A Yate man has accused a booking website of “disgusting profiteering” after the collapse of Thomas Cook.
Martin Porter, of Lower Moor Road, was due to fly with Thomas Cook from Bristol Airport to Tunisia on September 28 for a holiday celebrating his wife’s 57th birthday.
But his flight was cancelled as the travel group ceased trading on September 23, putting 9,000 jobs at risk and leaving 150,000 British holidaymakers in need of repatriation.
Now Mr Porter, 59, says the Holiday Extras website is “making profit out of the misfortune” of those affected by the collapse.
He used the site to pay £73 for a space at Bristol Airport’s car park for the holiday, but when he cancelled it and received a refund, he was also charged a £10.50 fee.
“Even though they knew I was travelling with Thomas Cook they still charged me for the privilege of cancelling the space,” the retired sales director said.
“I was absolutely disgusted. It is disgusting profiteering out of other people’s misfortunes.
“There was no customer interaction when I cancelled – I did it online and there was an automated email, so it’s no cost to them.
“I know companies are there to make a profit but that is the lowest of the low, as opposed to banding together to make it as easy as possible for already suffering people.”
'The right way to go about it'
Mr Porter compared this charge unfavourably to the service of Love Holidays, the website with which he booked the £1,648 package holiday.
He said: “They are giving us a full refund and a £50 voucher for the trouble. That’s absolutely the right way to go about it and Holiday Extras showed the wrong way.”
Mr Porter revealed he is looking at alternative holiday arrangements, but the rush to book flights in the wake of Thomas Cook’s liquidation has made this difficult.
A Holiday Extras spokeswoman said: “Unfortunately, as this week has shown, the unexpected can happen.
“Thomas Cook going into liquidation has cost many people their holidays or their jobs and our thoughts are with all those affected by the news.
“We offer cancellation protection on parking bookings from £1.29 if customers want to protect themselves from unforeseen problems.
“Those that don’t take out that protection can also cancel their bookings with us up to the day before and receive a refund, minus a £10.50 cancellation fee."
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