Holiday for Sale

[Yoda]

Thanks but my head is no where near where it neads to be for that to happen.

 

Well don't worry, Ive just put the holiday on another forum where someone said it was their dream to have a go on a narrowboat.

[Paul And Vikki]

Well don't worry, Ive just put the holiday on another forum where someone said it was their dream to have a go on a narrowboat.

 

 

Cool thanks

[NBMike]

AW have probably lost at least half a dozen potential bookers through their actions just from this website!

[sueb]

Have Anglo Welsh got financial troubles that they need your money more than bad publicity?

Sue

[MartinC]

Maybe a trip to your solicitor or to Citizen's Advice Bureau is in order

 

Paul

 

I would endorse this advice from Bazza with the addition of your local Trading Standards.

 

Condition 4, says "The company may, at its discretion, waive the balance fee if the company successfully re-lets the boat for the whole of the hire period".You need professional advice but I think that the "discretion" bit might well run foul of the Unfair Contract Terms Act, as could the failure to make any allowance for saving on fuel and running costs which occur if the boat is not relet and therefore not in use. I think the Act can in some circumstances set aside the whole contract if parts of it are unfair.

 

Just remember that District judges usually favour the individual against a company, the small claims court proceedure is not daunting and you can do (and I have done) it without a solicitor.

 

Good luck!

[Steve Smyth]

Good luck!

 

Good luck indeed- FWIW, this little escapde has caused me to drop AW from my list of companies I was considering-being on the other side of the Atlantic, I usually have to book a year in advance to get decent airfares

 

Hope this works out

 

Steve

[Dyad]

Good luck!

Good luck indeed- FWIW, this little escapde has caused me to drop AW from my list of companies I was considering-being on the other side of the Atlantic, I usually have to book a year in advance to get decent airfares

 

Hope this works out

 

Steve

 

 

If anyone, after reading what they have done to Paul, has decided not to use AW, it would be a good idea to email/write to them and let them know. Perhaps then they will realise their potential loss of bookings, maybe even prevoke change of heart. Fingers crossed for you Paul.

 

Kev

[Paul And Vikki]

Had an out of the blue phone call from AW today. It was the MD robert Lawrence. He spoke to me in detail and has reconsidered my status and has said he will send me a cheque for my deposit which is great news.

 

He also mentioned that if I want ed to book something later in the year when i have myself sort he will be willing to do something extra for me.

 

He didnt have to sdo this and I think it is a very kind gesture. At the end of the day I am just happy that he is sending my money back.

 

I will let everyone know as soon as it arrives.

 

Thanks everyone for theyre advie and support.

 

Paul

[dor]

Wonder if he reads this forum?

[steelaway]

Wonder if he reads this forum?

 

 

FORUM POWER

[Yoda]

A lot of companies monitor the forum, they cannot afford not to.

[Dyad]

Hey, great news, can I un-cross my fingers now?

 

Kev

[Christine]

I recall a thread about AW & a TV problem.

[BlueStringPudding]

Had an out of the blue phone call from AW today. It was the MD robert Lawrence. He spoke to me in detail and has reconsidered my status and has said he will send me a cheque for my deposit which is great news.

 

He also mentioned that if I want ed to book something later in the year when i have myself sort he will be willing to do something extra for me.

 

He didnt have to sdo this and I think it is a very kind gesture. At the end of the day I am just happy that he is sending my money back.

 

I will let everyone know as soon as it arrives.

 

Thanks everyone for theyre advie and support.

 

Paul

 

 

[Chris-B]

Had an out of the blue phone call from AW today. It was the MD robert Lawrence. He spoke to me in detail and has reconsidered my status and has said he will send me a cheque for my deposit which is great news.

 

He also mentioned that if I want ed to book something later in the year when i have myself sort he will be willing to do something extra for me.

 

He didnt have to sdo this and I think it is a very kind gesture. At the end of the day I am just happy that he is sending my money back.

 

I will let everyone know as soon as it arrives.

 

Thanks everyone for theyre advie and support.

 

Paul

 

What good news for you Paul, at least AW have had an application of common sense rather than business sense !

Their MD seems to have had an ear to the ground and made the correct decision.

Chris

[Mick_B]

Good news indeed. Even if they do monitor the forum and it took this thread to persuade them to "do the right thing" at least it's done.

However if they do keep an eye here let us mention that the right thing should have been done at the start without trying to fob Paul off. It may be a "saving grace" but I now have heard of Anglo Welsh in a bad way and would not consider them for a holiday.

[AlanJ]

The problem is often the telephone operators don't have the authority to do anything that isn't standard - you need to speak to a supervisor of some form to actually deal with your situation.

