Our Tenerife holiday disaster :(

charlie999

Booked a luxury apartment on booking.com - so many extras to make it cosy - it was advertised as a penthouse. We paid €160 per night. Free WiFi everywhere, robes and slippers etc.

We had 3 older kids with us so the WiFi was a major influencer in booking this.

When we arrived - no WiFi! Anywhere! No robes. No slippers. No coffee machine. No luxury! An apartment kitted out from ikea.

I complained. I was ignored. I complained a few days later and I was told that I was trying to make the company go bust. Thee is nothing she can do. She made us feel welcome and wasn’t expecting an investigation!

Other apartments in the same complex are advertised for €100:€110 per night.

Is there anything I can do? This was a disgrace

coylemj

Never believe anything you read on third party websites.

Did the apartment owner/operator promise those features before you booked and paid? If not then your issue is with booking.com and I can see you getting nowhere with them.

ArthurG

I wouldn’t use Booking.com for an apartment. That’s what Airbnb is for. You can check out reviews etc.

dudara

Have you complained to Booking.com? Or to the apartment owner?

I’d go straight to Booking.com I don’t think they’d be too impressed. If you get no satisfaction there, you can talk to your credit card provider about a chargeback

charlie999

coylemj wrote: »

Never believe anything you read on third party websites.

Did the apartment owner/operator promise those features before you booked and paid? If not then your issue is with booking.com and I can see you getting nowhere with them.

The owner or manager directed me to her own website for pictures and more info. She again listed WiFi on this as a key feature. She runs a small agency and rents a number of ‘luxury’ apartments on the Ireland.

This was the biggest issue - the WiFi. One child with ASD and renting in a small village - we needed WiFi and a pool.

iamwhoiam

charlie999 wrote: »

The owner or manager directed me to her own website for pictures and more info. She again listed WiFi on this as a key feature. She runs a small agency and rents a number of ‘luxury’ apartments on the Ireland.

This was the biggest issue - the WiFi. One child with ASD and renting in a small village - we needed WiFi and a pool.

Get on to bookings.com and mention b false advertising on their site

charlie999

Absolute disaster when you have a child with Autism and it’s a two week break! Believe me!

Jane1012

You should prob rename your thread... Tenerife disaster is an actual thing where over 500 people died..

Anyway to answer your question if you made your booking through booking.com I assume your contract is with them so that should be your first port of call.

Tippex

charlie999 wrote: »

Booked a luxury apartment on booking.com - so many extras to make it cosy - it was advertised as a penthouse. We paid €160 per night. Free WiFi everywhere, robes and slippers etc.

We had 3 older kids with us so the WiFi was a major influencer in booking this.

When we arrived - no WiFi! Anywhere! No robes. No slippers. No coffee machine. No luxury! An apartment kitted out from ikea.

I complained. I was ignored. I complained a few days later and I was told that I was trying to make the company go bust. Thee is nothing she can do. She made us feel welcome and wasn’t expecting an investigation!

Other apartments in the same complex are advertised for €100:€110 per night.

Is there anything I can do? This was a disgrace

I would get on to booking.com. When you paid did were you charged by booking.com or directly with the apartment owner? Happy to take this to PM if you want to.

endofrainbow

E160 for a penthouse? If it seems too good to be true, it probably is .

charlie999

endofrainbow wrote: »

E160 for a penthouse? If it seems too good to be true, it probably is .

€160 per night - €2240

iamwhoiam

In the meantime you should be on free roaming now in the EU . Or could you get a thingy ( are they called dongles ) for your son to use and least he would have something .?

Metric Tensor

Hey OP. Can offer no advice regarding the apartment but I really sympathise about your son.

Can you check with your mobile operator is Tenerife is part of the new EU roaming rules and if so can you use your data from home at no extra cost? Maybe a local SIM card is another option?

bertsmom

Would you not rename this post. Tenerife disaster is extremely overstating it!! Apartment with no wifi is not a disaster. Tenerife disaster is a real incident. Just get onto booking.com and state your case and go from there. Simples😎

iamwhoiam

https://www.google.ie/amp/s/www.telegraph.co.uk/travel/comment/tenerife-airport-disaster/amp/

600 people died in the Tenerife disaster

DEFTLEFTHAND

Thought this was about the Jumbo Jet collision back in the 80s.

km79

What complex is it ?

cassid

If you contact booking.com, they can move you to another accommodation, the property owner who advertised having wifi, will be charged for any difference in costs, so they may remove wifi from their amenities. I partner with them and its standard practice if you are double booked or there is a problem with the property.

Explain to the rep why it is important to have wifi for your son. I have always found booking.com good at helping with issues from the owners/guest perspective.

Flippyfloppy

You didn't receive what you paid for, I'd imagine the operator breached the contract with you. Look into it I would say there is a citizens advice type agency out there that can help.

charlie999

iamwhoiam wrote: »

https://www.google.ie/amp/s/www.telegraph.co.uk/travel/comment/tenerife-airport-disaster/amp/

600 people died in the Tenerife disaster

Omg I actually can’t change the name on this

Stheno

charlie999 wrote: »

Omg I actually can’t change the name on this

I'm fairly sure you can. go to your op click edit post then advanced and it should let you

charlie999

Stheno wrote: »

I'm fairly sure you can. go to your op click edit post then advanced and it should let you

Can’t on phone! Thanks. I’ll delete thread

iamwhoiam

charlie999 wrote: »

Omg I actually can’t change the name on this

You didnt do it on purpose , I am sure if you ask a Mod they can do it for you

Suckit

charlie999 wrote: »

Can’t on phone! Thanks. I’ll delete thread

Doubt you can do that either. You could hit the report button and ask a mod to change it.

