Kingfisher cancellations

Who did you send your email to exactly as they have not been replying to mine

 

reservations@kingfisherrailtours.co.uk

 

http://www.kingfisherrailtours.co.uk/investment.html
Very interesting...

 

It's certainly seems to be a strange time in the economic cycle to be looking for investors in a leisure business.
But you never know, may be he has decided to "spend more time with his family" as politicians say.

 

Quick update - I posted here a few weeks ago, suggesting that my Kingfisher refund was moving forward. I'd managed to get through to someone on their seemingly permanently engaged phone line, and was told that I'd get a call back once they'd located the cheque order.

Unfortunately, I've still had no call back. I'm taking my story up with the press and consumer watchdogs, which I told Kingfisher I would do if they did not honour their commitment. Will keep you posted.

 

What they don't mention is that investors will also owe money to half the posters on this thread.

 

That is the intriguing bit - what could they be? New routes or existing services?

 

That is the intriguing bit - what could they be? New routes or existing services?[/quote:3o7eiik9]

What i dont get is... Why buy a company with an increasingly poor image if you can just crush tham as one organisation most definatly could!

 

this is also being discussed on google groups UK railways forum, and someone has suggested the following link
https://www.moneyclaim.gov.uk/csmco2/index.jsp

 

I have just emailed Kingfisher reservations giving them 7 days to refund me the money for both the cancelled trip on the 7th of September and a refund from last years Christmas Dalesman which was diesel hauled and a partial refund was promised.I have advised them that if i do not get a refund then i will use the smallclaims process to obtain my money. I would strongly suggest that other people do the same - it may bring them to their senses and repect there customers - to be quite honest i have travelled on many occasions with Kingfisher but following this fiasco i doubt i will be using them again.

 

I don't agree this issue of refunds affects the whole charter business. So far as steam tours are concerned I have never had any problems in getting refunds from Past Time Rail, RTC or Steam Dreams. Similarly the SRPS never take the money or bank cheques until their tours are definite runners. The recent cancellation of their FORTH BRIDGE, FIFE AND CLACKMANNAN CIRCLE tour saw my original cheque returned with the cancellation letter.

I note Kingfisher have recently withdrawn the on-line booking facility from their website and are now asking potential customers for the tours they are currently advertising to contact their office by telephome. This to me seems a retrograde marketing move as you can seldom get through to their office by phone, so people will give up. In turn this will lead to fewer bookings, more cancelled trains and further discontent.

 

Nothing like kicking a man when he's down, (if indeed he is) In the current financial climate and the high cost of organising tours, it's all too easy to have cash flow problems. many businesses work on money coming in to pay for past expences, wages etc. Look at football clubs, how many millions do they owe suppliers? And most of the time the traders do not get a penny when clubs go into liquidation and then continue under a different name. The money owed to punters of Kingfisher is negligable compared to them. No doubt Roger is doing all he can to survive and hopefully will continue to trade. I for one wish him and all the other tour promotors well, may they long continue to give us all pleasure, whether lineside or travelling.

 

It would appear that you are condoning the use of the customers money, which should be repaid for non supply of product/service, to keep the company afloat during a cashflow crisis. The money belongs to the customer and I don't think they paid it over to support a company, rather it was paid over to buy a service, i.e. a railtour. I'm really sure you would be happy to walk into Joe Bloggs & Co on the High Street, hand over £50 for a thingamejig and then get told sorry we've sold out but we'll hang on to the cash anyway as we are having a bit of trouble with the bank. Harsh but true.

 

Whilst i appreciate that companies do have cash flow problems there is no getting away from the fact that Kingfisher are hanging onto money which does not now belong to them - i am owed £180.00 for a service which i booked in good faith and has not been deleivered. If they are unable to supply the goods in question then money must be returned, and very sadly if that means that they are having problems with cash flow then its down to poor management and nothing else.
l wonder if they are on the edge of going under with cancellations, the web booking system being withdrawn, and appeals for backers. I know that Kingfisher staff read these websites as they have informed me that they had seen the earlier speculation regarding their financial status - if Roger Hardingham or any of his staff read this how about the truth - what is going on with regards to peoples money that is now being held by Kingfisher, and is the company going under?

 

Well if the company is going under, you will not get any money back, or perhaps 1p in the pound, what they dont have you won't get. Also sad but true

 

I appreciate that if Kingfisher do go under then i will lose my money - but at least then i will KNOW where i stand with this. The lack of any conformation of their financial status, and more importantly good customer care in keeping paying customers updated is what is the most annoying aspect of this issue.L will wait until the 7 days notice i have given them for my money to be returned has expired and then go down the small claims court procedure - so far as expected i have not had any response to this from Mr Hardingham or Kingfisher from the email i have sent them.

As previous contributors to this subject have stated - all this does is make you lose confidence with booking further trips - in future before i consider any further bookings i will check with the company involved just to what is there policy on refunds if a tour is cancelled.

 

I have said it before but I will repeat it, I do not want to see any operator in trouble. This is not just a recent thing with Kingfisher, they have been running the business in this manner for a long time now. I wasted unnecessary money when they cancelled a tour and after trying to get a refund, and failing, I was thinking of getting in my car and going to their office. Then the refund came, 5 months. Kingfisher are quick to take your money, but it doesn't work the other way.

 

Well done to Pathfinders on their recent statement regarding customer refunds.

I agree with previous comments in that we do not need poorly-run tour operators bringing the mainline movement down.

Good luck to all of you waiting for refunds.