Frustration over Carol Peters Travel firm mounts as customers left waiting for ‘no show’ coach trip

Carol Peters Travel

Anger is mounting over the lack of communication from a Thanet travel firm which is reported to have stopped trading this week.

Customers have been trying to contact Carol Peters Travel, which has a depot in Manston and offices in Westgate, but phone calls, emails and messages have gone unanswered.

Yesterday (January 18) customers were left disappointed after waiting for a coach that did not arrive for a pre-booked trip to the London model engineering exhibition.

The daughter of one of those customers, a 76-year-old woman, said she was ‘disgusted’ that there had been no warning and there was no answer when they called the emergency phone number for the firm.

‘Waiting in the cold’

She said: “My mum spoke to them and they confirmed the day before (Friday) that the coach would be there. If they had gone bust the previous day that’s just disgusting.

“I’m not worried so much about the £22 ticket money, it’s the principle. To have elderly people waiting out in the cold for a prebooked coach trip and then not answering the emergency phone is absolutely disgusting.

“They may well be upset that their company has folded, but as much as they will need time to overcome that fact, their duty of care should be to their customers. A simple apology and then ask for privacy would be fine.

“It seems as though they don’t care and have no shame. They have smeared their own name and have ruined years of what I’m sure was a perfectly adequate business. People are angry.”.

Coaches for the firm were moved from the Manston site on Friday. However, the website is still operational, although it is understood directors of the firm may not now have access to close the site down. It has been said that refunds will be made for bookings taken online.

The emergency phone number is said to belong to a driver who is one of those who have now lost their jobs.

Customer Horace Hotman, who regularly organises trips through the firm, said directors had tried to save the firm.

‘Very sorry’

He said: “They had no warning. The emergency number is not operational as that person is also out of a job. There isn’t any excuse for not informing people that their trip wasn’t happening but it all happened suddenly.

“Everybody at Carol Peters Travel are very sorry for what has happened and they did all they could to stop the situation that occurred but couldn’t save the company. I have spoken to people at CPT and I always used their coaches and I have now also got to find vehicles for at least 15 trips this coming year.

“I am reliably informed that anyone who still books online (as they can’t shut down the site) will be refunded.”

The family run business had operated in Thanet for some 20 years.

Those who have booked via paypal, credit card or bank transfer may be able to obtain a refund by contacting their provider.

UPDATE: A statement from Carol Peters Travel has been promised imminently. Director Peter Howe said he had been working until the last second to save the company and believed all customers had been notified. He said all efforts will be taken to issue refunds.

12 Comments

  1. If the firm has been put into the hands of the receivers then that company has a duty of care to inform customers and the public as soon as it takes over. That would be to let customers know how to get their money back and then to halt anymore payments being taken from unsuspecting customers on the website asap, The trouble is nobody knows anything other than they have stopped trading. The owners may unfortunately not be in a position to be able to make a statement either.

  2. They could very easily contact Kathy Bailes, for example, or even post a message on here to explain what’s happening.

  3. Another Kent resident
    The company don’t care about the people who have been loyal customers. they knew this was going to happen 3 weeks before Christmas in fact they knew best part of last year, so many cancelled holidays or day trips at the last minute, July £600 still not refunded. £320 single supplement charged where Hotel itself does not charge single supplement. £30 for day trip not refunded, these are just a couple of things I know of. As for the emergency number being a driver, Mr Howe told me personally he was the most trustworthy of the drivers, I never found this to be so. In fact the opposite. He Mr Howe said he never had any Directors, and Since one of his staff walked out the same time as the directors who didn’t exist walked away he says it all came to light. He is clearly blaming it all on her.
    I knew as early as last January the business was in trouble, I said so while on a visit to the office in Westgate, Station road where Gary categorically refuted it. The driver who was so wonderful said it’s not possible.

      • Please don’t fight between you. We are in fact all Kent resident. The situation is bad enough without customers falling out. I have put £1,000’s across Carol Peter’s desk in Station Road, Westgate, but after me complaining once about a very bad holiday. Instead of them saying we are sorry you had a bad experience. They told me they would not take any more bookings from me and I was not to go in their shop again, and I was to speak to them through a Solicitor. Please can anyone tell me these are nice people. I am afraid none of this can be denied, I have it in black and white. I was going to leave this alone but when I see people fighting over a name I find it upsetting. At the end of the day we all live in Kent

        • Having more than one person using the same name with differing comments makes a mockery of it to anyone reading those comments, that is the only reason I said that. My annoyance is because I have been using that name since the inception of this online newspaper. I don’t know another site where you can have multiple persons using the same username. Thank you for your concern though.

  4. I paid by cheque for 3 trips 2days before they went bust so I now wonder if this money is now lost feel gutted as I was assured the company was fine and though a few issues it was all ok.

  5. I paid for 3 trips by cheque This was cashed two day before the company colasped.Gutted if I don’t get my money back as was all paid in good faith that everything was fine.

    • I do see your point, however, we must not fight between ourselves, I am sure we have other things to think about. Such as the Lady who paid £700 for a trip that Carol Peters cancelled by txt at 9.p.m the night before it was to take place. This lady I believe did get her money back, not before she refused to leave the office before she got her money in her hands. Now this lady Dawn Prosser these people have a lot to deal with and we have to think of what has been done to all the unsuspecting people. Even now, I met a couple this morning who did not know the company has folded. There are people who don’t know the facts, The shop shows no signs that the company is no long trading. There is nothing that says the company has ceased trading. People are outside the shop looking at the notices that are there. If they don’t know the company has folded, they would likely go home to book online. It is/was a ltd company his directors walked out on the on the 9th December 2019. Mr Howe says he didn’t have any directors as it was not a ltd company. However, it did happen. The young Lady in the office left the end of November without notice and Mr Howe says since she left everything has come to light. A bad workman always blames his tools example the young lady. Now please can any one tell me they truly did not know this was going to happen when they shut the shop 3 weeks before Christmas. I am sorry but these people have lied over and over again, many of the lies I have in writing. The poor drivers have lost their jobs with no severance pay, if we think we have had a raw deal.What about those drivers being told the night before. they no longer had a job. We all have to stand together to show them if they start up yet again none of us will give them the time of day. Once bitten twice shy, however 3 times we need to stand our ground. No more for these people. too many customers have been trampled on. The drivers have been stampeded on. We cannot let them keep getting away with it. A different name but not different people. if it doesn’t happen a 3rd time I would be the first one to be surprised.

  6. I booked for my husband to go on their Spurs ground tour for his birthday. We have not had any communication from Carol Peters at all. I can’t afford to lose £53.

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