > 0:10:17Both reiterated that their terms
0:10:17 > 0:10:21and conditions clearly state that unattended luggage is not covered.
0:10:22 > 0:10:25However, travel insurers Nationwide did say that
0:10:25 > 0:10:27if the hotel or tour operator could...
0:10:30 > 0:10:32..it would reconsider the decision.
0:10:33 > 0:10:36So that prompted us to ask what other insurers
0:10:36 > 0:10:38might do in a similar situation.
0:10:39 > 0:10:43When we checked the terms of 17 common travel insurance policies,
0:10:43 > 0:10:46we found that only a handful, in fact, just three of them, would
0:10:46 > 0:10:50even have considered covering the Arrowsmiths' lost luggage.
0:10:50 > 0:10:53And when it came to it, even these may well have decided that the
0:10:53 > 0:10:56bag simply wasn't left anywhere sufficiently secure.
0:10:56 > 0:10:59So here's our advice. The next time you've got a few hours
0:10:59 > 0:11:02between checking out of your hotel and flying home,
0:11:02 > 0:11:05it really is worth taking a few minutes to check out
0:11:05 > 0:11:08and think of your own policy before letting your bag out of your sight.
0:11:08 > 0:11:11Because unless it's actually locked away,
0:11:11 > 0:11:14it's more than likely that you wouldn't be covered.
0:11:14 > 0:11:17Caroline Wayman from the Financial Ombudsman Service
0:11:17 > 0:11:19says that, before leaving a bag with anyone,
0:11:19 > 0:11:23you need to know if you'll be covered if it goes astray.
0:11:23 > 0:11:26If perhaps you've left it on its own in the middle of nowhere
0:11:26 > 0:11:28with no-one else with it,
0:11:28 > 0:11:31then quite clearly that's going to be unattended and it would be very
0:11:31 > 0:11:34unusual for an insurance policy to pay out in those circumstances.
0:11:34 > 0:11:37It's important to look, actually, at your own policy
0:11:37 > 0:11:39and see what it says. Wherever possible,
0:11:39 > 0:11:42if you can get your luggage to be left somewhere where
0:11:42 > 0:11:44it's a locked room, and ideally you're given a ticket,
0:11:44 > 0:11:48and you know someone's going to be there, keeping an eye on it,
0:11:48 > 0:11:50then obviously that's much better.
0:11:50 > 0:11:52The Arrowsmiths have learned the hard way
0:11:52 > 0:11:56that simply having confidence the hotel is keeping your bags safe
0:11:56 > 0:11:58isn't something you can rely on
0:11:58 > 0:12:01and certainly won't be any help if things go wrong.
0:12:01 > 0:12:05I've never heard of a situation like this before and everybody
0:12:05 > 0:12:09I know leaves their cases with the hotel to look after.
0:12:09 > 0:12:12We're just going to have to hold on to our cases.
0:12:18 > 0:12:20Now, here's a situation.
0:12:20 > 0:12:22If I was to offer you the chance to stay in a four,
0:12:22 > 0:12:26five or even, these days, a six or seven-star hotel,
0:12:26 > 0:12:28I bet you'd bite my arm off for it.
0:12:28 > 0:12:31But what exactly would you expect for all those stars
0:12:31 > 0:12:34and who, indeed, decided it deserved that rating in the first place?
0:12:34 > 0:12:38Well, the star system has been around for more than a century,
0:12:38 > 0:12:41but even so, one person's idea of a four-star hotel
0:12:41 > 0:12:43can be very different to someone else's.
0:12:43 > 0:12:46So the next time you're looking for hotels online,
0:12:46 > 0:12:49how do you know that the standard you think you've been sold
0:12:49 > 0:12:52is actually what you're going to get when you check in?
0:12:54 > 0:12:56Here it is, look, our wonderful hotel.
0:12:56 > 0:13:00It says, "Attractive apartments, surrounded by lovely gardens,
0:13:00 > 0:13:02"accompanied by delicious food..."
0:13:02 > 0:13:05Sounds good, it should be. It's three-star!
0:13:06 > 0:13:10The number of stars a hotel has can be a useful guide to find
0:13:10 > 0:13:13the holiday that's absolutely right for you.
0:13:13 > 0:13:15Two stars might be fine for a short stay,
0:13:15 > 0:13:17but if you want to push the boat out,
0:13:17 > 0:13:21some hotels now boast six or even seven stars!
0:13:21 > 0:13:24But you'd still expect a hotel with a more modest star rating
0:13:24 > 0:13:28to deliver the goods, and certainly that's what Linda
0:13:28 > 0:13:31and Tony believed when they started researching a special break
0:13:31 > 0:13:34for three generations of their family.
0:13:34 > 0:13:38They plumped for a destination that they'd all enjoyed before.
0:13:38 > 0:13:41We enjoy Turkey, it's nice and cheap,
0:13:41 > 0:13:44and we know we're going to be looked after.
0:13:44 > 0:13:48They searched online for the right hotel and Tony eventually found
0:13:48 > 0:13:52one that looked ideal on the website of a company called Travel Soon.
0:13:52 > 0:13:56It was called the Club Secret Garden Apartments and two weeks there
0:13:56 > 0:14:00cost a total of £1,669 for the five of them.
0:14:00 > 0:14:04The pictures looked really, really good.
0:14:04 > 0:14:07Full-size swimming pool, palm trees all around it.
