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Rip off Britain - Season 18 Episode 15 - My timeshare is worth less than when I bought it
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00:00Today, the couple's stuck with a timeshare they just don't want and can't get out of
00:05it.
00:05They're among more than a dozen people who say the firm behind it all has moved the goalposts.
00:11They thought, this is not an option that I ever saw coming.
00:15We're being treated like idiots, as far as I'm concerned.
00:19Once they've got your money, they don't want to know any more.
00:22Plus it was one of the strongest storms of all time and people died.
00:26No wonder, then, that one family chose not to fly to Jamaica as a hurricane was about
00:31to hit.
00:32So why won't Tui give them their money back?
00:35He basically said, though, it will be full loss of your holiday money because, as far
00:41as we're concerned, there's not a problem.
00:43Keeping your travels on track, this is Rip Up Britain Holidays.
00:54Hello, and welcome to Rip Up Britain Holidays.
00:57Now, this is our HQ in Salford, and this is where the team are busy all the time.
01:03They're ringing around everywhere, they're investigating and battling things on your behalf.
01:07And coming up today, we're looking at the ABTA scheme.
01:10It's the go-to quality mark that so many of us look for.
01:13But what does it really mean, especially when members can simply leave, as some of you found
01:19out in the aftermath of COVID?
01:21What's the good of being a member of a trade body if you think, oh, it's too much work,
01:25it's not working, my favour, I leave and just walk away from it.
01:30Now, with one big firm rejoining ABTA after some five years, and with the sheer number
01:35of online travel agents out there, we'll be asking if ABTA might be more important than ever.
01:40Plus, our experts will be dishing out advice for one viewer whose four-star hotel in Barbados had no hot
01:47water.
01:48But first, imagine entering a prize draw and winning a free foreign holiday.
01:53Well, it can't get much better than that, you might think.
01:55However, the couple we're about to meet can't help but wonder how different things would be now if they'd lost.
02:02Because that free holiday led to them taking out a timeshare that they're now stuck with against their wishes,
02:08and they're not too sure where to turn to.
02:13The beautiful scenery of the Costa del Sol was the setting. The year was 2002, when Margaret and Alan Eastall
02:21from Aberdeenshire first came across Timeshare Company Seasons, it seemed like a massive stroke of luck.
02:27I used to do competitions in a magazine. I ended up winning a competition. I didn't believe them,
02:33I must admit, when company contacted us to say that we'd won this free trip out to Costa del Sol.
02:39They were flown to a stunning resort for a two-week stay.
02:43We went to a place called Forest Hills, which was absolutely beautiful.
02:47It looked like a fairy tale castle up in the mountains. Gorgeous.
02:52Along with the free holiday, the prize also included a basic membership to Seasons timeshare scheme,
02:58which entitled Margaret and Alan to access one of its UK holidays. And so impressed were they,
03:05the couple say they paid around £4,000, plus an annual maintenance fee, to upgrade the membership
03:11and bag access to a range of high-quality resorts. And so began five years of wonderful breaks.
03:19The following year, we went to their resort in Whitbarrow, which is in Lake District,
03:25and we had an absolutely brilliant time. We had some really good holidays, whether it was in
03:31Lanzarote, Costa del Sol, or the ones in the UK. During this time, the couple spent thousands of
03:38pounds upgrading their membership in order to access different resorts and larger properties.
03:43We got to meet some fabulous people, really nice people that we became friends with over the years,
03:50and we'd meet them at different resorts. And the entertainment, it was first class. It was so good.
03:57Fast forward to 2007, and Margaret and Alan were holidaying at a Seasons resort in the Lake District,
04:03when a rep persuaded them to attend a sales meeting in the resort clubhouse.
04:09They said, oh, we've got this exciting new event. It's an eighth ownership of a property in Brunston.
04:17Would you be interested in that? Brunston Castle is a Seasons resort in Ayrshire in south-west Scotland.
04:24Seasons suggested this wasn't a traditional timeshare, but something it calls eight keys.
04:30By purchasing a one-eighth share of a property, members could holiday at any Seasons resort for 16 years,
04:37after which the property they co-owned would be put up for sale.
04:42If we paid up front at the end of the 16 years contract, we had this property which would then
04:49be independently valued and that they would buy it back and we would get an eighth of whatever the
04:55property sold for. It sounded like a win-win situation. Buyers could also choose not to walk
05:01away with the proceeds, but to stay in the scheme and enjoy 16 more years of holidays at no cost.
05:07We were told that they were looking at places in the States, they were looking in Cyprus,
05:12and we thought many more options. So what have we got to lose?
05:17The couple say that during the sales presentation they were shown these slides,
05:21which left them in no doubt they'd be part owners of a property on the Brunston site.
