Thomas Cook collapses: customers are left in the dark because of bills and theft



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Mary Nicholls, Thomas Cook Passenger (right) with grandson Matt Walker

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Mary Nicholls, Thomas Cook's passenger (on the right), on vacation with grandson Matt Walker, worries about missing heart medication if she gets stuck in Cyprus.

Thomas Cook's customers told the BBC of their fears of unpaid hotel bills, canceled trips and flights abroad following the collapse of the tour operator in the early hours. from Monday morning.

For a British family on vacation in Cyprus, the company's failure means a marriage marred by uncertainty and concern about essential drugs.

Grandmother Mary Nichols, 87, suffers from heart disease and only has enough medications to last until Wednesday, the day her prescription expires.

The grandson Matt Walker, 23, paid about £ 1,100 to Thomas Cook by debit card for the flights and lodging at the hotel of Mrs. Nichols and her mother Sarah, 53, so that they can attend the wedding of his brother in Paphos on Tuesday.

However, the family's enthusiasm has caused fears that they will be stranded after hotel staff Kefalonitis said Thomas Cook had not yet paid for their stay.

Mr. Walker, from Poynton, Cheshire, said: "We do not know what to expect from the hotel.They have our passports and told us that they have not been paid by Thomas Cook.

"We're Thomas Cook's only passengers here, and they're not taking it anymore, we do not know if they're here." [the hotel] wants extra money.

"My fears if she is stuck in Cyprus, she will miss drugs to take daily.It will have them until Wednesday – even the delay of a day is causing problems."

The family has not received any information as to whether the robberies at home will go or not.

Walker said he feared he would not be able to enjoy his brother's wedding due to uncertainty.

"We do not feel in the dark – the hotel does not know what is going on, there is no representative of Thomas Cook and Thomas Cook has not contacted us."

"I'll have to make phone calls on my brother's wedding day tomorrow and fix the problem – it'll ruin the day because I'm going to be on the phone when I should have fun."

Wasted Gift Certificates

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Leanne Jones

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Leanne Jones, along with her partner Andy and her younger sons Harrington (bottom left) and Hudson (top left), fear Thomas Cook coupons worth £ 800 are worthless.

Back in the UK, mom Leanne Jones was forced to tell her kids that their planned trip to Disneyland Paris in June had been canceled.

Mrs. Jones, of Milton Keynes, stated that she felt "screwed" after having learned £ 800,000 of Thomas Cook's gift checks kept for the first overseas vacation of her two young sons not worth nothing.

Jones said the family had saved £ 150 to cover £ 2,300 of the trip after placing money separately in a holiday fund.

She said that she and her partner, Andy, had delayed booking holidays until they had the necessary funds.

She said: "Every birthday and every Christmas in the last two years, I saved to bring my two young children [Harrington and Hudson] during their first vacation abroad – Disneyland Paris was planned.

"We just thought it would be magic for them.

"I risk losing all the money from the vouchers and my children will not be able to spend their holidays after talking to Atol. [A scheme that protects most air package holidays sold by businesses based in the UK] I have learned that my coupons are not covered and that no one can do anything to help you.

"I'll have to start saving again, I do not have any other choice, we'll have to wait another two years."

The Civil Aviation Authority, which runs the Atol program, has been contacted to comment on the status of gift certificates.

Doubts about the memorial service

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Zoe Sheehan and her husband Stefan fear missing his father's memorial service after the cancellation of their Thomas Cook flight

For 36-year-old Zoe Sheehan from Wales, the collapse of the travel giant means she and her husband may miss a family memorial service in Gran Canaria.

Ms. Sheehan and Stefan, 28, spent months planning their trip to disperse her father's ashes.

They are now looking for new flights but do not know when they will be reimbursed for the old ones because their travel insurer was not warned.

The couple drove to Gatwick in the early hours of Monday in the hope of being able to book alternative flights.

Ms. Sheehan said, "I will not stop trying until my last breath, we are shopping for flights, but they are so expensive.

"We had planned this [trip] During months. We have insurance and we have paperwork for his ashes.

She added, "It's really important, not only for both of us, but for our two children and my mother.

"The kids come down with their Nan and they just cry, I cried earlier."

Dream job completed

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Ella Waine said the passengers had told her that she had lost her job as a cabin crew member when they had received phone alerts.

Ella Waine said the passengers had told her that she had lost her "dream job" by learning the news of Thomas Cook's collapse on their cell phone after landing their plane.

Miss Waine, a seasonal member of Thomas Cook's cabin crew, was in Hurgada, Egypt, as discussions to save the company continued.

But when their plane arrived at Birmingham Airport, passengers were informed of the collapse of the company and warned it, as well as other staff members .

Miss Waine of Broughton Astley in Leicestershire told the BBC: "It was a complete moment of heart to stomach.

"We learned exactly at the same time as the passengers.

"An e-mail has been sent to our company but we can not use our phone during the flight."

The 19-year-old said she was "devastated" by the loss of her "dream job" and that the staff did not know it would be paid by the end of the month.

Miss Waine said that she had work waiting for the end of her contract in November, but that she must now find a job urgently until then.

& # 39; Asked to pay & # 39;

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BBC News

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Upon arrival in Fuerteventura, Sam Emerton and his partner Shaylee were informed that they had to pay € 1,211 (£ 1,071) to stay in their hotel.

A few hours after landing in Fuerteventura, Sam Emerton and his partner Shaylee were informed that they had to pay € 1,211 (£ 1,071) to stay at their hotel after the cancellation of their booking.

The staff at the H-10 Ocean Suites, first told the couple that it would only have to pay 173 € for one night while the CAA settled the situation.

But the pair of Milton Keynes, in Buckinghamshire, says the CAA has now told them to pay the full hotel bill of € 1,211 (£ 1,071) as their flight took off from Gatwick at 5:45 am GMT – a few hours after Thomas Cook announced the administration shortly after 02:00 GMT.

But Mr. Emerton, 24, insists that they have not received any communication from Thomas Cook to tell them that the company had gone bankrupt – and that they've learned it. landing in the Canaries.

The couple paid Thomas Cook £ 330 a month since March for the all-inclusive vacation package, which included Easyjet flights.

He told the BBC: "We went to Gatwick at 1:30 in the morning, without our knowledge, Thomas Cook collapsed.

"No one told us, we did not receive any e-mail or SMS from Thomas Cook.

"Our flight has landed [in Fuerteventura] and we got our bags, only to be greeted by anyone. Thomas Cook's booth was empty.

"About half an hour later, a woman came to announce that Thomas Cook had gone bankrupt.There was no transfer to the hotel and the hotel would not accept us at unless we pay 1,211 euros. "

Mr. Emerton said the couple had borrowed money from Shaylee's father for one night, but did not have the money to pay the entire bill.

The CAA was contacted to comment on the couple's case and announced its intention to investigate.

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