For those that has been bugging me the entire time as I hardly updated my blog for the past few months, please accept my apologies as I had to settle quite a lot of personal stuff lately :) This unfortunately includes finding new place to stay, and 'fighting' with my travel agent besides my normal day to day work in finding and reading my literature reviews..
Mind you, I had stayed for about four years in my current house, shared with the landlord and his spanish girlfriend plus two other tenants that come and go. Alas, instead of having all the facilities getting better each year (with the room rent being increased each year) it has, unfortunately, gets worse; greywater from shower and bath that leaks down to the kitchen, hot water boiler that never work properly, despite the landlord's promise since December 2004 that they are going to install a new boiler in new year, up till today 15th April 2005, I see no improvement with the old boiler let alone having a new one. When being challenged on the 'prospective' of getting a new boiler, he mentioned that he already spoken to the boiler man and that they are 'measuring up' the empty space in the kitchen now since the new boiler is apparently bigger than the old one...hmm..and so, as I 'waited', days gone by, weeks turned to month and then three months has passed by, still I see nothing new!! am I gobsmacked? apparently nope... These problems combined with his lack of self control (read: banging and trying to get into people's room 3 o'clock in the morning- thank God I always remember to lock my door every night before i snooze off -lucky enough, I am the only tenant that able to get a key for her room-that is, after a long and painful whinging for a year-, abusive and trying to get into fight with passers-by outside the house..) during most of his drunken night with the other two tenants and the state of the whole house especially where you can see slugs wandering around the kitchen floor, table and chairs in liberal, I decided to pack my stuff and say 'cheers!'
Other obstacle I had encountered was the difficulty to get my airline ticket from the Emerald Travel Agent (words of advice: NEVER EVER PURCHASeD YOUR TICKET FROM EMERALD TRAVEL AGENT NO MATTER HOW CHEAP THEY ARE!). I had booked my airline ticket in January for travelling back home in March. Being informed that the ticket will be issued a week after my payment in January, I find it strange when it did not arrived two weeks after that. Calling their office was a real pain in the arse as well since they refused to co-operate and keep asking me to wait and wait and wait. Two weeks before my departure in March, I decided that I had enough and so had fiercely calling and bombarding them with emails until the woman dealing with my itinenary, Ms Natalie Koycheva replied to my email stating that a new ticket will be issued BUT I am liable to pay £40.00 to re-issue the ticket!! For the love of God!! There is no need to be a scientist to know that the fault does not lie in me as I never received the ticket and that the ticket apparently stated to be lost in post! No matter how I argued with her, she refused to settle the problem and said that there is nothing she can do about it as the order came from her 'manager'! Furious and overwhelmed with anger, I decided to call my airline network (Emirates), they agreed that the Emerald travel agent is the one responsible for the charges and ..guess what..it's actually cost £35.00 not £40.00...hmm... Tired of the whole situation, I decided to write a complain letter to the manager of the Emerald Travel Agent (Janet xx) and ABTA. The next working day, I decided to call them again to settle the 'unfinished fight' and glad enough to know that only this time they admit that the charges to be paid by themselves and that new ticket will only be issued one week before my travel. No apologies (especially for trying to overcharged me), nothing.. Even at this stage, each person has different explanation..some says that the ticket will be issued and sent straight to the issue desks in the airport but some says that the ticket will be issued and sent to my home address..
Anyway, yes, after a long and painful fight..I managed to go home and yes, here I am now back for my research :)
Mind you, I had stayed for about four years in my current house, shared with the landlord and his spanish girlfriend plus two other tenants that come and go. Alas, instead of having all the facilities getting better each year (with the room rent being increased each year) it has, unfortunately, gets worse; greywater from shower and bath that leaks down to the kitchen, hot water boiler that never work properly, despite the landlord's promise since December 2004 that they are going to install a new boiler in new year, up till today 15th April 2005, I see no improvement with the old boiler let alone having a new one. When being challenged on the 'prospective' of getting a new boiler, he mentioned that he already spoken to the boiler man and that they are 'measuring up' the empty space in the kitchen now since the new boiler is apparently bigger than the old one...hmm..and so, as I 'waited', days gone by, weeks turned to month and then three months has passed by, still I see nothing new!! am I gobsmacked? apparently nope... These problems combined with his lack of self control (read: banging and trying to get into people's room 3 o'clock in the morning- thank God I always remember to lock my door every night before i snooze off -lucky enough, I am the only tenant that able to get a key for her room-that is, after a long and painful whinging for a year-, abusive and trying to get into fight with passers-by outside the house..) during most of his drunken night with the other two tenants and the state of the whole house especially where you can see slugs wandering around the kitchen floor, table and chairs in liberal, I decided to pack my stuff and say 'cheers!'
Other obstacle I had encountered was the difficulty to get my airline ticket from the Emerald Travel Agent (words of advice: NEVER EVER PURCHASeD YOUR TICKET FROM EMERALD TRAVEL AGENT NO MATTER HOW CHEAP THEY ARE!). I had booked my airline ticket in January for travelling back home in March. Being informed that the ticket will be issued a week after my payment in January, I find it strange when it did not arrived two weeks after that. Calling their office was a real pain in the arse as well since they refused to co-operate and keep asking me to wait and wait and wait. Two weeks before my departure in March, I decided that I had enough and so had fiercely calling and bombarding them with emails until the woman dealing with my itinenary, Ms Natalie Koycheva replied to my email stating that a new ticket will be issued BUT I am liable to pay £40.00 to re-issue the ticket!! For the love of God!! There is no need to be a scientist to know that the fault does not lie in me as I never received the ticket and that the ticket apparently stated to be lost in post! No matter how I argued with her, she refused to settle the problem and said that there is nothing she can do about it as the order came from her 'manager'! Furious and overwhelmed with anger, I decided to call my airline network (Emirates), they agreed that the Emerald travel agent is the one responsible for the charges and ..guess what..it's actually cost £35.00 not £40.00...hmm... Tired of the whole situation, I decided to write a complain letter to the manager of the Emerald Travel Agent (Janet xx) and ABTA. The next working day, I decided to call them again to settle the 'unfinished fight' and glad enough to know that only this time they admit that the charges to be paid by themselves and that new ticket will only be issued one week before my travel. No apologies (especially for trying to overcharged me), nothing.. Even at this stage, each person has different explanation..some says that the ticket will be issued and sent straight to the issue desks in the airport but some says that the ticket will be issued and sent to my home address..
Anyway, yes, after a long and painful fight..I managed to go home and yes, here I am now back for my research :)
2 comments:
Well, Natalie Koycheva! .. I used to know her! Thanks God I don't know her anymore! Emerald are actually good, I know Janet as well. I guess eversince their employee messed up they had to stand for themselves ...
yes, it's ashame how they handle their customer.. it's actually one of my friend's aunty who recommended me Emerald Travel Agent, maybe like you said, they had unfortunately fell downward now.. I guess they really need to buff up their ability in handling customer's problem efficiently and pain free..and better still, not to piss their customer off and worst, not trying to overcharge us-the customer! .. :( Just for future reference: I will recommend dial a flight and rex air as one of the reliable travel agent. Anyway, am open to any other suggestions!
Post a Comment