05:27The slides said that buyers could genuinely expect to buy today and sell in the future at a profit,
05:34a proposition Seasons claimed that would have every timeshare owner in the world clamouring to buy
05:40this product. Thoroughly impressed, Margaret and Alan signed the 16-year contract,
05:46traded in their existing timeshares and handed over almost 34,000 pounds.
05:53We thought that we had something that, come the end of the period of the contract,
05:59was going to be cash in our hand. By 2023, the money the couple paid had allowed them 42 weeks
06:06of
06:06season's holidays and their keys contract was coming to its end. In a phone call with the firm,
06:13Margaret and Alan explained that they were ready to sell, but this didn't seem to go down too well
06:18with the rep. Where he'd been quite upbeat before, suddenly he wasn't as upbeat. And he said,
06:27oh well, Brunston hasn't been reaching full occupancy for quite some time now,
06:31and we're not sure how long it'll take to sell the unit. While the 2007 sales pitch stated members
06:38could genuinely expect to buy today and sell in the future at a profit, it turned out that any sale
06:44would be dependent on Seasons finding a buyer on the open market where there were no guarantees.
06:51I thought, well, Seasons were going to be buying it back. And then he said, well,
06:56no, I'm sorry, Seasons won't be buying it back. And at no point had it been mentioned
07:00that Seasons would not take on that unit. I was nonplussed because I thought this was not an option
07:09that I ever saw coming. But Seasons strongly denies ever claiming it would buy the properties from its
07:16members at the end of their contracts. Two and a half years on, and after one potential sale fell
07:22through, the property is still on the market. And Margaret is trying to get answers from Seasons.
07:28Hello. I'm just trying to find out what is happening with the sale of our property. Would you be able
07:34to help me with that? Seasons asked Margaret to send her queries in writing, but she says that
07:40after doing so in the past, she's no closer to an answer. Over the years, because we kept on upgrading
07:47within Seasons, that's tens of thousands of pounds that they've taken from us, that when we are
07:52supposed to get the money back, they don't want to know. As it stands, Margaret and Alan feel trapped.
07:59Since their contract finished in 2023, they can no longer stay at any Seasons resorts without
08:05investing in an expensive new membership. And without any proceeds from a sale, they feel unable to move
08:12on with their lives. Seasons just do not treat their members or ex-members properly. As far as I'm
08:20concerned, once they've got your money, they don't want to know anymore. But Margaret's story isn't unique.
08:29Investigating further, producer Katie Saatchi has spoken to other members and a pattern has emerged.
08:37I've spoken to 11 individuals and couples in total about their experience of Seasons holidays.
08:43And as with Margaret, the main issue is what's happened when they've reached the end of their
08:48keys contract. Just like Margaret and Alan, many believed a sale of their property at the end of
08:54term would be quick and easy. But when people actually chose that option, they say the reps
09:00strongly discouraged this. They were told that properties weren't selling well or they might even take
09:05years to sell and some of them understood that they would suddenly need to start paying maintenance
09:11fees indefinitely until whenever the property eventually sold. Many people didn't realise that
09:17they'd never actually owned part of a specific property from the start, but that one was allocated
09:23when eight individual keys members all chose to sell. But even those who chose the other option on
09:30the table to sign up for another 16 year contract and the holidays that come with it now feel they're
09:36being mistreated. People feel that they've suddenly been effectively downgraded to core or basic
09:44accommodation instead of luxury, despite there not being any mention of that in their original contract.
09:50And several people have also claimed that although their keys membership clearly entitled them to holidays in
09:57accommodation that slept eight people, which was what they enjoyed for the first 16 years,
10:03now Seasons is telling them that they can only book properties that sleep too.
10:08And it's not just us hearing about these problems. Over 30 MPs have responded to Seasons customers in
10:15their constituencies asking for help. Many want out. So where do they stand? To help answer that,
10:23Katie is with us now in our Salford HQ. And I'm also joined via video call by Chris Emmons,
10:29who's a campaigner from the investigatory firm Quick Checks, which supports people with their
10:34complaints against timeshare companies, including some of those Katie has spoken to.
10:41Chris, you've been on this programme before talking about timeshares, but how is this so-called
10:46keys membership different?
10:47Well, I think firstly, the description maybe confuses people into thinking that you actually
10:54have a fraction of a property. You don't. With this type of product, you have no property rights,
11:01no title deeds or anything like that. So you can't influence how the property is sold. It's still
11:07essentially owned by Seasons holidays. I think we're helping around about 137 people,
11:12as I recall, currently have issues with the Seasons. And they've become more and more disheartened
11:19about it, more and more confused, I think, about the product. And actually, I think the most recent
11:24circumstances have left them pretty devastated. People that have pushed back on this, i.e. by using
11:32social media to complain, and indeed people that have asked if they can record sales meetings,
11:38they've been banned from using their products. They can't go on holiday. But perhaps even more so
11:44are cases where people have been actually evicted from their holidays. I think that is an extraordinary
11:51set of circumstances.
