Holidaymakers vent fury over rooms cancelled
Callers to RTÉ’s Liveline Show, who had booked accommodation through 1800hotels.ie, claimed that although they had been charged for their bookings, the reservations had been cancelled.
One man, due to get married today in Malta, said he was horrified to find that his guests’ hotel bookings had fallen through, forcing guests who had paid up front to find and pay for alternative accommodation.
The groom-to-be, named as “Ian”, said 1800hotels were “uncontactable”.
Attempts by the Irish Examiner to reach 1800hotels’ offices in Ireland, Britain and the US were unsuccessful. Its Irish website also went offline yesterday.
Another caller said she was out of pocket by up to €1,200 after having paid up-front for accommodation in Holland and the US.
Travel Extra magazine, a travel magazine printed in Dublin, published comments yesterday on its Facebook page which it attributed to Graham Peakin, owner and chief executive of 1800hotels.ie.
One comment read: “[Internet] site down, Irish staff awaiting further information, Graham Peakin in Tampa working on plan to allow key supplier to take over the company.”
Further comments attributed to Mr Peakin suggest the firm is seeking an injunction against two vendors in the US to prevent them cancelling bookings for a period. However, it does not explain who the vendors are or why they have cancelled bookings.
Mr Peakin is reported as saying: “The only reason we stopped taking bookings in Ireland is that we didn’t want to continue to take people’s money while this injunction against suppliers cancelling bookings is being sought in the USA. It is not affecting all of our vendors, just two large ones.”
Pat Dawson, president of the Irish Travel Agents Association, said it was time for a change in laws to reflect modern methods of travel arrangements.
“We’re asked to pay expensive bonds when airlines and online booking companies are not and there is no protection for the customer.”
