Cycling UK Forum

Admin: on behalf of ferret worrier

Just over 6 weeks ago I booked two places for one night 5th of June at Oakhampton YHA. I've just received an email to say that they have double booked the accomodation and my reservation has been cancelled. Am I furious or what in exchange they have offered one night for one on the 7th June. this was for my Le Jog. Has anybody else had this? and if so what recourse is there when my other accomodation is booked and plans are now pear shaped. (7th June I'll be near Shrewsbury)

Admin: on behalf of thirdcrank

ferrit worrier wrote: what recourse is there when my other accomodation is booked and plans are now pear shaped.

I think a lot depends on the contract, if any, between you and the hostel. For example, if you pay a deposit, this may be just intended to be a token of good faith on your behalf, or it may be part payment for the accommodation. I also have no idea if it being a membership organisation affects things. I just remember reading something about this in a tourist board leaflet. I've looked to see if I can see anything on the English Tourist Board website but the link from google didn't work.

In the end, it's just one more sign that the YHA is on the way down the pan.

Admin: on behalf of ferret worrier

thirdcrank wrote:

ferrit worrier wrote: what recourse is there when my other accomodation is booked and plans are now pear shaped.

I think a lot depends on the contract, if any, between you and the hostel. For example, if you pay a deposit, this may be just intended to be a token of good faith on your behalf, or it may be part payment for the accommodation. I also have no idea if it being a membership organisation affects things. I just remember reading something about this in a tourist board leaflet. I've looked to see if I can see anything on the English Tourist Board website but the link from google didn't work.

In the end, it's just one more sign that the YHA is on the way down the pan.

Hi TC

I'd paid in full, ergo, I would have thought that was binding. obviously not! unless they think they can get away with it. Thanks for the info, I think I'll trawle the YHA website tomorrow. might even ring them and give them some ear ache.

Admin: on behalf of Mick F

This does not surprise me at all.

Did you read my rant about Welsh Bicknor? I booked well in advance, complete with evening meal and breakfast the following morning. My room was ok, but I couldn't have my meals - even though I'd paid in full, weeks earlier! School children took precedent.

I received my money for the meals back, and had to find other facilities.

I will not be back, and I will be very careful with YHA in future. B+B is not much different in price providing you shop around. At least you get a comfy bed, en suite accommodation, you don't have to share, and you get a good night's sleep.

Also, they don't cancel any of the facilities!

Admin: on behalf of thirdcrank

http://www.adviceguide.org.uk/index/c_overbooking.pdf

That says you may be entitled to compensation or a refund for overbooking at a hotel. Subject to any YHA terms and conditions, that may be a start.

Admin: on behalf of rualexander

I would suspect that they didn't actually double book by accident, especially in these days of computerised booking diaries etc. which make it very difficult to double book (it shouldn't happen even using old fashioned paper and pencil diaries either), what might have happened is that after they accepted your booking they subsequently received a large group booking enquiry and decided to boot you out, similar to what happened to Mick F and his meals!
I doubt though that you will have much recourse other than a refund, given that there are still several months for you to make other arrangements.

Admin: on behalf of meic

June 5th is a Friday.
They got offered a block booking or "Rent-a-Hostel" deal for the whole hostel. So you as a lone traveller were given the boot.

I find this a bit distressing as I am booking some hostels for various tours, it is a pain to have to book in advance and worse still knowing you can be gazumped.

Have you searched for an indep hostel in the area?

Nice one mods, Thanks for your prompt efforts

Malc

For anyone else who gets caught in these circumstances, from the T's and C's of the YHA website

1.2 The contract for the supply by us of accommodation and (where applicable) other related services (“Contract”) will be formed when we accept your order and we receive from you the appropriate deposit in cleared funds.
1.3 Your Contract cannot be amended unless confirmed by an authorised representative of YHA and yourself.

so that looks OK

But the get out is

8. If we change your booking
In the unlikely event it becomes necessary to change your booking, in total or in part, YHA will inform you as soon as is reasonably possible of any necessary changes. You shall have the choice of: accepting the changed arrangements; or purchasing another booking from YHA (and paying or receiving a refund in respect of any differences); or cancelling your booking and receiving a full refund of all payments made.