11:52Well, it's only fair to point out, Chris, that you've got a financial interest yourself in pursuing
11:57claims against Seasons. So just for the sake of transparency, how do you actually make your money?
12:02Well, in the case of something like Seasons, what we ask somebody to do is to make a contribution
12:09towards our investigative costs and the cost of collating evidence, presenting it to authorities,
12:14etc. So it's not a profiteering exercise in any shape or form. And in the case of Seasons,
12:21we charge £600 per case to do that.
12:24Seasons itself says they're actually spreading misinformation about the firm. What's your response to that?
12:29I think firstly, I'd like just to clarify that Quick Checks is not a claims company, not a claims management
12:35company.
12:36We're actually an investigative company and one that helps with advocacy. And I would also point out
12:43that we are accredited with trading standards. We're vetted and approved. So, you know, I totally refute the idea of
12:50this misinformation.
12:51Chris, thank you very much indeed for joining us. And on the subject of investigation, Katie, to you, because you've
12:58been doing a lot of investigating into this and speaking to a lot of people who've dealt with Seasons. And
13:03what more have they been telling you?
13:05Everyone I spoke to was unanimous on the point that the Keyes membership was sold to them as an investment.
13:13And there was no two ways about that. In fact, one person I spoke to said that when they tried
13:18to upgrade her to Keyes,
13:20the way they were selling it as a no-brainer investment opportunity was exactly what got alarm bells ringing and
13:27made her want to steer clear of it.
13:29And since 2011, it's been illegal for timeshare products to be sold as an investment under the timeshare regulations.
13:37But many Keyes memberships were sold before that point. It's important to note there's nothing in any of the contracts
13:44I have seen that refers to Keyes membership as a financial investment.
13:49And Seasons does say elsewhere in another slideshow that property values may fall as well as rise.
13:56But that is only mentioned once within a document of 59 slides. And elsewhere in the same document, it also
14:04says this.
14:05Yes. So this is if people were wondering, well, you know, is there a chance that it doesn't appreciate in
14:10value after the 16 years?
14:12And what Seasons say on that point is this is something that has never happened before.
14:16So as a potential investor, that is going to fill you with so much confidence that this is a great
14:22financial opportunity for you.
14:24And is it true?
14:25Well, Seasons told us it does not and has never viewed its Keyes product as an investment in anything other
14:32than holidays.
14:33But people have told me that it was sold to them as a totally flexible package.
14:38And what you would expect at the end is at least a return on the investment.
14:42So one person said they paid £12,000. They expected at least that amount back after the 16 years.
14:49Another couple told me it was strongly emphasised in the sales meeting that the property would increase in value.
14:54So when they put in £17,000 in 2010, they hoped that they were going to get at least twice
15:00that amount back.
15:02What they were actually offered at the end was £6,000.
15:05And as one person put it to me, none of us are stupid.
15:08Our only error is that we believed what we were told.
15:11Listening into all that was solicitor Gary Rycroft.
15:15And he joins us down the line now from his office in Lancaster.
15:19Gary, Seasons themselves say it's not an investment, but customers say that's exactly how they were made to understand it
15:26legally.
15:27Where does this leave them?
15:29Well, from a legal point of view, how someone selling a product actually describes it is obviously very important.
15:37But it's also important how a product is presented and understood by the potential customers.
15:46Now, every case does turn on its facts, but I certainly think there's a legal grey area here in terms
15:53of the disconnect between what Seasons are saying they were selling and what their customers are saying they believe they
16:00were buying.
16:01Well, we've also been hearing from unhappy customers who were prevented from recording meetings with Seasons for their own records.
16:09What are your rights about something like that?
16:12I mean, there's no general law that says you have a right to record a meeting.
16:17I mean, you can obviously ask, but a business is completely within their rights to actually say, no, we don't
16:23want that meeting to be recorded.
16:25And if you did go on and record the meeting in secret, then that would be a potential breach of
16:29that business's data.
16:31But I've got to say, putting aside the law, I would always say to people, when you go into any
16:36meeting where you're discussing buying a product or service, keep notes and actually follow up in writing afterwards.
16:43Send an email to just confirm what you were told, because that therefore serves as a record and it might
16:51serve as very useful evidence later.
16:53That's very good advice.
16:54Thank you, Gary, for that.
16:55And thank you, Katie, for all your investigation, too.
16:59When we spoke to Seasons, it reiterated that it has never marketed the Keys products as an investment, that profit
17:06is not promoted as a reason to buy the product, and that its marketing literature carried very heavy emphasis on
17:13the savings and maintenance charges and how Keys could reduce the overall cost of holidays.
17:19Seasons told us Margaret and Alan do not own any share in the property and have no right to any
17:24income from it, adding that the contract refers to the purchase of rights of occupation of allocated time.
