Several ZDNet UK readers have complained that they have encountered setbacks when they tried to claim their free economy flight to one of eleven destinations in Europe and the US.
Some say that they were told they weren't able to get flights to the destination of their choice, even though this should have been possible under the terms and conditions of the offer. Others have reported that they have struggled to get any details about the state of their applications.
BT has admitted that some people have encountered difficulties getting their flights. A BT spokesman said on Friday that this was "less than 1 percent" of those who applied, which he said equated to "hundreds" of people.
BT is adamant that the problem isn't on the scale of Hoover's, whose offer in the early 90s of a free flight to America with every purchase worth £100 or more went badly wrong.
But Harry Cichy, who led the fight against Hoover, believes BT could be facing big problems.
Cichy told ZDNet UK that he has been contacted by a significant number of BT customers complaining of problems. He believes that the issue will snowball over the next few weeks.
"There should be more control on free flight offers," said Cichy.
"I was very surprised that a company of BT's pedigree should go to the level of offering free flights to sell its broadband," Cichy added.
There has been concern in the advertising industry about BT's offer.
"We've heard rumours of the promotion going off the rails," said a spokesman for the Institute of Sales Promotion (ISP). He added that ISP had not received any official complaints and wasn't treating it as a significant issue at this stage.
The Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) has already received one complaint from a BT customer who claims to have encountered problems with the offer. This complaint is currently being investigated by the ASA.
BT insists that everyone who is entitled to a free flight will get one, and blames the "extreme popularity" of its offer for the hundreds of people who have been hit with problems.
But according to Cichy, one factor is that the travel company handling BT's offer is also processing a similar offer from Sainsbury's, and is struggling to cope.
This company, called Rise Travel, had not returned requests for comment at the time of writing.
Have you been affected by these problems? Let us know, or post a TalkBack below
Talkback
Not another Hoover. I am still waiting its been weeks.
Contact numbers for Rise Travel:
Tel: 0161 877 113 & 0161 927 3200
Fax: 0161 233 0220
To register a complaint:
Trading Standards: Tel: 0161 234 1555
The Advertising Standards Authority
Tel: 020 7580 5555 Fax: 020 7631 3051
www.asa.org.uk
Complaints can be made to ASA on this offer,
( Advertising Standards Authority). www.asa.org.uk Tel: 020 7580 5555
You need to tell the ASA, what flights you tried to obtain ( i.e. destination, dates, class etc) and the reason the advertisers have given for not providing you with them.
www.asa.org.uk 2 Torrington Place London WC1E 7HW.
Complaints on this offer can also be directed to the ISP ( Institute of Sales Promotions) email enquiries@isp.org.uk Director General Edwin Mutton Tel: 020 7837 5340 Arena House 66-68 Pentonville Road Islington London N1 9HS.
what was the matter with the hoover offer? I had a great holiday ... it was hoover who got screwed, not the customers...
Rise Travel makes statement. After weeks of silence Rise Travel has at last made a coment. " To all those experiencing delays."
Rise Travel tells us that they succesfully book 50,000 European and Worldwide Flights a year. I would suggest that they will need to book many more tickets to satisfy the promotions and free flights that they are obligated to supply. Under the terms and conditions of the promotions that they are responsible for. The Asa & ISP are receiving complaints on offers organised by Rise Travel.
Company's that give the promise of Free Flights by way of advertising on products purchased ,must face up to the reality and consquences that the British Public are not fools. Ten years on from the now infamous Hoover Free Flights promotion, customers will not stand for false promises. If applicants adhear to the terms and conditions of ,yours and other promotions we expect our tickets. Without the blame passed on to third parties. Notibly to the Royal Maill. A legal precident was set by Sandy Jack V Hoover, on the subject of;
" Proof of Postage" many thousands of recorded dlivery items sent to Hoover's Free Flight Offer were checked to prove proof of posting by Sandy Jack. Customers should also remember many things in life are seldom Free. To date I have received many complaints on both the BT & Sainsbury E&J Gallio Free Flight offers, I am concerned ten years post Hoover the same could happen again.
It is ovious that the redemption levels on both these offers would be very high.
Rise Travel comes under Trafford Metropolitan Borough Council boundaries.
