Dog with a Bone!

Hello All, 

Finally, this week Mr. Warehouse and I receive a reply from Hays Travel, following my four-page letter over a month ago, complaining about our Honeymoon from Hell to the Continental Plaza Beach Resort Hotel Sharm el-Sheikh in Egypt. Suffice to say that the outcome was not quite as expected. Hays Travel opened by thanking us for taking the time to contact them and naturally they were very concerned to hear that "aspects" of our holiday had not met with our expectations, especially on such a special occasion as a Honeymoon. 

One of the first things they did was pretty much copy and paste the hotel description, seemingly from their database which was sadly mostly incorrect. "The Continental Plaza Beach Resort is rated 4 stars" however we were sold it as a 5 star. "The hotel facilities include 24h reception, several restaurants and bars, several pools, children's pool, water slides, spa facilities, fitness center, tennis court, and internet/wireless internet." Several pools? False - There were only 2. Water slides, spa facilities, fitness center, tennis courts? All totally non-existent. The swim-up bar also was missing and yet promised.

Hays Travel went on to describe the “hotel guestrooms are being equipped with hairdryer, TV, telephone”, however, we would disagree that any of these items were in any fit condition to be honestly and truthfully listed as a “working facility/equipment”. The TV barely worked, the TV remote either had no backing to it and was rusting or what batteries were in there were expanding (in which the next stage would have been explosion which could have been very dangerous considering we were in an interconnecting “family room”) and the telephone either didn’t work or was hanging off the wall with wires hanging out, again extremely dangerous and unsafe. And that wasn't even all of it.

Continuing the reply to our complaint email they stated that "some of the above facilities may be closed due to weather / seasonal conditions", however, I fail to see how weather or seasonal conditions would have any effect on whether or any of the issues we have brought up include but not limited to the filthy and tired decor, worn-out state of the hotel's common areas and WiFi. I fail to see how weather/seasonal conditions directly affect not being able to get a simple glass of wine after asking for this over five times or that it means a swim-up bar would be stocked and manned or the multiple restaurants not being as advertised and force-feeding guests unconfirmed and undisclosed food rather than the A La Carte experience as detailed and expected from not only ourselves but the other multiple guests who either complained or walked out – Or both! Interesting to see their reply to this nonsense phrase. 

The Travel Operator continued "it is difficult for [Hays Tour Operating] to comment on facilities we do not advertise". Now whilst we understand it is difficult for them or in fact any holiday travel agent to be clued up and 100% knowledgeable on any and all facilities in every single hotel or resort across the world, the fact that Hays Tour Operating sell holidays or in our case a Honeymoon, is based entirely off advertising and selling a holiday. My new husband and I were sold and paid nearly £1,700.00 for a five-star and expected this and nothing less and yet we barely received a 2-star.

Laughably, the UK's biggest travel agents claimed that "the issues faced with Wi-Fi, the speed of Wi-Fi depends on several circumstances and as technology is rapidly changing, not all areas will have the same connection speed" and that they regret any inconvenience this caused. However, this is simply not the case or our experience. When booking the hotel, this along with other items were very important to us and up there with some of the “must-haves” we needed and wanted for our holiday - and yet never received.

Amongst other topics of discussion, they stated that "the observations made regarding the cleanliness and maintenance of the hotel overall have been passed to the accommodation management with the view to make improvements where necessary and we will continue to monitor this element of their operation moving forward" and also that as a company they "appreciate our concerns in regard to health and safety as some areas of the hotel appeared to be under construction, the hotelier has advised these are restricted areas out of use and of little disruption to guests." 

As expected and predicted, Hays Travel said that since they were in a position to offer an alternative accommodation to fulfill our package, the Jaz Fanara Resort Hotel, which was booked for the remainder of our stay and we were happy with the change in hotels, the offering of not a reimbursement or compensation but a goodwill gesture. A goodwill gesture of £100.00. Ending their email response, Hays Travel said that they hoped this would "be accepted in the spirit in which it is intended". As in a joke? A mockery of our traumatic honeymoon? As an absolute fucking farce? No. This is not OK. 