0:14:07 > 0:14:10I thought, "It looks nice, we'll go for it."
0:14:10 > 0:14:13And the fact that it was rated as three stars meant that
0:14:13 > 0:14:17Tony and Linda expected a certain standard of accommodation
0:14:17 > 0:14:21but, right from the off, they didn't think that's what they got.
0:14:21 > 0:14:23Everything was quite tatty.
0:14:23 > 0:14:27The bottom of doors were all bashed up and smashed.
0:14:27 > 0:14:30At the back of the steps, all the rubbish was thrown over
0:14:30 > 0:14:33to one side, right underneath one of the balconies.
0:14:33 > 0:14:37It was left there all day, just to rot in the heat.
0:14:37 > 0:14:38The smells, the flies,
0:14:38 > 0:14:40it was horrendous, weren't it?
0:14:40 > 0:14:44They didn't think things were much better around the pool.
0:14:44 > 0:14:47First of all, we noticed that the pool was going quite cloudy.
0:14:47 > 0:14:52We were told that the pump had broken and it breaks on a regular basis.
0:14:52 > 0:14:54I didn't feel safe in it,
0:14:54 > 0:14:57so I certainly wouldn't want a child to go in it.
0:14:57 > 0:15:00Tony and Linda are adamant that they weren't just being too fussy.
0:15:00 > 0:15:02As far as they were concerned,
0:15:02 > 0:15:06these apartments simply didn't merit their three-star rating.
0:15:06 > 0:15:10This was never a three-star hotel. I wouldn't give it two.
0:15:10 > 0:15:12So when it comes to star gazing,
0:15:12 > 0:15:16could you accurately gauge how many stars a hotel has?
0:15:16 > 0:15:18We did a quick test, showing descriptions
0:15:18 > 0:15:22and photographs of various hotels to Leicester shoppers
0:15:22 > 0:15:24and asking them to guess the official rating.
0:15:24 > 0:15:29Pool's OK, it's not too far from the seafront or the beach.
0:15:29 > 0:15:31I'd say a three-star.
0:15:31 > 0:15:36Oh, wow, that's a surprise. We'd consider that to be three-star.
0:15:36 > 0:15:40- Not like the two stars we've been in.- No.
0:15:40 > 0:15:44- What do you think? - I would think that would be a...
0:15:44 > 0:15:47- A four?- A four-star, probably.- Yeah.
0:15:47 > 0:15:50Because they've got an internet cafe and...
0:15:50 > 0:15:52Oh! I got it right.
0:15:53 > 0:15:55I would say four.
0:15:57 > 0:16:00Two! Oh, well, I would be really happy with that.
0:16:00 > 0:16:05- Outdoor pool, waterside sports, three-star.- Yeah.
0:16:05 > 0:16:06Four!
0:16:07 > 0:16:09Doesn't look four to me!
0:16:11 > 0:16:14Perhaps it's no wonder we can all be so baffled by what a star rating
0:16:14 > 0:16:19genuinely means because there are no set rules to ensure consistent
0:16:19 > 0:16:22standards across the industry. And adding to the confusion,
0:16:22 > 0:16:26stars aren't the only symbols that you need to understand.
0:16:26 > 0:16:31What the major tour operators have done is brought in their own system,
0:16:31 > 0:16:33so Thomson Holidays, for example,
0:16:33 > 0:16:35offer a T rating
0:16:35 > 0:16:37and Thomas Cook have hearts.
0:16:37 > 0:16:41What's more, all these symbols can mean different things,
0:16:41 > 0:16:45so a hotel that is judged to have one rating with one tour operator
0:16:45 > 0:16:48might get a totally different rating from another.
0:16:48 > 0:16:52Well, interestingly, there is no global system around the world.
0:16:52 > 0:16:55There's not even a common standard in Europe.
0:16:55 > 0:16:59So why doesn't every hotel say that they're five-star?
0:16:59 > 0:17:03Because the watch word of any wise accommodation provider
0:17:03 > 0:17:06is under-promise and over-deliver.
0:17:06 > 0:17:10So how exactly do the big companies decide how to rate hotels?
0:17:10 > 0:17:13Well, Thomas Cook told Rip Off Britain that they use
0:17:13 > 0:17:17a strict number of criteria, including standard of decor,
0:17:17 > 0:17:21facilities, location, food and service.
0:17:21 > 0:17:23They also review the ratings regularly,
0:17:23 > 0:17:25based on customer feedback.
0:17:26 > 0:17:29Meanwhile, Thomson say they use a mix of official stars
0:17:29 > 0:17:31and their own T rating.
0:17:31 > 0:17:33Two Ts means...
0:17:35 > 0:17:37..to five Ts for...
0:17:40 > 0:17:44But back in Turkey, Tony and Linda felt their apparently three-star
0:17:44 > 0:17:47holiday was deteriorating into a five-star mess.
0:17:47 > 0:17:49On going into the bathroom,
0:17:49 > 0:17:53I discovered a plastic covering that was actually catching water
0:17:53 > 0:17:56from the shower room above us
0:17:56 > 0:17:59and it had actually started to leak.
0:17:59 > 0:18:00'That is disgusting.'
0:18:01 > 0:18:03All their dirty shower water
0:18:03 > 0:18:06was coming through the middle of our shower.
0:18:06 > 0:18:08That was the final straw for Tony.
