More Complaints On Greek Tourism Services This Year

According to KEPKA, the majority of consumer complaints during the period in question were related to hotels and other lodgings.

Consumer complaints in regards to Greek tourism services amounted to 72 reports from 1 July-15 August 2013 compared to 56 complaints filed last year for the same period, the Consumers’ Protection Center (KEPKA) said recently.

KEPKA showed that the majority of consumer complaints were related to hotels and other lodgings as 24 complaints were filed.

On many occasions hoteliers demanded 50 percent of the full room price as an advance payment (the law foresees that the advance payment for a reservation corresponds to 25 percent of the room price). In other instances hotel owners refused or postponed the reimbursement of consumers who had canceled their reservation on time. Also, a tourist complained that the accommodation he had booked online did not respond whatsoever to facilities shown on the hotel’s website.

Delayed flight departures were among complaints filed to KEPKA.

In regards to air travel, 14 complaints were filed. Those complaints involved postponed flights by a major airline, delayed flight departures and the change of flight times at random without notifying passengers.

Twelve cases were recorded in regards to complaints on package trip deals and 10 complaints were filed in regards to Greek coastal shipping.

In regards to car rental companies, four complaints were filed and two incidents were reported involving camping sites.

KEPKA’s remaining six cases involved complaints in reference to excessive prices (parking, sun beds, bottles of water, etc.).

KEPKA also recorded complaints made in regards to excessive prices on products as in some resorts even the small water bottles were overpriced. A tourist informed GTP that a very popular beach bar on Mykonos in August was charging 1,50 euros for a small bottle of water and “had very rude staff.”

One incident involved a tavern in Chalkidiki in possession of two different menus with different prices depending if the customer was a foreign tourist or a Greek.

KEPKA said that -with their intervention- most of the filed complaints had been resolved while others are still in process.

KEPKA advised the Greek State to continue and intensify checks throughout tourism destinations and “eliminate” those who harm the country’s tourism industry.

“The disclosure of the names of the businesses that harm our tourism industry is required so  consumers will avoid them and this way an effective punishment will actually take place,” KEPKA concluded.