“Had to sort all info for airport transfers and trips booked via Hays myself - no contact from them prior to flying out and nothing to see if we had actually arrived
Very disappointed”
“Just back from a cruise booked with Hays travel online ...lack of information is appalling...we had no transfer taxi to port from hotel, no transfer taxi from ship back to airport ....the taxi at beginning of holiday which was included wasn't even booked when we got to the desk ..luckily I had paperwork...absolutely terrible company..don't use”
“What went wrong, firstly we won a court action agaist Hays Travel Dundee located in the City Square, we won as the judge intimated if they did not talk to us he would be inclined to implement criminal charges against this franchise agency as it seems that Hays operates a franchise regime just like McDonalds. In our caseJohn Stewart Ltd, which has one main director from Hays(Sunderland) as director of the franchise.
In our case we were checking out prices for a holiday in Corfu as we had a hotel and flight sorted, but thought we would make a comparison check our call lasted 2minutes and ten seconds, phone records confirm this. This call resulted in a receipt for £2,300 + two hours later., extracted from our debit card noting we were told our credit card had been declined (as a lawyer I am aware of S75). We attempted to get a refund locally within hours, rejected on the basis of company policy(illegal policy refer to Missrepresentation Act and Unfair contract Act s7). It seems Hays Travel Sunderland's policy is to retain any and all payments even when the hotel allows refunds up to seven days before arrival!!!!! Not in our case.
In addittion the agent claimed we had called back to confirm all the details, not according to our phone records produced in court.
For the record the Court reference is DUN-SG1149-22, it took us over a year to get restitution in a Scottish Court. Hays Sunderland is operating a franchise operation their Customer Services will not entertain complaints against the franchise operation, believe me tried , we were advised to contact the regional manager there is no regional manager, there is no help from Sunderland and finally we were an existing customer!!!!! make your own mind up we have!”
“Terrible company to work for, they allow bulling of staff and the management is non existent. Your be lucky to get your shifts 2 weeks in advance. My manager had her step daughter doing her rota. The training giving is solely based on sales and defo not system knowledge. Which is pivotal ……. If you want to work in a bulling environment with no bank up from management go for it.”
“I've got two very expensive holidays booked with Hays coming up ..the lack of information and communication is terrible...can't wait to gey holidays over ..il never use them again ..awful service”
“Will never use Hays Travel Sheffield branch. Customer service non-existant, when things go wrong they don't want to know. Giving them 'One Star' is being kind!!!”
“Hays admitted they miss - sold me a holiday instead of taking responsibility they wanted more money so i lost my deposit, Company is rubbish to deal with”
“Just back from limak limra in turkey. It was the holiday from hell. I booked the holiday for my wife's 60'th birthday and our wedding anniversary..i asked at time of booking for a quite room overlook the pool. Instead we got a room approx 1/4 of a Mile from hotel when I explained this to reception I was told in no uncertain terns that there we no other rooms!. We arrived after a long delay at edinburgh at 11.30 in turkey then we were picked up to be driven to the hotel another hour and a half. When we arrived the reception staff couldn't get rid of us quick enough telling us to follow the lights to our room (as mentioned before approx 1/4 of a moke to walk). When we found our room in the labyrinth of apartments outwith the hotel itself the air con wasn't working.
We went back to reception and told them of this.
We went to restaurant to have something to eat.
Back to room air-con still not working.
Next day told reception air-con still not working, returned after walk around hotel to get bearings, air-con working a bit better but they had left a pool of dirty water on floor underneath a/c unit.
The hotel was very tired and in need of repair. The staff were not very welcoming and most of the time never acknowledged you which made us a bit uneasy as the majority of the holidaymakers were Russian, Latvian and other Eastern Europeans who never spoke English. (if we had known this we certainly would have thought twice).
The rokn we got was in an area of young couples or familys with young children. I had specified a quiet room instead what we got was a room overlooking the outdoor music arena which started at 10pm until approx 12.30 then we had to endure the revellers going to there rooms another hour. Definitely not the holiday we were looking for.
The evening entertainment was very poor and in I presume Russian or some other similar language which was of no use to us.