Tel: 0161 912 3845 trading.standards@trafford.gov.uk
I understand they are receiving complaints on Rise Travel & BT Free Flight Offer.
MKM Marketing & Promotions are behind these promotions. Have they taken out any Indemnity against over redemption. This was a problem with Hoover.
Free Flights problems? Sent your application no reply? Given other destinations? Given wrong dates? Have not been contacted?
Paid to much in extra charges? and the reason that the advertisers have given for not providing flights.
Or just want to Whistleblow!
We want to hear from you.
Send email to :Freeflightsagro@aol.com
With your destination,dates,class etc,advertiser,agent. Here to help no charge.
I bought the Daily Mail last year to save tokens for both their European and US free flights. I didn't use the European one in the end, but Landaround Travel, the firm responsible for the offer manged to get me 2 free flights to NY - it took me a few calls and the tickets only arrived the day before I was due to fly, but we made it in the end. I saved enough tokens for 2 people and they gave us 2 flights at similar times, to the same destination, so it was a good free holiday (apart from accommodation). I have just sent off for free tickets through the E&J Gallo wine offer which is being run by Rise Travel, I hope they are as good as Landaround...!
Is anyone else having trouble with Rise Travel re. their involvement with the Daily Express £10 Cruise Offer. Does anyone know if the Daily Express can be sued through Rise Travel's total incompetence?
collected tokens for daily express 10 pound cruise offer . after sending ing dates of trave had confirfation have not heard anything since no ressponse from 5 five phone calls answers please
Daily Express Cruise offer--is it just a scam?
A also collected tokens,mailed correctly, offered cruise, again paid for next day delivery---and haveheard nothing.
I'd urge anyone in the same position to compain, complain,complain.
Been waiting since the 2nd August.Offered cruise to Caribbean. Not heard a thing. Phoned the Express helpline but no joy.
Is this a con?
Does anyone know the correct phone number for Rise Travel, as the one given is incorrect or they have changed it to avoid cal;ls.
A complete travesty. Just spoken to MKM Marketing. Tried to find out when I would be hearing from them, given that I sent my acceptance slip and money before the deadline of 2nd August 2004.
They informed me that they were sorry but they did not expect such a big response to the offer and as a result( of their incompetence) they have no more spaces available this year.
I remarked that it sounded a bit like the Hoover situation and they said its not as they intend to honour their cruise offer. They have said that it will now be next year, anytime up until May. They also said that I should hear from them before the end of the year. Great!!!!
I think the Daily Express should take some responsibility for this. I urge readers to follow in my footstep and abandon the paper.
I have been getting the runaround from rise travel dealing with the daily express us flights promotion at least 6 promised return calls never received they are an absolute joke anyone else in my position?
OPEN INVITATION
To the MD at Rise Travel & MKM Marketing. If you have nothing to hide let Harry Cichy
& a team from BBC Watchdog into Free Flight Front, and your opperation & offices at Manchester by Invitation, let us see how it is run.
In response to Anthony Roach's posting about the Daily Express £10 cruise offer.
If you have received your allocation (which you appear to have) and returned it with your preferred month of travel then that's all that should have happened at this stage. We stated in the newspaper throughout the promotion that readers would be contacted with full details by October 31, 2004. The travel company, Rise Travel, are also dispatching letters to all readers who have returned their allocation letter to reassure them of this and that everything is running smoothly.
We are aware that at certain peak times the helpline managed by Rise Travel has been very busy but we tested it this morning at 10am and it took 35 seconds to be connected. However, I stress that there is no need to be concerned because all applicants will be contacted by the end of October as we stated.
Head of Marketing and Promotions
Express Newspapers
Head of Marketing and Promotions.
No smoke without fire.
David is right - there is no smoke without fire.
MKM the promotions company behind RISE TRAVEL are holding their AGM shortly.
Why doesn't everyone who is aggreived
attend and voice their thoughts to the management team?
You just need to be a shareholder to attend, but each share is only 39p at today's price, so you only need to buy one.
