Another company profiteering from the coronavirus

kendo1

kendo1

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Balfour Beattie who own Consort Healthcare have taken £950000 from the Scottish Government to cancel parking charges for three hospitals, Ninewells in Dundee, Edinburgh Royal Infirmary and Glasgow Royal Infirmary for a three month period whilst our Doctors and Nurses battle to save lives in the fight against the Coronavirus.
https://www.edinburghnews.scotsman...._NduY1RaMr92dQ3WxIReM2iADItzlXHxM9mUOLORZpM-M
 
Bastids :(
 
kendo1 said:
Balfour Beattie who own Consort Healthcare have taken £950000 from the Scottish Government to cancel parking charges for three hospitals, Ninewells in Dundee, Edinburgh Royal Infirmary and Glasgow Royal Infirmary for a three month period whilst our Doctors and Nurses battle to save lives in the fight against the Coronavirus.
https://www.edinburghnews.scotsman...._NduY1RaMr92dQ3WxIReM2iADItzlXHxM9mUOLORZpM-M
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PFI "problems" again :(

Based on the figures that means they get approx £3.5M per year for parking related charges alone!!!
 
Private companies should never have been allowed to run hospital carparks in the first place.
Who allowed them to do so... ?

The Scottish Government has to take responsibility too.
 
Sykes Cottages are still refusing to give refunds on bookings that cannot be fulfilled. The latest is that they will ask the owner if they will refund and if they do Skyes will credit your account for use within 2 years. Social media is really having a go at them and there is even a petition.
 
tarric said:
They did they the Scottish Government scraped parking charges at all hospitals in 2009 except for the ones financed under PFI.
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PFI = Private Fraud Initiative. I recall about 2 years ago there was a rumpus over staff at Glasgow RI where staff were having to pay £20 per day to park (If they could get a space - if not feed parking meters).

We seem to have got quite a lot wrong with hospitals in the UK. At the heart of all hospitals are patients/outpatients/staff and visitors etc. As a basic principle, everything possible should be done to make life as convenient and hassle free as possible for all these people.
Something that should never happen is to allow any part of the hospital scene to become a happy hunting ground for profligate flyboys to make a killing.
 
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To make this whole sorry saga worse the 'free parking' is only for Doctors and nurses at the Royal Infirmary in Edinburgh not the Pharmacists etc. who work there
 
kendo1 said:
Balfour Beattie who own Consort Healthcare have taken £950000 from the Scottish Government to cancel parking charges for three hospitals, Ninewells in Dundee, Edinburgh Royal Infirmary and Glasgow Royal Infirmary for a three month period whilst our Doctors and Nurses battle to save lives in the fight against the Coronavirus.
https://www.edinburghnews.scotsman...._NduY1RaMr92dQ3WxIReM2iADItzlXHxM9mUOLORZpM-M
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Get your facts right Balfour Beatty have no financial interest in Consort Heathcare and haven't done so for a number of years!!!
 
Brentor said:
Sykes Cottages are still refusing to give refunds on bookings that cannot be fulfilled. The latest is that they will ask the owner if they will refund and if they do Skyes will credit your account for use within 2 years. Social media is really having a go at them and there is even a petition.
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We are still waiting on Sykes. Was due to go the first week of May and we keep getting told we have to wait for the government updates "as you may be able to visit by the time your stay comes around"...
 
Jelster said:
We are still waiting on Sykes. Was due to go the first week of May and we keep getting told we have to wait for the government updates "as you may be able to visit by the time your stay comes around"...
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I see their website is only offering cottages after 4th June so I don't understand why they won't refund or alter your booking. :mad:

Edit ... it actually says you can amend your booking if your check in is before 4th June. Still very poor customer service.
 