The food was although plentiful was repeated daily. We didn't realise that shopping was so far away from hotel perhaps we should have looked into this further.
Having been to Turkey a few times before after this experience we won't be going back.
The fight out was delay for over an hour and on the way back for over two hours. We booked meals both on the way out and back. How lucky were we to receive a cheese toastie and a cup of tea. Certainly not worth waiting for.
We spent a long while looking forward to this holiday as we haven't been on holiday for quite a few years.
We will remember this holiday for all the wrong reasons. And will never return to Turkey.”
“DO NOT HAVE A HAYS TRAVEL CARD.you better off taking monopoly money.Away on holiday with a card that you are unable to top up.USELESS Customer service,ruined holiday,dont trust Hays travel”
“We booked a Hays package offer to Italy with the Walsall Hays Branch after seeing it advertised on Facebook in July 2022 that included 3 nights at a 4 star hotel in Sorrento and 7 nights at a 4 Star on the Amalfi Coast. We arrived in Naples yesterday evening after a delayed flight with Tui, to be told by a Tui rep that we can no longer stay at the first hotel (which we booked to be the Grand Hotel Capodimonte Sorrento), but they had us booked to stay in the Grand Hotel Capodimonte Naples (which we never booked nor would we book as this part of Italy is not very nice). The Tui rep proceeded to tell us that the “incorrect”
Booking at the Naples hotel was fully booked and we was being put in the Ramada in Naples. This immediately was upsetting and causing distress as we never booked to stay in Naples in the first place, and now we was not only not staying in the hotel Sorrento we really wanted to stay in, but we was staying in a hotel that in Naples that we really did not wish to stay. All this being told to us after an hour after landing in Naples airport. This was suppose to be our honeymoon, a special and memorable time as a newly married couple but this was instantly ruined when we arrived. Not only that, the Tui reps were very abrupt, smirking when I was trying to explain we was never booked to stay in Naples, and that this was our honeymoon. To then be told that we can sleep at the airport if we don’t wish to stay at the alternative hotel they have offered.
It was now getting on for midnight, we was tired, hungry and wanted our bed but we refused to go to the hotel and location of Naples to stay as we did not book to stay in this part of Italy and did not see the Ramada hotel as a well matched alternative. But the reps did not care. Instead we had to pay an additional £1500 to stay in the Grand Hotel Capodimonte Sorrento as we had originally planned but now out of pocket because Hays mis sold the hotel to us in the first place. I have tried to speak to a member of their team today to see if I can be reimbursed for the additional cost we have incurred as a result of Hays mess up but I have been told that we did not book for the Sorrento hotel even though I have written communication emails that say otherwise. I have lost all faith and confidence in the Walsall Hays Branch and strongly believe they lack the ability to accept when they have made a mistake, instead they are happy to leave us out of pocket during our honeymoon even though two members of staff have emailed me communications regarding the Sorrento Capodimonte Hotel back in March and April and more recently while being on the trip. If you are considering booking with this branch, I strongly recommend you reconsider because they are incompetent and lack any kind of customer service.
It goes without saying that I will be taking this matter to ABTA and the Ombudsman along with my supportive documentation for them to investigate as this should not be allowed to happen.”
“what a terrible experience used hays to book holiday arrivved at stansted 0400 saturday morning refused travel HAYS printed off my boarding card my passport was issued jan 2013 expires october 2023 if i had booked online this would have been flagged very poor service travel dimwits idiots inept”
“Would give no stars if possible ,have been on holiday the taxi ordered to return to airport did not arrive so obviously had to pay for another so we did not miss our flight , went to travel company on return to ask for a rebate 6weeks later still waiting for significant amount of money to be returned ,unless I have gone to ask one update all I get is it’s still being looked into an investigation has to take place? No one seems bother or has the courtesy to update us will never book with Hays ever again!!!”
