A Sainte-Julie couple who had the unpleasant surprise of arriving at a disaster-stricken tourist complex in the Dominican Republic are suing Sunwing Vacations and its travel agency for $5,311 for small claims.
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“We know it’s going to be a long process, but we’re not doing it for the money, but basically we were deceived,” says Pascal Larouche.
As Le Journal reported on January 29, the dream trip of Mr Larouche and his wife Véronyk Bélanger has turned into a real nightmare.
When they arrived at the Be Live Collection Canoa Hotel in La Romana for a week-long romantic stay, they found that two-thirds of the site had been damaged by a violent fire in November. According to their version, they had never been informed of the situation.
PHOTO SUPPLIED BY PASCAL LAROUCHE
The performance hall of the Be Live Hotel in La Romana, Dominican Republic after last November’s fire.
Photo from the Sunwing website
The performance hall at the Be Live Collection Canoa compound in La Romana, Dominican Republic before the November fire.
Formal note
Mr. Larouche simply couldn’t get over what he sees as “scamming” and first sent a formal notice to Sunwing Vacations and Voyages Bergeron in Longueuil on February 27, asking them $3,311 for reimbursement of the trip and $2,000 for immaterial damage (stress, anger and disappointment).
According to documents the plaintiffs submitted to the Quebec court, a month after that request, Sunwing Vacations offered compensation of $648, an amount equal to 50% of the cost of lodging on the premises in an “all-inclusive” formula is equivalent to.
- Hear Captain Dominic Daoust discuss recent events with Sunwing, available via QUB radio :
That offer was turned down by the couple, who also turned down a second bonus offer of $500 in travel credit a few days later.
“I paid for a service I didn’t get. It’s like paying for a 4×4 and the vehicle only has two-wheel drive,” says Pascal Larouche, who also invokes two articles of the Consumer Protection Act, as an example.
documents as evidence
In his small claims motion, the plaintiff submitted about twenty documents to support his evidence.
He says the trip was purchased on Nov. 9, fire engulfed the site on Nov. 12, and on Jan. 6 the agency emailed the trip documents without mentioning the fire.
The couple finally flew south on Jan. 27 before seeing the extent of the damage there.
“And after we appeared in the papers the day after they started the demolition. My last two days were shovels and trucks and non-stop boom boom,” the man concludes, still disgusted with his experience.
Photo provided by Pascal Larouche
Pascal Larouche says the noise caused by machines arriving at the tourist complex to demolish buildings and pick up debris has bothered travelers.
Cases brought in evidence
July 2006
The Quebec Court ordered Voyages Terre et Monde Inc. and Tours Maison Inc. to pay Gilles and Jeanne Faucher the sum of $3,356.34 plus interest. With no more rooms available in the hotel reserved in Mexico, the couple was moved to a house under construction with no restaurant and a disused swimming pool.
- Listen to Francis Gosselin’s business column at the microphone mario dumont, every day on the waves of QUB radio :
September 2016
Quebec Court Orders Sunwing Vacations Inc. Payable to Madeleine Dubois and Yvon Thiffault $3,558 plus interest. The couple, who were sold a stay at a “five-star” hotel in Mexico, couldn’t use the shower because the water was so brown and couldn’t go to the beach because of the seaweed.
Nov 2018
Quebec Court Orders Sunwing Vacations Inc. Payable to Patrick Frenette and Suzanne Martin $6,114.99 plus interest. The couple, who were celebrating their 20th wedding anniversary in Jamaica, had to stay at a hotel under construction. The two lovebirds quickly realized that the tourist page did not match that of the package at all.
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