Where's my sea view? (From The Wiltshire Gazette and Herald)

Where's my sea view?

1:08pm Monday 7th May 2007 in Swindon By Gazette Reporter

Fed-up holidaymaker Roger Giles staged a one-men demonstration outside a travel agents over his missing sea view.

Mr Giles, 59, of Haydon Wick, held a protest outside Thomson Holidays' Swindon store after the company told him he could no longer have the sea view he paid for when he goes to Majorca.

He paid the supplement for the sea view but the company later told him it wasn't available. It offered to refund the supplement but he wants the whole cost of the holiday back.

He said: "We don't take many holidays so we try and book the best. We booked a sea view and paid the supplements for it.

"Three and a half months later I received a letter stating there was no sea view room available. All I want is what I paid for. I booked a sea view - I don't want to be facing a brick wall.

"I was really looking forward to it - my wife is so upset. I'm livid."

Passers-by stopped to support the former civil servant on Saturday and Sunday . Some shared their own stories with Mr Giles of holidays gone wrong.

"The reaction of people has been very supportive," he said. "Sometimes I had ten people gathered around.

"All I heard were horrible holiday stories. I've had no animosity.

"I will come here until I get something sorted out. I don't think I'll be successful, but they may lose business - I want to make people aware.

"If you can't provide the goods, give the money back.

"I don't like to cause trouble, but I believe in principles."

The placard warned: "Be advised if you book and pay for a sea view room, you may receive a letter three months later stating you can't have it - oh and you can't have a refund.

"Can anyone rely on any aspect of their booking?"

He said Thomson staff told him his complaint would be dealt with on Tuesday and that it may be possible to find him a sea view room after all but there was no guarantee.

Staff in the Swindon branch of Thomson said they could not talk about the matter, and referred it to their head office, but nobody there was available for comment today.