“Absolutely useless customer service. I booked a once in a lifetime holiday in March to travel in October. Had o paperwork/ comformation since booking even after calling constantly and being reassured it's all OK. Just received the itinerary to find out the flights have changed. Called and was told its was down to American Airlines and not their fault. It I had known this earlier I wouldn't have paid the £6000 . Now no one will talk to me and they keep palming off. Looks like my only option will be camping on their doorsteps until someone talks to me. I haven't shouted or been rude yet but it's coming. Stay away from Hays Travel”
“approx 2 months ago i wanted to get prices on a flight to the philippines to visit my sik son,i gave all the info and explained i did not want a layover of more than 2 hours having checked out some airlines that do this.i also asked bout re serve seating on the aircraft and to leave uk anytime but to arrive at aquino airport in the afternoon.and gave a budget figure for this flight to the agent,which was well within the grasp of the airlines i checked. i told her i need the infor within 2 weeks so i could fly within the month,the agent all very nice on the tel told ,me she got all the details shess tem me back with 24/48 hours ,no call came,so i sent e mail to the branch st albans,did i get a reply NO,so then i tel them asked to speak to the person whose name i have now forgot but said she was the mngr,spoke to someone else there as the so call mngr ewas busy but shell pass on the message and get het to call me.did she NO.so dont tell me that Hays travel is all good,i tel a company called dial a flight got everything i wanted within 48 hrs paid them off i went.Service ?what service???”
“I don’t know where to begin or end with Hays Travel, I let them hang onto my money through 2 cancellations in 2020 and 2021, during the pandemic and finally got to go to Los Angeles in July 2022, (now). But the amount of errors, mis-communication and lack of flexibility when it comes to flights/hotels/anything, unless you really push is shocking. Still stuck in Heathrow Airport as I type, no sleep since Sunday in Los Angeles, it’s Tuesday here in the U.K, after a ten hour flight, the original 8 hour wait for flight to Newcastle is now at 11 hours wait, flight keeps getting delayed. There are some genuine people at Hays, but I will never go with them again, this was supposed to be the trip of a lifetime for my son. he is having a horrendous time on this journey. Please note: Never use travel agents because everything is non negotiable with flights, hotels or anything else, you have to include them in the situation, but if you deal direct with the companies, you can change most things within reason. Been told this everywhere. Lesson learnt.”
“Only giving one star because I can't give none. We booked a cruise through them for May. As our outgoing flight was cancelled we got onboard 2 days late and have a letter from cruise line confirming they would make a pro rata refund within 3 -5 working days but if we booked through a travel agent we would need to get it processed by them. 2 months later we are still waiting. Hays have told us how much we are getting, a significant amount, almost a 4 figure sum, and that it is being processed by them(that was about 4 weeks ago) but every time we contact them we get a different story. We asked about rasing a formal complaint but were told it needed to go through Customer Service but they told us it needed to be the branch. We feel we are going round in circles. Other people affected have had their refunds. We used the Troon branch because we wanted to shop local but never again”
“Please take my advice use another agent,
We booked a last min trip to New York at Hempstead Valley branch, we paid extra for private taxi to our hotel and then back to the airport at the end of our stay, on arrival out taxi was not there, at the end of our trip our private taxi turned up so late we missed our flight, the cost we incurred were quite a lot, we reported that evening what had happened to Lauren and We were promised everything would be covered. It was not we have had so much grief and stress trying to get our money back, it just made the whole experience worthless.we ended up losing quite a lot of money.
Lauren was no help what so ever, our first and last holiday using Hays.”
“Firstly the star rating. I’ve given Hays 1 star but I feel I should be giving 5 out of 5 but that would be for lying and an unbelievable humiliating condescending service ….. well I booked my holiday with Hays but actually I didn’t …. Or so they tell me. If you are confused just think how I feel!!!! Something went a little wrong; so Hays tell me … actually you didn’t book through us we are just Agents. Urm I did book and have all docs and transactions which they agree. Bet I’m on CTV paying the deposit for our holiday too ….. oh yes and all those direct debit transactions to Hays. The other thing is, apparently, You can only complain to the Travel Agent whom you bought the holiday from. I am beginning to realise why they think they can lie and treat their customers so badly. I’m going to pop my experience down in instalments because it’s long and probably more effective.”