0:18:08 > 0:18:11He called Travel Soon back in England,
0:18:11 > 0:18:15who said they could move them to another hotel, but at a price.
0:18:15 > 0:18:21I would have to pay £80 per room to move us
0:18:21 > 0:18:24and I point blankly refused
0:18:24 > 0:18:27to be out of pocket any more on this holiday.
0:18:27 > 0:18:29I've never got upset on a holiday.
0:18:29 > 0:18:33I've taken everything, whether, you know, the good with the bad,
0:18:33 > 0:18:35but I actually broke down towards the end.
0:18:35 > 0:18:38I couldn't stand it there and Tony, you know,
0:18:38 > 0:18:40could see what it was doing to all of us.
0:18:40 > 0:18:42I wouldn't even give it a rating,
0:18:42 > 0:18:46not even one star. One star would be too good for them.
0:18:46 > 0:18:51TravelSoon.com told us that, while it's genuinely sorry
0:18:51 > 0:18:54that these apartments known as the Club Caprice
0:18:54 > 0:18:55were not to the family's liking...
0:19:02 > 0:19:03It added that...
0:19:06 > 0:19:11And, in this case, the hotel worked out at £10 per night, per person.
0:19:11 > 0:19:13But it said the number of stars it uses...
0:19:21 > 0:19:26Travel Soon's supplier, a company called Beds with Ease, also
0:19:26 > 0:19:30told us that the low room rate meant the apartments would be basic,
0:19:30 > 0:19:33but went on to say, as indeed the hotel itself has,
0:19:33 > 0:19:34that other guests had...
0:19:36 > 0:19:40..and that the problems Linda and Tony highlighted were quickly fixed.
0:19:40 > 0:19:45Even so, they have refunded the family a total of £135.88.
0:19:48 > 0:19:50But despite all of that, Tony and Linda still
0:19:50 > 0:19:53say that their confidence in hotel star ratings
0:19:53 > 0:19:55has been severely knocked.
0:19:55 > 0:19:59As star ratings go, I would be very sceptical of them.
0:19:59 > 0:20:03I would need a lot of time to look over everything
0:20:03 > 0:20:05about hotel reviews from now on.
0:20:12 > 0:20:14Still to come on Rip Off Britain -
0:20:14 > 0:20:16the couple whose wedding in paradise
0:20:16 > 0:20:19cost them a lot more than they'd bargained for.
0:20:19 > 0:20:24We can say we've done it and we're happily married,
0:20:24 > 0:20:28but never again, not like that.
0:20:28 > 0:20:32And top tips for making your money go further in Las Vegas.
0:20:37 > 0:20:41For one weekend in summer 2014, we turned this West Midlands shop
0:20:41 > 0:20:43into a free consumer advice clinic,
0:20:43 > 0:20:46where our experts tackled your problems,
0:20:46 > 0:20:50and plenty of you came in to sound off in our gripe corner.
0:20:50 > 0:20:54I'm a teacher in a local secondary school and it's just infuriating
0:20:54 > 0:20:58that, when I get to go on holiday, we have to pay a lot more money
0:20:58 > 0:21:00than if we went during term time
0:21:00 > 0:21:04and obviously I've got no opportunity to go during term time.
0:21:04 > 0:21:05I feel really ripped off
0:21:05 > 0:21:09because of travel agents taking advantage of people booking early.
0:21:09 > 0:21:14We book early for our convenience, for work, and then, a few weeks
0:21:14 > 0:21:18before we're going, we get phone call or a letter to say they've changed
0:21:18 > 0:21:23the time of departure, the time of return and even the time and place.
0:21:25 > 0:21:29Seasoned traveller Marilyn Poulton loves her holidays,
0:21:29 > 0:21:34but the problem she's brought to Simon Calder is one we hear a lot.
0:21:34 > 0:21:37Marilyn, I've been reading through your notes.
0:21:37 > 0:21:39You are a well-travelled lady, aren't you?
0:21:39 > 0:21:41You seem to go all over the world.
0:21:41 > 0:21:44- Yes, I have.- There's a downside to it for you, isn't there?
0:21:44 > 0:21:47Tell me what it is and why you've come to see Simon.
0:21:47 > 0:21:50- The single supplement!- Right.
0:21:50 > 0:21:53Some companies only have a small charge,
0:21:53 > 0:21:56but by far the worst offenders are cruises.
0:21:56 > 0:22:01The last cruise I did, I went to speak to the lady and she said,
0:22:01 > 0:22:04"Well, if you go in as two of you, it will be this much.
0:22:04 > 0:22:10"If you're going on your own, it's half of that plus 70%."
0:22:10 > 0:22:1170%?!
0:22:11 > 0:22:1570%. And I said, "Well, why do you do that?"
0:22:15 > 0:22:18And she said, "Everybody does it,"
0:22:18 > 0:22:21and I really think it's time everybody stopped doing it.
0:22:21 > 0:22:24I agree, as somebody who travels on her own.
0:22:24 > 0:22:26Simon, what are we going to do about it?
0:22:26 > 0:22:29Well, don't blame me. It's the travel industry.
0:22:29 > 0:22:33Let me tell you exactly how the cruise business works, OK?
0:22:33 > 0:22:37Almost all the cabins are, as you know, for two people.
0:22:37 > 0:22:41If there's only one person in it, the cruise company will say the ship
0:22:41 > 0:22:44is going from A to B to C, you've got to sail it anyway
0:22:44 > 0:22:47and, if you're having a whole cabin to yourself,
0:22:47 > 0:22:49we have to charge a premium on that.
