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AIBU

To expect a holiday camp to live up to it's advertising.

(8 Posts)
vampirequeen Mon 01-Sep-14 11:36:45

My stepchildren (6 and 8) are on holiday with their mum and step dad. They've gone to a holiday camp which advertises evening entertainment. It's not my cup of tea but I can understand why people go there.

The camp manager decided last Wednesday that he was going to close a lot of the facilities including the evening entertainment a week early as there weren't as many people staying on the site. So all the guests had left for the evenings was to go to the amusement arcade or sit in what had been the adult only bar.

No one seemed bothered by this. In fact they all seemed to think it made sense. I can't understand it. If I'd paid for a holiday which advertised entertainment every evening and clubs for the children I would be livid and demand a partial refund.

I know it doesn't affect me as such. I just wondered whether other people would simply accept the manager's decision.

henetha Mon 01-Sep-14 11:43:12

No, I think it's apalling.
Completely unacceptable not to get the holiday they paid for.
I agree about the partial refund, and hope they succeed in this.

jollyg Mon 01-Sep-14 11:43:58

Trading standards are the ones to complain to, and ask for a BIG refund

Eloethan Mon 01-Sep-14 11:47:04

I wouldn't. If evening entertainment was expressly part of the "package" and there weren't any clauses stating something along the lines that the management reserves the right to change or abandon some activities in certain circumstances, then I think it should be possible to make a written complaint and ask for some compensation.

FlicketyB Mon 01-Sep-14 12:43:21

People have successfully sued companies that did not deliver what they promised in the brochure.

vampirequeen Mon 01-Sep-14 13:13:03

I'm glad it's not just me. I was amazed when we spoke to our children's stepfather and he said that as far as he knew no one had complained because 'it made sense'.

gillybob Mon 01-Sep-14 13:18:37

I agree vampirequeen. If the holiday was advertised as having evening entertainment and childrens clubs and there are none, then they are surely guilty of false advertising (at least)and there should be compensation based on ther cost of finding and financing alternative entertainment. This is surely no different to booking an all inclusive holiday only to be told when you arrive that "sorry, there aren't enough people here to make it worthwhile, so we have taken the food and drink off". hmm

Eloethan Mon 01-Sep-14 15:13:53

Presumably the company was aware of the numbers of holidaymakers due. If they felt it would not be realistic to provide entertainment for a small number of people, they should have forewarned them, given them a chance to cancel and offered compensation, both to those who chose to continue with their holiday and to those who cancelled.

I wouldn't be surprised, though, if there is something in the "small print" to say that certain facilities are not guaranteed. Even then, I believe it is possible to challenge this if the entertainment element of the holiday could be shown to have been heavily marketed as an important part of the "package" and that its possible unavailability had been concealed in pages of "small print". But I doubt many people would go to the trouble and expense of taking this sort of matter to Court.

If there is nothing in the "small print", it's worth writing a letter to request compensation for the failure to provide an important element of the contract.