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Tigger.ufo said:
I see their website is only offering cottages after 4th June so I don't understand why they won't refund or alter your booking. :mad:

Edit ... it actually says you can amend your booking if your check in is before 4th June. Still very poor customer service.
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Our booking was for 3 cottages, 10 people, most of who can't make the dates in September they've offered us. If we want to rebook in "high season" they want to put the price up.. They're a bunch of shysters, my car club goes to North Wales every May, and we've been dicked around before. That led to that particular place being named & shamed, and being black listed by all the clubs we're affiliated with. It will probably happen to Sykes now as well.

Last weekend we were due to be at a hotel for my sisters 50th wedding do, and they have refunded every penny to the whole of the party (that was about 7 rooms and a big meal too). Decent business that one...
 
Dunkeld1962 said:
Get your facts right Balfour Beatty have no financial interest in Consort Heathcare and haven't done so for a number of years!!!
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I think they sold their interest in about 2010 didn't they?

Who has the major interest now? Is it Barclays, or have I mis-remembered that?
 
Re: holiday property bookings ~ it seems most (all?) of the agents are just that, agents and as such I wonder if it is the property owners that are calling the shots.,......because where refunds are concerned does the agent need the owners authority to agree any such return of funds???

PS in the past we have used Sykes and on one booking we arrived to find the property had not been serviced. We got there late afternoon/early evening and it took 2 to 3 hours to organise overnight alternative arrangements at a local hotel, getting there at 8pm :(

What was intriguing that the 'turnround service manager' I was talking to for part of the ongoing phone comms on the problem turned out to be the owner.

I got a clear impression that I the customer was piggy on the middle between Sykes and the owner as to who was going to pay for the overnight hotel stay........and when I requested a modest adjustment in regard to the overall cost of the booking because of the inconvenience? I was told the owner refused, saying they had just paid for the hotel and that was all they were prepared to cover. Though I had the owners mobile phone number, I simply told the agents duty support to please express my thanks for booking the hotel but that does not make up for inconvenience caused!
 
Jelster said:
Our booking was for 3 cottages, 10 people, most of who can't make the dates in September they've offered us. If we want to rebook in "high season" they want to put the price up.. They're a bunch of shysters, my car club goes to North Wales every May, and we've been dicked around before. That led to that particular place being named & shamed, and being black listed by all the clubs we're affiliated with. It will probably happen to Sykes now as well.

Last weekend we were due to be at a hotel for my sisters 50th wedding do, and they have refunded every penny to the whole of the party (that was about 7 rooms and a big meal too). Decent business that one...
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We booked for Easter. Sykes will allow us to rebook for no cost although I gather they have hiked prices for next year. If you book for a slot with a lower price I think you may not be refunded the difference. If the owner agrees to a refund, Sykes will keep the refund for use within 2 years. This is really upsetting some people. If they are an agent between the owner and the person booking the cottage, why should they keep the money. The contract must also be frustrated. I have not had a problem with them before but if they continue with this approach their reputation will be shot. The cynic in me thinks it is the American owners who are protecting their investors.
 
kendo1 said:
Balfour Beattie who own Consort Healthcare have taken £950000 from the Scottish Government to cancel parking charges for three hospitals, Ninewells in Dundee, Edinburgh Royal Infirmary and Glasgow Royal Infirmary for a three month period whilst our Doctors and Nurses battle to save lives in the fight against the Coronavirus.
https://www.edinburghnews.scotsman...._NduY1RaMr92dQ3WxIReM2iADItzlXHxM9mUOLORZpM-M
Click to expand...

How the hell can you justify almost a million pounds just for parking over three months at three locations? Especially at hospitals. That is disgusting on a whole new level.
 
The list of these companies is probably longer than we think.

Although it may be a minor consideration during this time of national concern over Coronavirus what can be done about companies/ organisations profiteering during this crisis?
The majority are issuing refunds to those not able to use their facilities etc due to the Coronavirus pandemic.
One in particular is operating a policy of not issuing refunds but only suggesting rescheduling. This is acceptable under normal circumstances when individuals suddenly decide they no longer want to avail themselves of the facilities offered.

