My relaxing holiday was a disaster from the outset
I paid £880 plus £200 for flights for a retreat holiday in Tenerife through Lishi Tai Chi Holidays, to help me cope with long-term health issues. The experience was a disaster from the outset.
The website promised peaceful accommodation with individual kitchens and bathrooms. My room overlooked a creche, there was no heating and no bathroom.
The shower and loo were communal and outside, down an unlit path with an open roof, no glass in the window, no shower curtain and a broken flush. The swimming pool was filthy and inaccessible and had three broken, dirty, sun loungers on broken, dirty, decking.
The beach was advertised as being a 10-minute walk away, but was nearer half an hour down a steep, busy road. Moreover, the day before the holiday was due to begin, the owner of the hacienda denied all knowledge of my booking. Promises to put things right were not kept and I had to source and pay for alternative accommodation in the resort. JD, Congleton, Cheshire
Alarm bells ring as soon as I look at the Lishi website. There are no terms and conditions of booking and no business address as required by the Trading Disclosure Act. Moreover, the photos of an idyllic pool area bear no relation to the algae-slimed water and filthy loungers you've sent me so it would seem the website also breaches the Trade Descriptions Act.
Although you booked your flights separately, the trip would seem to fall into the category of a package holiday because tai chi lessons were supposed to be an integral part of the stay. This means that under the Package Travel Regulations, Lishi is liable for the fact that the holiday was not as described.
A spokeswoman for Lishi dodges specific questions about the state of the accommodation and services, but insists it dealt with your grievances swiftly and offered you a 50% refund. This offer, however, was increased to a full refund of £880 (since the flights were booked separately they are not liable for these).
Despite assuring me it was no longer selling holidays, its website is once again offering tai chi breaks, but this time terms and conditions of booking have been added, heavily weighted in Lishi's favour. Trading Standards may be interested in the condition that absolves the firm of responsibility for the state of the pool at your particular accommodation (this is unlawful if holidays can be classed as packages) and another that declares it is not responsible for updating the holiday details on its own website and any adverse effects that might cause.
If you need help email Anna Tims at your.problems@observer.co.uk or write to Your Problems, The Observer, Kings Place, 90 York Way, London N1 9GU. Include an address and phone number. Please note that Anna cannot reply to letters individually
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