What happend to good old customer care, I think this is me finished with the YHA. The only saving grace for them is that they did send me a few phone numbers and I've booked in at Betty Cottles Inn. Probably on reflection although I've had to waste a morning sorting it out, they've done me a favour

ferrit worrier wrote:, they've done me a favour

And you've done everybody else a favour by highlighting this apparoach to looking after travellers.

I stayed at Okehampton about 3 years ago and had a bad time that Sunday. My dorm hadn't been cleaned, so I had to wait an hour, tired and hungry, while they changed the beds etc. Being Sunday, I hadn't found a shop for food, couldn't afford to eat out or in the hostel, and they didn't have a hostel shop. The staff finally, with bad grace, sold me a dish of dry pasta. That's all I had - no sauce, no nothing. And water to drink.

After spending over 1,000 overnights with YHA England & Wales, I've been boycotting them the past few years. I did succumb in November, but only because my friend and I could use Tesco Deals Vouchers.

Yes, customer care is down the pan, especially regarding individual v group bookings.

Compare this to experiences in France and Italy as a lone cyclist:

A gite d'etape outside Paris - I turned up on spec and was allowed to stay in a private room for a few quid, despite the only other visitors being a group of young (obviously inner city) boys and their leaders.

France again - I had to traipse through a dorm of schoolkids to get to my private room. I did hope the leaders didn't think I was some scruffy weirdo, so made sure I let them know of my upstanding citizen credentials!

Italy - I was the only individual among a young female basketball team. Had a good night's sleep, due to teachers confiscating mobile phones and sending them to bed at 10pm!

I too had a problem with Okehampton. I had booked, confirmed by phone and letter as well, for a party of 10 doing an End to End. Then had a phone call late in the day saying that "someone" had double booked and we could not stay. That left me with the problem of finding a large enough B&B to take 10 people of mixed gender. I did manage but vowed then not to trust YHA in the same way.
I now keep my YHA membership for the opportunities abroad - certainly I think they are in danger of pricing themselves out of the market in England and Wales and make unnecessary restrictions and close dates, especially when they think they can get a school party in. They appear to have a philosophy that any adult male, other than parent or carer, is automatically a danger to children but are quite happy to perpetuate the closed environement. The danger is less likely from the "stranger" than from someone the child knows well.

manybikes

Others have pointed out on here that it is substantially cheaper to join the SYHA than the YHA.


http://www.yha.org.uk/yha-membership/me ... index.aspx

http://www.syha.org.uk/membership/information.aspx

It's such a shame that some people seem to have a downer on the YHA.
Surely they are not the only accommodation organisation that double books occasionally.
For those that don't know Oakhampton is a licensed hostel, that it it's owned run and staffed from outside the YHA,the owner paying an annual fee to use the brand, handbook, web site ect.
The owner is plainly in it as a business and I guess he sees his core market as youth/school groups.
There are 20 or so hostels in England and Wales that are really aimed at the group youth/school market it's probably best to look at a smaller hostel close by as an alternative.
The obvious group hostels are Swanage,Edale,Eyam,Sherwood Forest,Ilam,Derwentwater,ect you can work it out from the handbook though it does n't say so in so many words.
In these difficult times it would be nice if a few more CTC members had an odd overnight at a YHA hostel. It's a case of use them or lose them.
Malpas (occasional volunteer warden).

That does cut both ways if you are in business of course, as in 'Treat your customers right, or lose them.' You can't have it both ways by suggesting that double booking AKA bumping is rare, then listing the places where theee are likely to be problems.

Here's an interesting thread on the subject of youth hostels from Feb 2006

viewtopic.php?f=6&t=1825&hilit=hostel