0:22:49 > 0:22:52How do you feel about that, Marilyn, as an explanation?
0:22:52 > 0:22:55Well, I still think the whole idea stinks.
0:22:55 > 0:22:57Of course! I do, too.
0:22:57 > 0:22:59I don't know how you feel, Marilyn.
0:22:59 > 0:23:03Would you mind paying just a little bit of extra money?
0:23:03 > 0:23:05I wouldn't mind paying 15%, even 20%.
0:23:05 > 0:23:08Are we ever going to see it being reduced, do you think, Simon?
0:23:08 > 0:23:11I've been covering this for 20 years and it's exactly the same.
0:23:11 > 0:23:15You get exactly the same answers when you ask the companies.
0:23:15 > 0:23:17Just small things you can do. For instance, France,
0:23:17 > 0:23:20beautiful country, of course, you will agree.
0:23:20 > 0:23:21If you go to the big hotels,
0:23:21 > 0:23:24they'll say, "Right, you have to pay for a double room."
0:23:24 > 0:23:27If you go to lovely small family-run hotels,
0:23:27 > 0:23:30two-star places, then they've always got great single rooms,
0:23:30 > 0:23:33and they'll charge maybe 30 euros instead of 40 euros,
0:23:33 > 0:23:36so it's a 50% surcharge but it's still not nearly as bad.
0:23:36 > 0:23:40Also, small family-run hotels are by far the best option
0:23:40 > 0:23:42when you're staying somewhere like that.
0:23:42 > 0:23:45Choose your location, choose your country
0:23:45 > 0:23:48- and choose your type of holiday. - Or find a friend.
0:23:48 > 0:23:49What are you doing next week?
0:23:54 > 0:23:57Five or ten years ago, if you'd been strolling along a busy street
0:23:57 > 0:24:00or a promenade like this in a resort somewhere,
0:24:00 > 0:24:03the chances are you would have been approached by someone trying
0:24:03 > 0:24:07to sell you your very own slice of sunshine.
0:24:07 > 0:24:10A timeshare - a seemingly very cost-effective way
0:24:10 > 0:24:12of having a holiday, year after year.
0:24:12 > 0:24:16But of course timeshares aren't restricted to just sunny locations,
0:24:16 > 0:24:17they're all over the world,
0:24:17 > 0:24:20and many of them a lot closer to home in the UK.
0:24:20 > 0:24:23But the problems that some of you have with timeshares
0:24:23 > 0:24:26are pretty universal, especially if you're one of
0:24:26 > 0:24:29the thousands of people who've quite simply changed their minds
0:24:29 > 0:24:31and would like to sell up.
0:24:31 > 0:24:34Or like the people that we're about to meet, who are not just
0:24:34 > 0:24:37having a problem selling - they can't even give it away.
0:24:39 > 0:24:43Across Europe, it's estimated that over one million people
0:24:43 > 0:24:47own timeshares and a whopping 40% of them are Brits.
0:24:47 > 0:24:50And while most of them like to take their week or two every year
0:24:50 > 0:24:52in their own favourite corner of the Med,
0:24:52 > 0:24:55some prefer timeshares closer to home
0:24:55 > 0:24:59and, in John and Shirley Turnbull's case, much closer.
0:24:59 > 0:25:01We like the area.
0:25:01 > 0:25:03It's where we were brought up.
0:25:03 > 0:25:09Um, the various villages, we have a castle in every town.
0:25:09 > 0:25:11Just a nice area to spend a week.
0:25:13 > 0:25:18In 2005, John and Shirley spent £9,000 to buy one week every January
0:25:18 > 0:25:22in a chalet here, in the grounds of Slaley Hall in Northumberland,
0:25:22 > 0:25:25just under an hour from their home in Gateshead.
0:25:25 > 0:25:28As well as that one-off lump sum, they agreed to pay
0:25:28 > 0:25:33around £300 a year in management and maintenance fees, with bills on top.
0:25:33 > 0:25:36An English timeshare, I'm on English ground,
0:25:36 > 0:25:40I've got no foreign laws, so on and so forth, no-brainer.
0:25:40 > 0:25:46It's what we wanted, location, cost and time of year.
0:25:46 > 0:25:48The chalet is part of a luxury resort,
0:25:48 > 0:25:51which, until recently, was owned by hotel giant De Vere,
0:25:51 > 0:25:54but the timeshares are separately owned
0:25:54 > 0:25:56and run by the Slaley Hall Owners' Club.
0:25:56 > 0:25:59Each came with free use of hotel facilities, like the spa,
0:25:59 > 0:26:03and, for John and Shirley, it was a place the whole family could use.
0:26:03 > 0:26:07We thought it was an investment, it came with a 60-year deal.
0:26:07 > 0:26:11Obviously I'm not going to be around for the 60 years
0:26:11 > 0:26:14and we were told that the family could take it on.
0:26:14 > 0:26:17Over the next few years, John and Shirley's family
0:26:17 > 0:26:20enjoyed their week-long escape to the chalet, which,
0:26:20 > 0:26:24even with the management fees and bills, seemed an absolute bargain.
0:26:24 > 0:26:29We thought the initial fees were fine, £200-£300 for that week.
0:26:29 > 0:26:36We couldn't get a holiday for £400 for the whole family per year.
