Travel Club of Upminster

[eleanor]

I don't understand why it is thought a risk to rent from a private owner. I would suggest that it is very safe to do so. How many private owners do you read about who have 'gone broke' and holidays have been cancelled without refund of money? I can't think of a single case. Many private renters have also now arranged to accept credit cards too and as has been said insurance can be taken out. By booking direct with the owner and building a good relationship is a good way forward as many who have done so can verify.

 

[tangofan]

That is encouraging news about Sun Club, though I wonder who the Supplier Failure Cover is provided by. It must be an insurance company but I couldn't see any company named. It wouldn't be much use Sun Club providing it if they then ceased trading! Like you I want to get my booking for next year settled.

Eleanor, I appreciate your position as a private owner and am quite certain that 99.9% of owners on this forum for example are absolutely genuine. However there are cases where not so much the owner runs off with the money rather that people pay for accommodation that doesn't actually exist or is of very poor quality. I recently looked at a very large well known lettings site (not for visiting Majorca) but was alarmed by reports that some properties do not exist or are addresses of people who actually live there so the accommodation is not actually for rental. I think there was a case like this reported elsewhere on the forum recently - I am not suggesting the family involved rented via this website before anybody tells me off! As previously stated, I do not believe credit card companies or insurance would cover privately rented accommodation and whilst I agree many people are happy to book privately, some of us are perhaps more cautious, and I don't see anything wrong with that.

 

[eleanor]

Another good reason to deal only with the actual owner of the property. I think you will find that the majority of properties advertised on this site for example are people who have been 'around' for a period of time and are known to be the owner of the property and have a track record with this site. We also advertise on another well known rental site and I can assure you that they have a very strict vetting process. It is becoming more the norm for credit cards facilities to be offered. We actually have the facility which as you say will offer a safeguard.
There will always be the odd horror case which gets through of course but with the literally thousands of weeks rented by private owners it has to be agreed that these are very few and far between.
I think that private renters seem to get hammered constantly. The majority offer an excellent service, do their very best to accommodate their renters wishes and generally offer excellent facilities. Unlike travel companies who hide behind a company name - the private renters know they are in the firing line should things not go to plan.

 

[Belladonna]

Perhaps if people are worried about renting a private property they could ask for references from previous clients. I'm sure that if owners asked if clients would mind giving references there would not be a problem.
Also, it would only take one private booking to be "wrong" on the PP site, and the accommodation would be taken off by the administrators, so this is a pretty safe site to book from I feel.

 

[ragdollabbi]

Perhaps if people are worried about renting a private property they could ask for references from previous clients. I'm sure that if owners asked if clients would mind giving references there would not be a problem.
Also, it would only take one private booking to be "wrong" on the PP site, and the accommodation would be taken off by the administrators, so this is a pretty safe site to book from I feel.

100% sure on that one Bella LOL Only joking of course, I totally agree that if one went 'wrong' it would be taken off

 

[JMD40]

Interesting reading and some truth in all of this however what of course no-one mentions is .
one - private rentals are supposed to be illegal and the tourist board are trying to crack down on it - there will be more pressure from struggling tour operators and hoteliers after this year to cut down on this practice where the correct licences are not in place.
two - the private renter often does not add to the spanish economy and pay spanish taxes. If you rent out through an official source and have a tourist licence you pay a high tax on your earnings, pay social security and insurance for your cleaners and maintenence men, pay higher rate for your rubbish collection and town hall taxes - etc. etc.
Three - I believe that Sun club had/has a member of staff who used to work with TCU and much of the info of the properties has come from there in an attempt to gain clients. They do not offer the services that TCU have offered over the last 74years and certainly should not be confused with TCU. They have only sent a handful of clients to PP this year as far as I am aware and do not have free sale but have to request availablity from the properties.
Four - TCU also offered Supplier Failure insurance however these insurances clearly cover third party failure so maybe not covered if the actual company that sells it fails!!! The insurance company, as always, will have the final word on this I guess.
Five - ALL tour operators - large and small - have been reducing their contract prices this year- and last- in Mallorca in a fight for survival. It is not restricted to Thomas Cook by any means - it is an attempt to share the pain with the supplier.
Very sad news for Puerto Pollensa -loosing Globespan and Travel club in the same year - both companies providing well respected clients bringing good revenue and life to the resort.

 

[JMD40]

I notice today that Sunclub.co.uk are advertising on the Forum prices and accommodation at Illa D'Or Club Apartments and Hotel for next year. Is Travel Club still in there for future bookings? Or does this mean that bookings need to be made either direct with the Hotel or through Sunclub?

Please wait a while - there may very well be other options brewing. You will find booking direct with the hotel is far more expensive than TCU prices were.

 

[BBCNEWSGIRL]

Beg to differ on the Sunclub point JMD, they have a live bookable website and it is instant availability 'no requesting', I enquired yesterday and they were able to give prices and availability straight away.

 

[northern star]

Travel Club

Travel Club served us very well for many wonderful holidays in Puerto Pollensa. How we all wish it could have continued to do so. Yes, I realise JMD40 that booking direct with the Hotel will cost us shedloads more, also looks as if SunClub will also be a higher price. Will hang on hoping you can broker a deal which will give us that personal service so well given to us all these years.

 

[JMD40]

Thanks Northern Star, it is certainly my intention one way or another to find all those fab supportive TCU clients a way to enjoy the same calibre of holiday as they are used to with a very personal service and gaurantees for the safety of their holiday money. As I said - early days but within next few weeks some options will be available at good prices.