17:32Seasons said that the £34,000 that Margaret and Alan had spent on Keys' membership made the average cost of
17:39their holidays over 16 years £808 per week.
17:44Seasons also told us it had never intended nor given any assurance that it would buy back properties, and admitted
17:52that sales at Brunswick Castle have proved challenging, but insisted that it has kept members updated on the progress, albeit
18:00not with the news that members may wish to hear.
18:03Seasons explained that a potential sale of the whole resort fell through, so it's now marketing units individually, and the
18:10first sale has now completed.
18:13And Seasons explained that sale proceeds are held by a trustee on behalf of the members until distributed.
18:21Seasons stressed that it has chosen not to charge maintenance charges to any customers who have reached the end of
18:26the initial 16-year period.
18:28It fully denies downgrading members who choose not to exit their membership, explaining that they enter a new contract for
18:36the same holiday and accommodation allowance as the old one, and any issues have been down to a lack of
18:41availability.
18:43Seasons said sales representatives are within their rights to refuse requests to record meetings, and that Seasons is entitled to
18:51suspend and then revoke a member's licence to occupy if they breach the terms of the contract, by, for example,
18:58posting inaccurate or disparaging comments online, or encouraging and promoting action to harm Seasons' business.
19:08Well, just as we were about to go on air with the programme, we had word from Margaret and Alan
19:13that Seasons has confirmed the sale of a property at Brunston Castle and has agreed to pay them a £10
19:19,300 share of the proceeds, a result with which Margaret says they are very happy.
19:29The advice clinic is on the road, bringing the best consumer advice.
19:34The law says when you buy something, it's got to be fit for purpose.
19:38And they were lying to you throughout.
19:40To you.
19:45Whatever your problem is, we have an expert who can help you.
19:48And today we're in Reading, where the UK's most famous travel journalist, Simon Calder, is here to help with some
19:55tricky travel troubles.
19:58We've set up shop at the headquarters of BBC Berkshire, where Amanda and Peter Redden, from Fairham in Hampshire, are
20:05hoping Simon can solve their problem.
20:07It arose in October 2025, when what should have been a sun-soaked sojourn in the Caribbean, to celebrate granddaughter
20:15Tiana's 16th birthday, ended in disappointment.
20:20We do like beaches and swimming in the sea, so that's why we chose the Caribbean, and then it was
20:27Jamaica.
20:30We love the outdoors, and we thought it would be an ideal holiday site for us.
20:36We did a little bit of research, because it was right at the end of the hurricane season, so we
20:42were expecting some rain, you know, tropical showers, maybe a bit of wind and things like that.
20:49The holiday package was booked with TUI and cost £6,000.
20:55But on the 23rd of October, the day before they were due to fly, Amanda heard some worrying news.
21:02They were already predicting that it was going to be quite a strong hurricane at that time.
21:11And we thought, should we really putting ourselves in this sort of situation, you know, potentially in a life-threatening
21:17situation?
21:18With concerns mounting about their safety, Amanda called TUI, but its response took her by surprise.
21:25The gentleman on the phone came back to me and said to me, we've just rung Jamaica, it's 82 degrees
21:31and sunny there, there's no sight of any weather.
21:35And he basically said, there is no options, it's up to you, if you decide that you don't want to
21:40go, it will be full loss of your holiday money, because as far as we're concerned, there's not a problem.
21:47Amanda says TUI did offer to provide support in the event that they arrived in Jamaica and needed help.
21:53But after taking further time to think things over, the family decided not to travel.
21:59When we made the decision not to go, we actually felt quite disappointed, but we just felt that it just
22:07was not worth the risk.
22:08It was a threat to life.
22:10The flight they should have been on did depart as planned, but Jamaican airports were closed the next day, and
22:18the hurricane made landfall just three days later.
22:22But the family's decision not to travel would be an expensive one.
22:27TUI refused to refund the £6,000 cost of the trip.
22:31They were not prepared to listen to us, they're not prepared to take our concerns into any consideration.
22:37I thought it was all about, seemed to be about sort of money, and not about the compassion of, you
22:43know, people.
22:45With no sign of TUI changing its mind, the couple have come to Reading to get Simon's advice.
22:51Amanda and Peter, welcome.
22:53Did TUI at any stage say, yeah, we can understand your concerns and we've got another holiday here you might
23:00want to consider instead?
23:02No.
23:02They just weren't budging at all.
23:04I said we would go somewhere else, we'd move it to another time, we'd take vouchers.
23:09You know, I wasn't just wanting my money back, I just wanted another option.
23:13It was basically go or lose your money.
23:17Of course, we now know very tragically what happened.
23:20I think it's one of the four biggest storms of all time on record, and sadly more than 100 people
23:28lost their lives.
