Bulgaria Ski discussion board

Hi All,

As the end of the season is now here, and our thoughts turn to booking our hols next season, please take on board this short and not sweet story.
As an ex travel agent and an ex rep i thought i had a pretty good knowlage of the companys, standards and what to expect. When i booked our holiday for 5 of us to Boro, i thought i knew what to expect from Balkan having travelled with them myself and booked them many times for customers (i expected once i had paid the full balance there would be some minor change to the flight! the flight to be somewhat basic but fine, local reps, accomodation decent etc etc etc) this was all as expected.

However, Upon arrival Balkan changed our hotel, again not a major problem, But the lies they have told since we wrote to them!! unbelievable they claim to have advised us in advance (prior to the full balance being paid) at which point we could have cancelled, but they did not. They say it was due to overbooking of our origonal hotel, it was not we have since learnt of conract problems and the hotel is now removed from the brochure!?

When i get a moment i will scan in the letters i have recieved from Balkan, they are terrible, i wonder if anyone at Balkan HQ has any customer service skills? the letters are sarcastic, angry and dissmissive. All I wanted when i wrote in the first place was an explanation as to why we were moved and not informed, but the replys got me so perplexed i have taken my case to ABTA.

Im suprised that in the current climate, any tour operator, but especially a smallish independent one can afford to have such awful customer service? and dont care attitude.

I have written a letter to The TTG also as an ex travel professional myself to express my concerns. Its amazing when you scratch the surface and start looking into some thing like this you realise how many people have complaints with Balkan. I have also got in touch with every single travel agent i know or have even met!!! to tell them about this and the other examples i have come accros maybe they will think twice next time they have a ski booker walk through their door to tell them pay the extra 50 quid and go with a decent company like crystal/thomson/inghams etc etc etc!!!

So beware folks! you really do get what you pay for and less because once you get back they couldnt care less, as far as Balkan is concerned the customer is not king!

Just booked Pamps next year with Crystal! and cant wait.

Happy Summers snows peeps.

Hi Madski,

I'm sorry you had some problems.

Bit a strong message there, I hope it is justified. I have travelled with Balkan Holidays on many occasions and had no problems, other than odd minor flight time change.

Why don't you supply us with some more information about your complaint. For example what hotel did you book, what hotel did they move you to. Also, what action they took to rectify the problems in resort when you complained.

A little bit more information for us will help us to make our own minds up, rather than you trying to deter us from booking with them when we don't have all the details.

Bulgaria Pete

Hiya Pete,

When we enquired in resort as to why we had been changed to a hotel we didnt book we were told it was an over booking, however when we went to see the hotel it was closed up for the season!

The point is, we didnt mind that much being moved just when we asked for an explanation both in resort and on our return home we have been lied to and treated pretty poorly.

Glad you personally havent had a bad experience with Balkan. I have been with them in the past and been ok, but I hadnt had a reason to contact them upon my return before so had not had to experience their awful excuse for customer service so i didnt know? ignorence is bliss i guess?

As an ex rep and travel agent, i did everything as i was supposed to in resort, i.e reported my concerns to the rep etc, and here is another example of great Balkan service, when i asked for a guest relation form from my rep so i could log my concerns, she never asked me what was the problem? why I wanted the form? nothing she just handed it over???!! (pre signed) which when I repped was a major no - no (always try and resolve in resort) but then i never had the joy of working for Balkan?!!

Any how, as I said above Pete, it is quite strong but having worked since school in travel I know what to accept and i think its about time Balkans slap dash after care attitude was addressed! and even if its only me and my partys £3000 they have lost next year its something i suppose.

Hi,

It seems as though she does not want us to know, however I see from her post here original post she was moved from the Hotel Olymp to the Hotel Iglika.

From my experience, the Hotel Olymp is an absolutely awful hotel. Mandski should be sending thank you letters to Balkan Holidays for upgrading them free of charge, the Iglika Palace is a far superior hotel.

I actually returned from Borovets on the 4 April and the Olymp was open, I had a coffee there with a friend who was staying there, hence my knowledge that it is awful. I can't believe therefore that the Olymp was boarded up!

Anyway, I am sorry that you had a bad time.

Bulgaria Pete

Stayed at Olymp myself and it was awful!! I booked with A BG holiday firm over the internet in March - imagine my horror when I was upgraded to the 5 star Hotel Festa Palace Lucky really, as I ruptured my knee ligaments and spent half the holiday in the hotel rather than on the slopes! To be fair, I think all the tour operators are about the same - I have had poor service with Inghams and got no where complaining. Yet, Balkan were fine when I travelled with them. Sorry, It seems a minor complaint in the scheme of things - irritating sure , and not up to the standards of service that your experience has led you to expect - yes. But grounds for warning everyone away ??? I don't think so. Really sorry about your bad experience.
Caz.

Your average tour company is only as good as the mood your rep/receptionist/complaints dept is in on the day..
Personal experiences tend to be just that, very annoying for the individual, but to consider it for the whole and assume everyone will be treated that way is unlikely. No tour company would survive with that attitude. I am no particular fan of Balkan (once posted a report a long time ago re, Balkan, taken completely the wrong way by the admin, torn to shreds ), not a fan of any company in fact, they all have the same syndrome... as good as the mood of whoever you are dealing with