So no Hays, £100.00, less than 10% of what we originally paid, is not really appropriate. Given the circumstances, that we were forced to experience this utter horror and the fact that the majority of our not just holiday but our Honeymoon was thoroughly ruined and our memories tarnished completely, Hays Tour Operating offering £100.00 is almost laughable and we feel is almost insulting considering the traumatic experiences we have had. And so I replied. And they responded and I have also to no avail. But be warned Hays Travel, I am not going to be letting this one go!

'Til next time, Love A.Lou x

Remember, if you would like to purchase anything then please feel free to check out my store at: https://www.etsy.com/uk/shop/Wooftys or visit our Instagram @WooftysDogTreats and use "TATOATS21" to get 10% off your first order over £15.00.

My Least Favourite C-Word

Evening, 

The lapping ocean shores and lazy days of Cornwall were long gone and now after a rocky few weeks of uncertainty and unease, I can finally breathe a sigh of relief. Entering our Twentieth week of lockdown in the UK the 100-day mark has well and truly been surpassed and seems like only a distant memory now. However, with shops now all reopened, pubs and restaurants flinging open their doors and schools gearing up to go back in September, figures from the BBC released today confirm that while the number of new cases of coronavirus is rising, government-announced deaths have continued to fall since a peak in mid-April. 

As explained before, the disease COVID-19 (CO = Corona + VI  = Virus + D19 = December 2019 = the month and year which was it was discovered), was first confirmed in the UK at the end of January 2020, however, the number of daily confirmed cases and related deaths only began to soar significantly by the second half of March and after lockdown restrictions came into force at the end of that month, numbers came to a peak mid-April, falling steadily ever since. Though the downward trend has slowed recently today  (Monday 03 August 2020) only nine deaths were reported in the last 24 hour period, however, reported figures on Sundays and Mondays are often lower than the those for rest of the week as there is a delay in deaths being reported over the weekends. 

the BBC details that the "UK currently has a number of local 'hotspots' of cases, many in the north of England, and specific restrictions have been imposed on these areas. Millions of people in Greater Manchester, East Lancashire and parts of West Yorkshire are banned from meeting separate households in private homes or gardens." In a statement released recently, Public Health England is now producing a "coronavirus watchlist of areas, based on an assessment of incidence rates, and other indicators such as trends in testing, local responses and plans, healthcare activity and mortality." Bedford, Luton, Northampton and Peterborough (near where Momma Warehouse lives with her boyfriend) are all classed at the moment as 'areas of concern' and should be monitored closely to make sure there are no spikes in cases or deaths and with places such as Leicestershire and Manchester being areas of grave concern, UK Government has introduced strict conditions and a local lockdown to control the virus. 

Now whilst deaths may be falling allowing people to frolic off on summer holidays and off out on most of their pre-COVID activities, the confirmed cases continue to rise as more and more people are being tested and with this comes concerns around a second wave. The likelihood of this happening and a second lockdown in the space of a year happening isn't impossible but with Boris' new announcement released at the beginning of July which finally included some information on weddings and that small wedding reception starting to take place from 1st August, we are barely three-days in and it has been revoked due to the climate, something I feel better about knowing I don't have to worry about my imminent Autumn wedding. 

For us, the decision to postpone was not an easy one. Crunching the numbers and having to contend with no singing in the church, no father walking his daughter down the awkward aisle of about twenty odd chairs sat socially distanced and no choir (namely in our circumstances due to age and health issues which would consider them in a COVID-vulnerable category, not to mention being unable to learn 2 new songs by the time our day rolled around). And it was on that sunny Sunday in our local pub beer garden that we took the decision to postpone our bid day to Saturday 12th June 2021! 

