| Yeti, the only reason I'd go to ABTA is so that you have it on record in case the Tour Operator uses "we could have sorted this out through ABTA" as an argument in a subsequent small claims court hearing. In all probability you won't get much joy out of ABTA, and it will probably delay things quite a bit.
Regarding the small claims court, definitely the best approach if you have a good case. I have acted as representative for a couple of tour operators in these disputes , and the solution has always been very fair. Only thing to be aware of is, if the operator offers you compensation to try and avoid going to court and you refuse it, if the small claims court decides in your favour but for the same or a smaller amount, you will get feck-all, so weigh up any offer they make carefully.
Let me know if you need any information about the labyrinth workings of our worryingly dodgy tour operator industry! |