Complaining to eurostar-tips please!

[mulan1]

Hello everyone, i'd like some advice please.
I recently mentioned on another thread my horror of the seating they have given us on our return journey, my 4 yr old son is seated in a completely different row to us and me and DH aren't even next to each other! If someone can post that link to the seating plan i'd be grateful as i don't know how to do it cos i want you to see the seats they've given us,
coach 5 seats 58, 46, 54.

I want to know some hints and tips in getting the best out of my complaint, key words to use, points to make etc.

I have already called and the guy told me to talk to the train manager when we board the train...not good enough i'm afraid.

Has anyone experienced something similar?

I'd really like to hear what you think I should do.
Thanks

 

[Leanne1977]

I found this, not sure if its what you are after,

http://www.directline-citybreaks.co.uk/Eurostar Seating Plan Coach 05

 

[mulan1]

This is what i have come up with so far, how does it sound?
thanks, that' what i wanted to show you all, the seating plan on the link in the thread above.



I am writing to complain about the seats we have been given on our return journey from Marne la Vallee to St Pancras.
Although our outbound seats are all in a row, we were given the option to be seated round a table at the time of booking and upon checking the seat plan found this was not so. You should not offer a service that you cannot provide. On our return journey although in the same carriage, we are not seated together at all especially our 4 year old son who is seated in an entirely different row to me and my husband again is even further away. This coupled with the fact we have a fidgety 2 year old to share between us, this seating arrangement makes it very hard for her to be passed from lap to lap and will also cause a nuisance to the passengers who we will have to squeeze past each time she wants to ‘swap parents’. Had I known all this at the time of booking I most certainly would not have agreed to it and gone through with the booking. This is causing me great distress and my son is also very worried at the thought of being seated away from us especially where he won’t be able to see us. You should make a facility on the website to be able to see the seats you are paying for before the booking is complete, or implement a system where seats are booked row by row so that if individuals book seats they can do so but if there is a group booking then the family will be able to sit next to each other.

I’m really disappointed by this as last time we used Eurostar we were very pleased with the service, but now I am thinking of using Eurotunnel or perhaps flying to Disneyland for our future trips.

I would like to know what you intend to do about my complaint and how you can put my mind at ease with the thought of having my very young son seated so far from his parents. Even though the seat in front of me is where he will be sitting, to a 4 year old this is a great distance and to be sitting next to a stranger is even more worrying.

I look forward to a positive response.
Regards,
Mrs Hardy

 

[Shimmigirl]

sounds good to me mulan, maybe I should do the same.

Our problem is nowhere near as bad as yours but we also asked to be sat in family area around a table. Now as we booked over 6months ahead of time direct with Eurostar I would of hoped our preferences would have been listened to, either that or the option shouldn't have been available when booking if they couldn't fulfil it.

They have booked my husband separately from us as he is a frequent traveller? Our 4 year old is with me - fine - but she also likes the option of sitting next to daddy - so the adults will have to swap seats each time!!

Also have our baby (will be 9months in April) with us, now wasn't going to pay for a seat for a small baby, but did want to take him in his car seat so he could sleep, but he will now be blocking the aisle as I cannot have car seat on my lap, and now room in front of us (that is why we specified family or table seat - so there was some floor space too.

I have told eurostar this on phone and they have advised us to go to info desk when booking in and they may be able to help us - I don't think so - we are boarding at Ashford and going during Spring (Easter) school break. So I may have to put baby in aisle and keep moving him to allow people to pass and hope the guard notices!
However they have managed to move us for return journey

Good luck with your email and let us know how you get on

 

[cantwait!!!!!!!!!!!!]

Thats awful I cant believe they have sat you apart like that ! We asked to be around a table too but didnt get those seats, there dont seem to be many tables so Im not really surprised. But to sit you all apart is just crazy.
I would phone again and ask to speak to a manager, was this the number you rang 08705 186 186 I rang this morning to check our seats and got straight through. Your e mail does sound fine though.
Good luck let us know how you get on.

 

[mulan1]

thanks everyone, i have just been looking at howtocomplain.co.uk and it's got lots of helpful info on who to complain to and so on.
Here's hoping we get upgraded to Leisure select lol -as if!
that's silly isn't it, how can you keep a car seat on your lap?! having the square seating would have been ideal for you, which is of course why you 'booked' that option, i did a search ad there seem to be a lot of people who are unhappy with eurostar service oo er!

 

[mulan1]

could anyone else offer ome advice please?

 

[mulan1]

Well here is the response I got from Eurostar, not at all helpful in anyway shape or form, what do you think I should do, take it further? I'm not happy at all, and the thing is, i've been checking availibility for the same trains and there are still seats available, surely there must be a cluster together somewhere?
I'm really cross


"Dear Mrs Hardy

Thank you for contacting us.

I can understand your disappointment on your allocated seats and the fact that you will be seated away from your child and your partner. We always try our utmost to sit families or groups together and I would like to offer my sincere apologies for this inconvenience. It was certainly not in our intention cause any distress.

However, all Eurostar fares are subject to availability, you were allocated those seats because they were the only seats available when you booked your tickets as this is a busy train. I am generally concerned that you have to write to us regarding this matter and I would like to assure you that your comments will be passed on to our Directors during service review.

I am sorry I am unable to offer you an upgrade on this occasion. I will however advise you to notify the Train Manager once the train departs to see if you can be re-allocated to any available seats, although this is very unlikely as it is a busy train.