You should write a review about the place on tripadvisor, booking.com, travelrepublic, trivago and kayak etc..
Maybe give it a header with the word 'warning' in it.

I'm not sure if any of your consumer rights were breached, but these sites may help point you in the right direction to get help:

http://www.holidaytravelwatch.com/action-further-reading/your-consumer-rights/
https://www.which.co.uk/consumer-rights/advice/i-havent-got-what-i-asked-for-with-my-holiday-accommodation
https://www.which.co.uk/consumer-rights/advice/how-to-claim-if-your-holiday-accommodation-was-not-as-promised
https://www.tripadvisor.com/ShowTopic-g1-i12334-k10124091-STAYZ_Consumer_s_Rights_breached_contact_ACCC-Holiday_Travel.html

charlie999

Thanks for the help

Miaireland

Contact booking.com. I had to contact them recently and found there customer service went far beyond what I had expected. They would not be happy that a customer of their's is being directed to another site.

harr

charlie999 wrote: »

Thanks for the help

You might be able to get a local sim enabled WiFi dongle...I think they cost about 40 quid after that you should be able to top up the Credit..you will have to watch the data but it might get you out of a hole..

charlie999

Thanks I’ve reported it to booking.com and will speak to citizens advice when I return home - tomorrow!

We’ve used hotspots and spent about €100 on credit and I dread our bills when we get home.

Warning! Do not use booking-paradise.com

Lesson learned

wexie

charlie999 wrote: »

Thanks I’ve reported it to booking.com and will speak to citizens advice when I return home - tomorrow!

We’ve used hotspots and spent about €100 on credit and I dread our bills when we get home.

Warning! Do not use booking-paradise.com

Lesson learned

Which did you use OP?

Or was it booking-paradise.com through booking.com?

Cause they are not the same company?!

If it helps, contact details for booking-paradise.com are :

Name:EMANUELA MARIA DALE
Street:AVENIDA EUROPA 25
City:SAN EUGENIO ALTO
State:TENERIFE
Postal Code:38660
Country:ES
Phone:+34.34645564843
Email:email@GMAIL.COM

CrankyHaus

charlie999 wrote: »

Thanks I’ve reported it to booking.com and will speak to citizens advice when I return home - tomorrow!

We’ve used hotspots and spent about €100 on credit and I dread our bills when we get home.

Warning! Do not use booking-paradise.com

Lesson learned

Best of luck. I had to complain to Booking.com before and they gave the hotel that was giving me grief a fair bollocking. I'd definitely recommend their customer service based on that.

CeilingFly

Booking.com is purely an intermediary. Sort of like donedeal for holidays.

Its the owners / operators that enter all the details and yoir contract is directly with the property.
Booking take a commission and also have a complaints procedure.

But if you booked via booking.com then you booked directly with owners

You can leave a review on TripAdvisor - a three star review is taken more seriously than a one star.

Prominent_Dawg

charlie999 wrote: »

Booked a luxury apartment on booking.com - so many extras to make it cosy - it was advertised as a penthouse. We paid €160 per night. Free WiFi everywhere, robes and slippers etc.

We had 3 older kids with us so the WiFi was a major influencer in booking this.

When we arrived - no WiFi! Anywhere! No robes. No slippers. No coffee machine. No luxury! An apartment kitted out from ikea.

I complained. I was ignored. I complained a few days later and I was told that I was trying to make the company go bust. Thee is nothing she can do. She made us feel welcome and wasn’t expecting an investigation!

Other apartments in the same complex are advertised for €100:€110 per night.

Is there anything I can do? This was a disgrace

This is the reason you view other travellers photos and reviews before booking.. leave a review and warn other travellers of your experience! Also wouldn't recommend booking through booking.com, It's always cheaper to book through an official website.. It's the same with flights, third party websites are fine for searching but always book on the official website.. A place I previously worked had a number of issues with booking.com accepting faults payment details.. You can probably make a complaint to the alternative for the "Advertising standards Authority for Ireland" for the country in question.

fritzelly

Whats the link to the accommodation - two different websites mentioned so far. Booking.com are just an intermediary - your contract is with the provider, as for the other site the only "penthouse" mentions no "little extras"
Could so easily pick up a local sim card and be done or use the phone as a hotspot - really failing to see why this has turned into the holiday from hell (as for Ikea apartments - pretty much every holiday apartment uses Ikea)

kerry4sam

Mod-note:

I've just Thanked 16* Reported Posts. Thanks for the reports.
However, none of those reports are from a Moderator who sent this unmitigated mess our way to our Travel forum. I can only see a post deleted by one Travel moderator. I will say thanks for closing this thread though.

Posts will be deleted. I will tidy the thread up. Thread will remain closed by me until the OP makes contact should they wish to update <--> I read about contact being made which may assist with future bookings should people opt to use the site(s) being mentioned in here.


I'll move the closed thread over to our Report/Review sub-forum.

Any issues OP; feel free to make contact.

Thanks,
kerry4sam