Abbey Travel - 2&3 (pg5) Match Package

JimmyG wrote: thomsonsport wrote: The post was approved by a mod. The website which went up this morning lists the license number as required by law. (Thomson Sport Ireland Limited, registered in Ireland No 455820. 18-19 Duke Street Dublin 2) With respect I do not think you have a clue what you are writing about.  I do not doubt your company is registered in the CRO but do you have a tour operators licence and a bond.  As I pointed out in my post yesterday ABTA and Atol are UK bonding arrangements which do not apply to Ireland.  If you have a tour operator's licence it is a requirement of that licence that you publish a statement to that affect and the licence number on all publicity material including any website.  This is a typical "British Isles" approach we see from so many UK companies who think that Ireland is just another UK regional office.  It would be interestesting to know where in Ireland your office is and how many staff you employ in Ireland.  I note that your website only offers Euro 2012 packages out of Ireland and seems to have been set up exclusively for the purpose of fleecing Irish football supporters.  Unlike your UK website you do not offer packages to other international sporting events involving Ireland such as the rugby 6 nations.

Further to my earlier post I contacted the Commission for Aviation Regulation* who are the licensing authority for tour operators and travel agents in  Ireland and they told me that Thomson Sport Ireland Ltd does not have a tour operators licence and is therefore not bonded.  It would appear therefore that this company is trading illegally and any packages booked with them are not protected.

* Commission for Aviation Regulation

• 3rd Floor Alexandra House Earlsfort Terrace Dublin 2
• Phone: +353-(0) 1-6611700, Fax: +353-(0) 1-6611269, Email: info@aviationreg.ie

Edited by JimmyG - 12 Jan 2012 at 2:22pm

JimmyG wrote: JimmyG wrote: thomsonsport wrote: The post was approved by a mod. The website which went up this morning lists the license number as required by law. (Thomson Sport Ireland Limited, registered in Ireland No 455820. 18-19 Duke Street Dublin 2) With respect I do not think you have a clue what you are writing about.  I do not doubt your company is registered in the CRO but do you have a tour operators licence and a bond.  As I pointed out in my post yesterday ABTA and Atol are UK bonding arrangements which do not apply to Ireland.  If you have a tour operator's licence it is a requirement of that licence that you publish a statement to that affect and the licence number on all publicity material including any website.  This is a typical "British Isles" approach we see from so many UK companies who think that Ireland is just another UK regional office.  It would be interestesting to know where in Ireland your office is and how many staff you employ in Ireland.  I note that your website only offers Euro 2012 packages out of Ireland and seems to have been set up exclusively for the purpose of fleecing Irish football supporters.  Unlike your UK website you do not offer packages to other international sporting events involving Ireland such as the rugby 6 nations.  Further to my earlier post I contacted the Commission for Aviation Regulation* who are the licensing authority for tour operators and travel agents in  Ireland and they told me that Thomson Sport Ireland Ltd does not have a tour operators licence and is therefore not bonded.  It would appear therefore that this company is trading illegally and any packages booked with them are not protected. * Commission for Aviation Regulation 3rd Floor Alexandra House Earlsfort Terrace Dublin 2 Phone: +353-(0) 1-6611700, Fax: +353-(0) 1-6611269, Email: info@aviationreg.ie

Kerrzy wrote: They operate thru Falcon Travel.

Yes, it's all obscene & yes it's greed,  but we live in a capitalist world and it's just a case of supply and demand. 

Reason being Cliff is that UEFA are most likely charging Thompson a lot of money to be able to sell these type of packages to fans which is the piece people miss out when adding up the aspects of the price.  How much does Abbey/Thompson pay the FAI/UEFA to be able to sell "face value" tickets.  If they pay them €40 a ticket then the FAI/UEFA making €120 out of every package sold.  

Is it not FAI who give allocation to Abbey?

Abbey are the FAIs travel partner and TUI/Thompson are UEFAs.   Both get an allocation but it goes back to the same old point about corporate hospitality at games as well.  People complain about it but at the end of the day its the people willing to pay the bigger prices who allow others to pay lower prices..

Ireland4ever wrote: Kerrzy wrote: They operate thru Falcon Travel.       JimmyG 0- Thomsonsport 100   ....eagerly await thomsonsports jimmg's response, crowd of gangsters... Thomsonsport, a great bunch of lads.

Thomson Sport Ireland Limited can not operate legally in Ireland as a tour operator unless it is licensed.  Falcon leisure Group [Overseas] Ltd which trades under a number of different names in Ireland including Falcon Hollidays, JWT Holiday, Thomson and Thomson Cruises is licensed but is an entirely different legal entity.  The two companies are related but just as I can not legally drive a car using my brother's licence neither can Thomson Sport Ireland Ltd. trade under the tour operator's licence of its sister company.  There are a number of simple options open to them the easiest of which will be to register Thomson Sport as a trading name of Falcon Leisure Group [Overseas] Ltd and advise the licensing authority of what they are doing.  In the meantime Thomson Sport Ireland Ltd is trading illegally and any bookings made to date are not covered by a bond.
I am sure Thomson did not set out intentionally to deceive the public or did not set out to knowingly break the law.  As I said earlier this is just typical of UK companies coming into Ireland with their British Isles attitude and not having proper and due regard to our seperate laws and identity.
I will not be charging Thomson Sport Ireland Ltd for this legal and technical advice but if the want to offer me a free 10 day package for 2 people to Euro 2012 I will donate it to be auctioned on behalf of the YBIG charities. 


Edited by JimmyG - 12 Jan 2012 at 5:34pm

JimmyG wrote: Ireland4ever wrote: Kerrzy wrote: They operate thru Falcon Travel.       JimmyG 0- Thomsonsport 100   ....eagerly await thomsonsports jimmg's response, crowd of gangsters... Thomsonsport, a great bunch of lads. Thomson Sport Ireland Limited can not operate legally in Ireland as a tour operator unless it is licensed.  Falcon leisure Group [Overseas] Ltd which trades under a number of different names in Ireland including Falcon Hollidays, JWT Holiday, Thomson and Thomson Cruises is licensed but is an entirely different legal entity.  The two companies are related but just as I can not legally drive a car using my brother's licence neither can Thomson Sport Ireland Ltd. trade under the tour operator's licence of its sister company.  There are a number of simple options open to them the easiest of which will be to register Thomson Sport as a trading name of Falcon Leisure Group [Overseas] Ltd and advise the licensing authority of what they are doing.  In the meantime Thomson Sport Ireland Ltd is trading illegally and any bookings made to date are not covered by a bond. I am sure Thomson did not set out intentionally to deceive the public or did not set out to knowingly break the law.  As I said earlier this is just typical of UK companies coming into Ireland with their British Isles attitude and not having proper and due regard to our seperate laws and identity. I will not be charging Thomson Sport Ireland Ltd for this legal and technical advice but if the want to offer me a free 10 day package for 2 people to Euro 2012 I will donate it to be auctioned on behalf of the YBIG charities.