0:26:36 > 0:26:41Then, in 2009, the Owner's Club announced the site's management fees
0:26:41 > 0:26:44were set to rise by more than £95
0:26:44 > 0:26:47to fund a refurbishment of the lodges.
0:26:47 > 0:26:49John and Shirley were happy to pay a little bit more,
0:26:49 > 0:26:52until that is, they saw that their lodge wasn't actually
0:26:52 > 0:26:54one of the ones to be refurbished.
0:26:54 > 0:26:58We were a bit disappointed in that, especially with the fees,
0:26:58 > 0:27:01the maintenance fees we were paying,
0:27:01 > 0:27:05we expected some sort of refurbishment to our lodge.
0:27:05 > 0:27:09When John looked into the new fees, it quickly became obvious
0:27:09 > 0:27:11this wasn't just a one-off increase.
0:27:11 > 0:27:15The management charges could rise year after year.
0:27:15 > 0:27:19I started to worry and started to keep a check
0:27:19 > 0:27:24on a spreadsheet on maintenance fees and I was really concerned.
0:27:25 > 0:27:28Fearing his timeshare was becoming too expensive to own,
0:27:28 > 0:27:30John decided to sell up.
0:27:30 > 0:27:34So he contacted De Vere, who handled sales on behalf of the Owner's Club,
0:27:34 > 0:27:38and who agreed to put it on the market on his behalf,
0:27:38 > 0:27:41but weeks and then months went by with no sale.
0:27:41 > 0:27:45And when John looked online at what timeshares were currently available,
0:27:45 > 0:27:48it was clear his week wasn't the only timeshare
0:27:48 > 0:27:49De Vere was trying to sell.
0:27:51 > 0:27:56Sure enough my lodge was there, weeks before and after mine.
0:27:56 > 0:27:59I started to really get worried.
0:27:59 > 0:28:01They're not selling the timeshares.
0:28:01 > 0:28:05And all the while, the maintenance fees were still increasing,
0:28:05 > 0:28:08most recently to more than £800 a year.
0:28:08 > 0:28:12Add to that the utility bills they pay for the time they stay there
0:28:12 > 0:28:15and their next week away could cost over £1,000,
0:28:15 > 0:28:18more than double what their first week, nine years earlier,
0:28:18 > 0:28:20had originally cost.
0:28:20 > 0:28:22It is becoming a money pit.
0:28:22 > 0:28:25Shirley and I are really struggling with the costs
0:28:25 > 0:28:29and we really need an exit strategy from this.
0:28:29 > 0:28:33We now feel we are paying for something we don't want.
0:28:33 > 0:28:38Truth be told, we can't really afford it in the future.
0:28:38 > 0:28:40My family don't really want it.
0:28:40 > 0:28:44They see the stress that we are going through
0:28:44 > 0:28:46and I don't want to give them the stress
0:28:46 > 0:28:49of something that I thought was going to be an investment for them,
0:28:49 > 0:28:52something I was going to leave them.
0:28:52 > 0:28:55Out of desperation, John even jokingly suggested to De Vere
0:28:55 > 0:29:00that he was willing to pay them £2,000 to take the timeshare
0:29:00 > 0:29:02off his hands, but they declined.
0:29:02 > 0:29:08To date, we've paid over £14,000 for the privilege of having this week
0:29:08 > 0:29:12and we just feel that, by the end of the term,
0:29:12 > 0:29:16we could have bought Slaley Hall outright.
0:29:20 > 0:29:23When we spoke to De Vere about John and Shirley's situation.
0:29:23 > 0:29:26They told us that they don't comment on individual cases,
0:29:26 > 0:29:29but that it's the Slaley Hall Owners' Club,
0:29:29 > 0:29:31of which the Turnbulls are members,
0:29:31 > 0:29:34that set the management fees at Slaley Hall and not them.
0:29:38 > 0:29:41So we contacted the Owners' Club, who told us that it would be
0:29:41 > 0:29:45"inappropriate to comment" because John and Shirley have
0:29:45 > 0:29:49"chosen not to communicate with the club" to discuss their concerns.
0:29:50 > 0:29:54John and Shirley may be in the minority of timeshare owners,
0:29:54 > 0:29:57in that they bought so close to home, but they're certainly not
0:29:57 > 0:30:00in the minority when it comes to the number of people
0:30:00 > 0:30:01now trying to sell one.
0:30:02 > 0:30:05It's even been estimated by some industry experts
0:30:05 > 0:30:09that, for every one person looking to buy a timeshare,
0:30:09 > 0:30:12there are 400 people with one to sell.
0:30:12 > 0:30:16What you have to understand when you sign up to a timeshare
0:30:16 > 0:30:19is that you're signing a legally binding agreement.
0:30:19 > 0:30:22You're promising to pay the initial premium,
0:30:22 > 0:30:25but also pay the ongoing maintenance and service charges.
0:30:25 > 0:30:29But maintenance fees can often go up more than the cost of living
0:30:29 > 0:30:31and, if you are in a timeshare contract,
0:30:31 > 0:30:35you often have very little control over that expenditure.
0:30:35 > 0:30:39In many ways, it's like signing a blank cheque.
0:30:39 > 0:30:43John and Shirley say that's exactly how it feels for them
0:30:43 > 0:30:46and they can't see any easy solution.
0:30:46 > 0:30:51I don't want it to be a chain around my family's neck either.