Under the present unusual circumstances not everyone wants to or will be able to reschedule their visit to some date in the future. Might I suggest that most plan these visits around other activities which they will not or want to repeat.

There are many hundreds if not thousands from all over the world being left in limbo or possible financial distress because of this companies intransigence.

They are not responding to people’s concerns. Is there anyway you can apply some pressure upon this company?

The company/venue etc is HIGHCLERE CASTLE.

Read the review section of the Facebook page.
https://www.facebook.com/pg/HighclereCastleOfficial/reviews/?ref=page_internal
 
But there are some good guys in regard to refunds.

We booked a concert for May 1st at Leith Hill Place, a National Trust property. They used Brite Event as their booking service.......and their terms were "no refunds" so I wondered how they were going to handle that?

The NT emailed approx 10 days ago saying they were cancelling all their upcoming events and all monies would be refunded, I think it was a week later I got the refund notification (y):clap:
 
Jelster said:
That led to that particular place being named & shamed, and being black listed by all the clubs we're affiliated with. It will probably happen to Sykes now as well.
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I know a little bit about how holiday letting agencies work having written a booking system which was used by some agents in the 1980s.

At that time there were two quite different contracts in use: full management and booking only; the titles are self explanatory. In the first case it was common to pay a "notional rent" to the owners and this was adjusted at the end of the season to reflect actual bookings. In that case, the agent has control of both receipts and costs so can handle things like refunds at their own discretion. In the second case the agent acts only as a conduit and normal practice is to remit all receipts (less the agency charges) to the owners; this means that the owners control things like refunds and the agency can only try to hold the ring in a dispute.

If the agency you mention is operating a "booking only" model there's little they can do if the property owners refuse to refund. You should be able to find out what is actually happening from the booking form you filled in as that should clearly state which model is being applied.

Hope this helps.
 
AndrewFlannigan said:
I know a little bit about how holiday letting agencies work having written a booking system which was used by some agents in the 1980s.

At that time there were two quite different contracts in use: full management and booking only; the titles are self explanatory. In the first case it was common to pay a "notional rent" to the owners and this was adjusted at the end of the season to reflect actual bookings. In that case, the agent has control of both receipts and costs so can handle things like refunds at their own discretion. In the second case the agent acts only as a conduit and normal practice is to remit all receipts (less the agency charges) to the owners; this means that the owners control things like refunds and the agency can only try to hold the ring in a dispute.

If the agency you mention is operating a "booking only" model there's little they can do if the property owners refuse to refund. You should be able to find out what is actually happening from the booking form you filled in as that should clearly state which model is being applied.

Hope this helps.
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I fully understand that, but our contract is with the agent, not the owner. I have no interest in dealing with the owner seeing as agent has around £800 which they wanted up front, not even a deposit. So, Sykes can put pressure on the owner, that's what they are there fore, not just taking our money. We did opt for insurance and we're trying to see if we can invoke that, but as yet, they have not replied...

When you run a business you should remember those words of wisdom "Treat people how you would like to be treated."
 
Box Brownie said:
But there are some good guys in regard to refunds.

We booked a concert for May 1st at Leith Hill Place, a National Trust property. They used Brite Event as their booking service.......and their terms were "no refunds" so I wondered how they were going to handle that?

The NT emailed approx 10 days ago saying they were cancelling all their upcoming events and all monies would be refunded, I think it was a week later I got the refund notification (y):clap:
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Problem is they will have alot of refunds to make and it will take a while for everyone to get their money back.
So far, I have had notification that 3 gigs my sons and I had bought tickets for, although one cancellation was only that the venue posted on facebook they had cancelled gigs upto a certain date so far, the ticket agency hasn't contacted me yet. With another gig in June likely to be cancelled as well. I have around £2.5k coming back my way, but as the ticket agency said, it will take a while, so when I get the money is anybody's guess.
 