Once again thank you for contacting us and we look forward to welcoming you on board our train.

Yours sincerely.

Alban Whandja"

 

[Cyrano]

I'd keep a copy of the letter and talk to the train manager when you arrive I'm sure they will do their utmost to sort you out and the copy of the letter will surely help

 

[thelittlemermaid83]

There reply is a joke.

I would write back and say that just isnt good enough. They should of stated that your seats wouldnt of been together when you booked and if not informed you.

 

[mulan1]

i intend on replying and saying just that, i find it very hard to believe that the only seats left are not anywhere near to eachother, if their customer service was better they would have offered to contact other passengers and ask on our behalf if we could swap seats. I think the whole 'ask the train manager' thing is also a joke as it will likely be a fully booked train by the time comes cos all they will do is allocate us empty seats anyway (so why don't they just do that for us now!) and other than ask the passengers him/herself for us we might as well do it ourselves.
although the only way there could be empty seats is for no shows, but i don't find that very likely now.
*moan whinge*
*sigh* having a bad day...

 

[mulan1]

Dear Alban,
Thank you very much for your polite and prompt reply.

However I am sorry to say that this is not satisfactory for us. With all your good intentions and apologies, I feel there is no real desire to resolve my problem. I suspect you often have this sort of complaint or query regarding groups not being seated together. And this seems to be a common occurrence experienced by fellow Disney goers . Is there no possibility of contacting other passengers on our behalf and requesting if they mind having their seats changed? For example the passengers in seats 56 and 57 could be asked if they mind swapping for 46 and 54, then my husband and son would be seated with me. That is assuming they are not a group, if in which case please do not bother them. There are other combinations I’m sure you could come up with keeping one of us in our seats so as to bother only 2 people.

I have been checking availability on this train and there are lots of seats available still, I am aware the trains can accommodate 766 people; surely there must be a cluster together somewhere? Is your booking system made in such a way that all the available seats are not together? Forgive me for my ignorance, but wouldn’t it make more sense to just book row by row? I’m sure you have some kind of pricing system also that must link into the way the seats are booked, I am aware you are a business after all, as I have been experimenting and get different prices for the same trains for the same passengers (for example I tried 1 Adult with 1 Youth and 1 Child and the Adult ticket was £45, then when I tried just 2 Adults on the same train the price went down to £32.50), the price tends to vary on who else you are travelling with. This is something I have noticed. I wonder, does the flexibility of the ticket affect where you are seated?

Regarding talking to the train manager, is this really the best solution you can offer? You said yourself it is unlikely we will get seats together because this will be a busy train, so wouldn’t it be a vain effort? And to be honest it feels like being fobbed off, knowing they will not be able to help either.

I’m not looking for frills, just transportation from A to B, but I don’t think it is unreasonable to want to be seated with my family.
So I will ask again, please do your best to get us seated together. It would be greatly appreciated.
I look forward to a positive response and good news,
Regards,
Mrs Hardy

 

[thelittlemermaid83]

I like your reply.
Hope they manage to get off there bums and get it sorted.

 

[liberty]

I complained to euro star, and they told me there was nothing they could do, as the train was full. You no how they are and try and fob you off, with excuses.

I was really pleased with the letter i sent..lol, took me ages to put together.lol.

I hope this dosn't happen to you!

 

[mulan1]

i hope not either! My husbands really cross about it too, it's obviously an issue they have, so they really should try to resolve it.
Here's hoping for a good response!

 

[liberty]

Yeh its a major problem they need to sort out. When we went we were even willing to upgrade to first class and pay more, and they still werent having any of it!. I no loads of people who have this problem with them.
Hope you manage to get a good response from them.

 

[MazdaUK]

we had this when we went in 2003 - in the end we just asked people around to swap (most poeple don't especially want to be next to someone else's small child ) but agree eurostar is completely useless in this respect. we are driving this time!

 

[mulan1]

goodness! it does seem to be a big problem doesn't it?
Unfortunately their reply came and all i got was


Dear Mrs Hardy

Thank you again for your email.

I am sorry I am unable to resolve this for you, the only people who can help are at your point of sale. As advised the Disney service is extremely busy and inevitable not all travellers will receive seating of their choice. There is an on board Train Manager who will do all possible to assist you. I very much regret that I cannot add further to this.

Kind Regards

Alban




I feel rather defeated which is quite unlike me, but it's obvious they're not going to budge on the matter.

I guess I will print copies of correspondance to take with me to show this TM and if they can't help will rely on Disney spirited fellow passengers to swap seats with us.

we even considered ugrading but since you said they won't even accept that I don't think i'll bother!

i've changed my mind i'm going to keep at it!

this is my reply to him.

Dear Alban,

Thank you again for your reply.

I intend on taking my complaint further to Passenger Focus as we have not been able to resolve it between us.

Thank you.

Regards,

Mrs Hardy

 

[liberty]

Ahh thats a shame...thats more or less the same response we got, and we took ours further aswell and complainted to the abta.

Eurostar really need to sort themselves out!!!

 

[lojo]

Why don't you contact the consumer advocate from one of the national newspapers - it would have more impact and be more likely to be featured if you could assemble a list of people from the Board who have the same problem as yourself.

It's amazing how a little negative publicity can shift the unshiftable.

Don't give up, if a few affected people get together you can give each other moral support.

I wonder if the child protection laws could be a help also - the health and welfare of the child is paramount and isolating a 4 year old from his parents is potentially more than a little distressing on such a long trip.