 

[tangofan]

JMD40
I am a little confused now, you have been saying hold on before booking for next year, yet now you say some options will be available within the next few YEARS!

 

[JMD40]

Its been a long week . . . . . well spotted . . . . just corrected as naturally I meant in next few weeks. Sorry about that and thanks for noticing so quick. Think I had best get to bed and rest that brain. BUENAS NOCHES. BON NIT. GOOD NIGHT. etc.etc.

 

[tangofan]

Oh good, thats a relief! I was hoping that is what you meant!
Good night!

 

[Jimbo the Jambo]

We rent our villa in the Port and the rental is paid before entry to the villa. That is our insurance. I do actually think you are being a little harsh as although the property owner still has the property, many including us, only have the property because the rental helps to pay for it. Many have mortgages on their property as well as having to pay for the upkeep etc etc. This has all been gone into with other posts, so won't duplicate now. As I said in my previous post and as with this company - it is getting very close to the end of the season. That money can not be recovered at this late stage. At the beginning of a season there is a chance.
I for one could not afford to lose a whole seasons rental - it may well mean I may not still have my property!!

I agree with your sentiments Eleanor, as an owner/renter you must protect your investment. As one who prefers to control my holiday arrangents I do it via internet, private travel insurance etc.and appreciate the very many honest owners out there. Just back from two glorious weeks in Cyprus and would be happy to do it again in PP area once they recognise the the downturn in tourist costs/expenses etc.
Very few problems in trips so far (apart from PP last year!).

regards,

jimbo

 

[Sunclub Staff]

I have been alerted to the comments on this forum about Sunclub International. I have worked for the company since the very beginning in 1994. Sunclub International is a fully bonded independent ABTA Agent, specialising in holidays and accommodation all over the world together with overseas representation and transfers etc....

We have always provided the best possible service to all our clients, hence so many repeat customers. Just to clarify we have been selling Mallorca including Puerto Pollensa for many years, we have developed excellent relationships with a lot of the hoteliers there and we have certainly sent far more than a handful of customers to Puerto Pollensa in 2010.

Sunclub International is not only a fully bonded member of ABTA and a Financial Services Authority appointed representative but we also include FREE supplier failure cover with every booking for customers own peace of mind.

 

[Sunclub Staff]

Travel Club served us very well for many wonderful holidays in Puerto Pollensa. How we all wish it could have continued to do so. Yes, I realise JMD40 that booking direct with the Hotel will cost us shedloads more, also looks as if SunClub will also be a higher price. Will hang on hoping you can broker a deal which will give us that personal service so well given to us all these years.

I am surprised at the suggestion that Sunclub is likely to be more expensive than Travel Club used to be as the company is known as one of the more competitively priced suppliers offering accommodation in Majorca. May we respectfully suggest that holidaymakers check and compare our prices themselves as it may well be to their advantage rather than taking notice of seemingly unsubstantiated comment. In the unlikely event that Sunclub is more expensive than another supplier we will always endeavour to match or beat their price.

 

[Hector]

I was sad to hear about the Travel Club of Upminster (TCU) going into administration. Apparently they were victims of Thomas Cook's outrageous decision to keep back 5% of what it had agreed to pay Spanish hoteliers. As a result they lost confidence in Briitish operators and demanded money up front which TCU, for one, could not afford to pay. I don't suppose the rise of internet holidays helped much either. Few operators can compete with on line prices or offer the flexibility of flight selection that independent travellers can arrange.

My first visits to Puerto Pollensa were with TCU. They were ultra reliable and had really fair prices including tremendous discounts for children - even counting them as children up to the age of 21. The price in the box was exactly what you paid with no misleading headline prices coupled with cunning smallprint add ons that almost doubled the cost. I think they were the first firm to adopt this policy. What is more, unlike most other operators, they did not demand more money when the Pound fell against the Peseta, which it did quite often in the 1980s.

Their properties were always good and any fall in standards was rewarded by omission the following year. I think the Flora Apartments were dropped following complaints about noise.

Harry Chandler, the founder of TCU was a remarkable man who played a big part in putting PP on the tourist map. There used to be a large billboard on one of the roundabouts between the Port and the town highlighting the link between TCU and the Port, although their importance as a tour operator waned as the resort grew and bigger fish moved in.

Nothing is forever, to quote a famous bar owner.

 

[Hector]

Ooer! I had not seen all these posts when I submitted mine - I had looked under miscellaneous and thought that noone had commented as yet abiout the Travel Club.

I feel rather silly. I should have known that many of the contributors would know as much, if not more, than I do about this company. Excuse my idiocy.

 

[tangofan]

Hector, don't worry about it, it is good to read other people's memories of TCU. However not sure about the reasons for their failure. I agree wholeheartedly about them being brilliant for families with no nasty surcharges just because you would like to fly at a sensible time and not have 4 people sleeping on sofa beds in the living area!!

JMD40 - have you any news for us yet? I am anxious to get settled for next year and am thinking that as Sunclub have the property I am interested in at a good price I may consider booking that and a transfer with them which I believe constitutes a package and paying the deposit by credit card, then I should be pretty safe. I would then book Thomsons flights. I am still unable to establish who underwrites their Supplier Failure cover - as you say I am not sure how it works if the company that fails has supplied the cover!

 

[tangofan]

Thanks JMD40.
Heard on the news today that Thomas Cook are merging with Cooperative Travel. I believe Thomas Cook will own 70%. More signs of the times!