Eurostar are behaving appallingly with regard to refunds or not as the case may be
People cannot leave the UK or enter France, yet they still only offer eVouchers for future travel

In their own terms and conditions it states if they cancel your train you are entitled to a refund.
People don't want a credit voucher, SNCF and DBahn are giving the money back.

I will be seeing if the credit card company can help, going to raise it as a dispute with them.
 
Jelster said:
I fully understand that, but our contract is with the agent, not the owner.
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You probably want to check that. If the company you are dealing with is a true agency then your contract is probably with the owner (the "principal" in legalese). To be honest: you really need to read what you signed and if necessary consult a solicitor.
 
Jelster said:
I fully understand that, but our contract is with the agent, not the owner. I have no interest in dealing with the owner seeing as agent has around £800 which they wanted up front, not even a deposit. So, Sykes can put pressure on the owner, that's what they are there fore, not just taking our money. We did opt for insurance and we're trying to see if we can invoke that, but as yet, they have not replied...

When you run a business you should remember those words of wisdom "Treat people how you would like to be treated."
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Sykes are the agent, the contract is between you and the owner.

The insurance details re Covid 19 are on their website.

Still no change in their stance on refunds.
 
Brentor said:
Sykes are the agent, the contract is between you and the owner.

The insurance details re Covid 19 are on their website.

Still no change in their stance on refunds.
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From their website:

"We have sent an email communication to all customers who have a booking due to start between the 23rd March and 14th April 2020 – During the government ‘stay at home’ order.

To support our customers in these difficult times, we have continued to offer the ability to change the dates of their holiday. Customer safety is our primary concern, and therefore we have waived our normal amendment fees. Customers can amend bookings through their account.

We can also facilitate a request for a credit to your account from the holiday home owner. We will also credit our portion of the holiday to ensure customers receive 100% back in credit. Customers will then be able to use this credit to book a holiday at any property within the next 24 months across any of our brands."

I'm hoping that once we get into the next period of "Stay at home" we should be able to get our money back. Moving it to a later date this year is just not viable, and although we can move it to next year, we will have to pay the difference in price. I suspect, as they will have done poorly this year, they will hike the prices up a bit next year, so until we know what we are meant to be paying, we won't go that route either.
 
Brentor said:
Sykes are the agent, the contract is between you and the owner.

The insurance details re Covid 19 are on their website.

Still no change in their stance on refunds.
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Jelster said:
From their website:

"We have sent an email communication to all customers who have a booking due to start between the 23rd March and 14th April 2020 – During the government ‘stay at home’ order.

To support our customers in these difficult times, we have continued to offer the ability to change the dates of their holiday. Customer safety is our primary concern, and therefore we have waived our normal amendment fees. Customers can amend bookings through their account.

We can also facilitate a request for a credit to your account from the holiday home owner. We will also credit our portion of the holiday to ensure customers receive 100% back in credit. Customers will then be able to use this credit to book a holiday at any property within the next 24 months across any of our brands."

I'm hoping that once we get into the next period of "Stay at home" we should be able to get our money back. Moving it to a later date this year is just not viable, and although we can move it to next year, we will have to pay the difference in price. I suspect, as they will have done poorly this year, they will hike the prices up a bit next year, so until we know what we are meant to be paying, we won't go that route either.
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I currently have the same issue (cottage booked in Outer Hebrides), have been offered an alternative week (mirrored) next year, but that is unsuitable as my wife will be University. Have asked the holiday company to contact the owner for a refund, on the basis no doubt they can let that week anyway next year.

I do understand that the contract is between myself and the owner and the holiday company is an agent, but the financial contract (Credit Card) was with the holiday company.

Calmac the ferry company just issued a refund no questions asked, and a 50% deposit I'd paid for through Booking.Com for 3 nights on Lewis was refunded by the B&B owner doing teh right thing and giving consent.

I do have travel insurance through my bank, but there are no (understandable) specific clauses for this, loads for me being medically ill and not able to take part, so I want to explore other avenues first. Hopefully the owner will do the right thing!
 
