NEWS 1


Tui customer Naveed Sadiq films himself after he is escorted from the agency’s store in The Fort, Birmingham


YOU NEED TO KNOW


Agents’ views on being filmed by customers


“It’s a bit extreme, [this customer] feeling the need to film the agents while asking for a refund. I’d have asked him to leave too. And if he refused, I would have politely called for security.” DEBBIE WHARTON Hays Travel, Bradford


“The intention of filming is to intimidate. I would not be happy with this. If it’s a complaint, they should follow the correct procedures.” MARIE ORPE, personal travel advisor, Cardinal House


Irate Tui customer’s video raises agency privacy fears


Ben Ireland ben.ireland@travelweekly.co.uk


Agents can expect more disgruntled customers to film disputes and threaten to post them online despite the practice being potentially illegal, legal experts have warned.


The issue was highlighted on


Saturday when Tui customer Naveed Sadiq videoed agents and security staff escorting him from the branch at Birmingham shopping centre The Fort. He and his wife were due to fly


to Turkey the following day and claimed they had been told they would have access to a segregated pool, but later found only a communal pool would be available. Sadiq shared the footage


with the Birmingham Mail and described the agency’s behaviour as an “extreme reaction”. He has since been offered a full refund. Matt Gatenby, partner at Travlaw,


said the filming raised legal issues in terms of both publication consent and data protection. He said: “Pictures and videos


taken in public are usually considered fair game, but this isn’t a public place, it’s a business workplace with sensitive data. Of course, anyone can walk in, but it’s not Trafalgar Square. There is commercially sensitive data [around identifying staff and customers’ holiday details]. “You quickly get into quite


complex law with consent, but you can’t just use footage [taken inside a workplace] and publish it without the business’s permission.”


4 travelweekly.co.uk 10 May 2018


“The intention of the filming is to intimidate, but customers should follow the procedures”


He added: “I suggest companies


prepare for this sort of thing. “The worst thing that you can do


is react inappropriately.” Tui said it has a general policy to


protect staff as well as customers. Managers are trained to protect agents or customers from aggression or harassment in store, and have the discretion to ask customers to leave. Consumer champion Which? said customers should be “tenacious” when they feel let down but use agencies’ formal complaints procedures.


“I think stores will need to have something specific on display forbidding use of phone cameras and recording equipment. At least that would make it public that it’s not considered acceptable.” ANDREW LIDDELL cruise consultant, Need a Cruise


Abta said it has no specific guidance on filming disputes and offers members support on a case-by-case basis. The industry jumped to the


defence of the Tui agents. Gemma Antrobus, chairman


of Aito Specialist Travel Agents, said: “I would take great offence if someone did that in our office. “I would ask them to leave. If


they didn’t, I would have to think very hard about the next play. “It’s an antagonistic approach.


If someone puts a camera in your face, you might get angry or upset and come across the wrong way. People think it will get their complaints dealt with quickly, but it shouldn’t be that way. “You can’t expect an agent at Tui


to have all the answers there and then. There are official channels.”


PICTURE: BIRMINGHAM MAIL


Page 1  |  Page 2  |  Page 3  |  Page 4  |  Page 5  |  Page 6  |  Page 7  |  Page 8  |  Page 9  |  Page 10  |  Page 11  |  Page 12  |  Page 13  |  Page 14  |  Page 15  |  Page 16  |  Page 17  |  Page 18  |  Page 19  |  Page 20  |  Page 21  |  Page 22  |  Page 23  |  Page 24  |  Page 25  |  Page 26  |  Page 27  |  Page 28  |  Page 29  |  Page 30  |  Page 31  |  Page 32  |  Page 33  |  Page 34  |  Page 35  |  Page 36  |  Page 37  |  Page 38  |  Page 39  |  Page 40  |  Page 41  |  Page 42  |  Page 43  |  Page 44  |  Page 45  |  Page 46  |  Page 47  |  Page 48  |  Page 49  |  Page 50  |  Page 51  |  Page 52  |  Page 53  |  Page 54  |  Page 55  |  Page 56  |  Page 57  |  Page 58  |  Page 59  |  Page 60  |  Page 61  |  Page 62  |  Page 63  |  Page 64  |  Page 65  |  Page 66  |  Page 67  |  Page 68  |  Page 69  |  Page 70  |  Page 71  |  Page 72  |  Page 73  |  Page 74  |  Page 75  |  Page 76