23:29I'm sure people watching will be perhaps reacting the same as me, which was that, clearly, you did exactly the
23:36right thing.
23:37It was a devastating time for the local people on the island, but also very tricky for travellers and for
23:43holiday companies.
23:44When TUI refused to issue a refund, it suggested the family could claim on their travel insurance.
23:51I contacted my insurance company, told them, and they said to me, no, it's TUI because the flight took off.
23:58The fact that you didn't go off on the flight was your choice.
24:01I'd be inclined to have another word with your insurer and just say, look, it doesn't seem appropriate.
24:11We believe that this was an unforeseen event that should cover us.
24:15If they say no, then they will probably send something called a final response letter, which basically just means that's
24:24our position.
24:24We're not budging.
24:25At that point, you can go to the financial ombudsman scheme, which looks into cases of travel insurance where the
24:33company says we're not paying out.
24:36And actually, they are very good and thorough at investigating.
24:40If that doesn't work, then one more thought.
24:44Of course, TUI, a member of ABTA, the travel association, they've got an arbitration scheme.
24:50It might be that an arbitrator would say, yeah, that looks unfair and you could get some money back.
24:56However, I need to warn you that it will cost you £150 to begin the arbitration process and it could
25:04turn out to be throwing good money after bad.
25:06Yeah, it's worth a try now, isn't it?
25:08Yeah, definitely.
25:09Yeah, yeah.
25:10That's very helpful.
25:12When we contacted TUI about Amanda and Peter's case, it said its decision was based on official advice from the
25:20Foreign Commonwealth and Development Office,
25:22which, at the time of their flight, had not issued any guidance advising against travel to Jamaica.
25:29As a result, the holiday fell under TUI's standard booking terms and conditions, meaning no refund.
25:39Following filming, Peter and Amanda did as Simon suggested.
25:43But when they contacted TUI, their insurer, and their credit card company again, none would budge on their original position.
25:51And given the £150 fee for arbitration, the couple have decided not to proceed.
26:00I have to say, Simon, that my heart goes out to Amanda and Peter.
26:03Yes, if it is clear that there is going to be a meteorological disaster happening, then clearly, well, I think
26:11they made the right decision.
26:13But if you don't want to be in that invidious position, then I'm afraid, well, I need to say that
26:18there is a hurricane season in the Caribbean.
26:21So during that time, roughly from June to November, you are not guaranteed calm weather.
26:26Well, it's time now to grill Rob Staines on more of your travel problems.
26:31So, Rob, this comes from Rachel Ellis, who lives in Buckinghamshire, and she sent us this message.
26:36So have a look at the screen.
26:37We booked a honeymoon to Barbados.
26:40It was a four-star hotel.
26:42And unfortunately, it was nothing like it was advertised.
26:47We had no hot water for the whole time we were there.
26:49And the pool was completely unusable, amongst lots of other issues.
26:54We've reached out and have heard nothing back, and other people have received £700 compensation.
27:03We don't understand why we've not been treated the same, and we feel that we've been treated really unfairly.
27:08What do we do?
27:09How can we get the compensation?
27:11Not the way you want your holiday to go, is it?
27:13Absolutely not.
27:14And that is really unfair.
27:16You know, if you book something, it should be delivered as advertised.
27:20If you book your holiday as a package holiday, you have greater protections under the package travel regulations.
27:28So if you book your flight and your hotel together and it isn't as advertised, then the holiday firm must
27:35either find an alternative for you at no extra cost.
27:39They might actually give you a full or partial refund, depending on the circumstances.
27:43They can actually give you compensation.
27:45But also, you could go to your credit card company, and you could also go to your travel insurance provider.
27:51However you're complaining with this, you are probably going to get asked for evidence as to why it wasn't as
27:56advertised.
27:57So document everything, take pictures, take videos, get every conversation in writing, because also that's time-stamped as well.
28:05And also keep receipts of any extra costs that you've incurred.
28:08Thank you very much.
28:09Well, now to package holidays.
28:12And if there's one piece of advice we hear a lot of in our holiday episodes, it's that a package
28:17provides better protection than booking separately if things go wrong.
28:21And here in Riprop Britain, of course, we're rather used to things going wrong.
28:25So we asked Harry Kind to put together a handy guide for exactly those situations.
28:33Riprop Britain expert Harry Kind is on a mission to keep more money in your pocket, and these are his
28:39handy how-to guides.
28:43When I go on holiday, I'm always sure to pack my...
28:47Ah!
28:48Screenshots.
28:50Why?
28:51Well, I'm Harry Kind, the everyday expert, and this is my guide on how to complain about a package holiday
28:56gone wrong.
28:58First things first, is your holiday definitely a package holiday?
29:02If you buy two or more travel services, like flights, accommodation, or transfers from the same company in a single
29:08transaction, then you've booked a package.