 

Looks like common sense has prevailed and the right result has happened.

 

AW went down in my estimations about 10 years ago when passing through Trevor - popped in the shop to ask for something and received an unsavoury comment on leaving in Welsh - shame I learnt some Welsh having spent 3 years in Wales at Uni and understood the jist of it. Glad to say we didn't have the same experience last summer.

[Capt Flint]

Hi all I have just had to cancel my holiday from Anglo Welsh, from the 6th of October this year picking up a 6 - 8 birth boat from Wooten Wawen.

 

The reason I have to cancel is because My partner has run off with someone and no I cant afford to do it on my own.

 

Commiserations Paul,

Seems strange they are advertising that barge.

SEE: Sandfly 8 62ft Narrowboat 03/10/08 10/10/08 Wootton Wawen £940, on the AW website

Edited May 29, 2008 by Capt Flint

[Dan]

I recall a thread about AW & a TV problem.

 

 

Hi Christine

 

Yes, it was me that had that problem, and it was the MD, Robert Lawrence who instructed Blakes to remove my booking as they did not want my business and did not wish to enter correspondence with me over my query of why a TV was not available/why I couldn't take my own when their own website allowed the option and the Visit Britain grading said the grading meant TV standard or available to hire.

 

Sadly I could only draw this man was a complete idiot, and was certainly nothing to do with a less senior operative, this was the top man! Maybe I was unlucky though and he had some short term issues clouding his judgement as he does seem to have behaved like a more rational, business minded person in this scenario, which is great news!

 

Ironic that despite them making me out to be the problem last year, this year all the craft have TV's so either my scenario or Visit Britain forced their hand on doing what they should have anyway.

 

I'm still quite saddened by my experience though, as I had some great AW holidays over the years and recommended them to many and held them in such high regard

 

The thread is here if anyone wanted to read the debarkle...

click here

 

Dan

Edited June 1, 2008 by Dan

[tullemor1]

Hi Christine

 

Yes, it was me that had that problem, and it was the MD, Robert Lawrence who instructed Blakes to remove my booking as they did not want my business and did not wish to enter correspondence with me over my query of why a TV was not available/why I couldn't take my own when their own website allowed the option and the Visit Britain grading said the grading meant TV standard or available to hire.

 

Sadly I could only draw this man was a complete idiot, and was certainly nothing to do with a less senior operative, this was the top man! Maybe I was unlucky though and he had some short term issues clouding his judgement as he does seem to have behaved like a more rational, business minded person in this scenario, which is great news!

 

Ironic that despite them making me out to be the problem last year, this year all the craft have TV's so either my scenario or Visit Britain forced their hand on doing what they should have anyway.

 

I'm still quite saddened by my experience though, as I had some great AW holidays over the years and recommended them to many and held them in such high regard

 

The thread is here if anyone wanted to read the debarkle...

click here

 

When we went canalboating in April, we met and got to be friends with a couple who had rented smilar boat to what we had from AW (we rented from Black Prince). It turned out that not only had we a much better deal, they too complained about their TV (it didn't work). We exchanged e-mail addresses, but because we came to throw it away, I wrote AW asking them to send me they're address. I knew they're first names and the marina and period they had rented for. So I wrote AW for they're address, but was answered that they couldn't find whoever, besides they could not give out addesses. Fine, I answered, but please write them and let them write us. She said she would, but I have never heard from those people afterwards, so I am not sure she did it.

 

We rented with Black Prince and had trouble with the toilet a couple of times on our trip (probably thanks to ourselves). The service engineers were there within a couple of hours both times (and they were friendly and informative). So we were very happy with our trip and can highly recommend Black Prince.

 

One more thing I was noting, is that most of the rental companies have lowered they're prices for the autumn (because of the economical recess in both UK and USA I suppose), so even if they had not been willing to return your full amount (which I see they have done now - probably thanks to this forum), you should at least have got the price difference.

 

And Paul, if you need a new girlfriend, go to Iceland they have much more women than men....

 

Dan

[Hick]

I'm glad to hear Anglowelsh sorted the situation, as I've got nothing but praise for them. I've not been in the situation of having to cancel a booking, but on occassions where we have had issues on the holiday they have been sorted very efficiently. The staff on the phone and at the bases (have been to four now!) are always very friendly and helpful.

 

I realised they probably should have sorted the situation at the start, but I think it's a tad unfair to write them off quite as quickly as some have appeared to here. I've just booked again for this year under their week for the price of a short break promotion, so £1000 instead of £1500 and we're very much looking forward to getting out on to the cut again!

 

Hick