The AGM is at 10am FRIDAY 22 OCTOBER
Offices of Halliwells LLP
St James Court
Brown Street
Manchester
M2 2JF
Buy Shares in MKM, excellant Idea & attend AGM. In my battle over the Infamous Hoover Free flight Fiasco. I and two colleagues purchased shares in the Maytag corp owners of Hoover Europe. We attended the AGM as sharholders, we voiced our oppinions on how the promotion was going wrong. Whilst Hoover & Maytag did not listen, there still may be hope for MKM & Rise Travel to listen and take note.
sorry fellow BT-ITES. Am i being cynical but does anyone else think this Harry Cichy fellow has a hidden agenda to shouting the odds on any medium he can find to promote his own name or new business?!
Maybe Harry should look at the new Samsung offer run by a company called Landround. They offer TWO free flights just like Hoover did!! Be afraid be very afraid!!
I have just been told the computer is down for updating. How many companies keep there computers off line for a week?
To: Emma Pearce,
In response to your note, everything is certainly not progressing 'as it should be'.
I collected tokens for the Express Free USA flight offer, but was allocated the wrong month and had to re-submit my "details & preferred dates" 'tear-off' form twice over, back in June 04. Despite this, MKM Marketing insist they DO NOT HAVE MY DETAILS ON THE COMPUTER, and I have heard nothing since June. ie I have no guarantee that Rise Travel are in the process of allocating me a flight, and MKM were very rude and dismissive of my concerns, shouting over me and telling me I would "have to wait till January and see if I'm contacted" regarding a March 05 flight. By which time, of course, they will have no allocation left. They flatly refused to give me Rise Travel's contact details, so I cannot check with Rise that I am "on the system".
Beware everyone, I also had similar problems with Landround last year, so they are not "whiter than white" either!!
Did everyone see watchdog last night and the dissatisfied customers who have been disappointed with MKM/Rise Travel and their various flight promotions.
There is a summary on the watchdog website if you missed it
www.bbc.co.uk/watchdog
I collected the 35 tokens and sent them back straight away. To date (13.10.2004) I have received nothing from the company running this promotion. I have rung the helpline number a few times and they keep saying you will hear something soon. I am totally fed up with it and have given up.
Reponse to James - Birmingham
James - you should go and tell them how you feel, that is Rise Travel/MKM the company behind this promotion.
Their AGM is being held shortly and if you attend you can voice your views to the management team.
To be a shareholder you need to buy one share - I think that they are 42p today.
The AGM is at 10am on
FRIDAY 22 OCTOBER
Offices of Halliwells LLP
St James Court
Brown Street
Manchester
M2 2JF
Cheers Harold
The problem with this promotion is that they (the Daily Express) have underestimated the demand. Considering how popular crusing is they should have anticipated it.
Reading through the comments on this website at least some have received some sort of communication. I hope they have a nice time. Just a pity that I wont have the chance.
Rise are OK! Kept me in the picture i.e delays in dates due to hurricanes etc. Just received confirmation of trip date in march - France, Italy, Malta, Libya and Tunisia - so great news. So be patient.
I applied for both Express offers and have recived a writen offer of a flight to New York on 10th Jan and a Med cruise in April. Am awaiting telephone call next week re flight and contact Jan - March re cruise. Just hope it all works out
Has anybody been of a £10 cruise as yet? Have had confirmation for a Med cruise in June 05..................but want to know if anybody has actually been successful and if there were any catches / hidden costs.
Mail me: gorbrewin@aol.com
Collegue at work has just received an offier for March - sounds like the same on as RJP.
Interesting to note the paragraph that says that single cabins are in limited supply, (she is going on her own) so if one isnt available and sh doesnt want to upgrade or share!!!! she will be considered for a later cruise.
So although the offer was for one person, as she is only one person it still isn't certain she will go, despite gedtting an offer!!!
Go to www.holidaytruths.co.uk and look under "cruises" for a huge forum discussing Daily express cruise. I have been offered 16th April Caribbean cruise but will be contacted to book between jan and march
I have called Rise any number of times and always been promised that they would phone me back. They did call once, but it got me no further. I have now taken to phoneing the BT Helpline - they promise to resolve ussies within 7 days - it's 4 weeks since I first rang BT. They tell me they are sending an email to Rise to tell them to call me - I never get a call.
I have got fed up waiting and have bought a ticket with BA to go to Washington - but I am determined that BT/Rise will provide me with a flight.