Jelster said:
From their website:

"We have sent an email communication to all customers who have a booking due to start between the 23rd March and 14th April 2020 – During the government ‘stay at home’ order.

To support our customers in these difficult times, we have continued to offer the ability to change the dates of their holiday. Customer safety is our primary concern, and therefore we have waived our normal amendment fees. Customers can amend bookings through their account.

We can also facilitate a request for a credit to your account from the holiday home owner. We will also credit our portion of the holiday to ensure customers receive 100% back in credit. Customers will then be able to use this credit to book a holiday at any property within the next 24 months across any of our brands."

I'm hoping that once we get into the next period of "Stay at home" we should be able to get our money back. Moving it to a later date this year is just not viable, and although we can move it to next year, we will have to pay the difference in price. I suspect, as they will have done poorly this year, they will hike the prices up a bit next year, so until we know what we are meant to be paying, we won't go that route either.
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Our booking was in the period where they said that would waive rebooking fees and having checked with the owners we have rebooked the same cottage in Sept. on the assumption that the owners will keep hold of the full amount we have paid rather than Sykes. They did however charge a rebooking fee which I will try to get back.

I find their approach despicable and who knows if they will still be in business in two years. If they are agents and make it clear the contract is with the owners, why should they be able to keep hold of the monies.
 
Mr Perceptive said:
And as an update, I finally got the company to contact the owner, who has offered a full refund, this did take a bit of doing as I got stalled several times by the company with standard responses, but eventually they enacted my underlined request in the email!!!
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Lucky you! Some companies have more scruples than others.
 
If I remember correctly PFI was introduced by Gordon Brown in order to disguise just how much the Labour Government was really spending.

If it had not been introduced and taxation increased to cover the cost the basic rate of taxation would have risen to 35/40%. PFI allowed the cost of their spending to be hidden behind a smoke screen.
 
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I used to work in real-estate and the practice is disgusting as a whole. It’s extremely cut throat and dog eat dog. Even though you’d expect humane behavior during this time, they seem exempt.
 
Earley Man said:
If I remember correctly PFI was introduced by Gordon Brown in order to disguise just how much the Labour Government was really spending.

If it had not been introduced and taxation increased to cover the cost the basic rate of taxation would have risen to 35/40%. PFI allowed the cost of their spending to be hidden behind a smoke screen.
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According to Wikipedia it was actually introduced by John Major in 1992. However, it was then embraced by Gordon Brown as he believed that "...the public sector is bad at management, and that only the private sector is efficient and can manage services well." Seems like a statement I've heard also from many Conservatives and like many such statements it is at best simplistic and doesn't appear to always be true (privatised railways for example).
 
I think PFI is a bit like leasing, both are accounting 'tricks' to avoid capital expenditure in favour of revenue spending.

Financial smoke & mirrors......

The fact that the Govt can usually borrow money at a better rate than private industry was conveniently overlooked by politicians of all parties. They preferred the idea that PFI projects were built & managed by the private sector who had to borrow money at commercial rates to build them (and of course return a profits & pay shareholder dividends), all of which added up to cost more than if the Govt just borrowed the money up front.
 
Never mind companies profiteering from the Coronavirus; there is a significant percentage of the UK workforce that is!

I personally think it is ridiculous to get at least 80% of your pay for sitting at home doing sweet FA!

To claim 80% you should have to do at least 20 hrs of unpaid voluntary work (especially the self employed who are claiming the 80% because they have no work!) - there is plenty to be done!

lets face it - this has become the ideal 'skivers charter' taking two weeks off then getting paid for nothing.
 
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DK602 said:
I personally think it is ridiculous to get at least 80% of your pay for sitting at home doing sweet FA!
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But you aren't.

You're being compensated for self isolating and thus helping to save the lives of your fellow citizens. I can't think of a better occupation for people who lack skills that are required in the current situation.
 
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