0:30:51 > 0:30:53It's just a lot of worry and stress,
0:30:53 > 0:30:56and I just wish we could find a way out of it.
0:31:05 > 0:31:09Our travel expert Simon Calder has flown, sailed, driven
0:31:09 > 0:31:13and indeed cycled to thousands of destinations all over the world,
0:31:13 > 0:31:17so we asked him to let us in on some of his top secrets,
0:31:17 > 0:31:19this time, Las Vegas.
0:31:19 > 0:31:23It's all about the dollar in Vegas, with shows, bars,
0:31:23 > 0:31:27restaurants and casinos all vying for your money.
0:31:27 > 0:31:30It starts the moment you touch down
0:31:30 > 0:31:32after that 11-hour flight.
0:31:32 > 0:31:36The famous strip, Las Vegas Boulevard,
0:31:36 > 0:31:40where you'll probably be staying, is only a few miles from the airport,
0:31:40 > 0:31:45yet a taxi is going to cost you anything from 15 to 25.
0:31:45 > 0:31:47So instead take the public bus,
0:31:47 > 0:31:50which serves most of the main hotels
0:31:50 > 0:31:51and costs only 2.
0:31:55 > 0:31:57But if you do prefer to take a taxi,
0:31:57 > 0:31:59then watch out for long hauling.
0:31:59 > 0:32:03It's something of a Las Vegas speciality and it means taking
0:32:03 > 0:32:07new visitors for a longer ride than necessary
0:32:07 > 0:32:09in order to boost the fare.
0:32:09 > 0:32:13Handily, the Nevada Taxicab Authority provides this
0:32:13 > 0:32:16useful leaflet showing the approximate fares to all
0:32:16 > 0:32:19the main hotels, so do your research in advance.
0:32:21 > 0:32:25So, you've finally arrived and hit that famous strip,
0:32:25 > 0:32:27but don't be dazzled by all that neon.
0:32:27 > 0:32:31Las Vegas is famous for its scams as well as its casinos.
0:32:31 > 0:32:35On Las Vegas Strip, you'll constantly be approached
0:32:35 > 0:32:39by friendly individuals offering all manner of freebies.
0:32:39 > 0:32:42But beware, these are not good Samaritans.
0:32:42 > 0:32:45There's almost always a catch involved.
0:32:45 > 0:32:49VIP entry and a free drink at the best nightclub in town?
0:32:49 > 0:32:53Well, that's probably to do with getting bodies in the door early
0:32:53 > 0:32:55when the place is empty.
0:32:55 > 0:32:58And free show tickets could simply be the bait
0:32:58 > 0:33:00for a hard timeshare sell
0:33:00 > 0:33:04that ends up costing you time and possibly money.
0:33:04 > 0:33:10And it's not just out on the strip that you need to be on guard.
0:33:10 > 0:33:12You've had a great Las Vegas day.
0:33:12 > 0:33:15Now you're back in your hotel room, the phone rings.
0:33:15 > 0:33:18It's the front desk. They've had a computer crash
0:33:18 > 0:33:21and they need your credit card details again.
0:33:21 > 0:33:24Being a helpful soul, you provide them,
0:33:24 > 0:33:26including those three digits on the back.
0:33:26 > 0:33:29Trouble is, they weren't the front desk at all -
0:33:29 > 0:33:34they're a bunch of scammers and they're already spending your cash.
0:33:34 > 0:33:38There are several ways they can get your room phone number,
0:33:38 > 0:33:42including simply loitering near the lifts and eyeing unsuspecting guests
0:33:42 > 0:33:45as they hold their key cards for everyone to see.
0:33:45 > 0:33:48So, if you get such a call, be very suspicious!
0:33:52 > 0:33:55Do you know, it's estimated that the average UK wedding
0:33:55 > 0:33:58will cost around £21,000?
0:33:58 > 0:34:01And that's not including the honeymoon or the rings.
0:34:01 > 0:34:04So it's easy to understand why some couples might decide
0:34:04 > 0:34:07they can save money, and certainly cut back on all the hassle
0:34:07 > 0:34:10and planning, by jetting off to get married in the sun.
0:34:10 > 0:34:13You can do it with most of the big holiday companies,
0:34:13 > 0:34:17who might have special brochures showing off their expertise.
0:34:17 > 0:34:20But no matter how love struck and starry-eyed you might be,
0:34:20 > 0:34:22you can't assume the arrangements
0:34:22 > 0:34:24will be quite as simple as you think
0:34:24 > 0:34:27and it can pay to make sure you've taken a long, hard look
0:34:27 > 0:34:32at the small print before saying "I do" to a wedding in paradise.
0:34:36 > 0:34:39For many couples dreaming of a wedding,
0:34:39 > 0:34:42it's not just the dress that has to be white - it's the sand too.
0:34:42 > 0:34:46But for Tim and Charlotte Hencher-Cross,
0:34:46 > 0:34:49getting married abroad ended up costing a lot more time
0:34:49 > 0:34:52and money than they bargained for.
0:34:52 > 0:34:55It was stressful, it cost us lots of money,
0:34:55 > 0:34:59and it's resulted in lots of hardship now down the road.
0:34:59 > 0:35:02- Yeah, I don't think we've really recovered from it, have we?- No.
0:35:02 > 0:35:04Tim and Charlotte are from Worcester.
0:35:04 > 0:35:06He's a driving instructor
0:35:06 > 0:35:08and Charlotte runs her own clothing company.