I think I am certainly more relaxed about it now all the re-invites have gone out and I can start to chill out since I have another additional ten-months to plan more stuff. And by god am I having more STUFF! Back a few months Mr Warehouse and I spoke about a photobooth or some entertainment for guests that was different and to be talked about for years to come. Unique and quirky - Just like us. But the answer was always the same; "If we have a spare couple of hundred quid then yeah we'll book it but not until closer to the time". But now we have time and time earns money so fingers crossed with another few months and maybe a good Christmas bonus coming we can book book book. Besides all this extra free time, I hope to be booking in a holiday or two - Coronavirus can suck it!

'Til next time, Love A.Lou xx

To invite the Children or not to invite the Children?

Hey, 

"Save The Dates" still on hold (I know, I know) Mr Warehouse have been making other plans and desperately trying to negotiate that guest list down. As described in the post a few months ago "The Gluttonous Guest List", our original rough number of about 65-70 for day guests is creeping up and up and the majority of our wedding party was more "Warehouse=family-heavy". With our venue, a stunning village hall in Stagsden, nestled away in the heart of the Bedfordshire countryside, its pretty hall and ideallic gravelled garden I am sure will be plenty big enough for our guests. Although more recently, cutting down our wedding guest list is like Hercules battling Hydra – cut one person and two more seem to grow in their place.

However, with mine and Mr Warehouses most recent look at the serious swelling of our guests and that with the addition of kids, cousins, cousins kids and every man and his dog it is easy to see how things have quickly got out of control. Seeking out some advice online, I have yet again stumbled upon the website Bridebook.co.uk - Pretty much a one-stop-shop on all things wedding and getting married. Some advice they have on guest list has been really helpful such as cutting out children from the wedding party, for part or even the whole day! "This is a dilemma lots of brides and grooms struggle to settle within themselves, never mind with each other. But you’re not a bad person for requesting this – lots of couples do. Not only does it cut costs and numbers but it gives the parents a night off to enjoy themselves too if they so wish" Bridebook.co.uk says. Some helpful advice we have known about for a while. Mr Warehouse and I tried to broach this subject a few times however it always ended in disagreement as there are far too many children. 

I suppose I sort of just thought that family is family and whilst I hate not being able to put mom, dad and kids, heck even the family hound on the invite it is something that we simply cannot afford. If we just work with the adults here, that is everyone over the age of 10/12 (with a few exceptions of the close family members) the numbers come to about 85-90. Introduce all those cherubs and darlings and you have a wedding party of well over a hundred. No problem and all fun and games until you realise these people need to eat and the cost of that is already a bone of contention as the "W" seems to increase the price several times over! 

I mean we could always Billy bullshit an excuse, saying that we were not allowed to have any children at the venue, however, I very much doubt that this would have been the case since the Warehouses are very accustomed to the church we are going to be wed in. Instead, we have decided to be totally honest and upfront about our plans for our big day and have asked all of those family members that have children if they would mind us just inviting mom and dad. I was surprised (although I am not sure as to why) that people have been totally OK about it all, some of them relieved they can leave the kiddi-winks at home or with a babysitter and enjoy the evening letting their hair down. Truth be told they are all understanding that weddings can be and are expensive and so as much as we would love to invite all the children of our friends and family, it is only possible to accommodate the children of close family, mainly down to cost. 

After reaching out I was glad and relieved at how many people had said that it was our special day and whatever we wanted they would accept. If it was children then great or no children still great. I was pleased with the relaxed attitude and feelings everyone replied with and truth be told good make me feel a little silly for sweating so much over it all. So does that mean that Mr Warehouse and I will be sending out our "Save The Dates" this weekend? Well maybe not as we have a few things planned and in the pipeline for home renovations and summer fun, however, I am sure that once we do get round to it in the next couple of months we will have a much better idea on numbers and therefore invites, favours and catering will all be much, much easier. 

'Til next time, Love A.Lou xx

The Gluttonous Guest List

Hello one and all!

