Abbey Travel Charging for Consultations/Advice

Re: Abbey Travel charging for quotes

To the OP: some things don't really add up: You obviously had a clear idea what you were interested in as you say you then went around the corner to another Travel Agent and bought a holiday. Why then did you baulk at the quote fee if it was going to come off the total and you were in all likelihood going to buy a holiday.?

To be fair, I do think that €35 per person is somewhat excessive. Surely a single price of €35 would be enough to put off timewasters without making it a multiple of the travelling party?

Slightly OT: personally I think you are mad buying a long-haul holiday through a travel agent. Far cheaper to do it yourself over the web.
 
Re: Abbey Travel charging for quotes

KalEl said:
I'm not talking about shopping around...I'm talking about knowingly wasting someone's time when you've absolutely no intention of purchasing from them. That is wrong and is what brings about charges like this €35.
Incidently the OP if the OP went into Abbey Travel to "book" a holiday as they claim then why would the €35 be a problem? It should only be an issue if the intention is not to book a holiday.
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Have you never test driven a car and not bought that exact one even though you have every intention of buying one.

Where does it end? I had four builders out to my house recently to give me ideas about an extension and quotes. Should they have each charged me?
 
Re: Abbey Travel charging for quotes

frankmac said:
Have you never heard of shopping around. Actually its what we are constantly being told to do in ripoff Ireland.

It is quite conceivable that someone would go to a number of outlets with the intention of buying in the most competitive one.
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I find this type of attitude unbelievable to be honest...say for example you're going to buy a Sony LCD television. In my experience you get really good advice in the Sony Centres but their prices are a little higher. Contrast that with DID/Power City where the prices are lower but the advice you receive is generally poor or non-existent.
Personally I would go to the Sony Centre AND buy the television there because the service is part of the price. I think picking the brains of the guy in the Sony Centre and then scooting off to Power City is disgraceful behaviour and an outrageous waste of people's time.
That is not shopping around...it's being obnoxious.
When I do "shop around" I make a point of telling any saleperson who approaches me that I am "shopping around" or "just looking" so as not to waste their time.
 
Re: Abbey Travel charging for quotes

tall paul

It wasnt until after I discussed the holiday at length in the other agents that we were happy to go with it. The other agent even said they would keep it for a week. It was the fact Abbey wouldnt even start to discuss the holiday without paying that I had a problem with. what if they advised me against going that time of the year?

tall paul your last line "personally I think you are mad buying a long-haul holiday through a travel agent" is exactly why I dont fall into Kalel's thinking. I always book via travel agent and this is the way I prefer to do it.

Kalel sony couldnt care less which shop you bought it in
 
Re: Abbey Travel charging for quotes

kkelliher said:
Kalel

Just because you may not have a problem with it donst mean its right. I certainly didnt go into Abbey Travel with the idea of booking it on the internet. I went around the corner and booked it there and then. It was the fact that I couldnt even discuss the holiday with her and get a quote without paying €35 that drove me mental. you may have no problem throwing money away but I certainly didnt work for a couple of hours just to give it to someone for a quote.
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Right, so you didn't go into Abbey Travel to "book" a holiday...you went in to discuss a holiday, pick her brains for an hour and get a quote. Then you baulked at being told, in advance, that this would cost €35.
 
Re: Abbey Travel charging for quotes

Sunny said:
Have you never test driven a car and not bought that exact one even though you have every intention of buying one.

Where does it end? I had four builders out to my house recently to give me ideas about an extension and quotes. Should they have each charged me?
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I have never test driven a car and not purchased from that garage. Test driving a car in one garage when you know you won't be doing business with them is pathetic in my view.
The builder example is completely different...you didn't tell each guy he was going to be doing the job.
 
Re: Abbey Travel charging for quotes

Kalel

you are away with the birds, and you either have more money than sense or dont have any sense at all.

best of luck to you because your going to love Ireland if this type of thing grows into other companies and industries

"The builder example is completely different...you didn't tell each guy he was going to be doing the job" when do you ever tell someone there going to be doing the job before you get a price????????????
 
Re: Abbey Travel charging for quotes

KalEl said:
I have never test driven a car and not purchased from that garage. Test driving a car in one garage when you know you won't be doing business with them is pathetic in my view.
The builder example is completely different...you didn't tell each guy he was going to be doing the job.
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But the OP didn't tell the travel agent he would be "getting the job". It is no different to getting 4 holiday ideas and quotes from 4 different travel agents and picking the best/cheapest one. They bid for the business and you decide who you give it to. I shouldn't have to pay them to bid my business. What if the advice Abbey gave was complete rubbish or the final holiday price was EUR 150 more expensive than the agent next door for the same holiday? Would you get your money back?
 
Re: Abbey Travel charging for quotes

kkelliher said:
Kalel

best of luck to you because your going to love Ireland if this type of thing grows into other companies and industries
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I agree with you wholeheartedly and was shocked by the confrontational attitude by the lady in the travel agent - ripping up the quote - how ignorant is that? What's next? Dunnes stores charging for trying on clothes? People are getting ruder and ruder and others seem to tolerate it. I don't buy this "vote with your feet" mullarkey. What happended to plain old fashioned good manners - never mind customer service. It's the EFF YOU if-you-don't-like-it-go-elsewhere-talk-to-the-hand mentality.
 