0:35:08 > 0:35:11And with baby son Logan too, they knew they had to keep
0:35:11 > 0:35:15the purse strings tight when they decided to tie the knot.
0:35:15 > 0:35:19I think the idea for getting married abroad was mainly
0:35:19 > 0:35:21to keep the costs down.
0:35:21 > 0:35:25We wanted to have a life after the wedding, which is expensive.
0:35:25 > 0:35:28I was too busy to plan a wedding,
0:35:28 > 0:35:31and thought it'd be romantic and sunny and nice.
0:35:31 > 0:35:33- All done for us as well.- Yes.
0:35:33 > 0:35:36Hoping the whole process would be simple and straightforward,
0:35:36 > 0:35:39Tim and Charlotte decided to organise their big day
0:35:39 > 0:35:41through the specialist wedding arm
0:35:41 > 0:35:44of one of the country's biggest names in travel, Thomson.
0:35:44 > 0:35:48The couple paid £2,400 for two weeks in the Dominican Republic.
0:35:48 > 0:35:52Then, on top of that, there was an extra charge of £1,155
0:35:52 > 0:35:56for the wedding package, including the venue,
0:35:56 > 0:35:58reception, cake and decorations,
0:35:58 > 0:36:00plus a marriage licence
0:36:00 > 0:36:02and registrar to officiate at the ceremony.
0:36:02 > 0:36:0512 guests were also travelling for the special day,
0:36:05 > 0:36:07each paying around £1,200.
0:36:07 > 0:36:09It was everything that we needed
0:36:09 > 0:36:12for the simple beach wedding that we wanted.
0:36:12 > 0:36:14At the right price as well, I think,
0:36:14 > 0:36:17that was the big point there as well. It was right at the top.
0:36:17 > 0:36:20All the couple needed to do themselves was organise
0:36:20 > 0:36:21the legal paperwork,
0:36:21 > 0:36:24without which they wouldn't be able to get married.
0:36:24 > 0:36:26BABY AND TIM LAUGH
0:36:28 > 0:36:31But Tim and Charlotte say that they weren't given much guidance
0:36:31 > 0:36:33about how to do that.
0:36:33 > 0:36:36They got the impression it would be a relatively simple process,
0:36:36 > 0:36:40but it was only after they'd booked the holiday and paid the deposit
0:36:40 > 0:36:44that they realised there'd be rather more paperwork than expected
0:36:44 > 0:36:46and it all had to be in Spanish.
0:36:48 > 0:36:50It was all completely new to me.
0:36:50 > 0:36:54I don't understand legal mumbo jumbo at all.
0:36:54 > 0:36:59At the time, I was probably doing 14/15-hour days.
0:36:59 > 0:37:04I didn't have time to plan a wedding at the same time -
0:37:04 > 0:37:07that's why we went down this route.
0:37:07 > 0:37:11I mean, I struggle to do my tax return, let alone plan a wedding.
0:37:12 > 0:37:15On top of all the paperwork, further complicated by the fact
0:37:15 > 0:37:18that Charlotte had been married before,
0:37:18 > 0:37:20all this admin incurred extra costs,
0:37:20 > 0:37:23which the couple say they just hadn't seen coming.
0:37:23 > 0:37:26Things that weren't included were all the translations
0:37:26 > 0:37:29for the documents, the legalisation of documents,
0:37:29 > 0:37:35all the...expenses to actually have all this shifted in the post.
0:37:35 > 0:37:40There was no talk anywhere just how much it was going to cost.
0:37:40 > 0:37:43Feeling overwhelmed by what was required,
0:37:43 > 0:37:45Tim and Charlotte turned to Thomson for help.
0:37:45 > 0:37:48After all, the company had promised, as they put it,
0:37:48 > 0:37:51to "be on hand to assist every step of the way."
0:37:51 > 0:37:54There was a day that we went into Thomson, wasn't there?
0:37:54 > 0:37:57And I think it was one of our better days because we thought
0:37:57 > 0:38:00we were up to speed with what we'd got,
0:38:00 > 0:38:04and it actually turned out that, in their eyes,
0:38:04 > 0:38:08some of the documents weren't legal documents at all.
0:38:08 > 0:38:09At this point, I just thought,
0:38:09 > 0:38:11"We're not going to have any time left.
0:38:11 > 0:38:13"We're not going to be able to get married.
0:38:13 > 0:38:17"We'll end up just going over there for a holiday with everybody
0:38:17 > 0:38:18"and waste everyone's money."
0:38:18 > 0:38:22It was the last straw then and I just started crying.
0:38:22 > 0:38:24But if the wedding was to go ahead,
0:38:24 > 0:38:29there was no way of avoiding the rapidly mounting legal fees.
0:38:29 > 0:38:34We were frantically getting paperwork sorted.
0:38:34 > 0:38:37I think the translations had come back by that point,
0:38:37 > 0:38:41but they still had to go down to the Dominican consulate
0:38:41 > 0:38:42to get legalised.
0:38:42 > 0:38:45- Literally, all they had to do was put a stamp on it...- Read it.
0:38:45 > 0:38:49..sign and have read through, and it was nearly £800.
0:38:49 > 0:38:53The contract Tim and Charlotte had signed with Thomson
0:38:53 > 0:38:56did state that the couple were responsible for supplying
0:38:56 > 0:38:58and translating legal documents,
0:38:58 > 0:39:02but the couple insist they were never given a proper indication
0:39:02 > 0:39:05of just how much all that would eventually cost.