Shocked and disgusted I ended the phone call to the caterer. I am beyond the words to describe the sort of supplier that would not just double but nearly triple the price for a wedding sit-down meal in comparison to the same event without such connotations. Mr Warehouse's and My wedding is, as I said before, essentially a "family event" and should have no rhyme or reason as to a catering company increasing their prices so drastically. I assured you all last week that I should get a resolve and indeed I have, although not one I wanted. 

In response to a phone call with another young lady in the office as the main manager was conveniently unavailable for my phone calls, I was told that "further to your recent conversation with the Catering Department, unfortunately, it is not a viable option for us to provide catering for your Wedding due to the overheads involved as the waitressing staff alone cost £12 per hour. As discussed we are unable to provide other peoples food alongside our own and we only ever cater for an entire event. We feel it may be best that you go with the alternative catering company. We are sorry that we have been unable to help you further on this occasion."

Frustrated and annoyed I informed them that it was "unfortunate that I was not able to speak with the manager but that we will as a result not be using yourselves and would be hesitant to use your services or restaurant again but we will be sure to take our £1,500.00+ order and use a caterer that does not put up their prices by nearly treble the original when catering, no matter what the event be it wedding or small family affair as ours is." 

And so the hunt is still on. For caterers and for Wedding suppliers or items alike. This week has left me a little blue since there is not much now left to organise, email about or call people to get quotes for. Most of the sourcing of suppliers has been done and the booking process won't be much far behind that. Since Mr Warehouse keeps insisting that we can't afford a holiday this year (I think we can with a variety of vouchers, money off codes and a good old haggle) I have thrown myself head first into Wedding Planning and some would say maybe neglect my gorgeous Hubby-To-Be, putting all of my focus and energy into planning our dream day. 

After settling down to a rough number we realised that the majority of our wedding Party was more "Warehouse-Heavy". Our venue is stunning or at least will be by the time we put our stamp on it. Nestled in the heart of the Bedfordshire Countryside, Stagsden Village Hall is an old school house converted into a pretty hall with an ideallic gravelled garden and interior features. Large tall and wide windows will perfectly frame our top table and the wooden floors will be partied on all night long I am sure of it. With round tables, it was the perfect venue and ticked all the boxes including plenty of room for outdoors mingling and fun, plus extra space to bung the kids when they get rowdy or tired. The chairs are unsightly but I am sure that they can be tarted up. 

However, with Mr Warehouse and I looking at was the guest list and how much it is swelling with each and every month that seems to pass with the addition of kids, cousins, cousins kids and every man and his dog it is easy to see how things can quickly get out of control. If we just work with the adults here, that is everyone over the age of eighteen (with a few exceptions) the numbers come to about sixty to sixty-five. Introduce all those under legal drinking age and you have a wedding party of nearly ninety already. No problem and all fun and games until you realise these people need to eat and the cost of that is already a bone of contention as the "W" seems to swell the price like an excited horse in a field of fillies! 

I have a few ideas up my sleeve in respects of getting what I want. I always do. Well, most of the time. But if I don't then there are always a few good alternatives that are less costly but don't necessarily rely on the whole served-at-your-seat vibe, more of a DIY serve from the table kinda vibe. And so I suppose until next week wish me luck in finding a desperate supplier for a broke-ass Bride and Groom! 

'Til next time, Love A.Lou xx 

Suck It Samsung!

'Ello 'Ello, 

So after constant phone calls to Samsung Head Office's every day of the last fortnight pretty much, it would seem we have some progress. You see a while back I wrote about my first few days being on holiday in Lanzarote with Miss Tweedle-Dee and Miss Tweedle-Dumb entitled "The Chinese Man Stole My Change & Other Tales of Brits Abroad!" In it I described what was to be the beginning of nearly four months worth of issues with my mobile-phone maker - Samsung. 

