Man sues travel agents after his holiday disappointment

A man has sued a travel company for selling him a £1,300 activity holiday on which promised pursuits were not available.
David Matthew is happy with the result. Picture: Derek MartinDavid Matthew is happy with the result. Picture: Derek Martin
David Matthew is happy with the result. Picture: Derek Martin

But holiday provider Alpine Elements blamed third party suppliers and said it acted reasonably in the way it dealt with the case.

David Matthew from Worthing said he wanted to take his son Reece on an adventure holiday to the French Alps to celebrate his 18th birthday last June.

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But said when they arrived at their resort in Morzine, many of the activities advertised on Alpine Elements’ website were not running or were hard to access because transport links were closed during the off-peak season.

David Matthew and his son Reece during the holidayDavid Matthew and his son Reece during the holiday
David Matthew and his son Reece during the holiday

Mr Matthew took the company to Worthing County Court and was awarded £560.

The 45-year-old said the holiday was a chance for him to spend quality time with his son, who lives in Kent. “I don’t get to see him very often. For an 18-year-old, sitting in a hotel with no ice rink, no swimming pool, and no buses to visit nearby towns is boring.

“Some people can only afford one week away a year, and they try and make it as special as possible. I could’ve chosen hundreds of other holidays but I chose theirs because of what was advertised. They shouldn’t have sold that holiday.”

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Mr Matthew said he went to court because he was not satisfied with the response to his complaints.

However, Alpine Elements representatives said they were not aware facilities were shut.

Managing director James Hardiman added: “Our holidays are planned many months in advance using tourist office and local supplier information made available at the time of programme planning.

“It has become known to us that certain third party suppliers may make amendments to opening times of some activities without informing tour operators.

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“We have now reduced our operating weeks for activity holidays and made the website and promotional literature more clear for our clients, for whom we strive to be as accurate as we can and committed to providing the finest holiday experience possible.”

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