The best excuse they gave me was that I hadn't told them where I wanted to go, and that they had me confused with a travel agent with the same name.
i was promised free 2 days in NEW YORK 2nd jan 2005, but they have done a runner, nothing to confirm flight or hotel, passing you to mkm and they dont even answer e mails, these two firms want shutting down by the office of fair trading and the national newspapers want to start being fair with there readers, i remember when they would have reported on this, but today they have no backbone, they only want to sell there papers, the principles have gone
I have just got my ticket to New York its worth the wait.
To: RJP, North Yorks: I've received an offer of a cruise that sounds the same as yours, except that mine is in June and doesn't feature Tunisia. I wonder why Libya was chosen, getting a visa to visit the ports of call is such a hassle - plus there's not much of interest in 2 of the 3 ports. Also, Louis Cruise Lines (which apparently operate my cruise) doesn't feature any of the 3 Libyan ports on its ''destinations'' page. Visitors to its website are promised that there will shortly be cruises on offer from French ports - but the promise has been up so long that I've given up hope, and wonder if it was put there to deflect complaints about this particular cruise not being real but a fob.
Just like RJP,from N Yorkshire. I have been kept informed by Rise Travel.I have been given a cruise date of Feb 19 /05 to South America.I only hope they keep there promise
TO RJP NORTH YORKSHIRE.
SINCE MY LAST POSTING,WHERE I HAD BEEN OFFERED A CRUISE IN FEB/05 TO SOUTH AMERICA.
I ASKED RISE TRAVEL,HOW THEY COULD OFFER SOMEONE A SINGLE CABIN,WHEN THE CRUISE LINER DID NOT HAVE ANY.
THEY HAVE SINCE OFFERED ME A CRUISE HOPEFULLY NOW,TO THE CANARIES AT THE END OF JAN/05 SO THEY ARE NOT KEEPING TO THE PROMISES MADE BACK IN OCT/04.
WS WEST YORKSHIRE
i was offered a cruise on 12 march with louis cruises, but rumour has it they are not happening now, has anyone booked on this cruise actually been contacted and offered any alternative?
Rise Travel flight applications. Could all posters with a application problem, please contact Harry Cichy at:Harrycichy@aol.com who is in contact with Rise Travel.
I have aplied to Rise Travel for free flights under both the E J Gallo and Little Chef promotions and despite several 'phone calls to the Rise Travel 'help' line have had no response. I will keep trying and also report them to trading standards and make complaint to the companies advertising the promotions. It's about time that the appropriate Govt, Departmaent got to grips with Rise Travel.
I was allocated a Daily Express cruise departing on 12 March 2005 - received a phone call this evening to say that there were no single cabins available and I would be sent vouchers instead!! This is not acceptable and I will be contacting Rise and Emma Pearce in the morning.
I am also in the same position. I was offered a cruise departing 5th April but have just been told that, unless I upgrade, I will not be able to take the cruise. I also think that this is entirely unacceptable and will be following it up.
daily express £10 cruise scam.In Oct i was allocated a place on caribbean cruise dep 16April 2005 received a phone call yesterday informing me cruise is full and no alternatives are available. I am completly flexible with dates and itinerary so what is there problem. Has anybody actualy been on a £10.00 cruise.
was allocated a £10 cruise to the med departing 2 aprill 2005....received a call from rise travel last week who told me that there was no avaliability and i would be sent vouchers instead....we should all get together and state that we are willing to share cabins....and then see what their answer is
Re Daily Express £10 Cruise Offer.
Like many others I recieved my itinerary for a cruise in June of this year on 26th October '04.
However following a phonecall tonight at 21:00hrs it seems there are 'no single cabins' avaliable & he proceeded to offer me various other alternatives, including a possible cruise in late 2006.
I said NO WAY!
I have just found this site & did not realise there was problems with this offer.
What is the next move for us all? Do we lobby Rise travel or Express newspapers?
Please feel free to mail me with your views.
PS I'm also in dispute with Rise over the Little Chef 'promo'
21/01/05
There is a very active thread on the Holiday Truths forum reqagrding the DE £10 Cruise.
Several people have managed to book and confirm their cruises, but not the one originally offered. Others have been offered a book of vouchers or been told they will have to wait until Sept 2006.
You can read the thread at
http://www.holidaytruths.co.uk/viewtopic.php?t=1419&start=3440