Complaint Letter: Sample 1

October 1, 2000
Mr. Shawn Gray
President
Gray Travel Agency
111 Main Street
Warren, PA 2111
!ear Mr. Gray,
A"ter s#ccess"#lly #sing yo#r agency "or $any years, % recently e&'erienced a
terrible 'roble$. % a$ writing to obtain co$'ensation "or a h#ge $ista(e "or which
% believe yo#r "ir$ is res'onsible.
On Se'te$ber 1, 2000, % #sed Gray Travel to boo( $y honey$oon tri' to )awaii.
*o#r agent, +arla !rysdale, $ade all o" the arrange$ents "or #s. She boo(ed $y
h#sband and % on the A$erican Airlines "light to )onol#l# ,-light . on
Se'te$ber 1, which was sched#led to arrive at / a$ on the $orning o" Se'te$ber
10. O#r ti$ely arrival was essential, as we were sched#led to 'artici'ate in a to#r
gro#' which began its 1o#rney on the a"ternoon o" Se'te$ber 10.
2'on o#r arrival at the San -rancisco Air'ort, we discovered that o#r reservations
had not been con"ir$ed and the airline had overboo(ed the "light. Sadly, we were
#nable to get seats on the 'lane, which was the last A$erican Airlines "light to
)awaii that day. We were rel#ctant to boo( seats on another airline, as we had
already 'aid "or this tri' in "#ll, #sing a 3isa card ,acco#nt 4556 667/ 0057
0021.. O#r card was charged, yet we had no "light. 2n"ort#nately, o#r credit li$it
was inade8#ate to boo( a di""erent "light on another airline.
The botto$9line: we $issed o#r "light to )awaii, along with o#r to#r gro#';s
de'art#re in )onol#l#. %nstead o" lying on a tran8#il beach, we s'ent o#r "irst
$arried days in the Air'ort )ilton in San -rancisco, trying to sort o#t this $ess.
We were #nable to s'ea( with Ms. !rysdale #ntil Monday, Se'te$ber 1/, which
was two days a"ter o#r sched#led de'art#re. She was e&tre$ely a'ologetic, b#t
co#ld not e&'lain what had ca#sed the 'roble$. She was #nable to boo( #s on an
alternative "light to )awaii on s#ch short notice, b#t did o""er to clear o#r credit
card o" all charges. She o""ered #s no "#rther e&'lanations or co$'ensation.
My h#sband and % are both livid. We 'lanned this tri' "or over a year and were
e&cited abo#t visiting )awaii on o#r honey$oon. Ms. !rysdales;s $ista(e cost #s
o#r once9in9a9li"eti$e chance to "#l"ill a signi"icant 'ersonal drea$. %n "act, we not
only $issed the tri'< we are still "ighting to recover o#r de'osits at the hotel in
)onol#l#=
>eca#se yo#r agency ca#sed the 'roble$s, we e&'ect yo# to wor( with #s to
obtain a satis"actory resol#tion. S'eci"ically, we e&'ect yo# to:
1. 3eri"y that o#r 3isa card has been credited "or the ?057 we 'aid "or the
aborted honey$oon tri'
2. @ei$b#rse #s "or the ?0/0 in de'osits we are #nable to recover "ro$ the
)onol#l# Sheraton %slander )otel
5. @ei$b#rse #s "or the two nights we s'ent stranded at the San -rancisco Air'ort
)ilton ,?56.
. Provide #s with two "irst class ro#nd9tri' tic(ets on a "light to )awaii which will
be good "or the ne&t calendar year ,dates o" travel to be o#r choice.
*o#r agency can;t give #s bac( o#r wedding tri', b#t we e&'ect yo# to 'rovide a
"#t#re tri' co$'arable to the one we were denied beca#se o" yo#r boo(ing $ista(e.
We also e&'ect a "#ll a'ology and ass#rance that yo#r "ir$ ta(es res'onsibility "or
this irre'arable error.
-ro$ o#r e&'erience, this sit#ation was a dra$atic letdown "ro$ the s#'erlative
service that we #s#ally receive "ro$ Gray Travel. %n "act, we have always been
loyal to yo#r "ir$ beca#se o" the e&e$'lary treat$ent we have received "ro$ yo#
and yo#r attentive sta"". We s#ggest that yo# coach Ms. !rysdale in 'ro'er
boo(ing 'roced#res and in c#sto$er relations. )er behavior does not re"lect
'ositively on Gray Travel.
Please call $e be"ore October 10 with con"ir$ation that o#r re8#ests will be
honored. %" % don;t hear "ro$ yo#, % will re'ort yo# to the a''ro'riate reg#latory
agencies in +ali"ornia and )awaii.
Sincerely,
Aane Myers
111 Waln#t Street
Avondale, PA 5211
616900096666
cc: >etter >#siness >#rea#
A$erican Society o" Travel Agents
2S !e'art$ent o" Trans'ortation: +ons#$er A""airs !ivision
-ederal Aviation A#thority: +ons#$er Protection !ivision
O""ice o" +ons#$er Protection: State O""ice o" the Attorney General
RESULT: The author received everything she asked for (tems 1!" a#ove$