Firm in row over foreign holiday packages
Belfast-based Premier Leisure Promotions said it was surprised by a “mad panic” by potential customers in the Republic who complained to a consumers rights’ agency.
A director of the leisure promotions company Francis McKeown said, as a result of complaints, his company was told to stop trading in the south.
Mr McKeown said he was seeking legal advice after the directive from the Commission for Aviation Regulation. “I was told to cease trading as I am neither a tour operator or a travel agency,” said Mr McKeown.
The function of his company, he said, was to “entice” holiday-makers to invest in overseas properties.
“The timeshare scheme is governed under European legislation and investors have rights such as a refund on deposits,” he said.
Mr McKeown said he was unaware of a complaint aired on Dave Fanning’s 2FM show yesterday.
Galway woman Rachel Culbert said she demanded, on behalf of her son Seamus, a refund from Premier Leisure Promotions.
She said travel documents due earlier this week for her son’s planned holiday on August 15 to Tenerife did not arrive. Her son was due to join six others on the holiday package after two people had been offered a “free holiday” for seven days as part of a promotion.
“Time sharing was never mentioned,” said Mrs Culbert, “and although the company promised a refund, I got suspicious.”
Mr McKeown said yesterday his company would honour any refunds.
“The free holiday for two people in an apartment catering for six people is designed for potential customers to go and have a look around at holiday apartment schemes on the basis of a time-sharing agreement.” He said “many customers” had availed of the time share scheme.
Mr McKeown said most of the complaints lodged were against C R Promotions, a company from which he acquired a customer database.
“There were problems with that company and if people want to cancel their holidays, we will refund them,” he said.
However, the European Consumer Centre in Dublin said yesterday it had a file of 17 complaints relating to both C R Promotions and Premier Leisure Promotions.
Meanwhile, the Northern Ireland Trading Standards service said it had received no complaints about the company but was liaising with the authorities in the Republic as a result of complaints made against Premier Leisure Promotions.
Mr McKeown said his legal advisers were planning to contact the Commission for Aviation Regulation to resolve differences. However, Mrs Culbert said she planned to make a formal complaint to gardaí and the Police Service of Northern Ireland as her son’s €375 was not refunded.
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