Thomson Holidays Complaints
Customer Complaint Advice
Simpson Millar Solicitors Holiday Lawyers receive calls frequently from Thomson Holidays customers with complaints about the service they have received and wanting advice about claiming compensation for ruined holidays.
The Law and You
When you purchase a Thomson Holidays package you enter into a contract which is governed by powerful consumer law pursuant to the Package Travel Regulations 1992.
These Regulations make Thomson Holidays responsible for every part of your holiday abroad.
If your complaint concerns a holiday that was misrepresented or problems on holiday such as dirty hotel accommodation, poor quality food or terrible service you have a right to complain to Thomsons and ask for compensation.
Thomson Holidays Complaints - How Long Have You Got?
When you book a holiday as a package with Thomson Holidays the law of England and Wales allows you 6 years to commence court proceedings if your complaint concerns a breach of contract or a misrepresentation.
Should you suffer an accident on holiday with Thomsons or an illness abroad then the time limit for starting court proceedings is just 3 years from the date of injury or 3 years from the date of 18 years of age for children.
Useful Contacts
To contact ABTA and find out more about their Arbitration Scheme click this link
To find out about how to make a claim in the Small Claims Court click this link
How to Complain About Thomson Holidays
Important Notice: It is advisable to take the advice of a specialist Holiday Claims Solicitor if your complaint concerns an accident on holiday or an illness such as food poisoning picked up at a foreign hotel during a Thomson holiday. Simpson Millar are specialist Holiday Complaints Solicitors and offer a free advice service.
If your holiday was a nightmare and you are looking to claim compensation you are advised to follow Thomson Holidays complaints procedure which can be found in your holiday booking conditions.
The booking terms and conditions will ask you to put your complaint to Thomsons in writing.
- When you write to Thomson Holidays keep copies of your correspondence and any letters you receive in reply.
- Put your complaints in the form of a list. This will make it easier for Thomsons to understand your grievances.
- When writing your letter avoid using a hostile tone as a judge reading your letter at a later time may form an unfavourable opinion of you.
- If you have taken photographs or DVD recording or have completed complaint forms or kept contact details of other unhappy holidaymakers then use this evidence to support your complaints.
- Make sure you clearly explain in your letter how the problems you are complaining about spoilt the holiday.
- Be fair about the amount of compensation you are seeking. You need to approach this aspect with reasonable expectations.
- If you want to claim back expenses you incurred because of the problems you experienced on holiday you should support your claim with copies of receipts.
- Thomson Holidays is a member of ABTA, the Association of British Travel Agents, and abide by ABTA’s Code of Conduct.
- ABTA members must acknowledge their customers complaints inside 14 days and provide a substantive response to a complaint within 28 days.
- Should you fail to receive an acknowledgment to your complaint from Thomson Holidays within 14 days or fail to receive a full response within 28 days you should report this to ABTA who will take steps on your behalf.
- You find that if your attempts to achieve an amicable outcome fail that you may need to resort to more formal methods of resolving your complaint which are typically through ABTA’s arbitration scheme or the Small Claims Court process.
Useful Contacts
You can obtain details of ABTA’s Arbitration Scheme by clicking this link
All you need to know about making a claim in the Small Claims Court can be found by visiting this link
Personal Injury Claims
If you are making a complaint to Thomson Holidays about an illness or an accident you or your family suffered whilst on holiday abroad you should obtain advice from a Solicitor before contacting Thomson Holidays.
We have encountered many people over the years who have accepted inadequate settlements when they have pursued compensation claims without the benefit of legal advice.
As an experienced Holiday Claims Solicitor will be able to advise you about how much your claim is worth and what steps you should take to ensure that you receive all the compensation you are entitled to claim.
We advise anyone who has received an offer of compensation from a tour operator for a personal injury to seek professional advice. Our advice is important as once you have accepted an offer of compensation it is usually legally binding and you will be unable to claim any further award if you discover subsequently that the compensation you have accepted is inadequate.
Be aware that most tour operators will want to settle your claim for the least amount possible and their legally trained staff may attempt to take advantage of your naivety.
If you need any advice please do not hesitate to contact Simpson Millar Solicitors on 0808 145 1353 and get a £250 bonus, if we agree to take on your holiday accident claim, by quoting 'Claim250' at the outset of your enquiry. (Terms & Conditions apply).
We offer a completely free holiday compensation claims advice service for anyone who has sustained an injury abroad or has been ill or sick on holiday due to food poisoning or poor hotel hygiene standards.