29:11The package travel and linked travel arrangements regulations of 2018 put the responsibility on the holiday company that you booked
29:18for, for making sure that you get what you paid for.
29:22That means that they can't pass the buck to the hotel or airline.
29:25You've booked with the provider, they have to sort any problems.
29:31This is why I always pack my screenshots.
29:33I can have a record of what I was promised and what didn't live up to expectations.
29:37You paid for a C view, not a C- view.
29:41You paid for a pool, not a puddle.
29:44You paid for high-end cocktails, not a can of gin and tonic.
29:48If things have fallen short of expectations, then speak to the holiday rep.
29:52Give them an opportunity to put things right.
29:54If they don't resolve the issue, now's the time to start collecting evidential souvenirs, such as
30:00photos and videos of any problems, receipts of out-of-pocket expenses,
30:05contact details from other guests who can back up your account,
30:08diary of events, email chains between you and the companies involved.
30:12Take all of this to your travel agent and make a complaint.
30:15There are plenty of template complaint letters online that can help.
30:19Ideally, do this while you're still on holiday.
30:22Or at the very latest, 28 days after getting back.
30:28If the holiday company doesn't give you the resolution that you want,
30:31you can always escalate to APTA, the trade body for travel agencies.
30:34This is why you should always confirm that your package holiday is sold by an APTA protected provider.
30:40They can take you through their Alternative Dispute Resolution Scheme, or ADR,
30:44which brings you and the travel agent together to find a way forward.
30:48Be warned, though, this can take up to 50 days.
30:51If you're still getting nowhere, now you have three main options.
30:54Small Claims Court, Stage 2 Arbitration, and Section 75.
30:59You could take the travel agent to Small Claims Court to get what you're owed.
31:02In England and Wales, the maximum you can claim is £10,000,
31:05whereas in Scotland and Northern Ireland, that's just £5,000.
31:09In England and Wales, it'll cost from £35 to £455, depending on the amount you're claiming.
31:15And in Northern Ireland, it's between £49 and £244.
31:19And in Scotland, it's £23 if your claim is £300 or less, and £127 if it's more.
31:26Phew.
31:27You could continue to Stage 2 Arbitration with APTA,
31:30essentially a privately adjudicated alternative to court.
31:34And at £150, it's cheaper than the legal system.
31:37But be warned, that decision is then final,
31:40and it would be very difficult to pursue an alternative outcome through the court system.
31:46Finally, one of the simpler options would be to rely on the Section 75 protection you get
31:50when you book a holiday through a credit card.
31:53You did use a credit card, right?
31:56Even if you used a debit card, you can use Chargeback.
31:58It's not legally binding, and there is a time limit,
32:01but it still gives you similar protection.
32:02But keep on your toes.
32:04More and more holiday providers are offering something called Pay by Bank.
32:08It's very convenient, but it doesn't have the same protections
32:11that a credit or debit card has.
32:12So proceed with caution.
32:15Most of us go on holiday to get away from the day-to-day complaints.
32:19But it never hurts to be prepared.
32:23Now, where did I put the sunscreen?
32:27And now, sticking to the theme of package holidays,
32:30to a name that'll be familiar to many,
32:32and not just because Harry just mentioned it in his how-to guide.
32:36I'm talking about APTA,
32:38which for generations has given millions of people
32:41the peace of mind of extra protection when they go away.
32:44But as with many things in the travel industry,
32:47COVID stretched it to the limit,
32:49causing some travel operators to just walk away from the scheme.
32:52But one of those firms has now changed its mind and is back in APTA.
32:56And shortly, I'll be finding out whether this signals
32:59a new golden age for the 75-year-old organisation.
33:03But first, here's how we covered what could be described
33:06as its anus horribilis.
33:102020 was a year when, thanks to the COVID-19 pandemic,
33:15our foreign holidays never really got off the ground.
33:17The sudden return of quarantine...
33:20Several airlines stopping all flights...
33:22People scrambling to get back while they care.
33:24Tens of thousands of holidays were disrupted.
33:27During that period, many holidaymakers turned to APTA for help.
33:31Its membership scheme for travel operators
33:34spells out a code of conduct
33:36that boosts protection for travellers when things go wrong.
33:40And for keen cyclist Philip Westcott from Carmarthenshire,
33:43those four little letters were a must-have when booking his holiday.
33:49When we book a holiday, we search for APTA membership
33:53because that gives us peace of mind and satisfaction.
33:59So Phil and his wife, Janet, chose APTA member Love Holidays
34:03when, in February 2020, they booked an eight-day trip to Tenerife
34:07to travel a month later in March.
34:10They were an online company which we hadn't had any experience of before.
34:16But the APTA membership gave us confidence
34:20and we booked the holiday.
34:24But their faith in Love Holidays would turn out to be misplaced
34:27when the firm sent them incorrect information
34:30about a change to their return flights.