Issues with my phone started on the Monday in late June, just days before I flew out to Lanzarote, and after completing a very simple system/software update on my beloved Samsung Galaxy Note4, upgrading the operating system from Android Lollipop to Android Marshmallow it decided to knock out all my contacts leaving me unable to access my address book, call log, or even my key pad to call 999 for emergencies. As worryingly frustrating as this is I also lost all my contact names so if I was able to make any texts, which was difficult as the system would just crash after a few seconds of being in my messages, I couldn't know for sure who I was texting as my names-to-numbers had been lost. Annoyingly after several calls to Samsung, over ten-hours (the night before my holiday was due to begin) in total backing up all my phones data, one factory reset and an unsuccessful restore of data my phone was still broken. 

Sitting at work on the morning of my half-day holiday, I was less than six-hours from boarding the plane and yet my phone was still not fixed. Explaining in full to Samsung my issues and the fact I had attempted to back my data up on my phones unsuccessfully the night before the gentleman helped me through yet another factory reset and a half restore of my phone's data. Unable to complete the restore I was told someone would have to remote onto my phone the following day and that it would be OK to do even if overseas as all I would need was a strong internet connection my end and a strong internet connection back here in the UK call centre. Needing nothing more I left work and headed to the station with my half-fixed phone, boarded my plane and begin to try and relax on a well earned holiday with my Tweedles. 

The following day Miss Tweedle-Dee, Miss Tweedle-Dumb and I headed to the beach to feel the sand between our toes on our first full day in the beating sunshine. It wasn't long before I had a phone call although due to my phones problems I was unable to answer it so hoped and prayed someone would try calling back later, which, a few hours later they did. Speaking to the gentleman that called he asked me to open my Laptop. I explained that I did not have it with me as I was out for the day and was told I did not need to be near it for the remote session with an engineer to commence. This was apparently incorrect information and as such I would need to be near my Laptop in order to perform the data restore to my Samsung Galaxy Note4. Explaining that the following day would be a pool day at the hotel and I could be near my Laptop most the afternoon if needs be I was promised a phone call back the following afternoon, but as I am sure you can expect, no phone call came. 


Continuing my holiday as normal as I could with limited access to my phone, I struggled to relax and enjoy myself. Attempting to take photos, videos, send messages back home or even use the calculator to split the bill for dinner was an increasely hard uphill struggle. By our last night on the Spanish island, not only was my phone shutting down, restart and freeze automatically on its own, but it also was conducting a full factory reset without authorisation which, in turn, deleted everything including all my music, contacts, Apps and holiday photos. Everything. Gone. 

Getting home in the very small hours of the following Friday I had a driving lesson and sat for a further two hours on the phone to Samsung in an attempt to get it resolved. Due to the fact that my phone was now shutting down, restart and freeze automatically on its own with no prior warning I was told I would need to bring it into the
Samsung store in Milton Keynes. So, scrapping all prior plans I had with Mr. Warehouse and others, my other half and I headed over to Milton Keynes bright and early on Saturday morning to get some results. After all I was told during my hundred-and-twenty-minute phone call that if they could not fix it in store then they would send it away externally for fixing and I would be able to make use of a replacement phone which was already waiting for me in the Samsung store. Although on arrival into store this was far from the case and after attempting their own repairs for the phone it was clear it would need to be sent away. 

"So how do I go about getting this replacement phone then to see me through until mine comes back then?" I asked. 
"I am not sure what you are on about Miss? We sometimes have devices we can allow customers to use whilst their's is in for repair but we dont have any in stock at the moment, Sorry." The kindly sales person said. Enraged I blathered on about what I was now meant to do and after travelling to Milton Keynes and wasting my entire day I was certainly far from a happy customer. Blowing up I poured out about the issues I had constantly had with Samsung and their frankly shockingly poor levels of customer service. I left the store that day unhappy and unable to 'simply go and buy a replacement phone' as the patronising sales person had told me to do. Upset I channelled it through on Monday morning as I penned a five page letter explaining all the issues and problems I had encountered. 