Re: Abbey Travel charging for quotes

kkelliher said:
Kalel

you are away with the birds, and you either have more money than sense or dont have any sense at all.

best of luck to you because your going to love Ireland if this type of thing grows into other companies and industries

"The builder example is completely different...you didn't tell each guy he was going to be doing the job" when do you ever tell someone there going to be doing the job before you get a price????????????
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Eh, when you ask four builders to quote each has a chance of getting the business. There's nothing wrong with that.
When someone goes to a Sony Centre to waste a salesperson's time when their intention is to buy in Power City that is morally wrong.
And in this day and age with the internet etc I see no issue with charging for advice on a holiday when that charge is redeemed against the cost of the holiday.
 
Re: Abbey Travel charging for quotes

kkelliher said:
Kalel

best of luck to you because your going to love Ireland if this type of thing grows into other companies and industries
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I agree with you wholeheartedly and was shocked by the confrontational attitude by the lady in the travel agent - ripping up the quote - how ignorant is that? What's next? Dunnes stores charging for trying on clothes? People are getting ruder and ruder and others seem to tolerate it. I don't buy this "vote with your feet" mullarkey. What happended to plain old fashioned good manners - never mind customer service? It's the EFF YOU if-you-don't-like-it-go-elsewhere-talk-to-the-hand mentality.

Also, if you want to book through a travel agent that's your business. Each to his own. I know what I'd tell them to do with their €35 for a quote.
 
Re: Abbey Travel charging for quotes

good on ya kkelliher.

KalEl - are you prepared to spend money in whichever establishment you go to and speak to someone about their product rather than maybe have a look elsewhere and see if the price/advice/attitude is better?

Ah well, it's your money but don't get on your high horse about it being 'morally wrong' for others to do the most sensible thing with their money.
 
Re: Abbey Travel charging for quotes

KalEl said:
I have never test driven a car and not purchased from that garage. Test driving a car in one garage when you know you won't be doing business with them is pathetic in my view.
The builder example is completely different...you didn't tell each guy he was going to be doing the job.
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What if you didn't like the car after the test drive? Or any other alternative car in that particular garage. Surely you're not going to buy a car you don't like because you don't want to hurt the garage owners feelings? What a sweet and sensitive soul you are! :rolleyes:
 
Re: Abbey Travel charging for quotes

I'm with the OP on this one - there's no way I would pay €35 for a quotation.

Would also second the suggestions to a) use trailfinders and b) book it yourself.

€7k for a trip to SA for 2 people seems a lot to me but you could be doing it at the very top end, I don't know.

I was there earlier this year for 3 weeks and the total for for 3 people was less than that.
 
Re: Abbey Travel charging for quotes

Please leave 'morals' out of it please folks-each to their own and all that.
 
Re: Abbey Travel charging for quotes

Pique318 said:
good on ya kkelliher.

KalEl - are you prepared to spend money in whichever establishment you go to and speak to someone about their product rather than maybe have a look elsewhere and see if the price/advice/attitude is better?

Ah well, it's your money but don't get on your high horse about it being 'morally wrong' for others to do the most sensible thing with their money.
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Eh, if you'd bothered to read my posts I was criticising those who waste retailer's time when they've no intention of purchasing...e.g. pretending to book a holiday when in reality all you're looking for is information so you can book it yourself online, going to a Sony Centre and pretending you're about to buy an LCD television when in reality your intention is to buy in Power City, or test driving a car when you know if you buy that car it won't be from that garage.
That is not "shopping around"...it's being an idiot.
My finances are irrelevant...it's called being decent and up front.
As I said before, I tell staff when I'm browsing, pricing items or window shopping. Therefore I don't waste their time.
 
Re: Abbey Travel charging for quotes

Its' up to Abbey to 'sell' the deal to you. I am not surprised you walked out in disgust. So would I.
Paying a fee for the 'privilege' of listening to a sales pitch is ludicrous.
 
Re: Abbey Travel charging for quotes

KalEl said:
I have never test driven a car and not purchased from that garage. Test driving a car in one garage when you know you won't be doing business with them is pathetic in my view.
The builder example is completely different...you didn't tell each guy he was going to be doing the job.
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So you always buy the first ( and only) car you test drive.

You obviously have more money than sense

Quite honestly I find your opinions to be central to the ripoff Ireland we find ourselves in today. And as far as I am concerned, a travel agent charging €35 euor pp for holiday advice amount to Ripoff
 
Re: Abbey Travel charging for quotes

Abbey Travel are well within their rights to charge for person-to-person advice if they see fit, particularly if they also offer such advice for free via phone and email. The cost of maintaining and staffing a city-centre drop-in office must be horrendous. Personally, I would much prefer if this cost is levied solely on those customers who use it and all their other customers who enquire and book via phone, email or web can then enjoy lower fares.

15 or 20 years ago, nobody thought you could run an airline unless you had big snazzy offices on Fifth Avenue, the Champs Elysees & Regent Street, and ludicrously high fares to match. If travel agents are beginning to move into the 21st century, I will be glad.
 
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