34:33They had to fork out €350 on new flights to get home.
34:37But when Love Holidays refused to reimburse them,
34:41Phil wrote to APTA explaining what had happened.
34:43But it was unable to persuade Love Holidays
34:46to reimburse the couple.
34:49You quickly begin to question the effectiveness of the trade body
34:55and if they can't get an update from their members,
34:59then us as the consumer, we've got no chance.
35:03Then while Phil and Janet were considering
35:06whether to escalate the dispute,
35:08Love Holidays withdrew from APTA altogether.
35:11Oh, how do we feel?
35:13Frustration, powerlessness, anger,
35:18what's the good of being a member of a trade body
35:21if you think, oh, it's too much work,
35:24it's not working in my favour,
35:25I leave and just walk away from it.
35:30So, yeah, wow.
35:32By this point, it was September 2020.
35:35And if you can bear to cast your mind back,
35:37you remember that amid,
35:39eat out to help out,
35:41the rule of six and endless Zoom calls,
35:43thousands of people also waiting
35:45for reluctant travel operators
35:46to refund them for flights they couldn't take
35:49because of foreign office travel advice.
35:52APTA instructed all its members
35:54to stop messing around and reimburse customers.
35:57Love Holidays disagreed
35:59and resigned its membership just two days
36:02after another online travel agent on the beach
36:05had done the same,
36:06as Nina Rowe from Peterborough discovered.
36:08A 4,000-pound family holiday to Malta,
36:11also in 2020, had to be called off.
36:14My dad's probably 18 next year,
36:16so for him, the risk is really quite high.
36:19So it just wasn't safe for us as a family
36:22to go at this time.
36:24On the Beach told her
36:25it would not refund the £1,300 cost of the flights
36:29as they were still going ahead.
36:31When her credit card and travel insurance
36:33also refused to reimburse her,
36:36Nina turned to APTA.
36:37And 10 days later,
36:39On the Beach quit the organisation.
36:42I'm actually quite angry
36:44that On the Beach
36:46have been allowed to withdraw their membership
36:49in order not to actually pay their customers
36:52what they are due.
36:54But I was also quite angry with APTA
36:57for the fact that they were a member
36:59at the time we booked the holiday.
37:01At the time,
37:03Love Holidays blamed the problems
37:04Phil suffered
37:05on the high volume of flight cancellations
37:07and changes caused by the pandemic
37:09and issued him a full refund
37:11and a suggestion of goodwill
37:13covered all the extra costs he incurred.
37:15As for On the Beach,
37:17it said it was unable to refund customers
37:19when a flight went ahead
37:21as funds are transferred to airlines
37:23immediately upon booking.
37:25Something it said was made clear
37:27to anyone who decided to cancel.
37:30APTA, meanwhile, said
37:31it was unable to help
37:32since both companies
37:34had left the organisation.
37:39Thankfully, the travel chaos
37:40caused by the pandemic
37:41is now a distant memory
37:43and so it seems is the falling out
37:45between APTA and On the Beach
37:47because in December 2025
37:49it rejoined the travel association.
37:53But what does that mean
37:54for anyone looking to book a holiday?
37:56Well, to answer that question,
37:58I'm joined now in our Salford HQ
38:00by Sean Tipton from APTA
38:02and to get his take,
38:04Simon Calder's back with us again.
38:06Obviously, I'll come to you both very soon
38:09but I quickly want to turn
38:10to the two firms mentioned in the film.
38:13On the Beach told us
38:14that it rejoined APTA
38:16in December 2025
38:17because of the additional layer
38:19of reassurance
38:20it offered all its customers.
38:22But it stressed that
38:23when it wasn't a member,
38:25customers were financially protected
38:27through Atoll
38:28and its own ring-fenced trust account.
38:31And Love Holidays,
38:32which has not rejoined,
38:34said its package trips
38:35were also covered by Atoll.
38:38The package travel regulations
38:39and its own secure trust account
38:42as well as an alternate
38:43dispute resolution process.
38:46Now, before we talk about APTA,
38:48Simon, I want to come to you first.
38:49I have heard you in this programme
38:50talking about both.
38:53And I just want you to remind us,
38:55really, what Atoll will bring us.
38:57OK, Atoll stands for
38:59the Air Travel Organiser's Licence.
39:02And can you believe
39:03it's over 50 years old
39:05and it was a way to make sure
39:07that if you put your hard-earned money
39:09into a holiday
39:10and the company went bust,
39:11you get your money back.
39:13Its biggest use,
39:14I think, at the moment
39:16is just to signify
39:18you have brought
39:19a proper package holiday
39:21and that means
39:22those package travel regulations,
39:24which are really gold-plated
39:26consumer protection,
39:27are there to help you.
39:28Well, Sean,
39:29we've listed what Atoll
39:30can bring their customer.