A few weeks later I received a snotty and frankly rude reply explaining that regardless of my medical situation of the time and needing a phone to contact doctors or hospitals should I need their services I would not be able to get a replacement device as promised by the previous call handler. I was pissed. Calling the number on the bottom of the letter I spoke with Mr. Samsung who was dealing with my case since the person who had originally wrote to me was since sunning her own self on a holiday of her own. Promising to help me he arranged for me to go into the Samsung store in Milton Keynes and collect a replacement device to use whilst mine was in for repair, although this was after some weeks of fighting for it and explaining many different times that it was important I had a phone to make contact with people should I become severely ill. 

Smoothly I went into the Samsung store in Milton Keynes and handed in my phone at the beginning of August. A week later I called for an update, since I had not had one from Mr. Samsung at Head Office. I was told by the store girl that my phone was sent away as promised although they were unable to fix it so were sending a replacement back in the form of either a new or refurbished Samsung Galaxy Note4. Another week passed and so after two-and-a-half weeks of it being with Samsung I decided to call again for another update. Only this time no-one answered the phone. Ringing and ringing and ringingand ringingand ringing. Six hours in total I spent trying to contact the Samsung store in Milton Keynes. No answer. So I got on the blower to Mr. Samsung at Head Office again and ripped him a nice new anus, explaining yet again my troubles with the poxy company who prides itself on being "market leaders" in innovation?!

Day after day after day I wouldMr. Samsung at Head Office call Mr. Samsung at Head Office just to hear what excuse he may have this time for where my phone is and why the Milton Keynes store was not answering their phones. On the brink of giving up and with my phone being in apparent transit for nearly three weeks I was subsequently told that actually it had only been in transit for four days and that an estimated time of arrival back to store would not be possible. 

Last Friday was my last straw and after being constantly pushed from pillar to post, told silly excuses and pointless reasons as to where my phone was and why it was not yet with me I was growing tired. Demanding a satisfactory development by three O'clock I warned that failure to do so would result in me taking it higher be it to the CEO or the Press but I wanted results and I wanted them today. Three O'clock soon loomed over my desk from the clock above it and just as I was about the angry phonecall to my dearest Mr. SamsungSamsung I received an incoming call from an unknown number. Answering the call I heard a familiar voice. It was Mr. SamsungSamsung. He had a soloutionresult for me. For some unknown reason, of which I have still not been told fully, Samsung, along with Carphone Warehouse (whom carried out my repair and who have supposedly still have my phone) would credit my account with £450.00 to buy a brand new phone with. Sceptical at the prospects of buying a like-for-like brand new phone for that price, I obliged and proceeded to spend my Friday night browsing Samsung online, relucant to buy a phone, or anything else for that matter from them ever again. 

The following morning I woke and made the trip yet again to the Samsung store in Milton Keynes. Walking into branch at the crack of opening time I approached one of the sales girls and explained "How she could help". Sure as to be there was not phone that was in the Samsung store under that value which as a result lead to me calling Carphone Warehouse and asking them to transfer the money. I just wanted the money, to cut my losses and leave store with either cash or in the knowledge that the bank transfer was completed. I was denied this although was told I could go to any Carphone Warehouse store and select any phone or accessories to the tune of my "voucher". Five minutes later I am in the Carphone Warehouse store in Milton Keynes and choosing my new phone - A Huawei (pronounced Wah-Way) P9 and I am in love. Although I did need to go to another store over twenty-minutes away from the city centre to collect it. With it being close to closing time, raining and with only two young and fairly unprofessionally mannered store people I wanted to get in an out and home. Successfully spending all of my "credit" on my new phone, in-car charger, spare cable, screen protector, GooglePlay voucher, in-car holster, a starter pack and a set of headphones. 

At present I have had not a single problem with my new  Huawei P9. I love it and am so glad my problems with Samsung are now finally over - Funnily enough I haven't heard from my friend Mr. Samsung?! Wonder why?

 'Til next time, Love A.Lou xx