0:39:05 > 0:39:08In the end, it came to over £2,000.
0:39:08 > 0:39:13All in all, it was more expensive for the paperwork
0:39:13 > 0:39:16and all the documents to be done
0:39:16 > 0:39:19than it was for one person and the wedding.
0:39:20 > 0:39:25All was finally completed and Tim and Charlotte's Caribbean wedding
0:39:25 > 0:39:27was everything they'd hoped for.
0:39:27 > 0:39:31There was that bit of relief when I heard the music come on,
0:39:31 > 0:39:35and I was stood there with my best man, and I turned around
0:39:35 > 0:39:38and I saw you and your dad, and I got a tear in my eye.
0:39:38 > 0:39:40It was just that moment then,
0:39:40 > 0:39:42I realised that this was actually going to happen.
0:39:42 > 0:39:44- It was perfect.- Yeah, it was.
0:39:44 > 0:39:47But when the honeymoon was over,
0:39:47 > 0:39:51all those costs Tim and Charlotte were not expecting
0:39:51 > 0:39:53still had to be paid.
0:39:53 > 0:39:55Expert wedding coordinator George Watts,
0:39:55 > 0:39:58who styles himself "the Wedding Fairy"
0:39:58 > 0:39:59has seen it all before.
0:40:00 > 0:40:04A lot of couples often take for granted that their tour operator
0:40:04 > 0:40:07is going to plan everything, which is actually completely wrong.
0:40:07 > 0:40:10It's your responsibility to legalise the wedding,
0:40:10 > 0:40:13so the best port of call for this is the Gov UK website.
0:40:13 > 0:40:16You can select the country you want to get married in
0:40:16 > 0:40:19and find out exactly what you need to do and how you need to go
0:40:19 > 0:40:22about doing it. If you are worried about the legalities abroad,
0:40:22 > 0:40:24do bear in mind there are other options.
0:40:24 > 0:40:27You could maybe go for a wedding blessing, a commitment ceremony,
0:40:27 > 0:40:31spiritual celebrations are hugely popular,
0:40:31 > 0:40:33and then you get rid of all that tier
0:40:33 > 0:40:36of worrying about the legal process of your wedding.
0:40:36 > 0:40:40You can sit back, relax and enjoy, and it's often a lot cheaper.
0:40:42 > 0:40:45When Rip Off Britain contacted Thomson, it told us
0:40:45 > 0:40:49it has over "two decades' experience in organising weddings"
0:40:49 > 0:40:52and "customer satisfaction is very high."
0:40:52 > 0:40:55It went on to say that it provided the couple
0:40:55 > 0:40:58with "an estimate of the legal costs",
0:40:58 > 0:41:00though the couple dispute this.
0:41:00 > 0:41:03And the company reiterated that "responsibility for completing
0:41:03 > 0:41:08"the paperwork and all associated costs lies with the customer."
0:41:11 > 0:41:14So the advice for anybody wanting to plan a wedding abroad
0:41:14 > 0:41:17is to check exactly what documentation is required
0:41:17 > 0:41:21and how much it's likely to cost before you go ahead and book.
0:41:23 > 0:41:26I think, realistically, we can say we've done it
0:41:26 > 0:41:30and we're happily married, which is brilliant,
0:41:30 > 0:41:32but never again.
0:41:32 > 0:41:33Not like that.
0:41:38 > 0:41:42Here at Rip Off Britain, we're always ready to investigate
0:41:42 > 0:41:45more of your stories and not just about holidays.
0:41:45 > 0:41:47You can write to us at...
0:41:55 > 0:41:57Or send us an e-mail to...
0:42:00 > 0:42:05The Rip Off team is ready and waiting to investigate your stories.
0:42:08 > 0:42:11Well, as I think we've all learnt from today's stories,
0:42:11 > 0:42:14you can't always assume that what you believe is the case
0:42:14 > 0:42:17with certain aspects of your holiday
0:42:17 > 0:42:20actually turns out to be the way things are going to pan out.
0:42:20 > 0:42:22So here comes that familiar advice again -
0:42:22 > 0:42:26just make sure that you check all of the details before making
0:42:26 > 0:42:28a decision that you just might later regret.
0:42:28 > 0:42:30Oh, totally. Do you know what though?
0:42:30 > 0:42:34I'm still thinking about the number of times that I've left luggage
0:42:34 > 0:42:37in a hotel reception. I'll tell you something, I won't be doing it again.
0:42:37 > 0:42:40Now you'll find a lot more travel advice of course on our website:
0:42:43 > 0:42:46And from there you can send us, I hope, some of your own stories
0:42:46 > 0:42:48on any topic whatsoever,
0:42:48 > 0:42:51which perhaps we'll look into on a future programme.
0:42:51 > 0:42:53But that's all we've got time for for today.
0:42:53 > 0:42:56We'll be back to investigate more of your stories very soon.
0:42:56 > 0:42:58But until then, if you are planning a holiday,
0:42:58 > 0:43:02we hope that obviously everything goes completely smoothly
0:43:02 > 0:43:05but, if it doesn't, do please write and let us know.
0:43:05 > 0:43:07In the meantime, thanks for joining us
0:43:07 > 0:43:11- and, from all the team, goodbye. - Happy holidays!