HELP: TUI mis-sold me a room upgrade using the wrong photos - hotel confirmed it, bank won’t dispute yet, and TUl is denying everything. What do I do? England
Location: London
I'm honestly at my wits' end and hoping someone here has dealt with this before.
Back in March, I booked a holiday with TUI to Meraki Resort in Hurghada. When choosing the room, I upgraded based entirely on the photos TUl showed on their website. The pictures attached to the upgrade option clearly matched the Merkalicious Room on the hotel's official website - same layout, same décor, same everything. That's the room I thought I was paying extra for.
Fast forward:
I emailed the hotel directly to doublecheck the room category l'd been assigned... and they told me l've actually been given the Double Trouble Room, which looks completely different and is NOT the room shown in TUl's photos.
So basically:
• TUI advertised the upgrade using photos of the Merkalicious Room
• But the room they actually booked me into is the Double Trouble Room
• The hotel confirmed this in writing
• TUl is pretending the photos don't matter and only the "system room name" does
I contacted TUl on 10th June to try to fix this. I even asked if I could move my holiday dates just so l could get the room I originally paid for. They offered me a departure on 1st September with the Merkalicious Room — but only if I paid an extra £50 per person PLUS any additional amendment fees. Basically, they wanted me to pay again for the room I already paid for.
I refused because... why would I pay twice for their mistake?
I then went to my bank (Amex) to dispute the charge. TUl responded with a 14-page document claiming:
• I "selected a Double Room with Limited Sea View"
• No other room type was ever shown
• No misrepresentation occurred
• My complaint is just a "post-purchase preference change"
They completely ignored the fact that the photos they used were of a different room category. They're acting like the pictures don't matter, even though that's literally how customers choose rooms.
Amex said they can't dispute it yet because the stay hasn't happened - they need evidence after the holiday if the room provided is not as advertised.
So now I'm stuck waiting until August, and I'm planning to contact the hotel again before I arrive so they're aware of the issue. But l'm honestly exhausted and don't even know how to word it anymore.
Has anyone dealt with TUl mis-selling rooms like this?
What's the best way to handle this before I travel?
And is there anything else I should be doing now to protect myself?
Any advice would be massively appreciated
First 2 pics are pics of the room I have with Tui, and the other 4 pics are pics of the corresponding hotel rooms