39:31What does ABTA do?
39:33Well, we are a trade association.
39:35We're not a government body.
39:37And what it means,
39:37if you put with an ABTA tour operator,
39:39first of all,
39:39they have to follow
39:40our code of conduct,
39:41which covers all their legal obligations
39:43and goes further in some instances.
39:45And also,
39:46we do provide financial protection
39:47ourselves as well.
39:48Does your company, ABTA,
39:50does it have teeth
39:51so something goes wrong
39:53you can actually take action?
39:54What can you do?
39:56Fundamentally, first of all,
39:57if we,
39:58once a problem is brought
39:59to our attention
40:00by a member of the public
40:01when they're going to use
40:01our ADR scheme
40:03or go to arbitration,
40:04our staff will look at that
40:06and if they think
40:07it's a breach of the code of conduct,
40:08they'll pass it directly
40:09to the legal department
40:10to investigate it.
40:11If the company's found guilty,
40:13there are lots of different things
40:14we can do.
40:14It depends on the scale.
40:16Well, make a lot.
40:16It depends on the scale
40:17of the problem, really.
40:18Sometimes it could be
40:18just a simple foolish mistake
40:20with still a breach of the code.
40:21Get a rep demand.
40:22Don't do it again.
40:23Otherwise, you can get fined.
40:25But we can fine
40:25pretty much any amount we want to.
40:27There's no limit to that.
40:28And the most extreme thing
40:29we can do,
40:30which we've only had to do
40:31very, very rarely
40:32throughout our rather long history,
40:34is terminate somebody's membership.
40:35But we can do that
40:36if we need to.
40:37If you, for example,
40:38book a holiday
40:39with a company
40:39that is an ABTA member
40:41and then they leave
40:43that organisation,
40:44does that mean to say
40:45that the travel company
40:47can wriggle out
40:48of all their obligations?
40:50Well, no, of course not.
40:51And I wouldn't really use
40:51the word wriggle out of,
40:52but they're no longer bound
40:53by our code of conduct.
40:54But they still have
40:55all the other obligations
40:56they might have had under the law,
40:58under the package travel regulations, etc.
41:01On the beach, walk away.
41:02Did you ask them to come back
41:03or do they want to come back?
41:04Once somebody has resigned
41:05a membership,
41:06it's not something we don't say,
41:08off you go.
41:08We're more than happy
41:09for them to reapply.
41:10But when they reapply,
41:11they are treated
41:12as a totally new company.
41:14They have to go through
41:15exactly the same process
41:16as any other applicant.
41:18And you have to go through
41:18a number of, basically,
41:20checks and balances.
41:21And we don't let everybody in.
41:23But Simon,
41:24what's your reaction
41:25to people coming and going?
41:26Well, in the rare case
41:28that this happens,
41:29I'm very indignant
41:30about the fact
41:31that I might buy a trip
41:33from an ABTA member
41:35and then suddenly find,
41:37before I take the holiday,
41:38that the company
41:39is no longer
41:40a member of ABTA
41:41because I kind of would think
41:43that would be an element
41:44of the contract
41:44I have with them.
41:46And it sounds as though
41:47the company,
41:48which is leaving
41:49and then rejoining,
41:51is kind of having it both ways
41:52to the consumer's detriment.
41:55Now, if you want to complain
41:56to ABTA
41:57but one of its members,
41:58you can submit a dispute
41:59through its website.
42:01It's abta.com.
42:03So, Sean,
42:04I'd like to thank you
42:04very much for coming in.
42:05And, of course,
42:05Simon, as always,
42:06great to see you on the programme.
42:08Thank you both.
42:11If you've got a problem
42:12and you think our team can help,
42:13there are lots of ways
42:14you can get in touch.
42:15You can email us at
42:17ripoffbritain
42:18at bbc.co.uk
42:20or send us a WhatsApp message
42:22to 0330 678 1321.
42:27We're also on Facebook.
42:29Just search for
42:29BBC Ripoff Britain.
42:31Or you can always write a letter.
42:33The address is
42:40Please include your phone number
42:42if you can.
42:43And don't send us
42:44any original documents
42:45because, sadly,
42:46we won't be able
42:47to return them.
42:53Well, I'm afraid
42:54we're almost out of time.
42:55But if you've missed
42:56anything we've talked
42:57about today,
42:58from your rights,
42:58if you're worried
42:59about extreme weather
43:00in your destination,
43:01to how to complain
43:02about a holiday company,
43:04then you can catch up
43:05on this programme
43:05and many more
43:06on BBC iPlayer.
43:08But for today, though,
43:09may I just say
43:10thank you so much
43:10for being with us.
43:11And from everybody
43:12on the Ripoff Britain team,
43:14bye-bye.
43:14Goodbye.
43:25Bye-bye.
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