Free holiday rewards to Prague?

I received a letter from Romina Mangion-Bongailas, also on behalf of Michelina Bongailas and Gracie Bongailas, in which they enclosed a photocopy of a full-page advert of ICM Malta. This carried three prominent messages. The biggest one, in block letters, read: "FREE HOLIDAY REWARDS TO PRAGUE". Another message on the top of the page read: "Become a customer and get rewarded", and the third one read: "HURRY! Only one month left to get rewarded".

This is the letter:

We would like to bring the company International Call Management Ltd (ICM) to your attention. We are having problems regarding the offer of a trip to Prague.

This company had introduced a scheme whereby, on having purchased a certain amount of telephone cards, one has the opportunity of getting a three- or four-night stay in Prague. My mother, my aunt, and I applied for this offer and we all qualified for this scheme.

After some time we received a letter from a travel agency saying that they are happy to offer us the travel package and asked us to confirm with a deposit to cover charges such as fuel tax, etc. Soon after, the travel agency returned the cheque with a letter saying that they "were no longer participating in the ICM scheme"! Subsequently we received another letter from ICM, stating that they are now dealing with another travel agent and that they would inform us of further updates.

Following our discussion regarding dates, we chose two dates in February and, as third preference, a date in the last week of January. I filled in the three forms. We sent everything in one envelope with a cheque for Lm90 (to cover a requested deposit of Lm30 each) and a covering letter. In the letter attached to the forms, it was clearly pointed out that we would like to be considered for the same date and, if possible, in a triple room. Indeed, since my mother suffers from chronic asthma and she needs somebody to be with her just in case something wrong happens, the imperative issue was to include us all in the same trip, flight and hotel. We have been trying to contact them several times on the quoted numbers - about 50 times - to no avail.

On December 16, 2005, we received three separate letters quoting our departure dates which, surprisingly, indicated three different flights on three different dates. If they were not in a position to accommodate our request, the least they could do was to contact us and let us know. Now they are asking us to cover the whole amount - a further Lm60 per person, and if this payment does not reach them by January 15, ICM will consider our application as cancelled.

Can you please help me to contact this company, perhaps we can come to a better conclusion. If they are unable to offer us a date when we can fly together, we just want our deposit back. We are not prepared to lose any money due to their lack of competence. (Romina Mangion-Bongailas, Michelina Bongailas and Gracie Bongailas)

I asked ICM Malta for their side of the case and they replied:

Thank you for bringing Romina Mangion Bongailas' complaint to our attention.

For the record, ICM Ltd wanted to present all customers who use its services with a present, effectively, a flight to Prague. For this we did not ask for any form of payment - just some simple ways in which to qualify. Namely, to send in Lm10 worth of used cards or a subscription to our internet service, etc. etc.

It is unfortunate that the present we wanted to give our clients started to become conditional by terms which clients wanted to impose, such as for groups of qualified persons to travel together, etc. In our view, you either accept and use a present or accept and discard (at least to appear grateful) or ultimately refuse completely, not as has been happening. The present is accepted but subject to conditions.

Ms Mangion Bongailas could have continued trying to contact us on the number given, as all other participants have, and ultimately made contact. Certainly we would have given her the reply we have given to all qualified persons who were not willing to travel for whatever reason. Namely, to send in the travel vouchers which we have sent her and her colleagues, family or friends, appropriately signed and with a handwritten note stating that she/they are not willing to travel on the dates advised. Upon receipt of this documentation, and by February 15, Ms Mangion Bongailas and her colleagues, family or friends would receive the Lm30 deposit already paid.

Once again and for the record, it was made amply clear in writing that these deposits are not returnable in case we supplied one of the dates stated as preferred by the qualified persons. Furthermore, it was also made amply clear that in view of the logistical difficulties we would not be able to guarantee that qualified persons would be able to travel together. Notwithstanding these conditions we once again state that deposits will be refunded as long as Ms Mangion Bongailas follows the above stated procedure.

We thank you once again for bringing this complaint to our attention which I am sure you will agree we have positively concluded in the best interest of our clients and the consumer in general. (The management of ICM, January 9)

I thank ICM management for their reply and for returning the Bongailases' deposit. However, I must comment on this case.

First of all, I cannot accept ICM's claim that they were giving the complainants "a present". Indeed the second sentence in their reply, "For this we did not ask for any form of payment - just some simple ways in which to qualify", constitutes an insult to one's intelligence. One does not pay for a present. Once a payment is made by the recipient, it is no longer "a present".

However what adds further insult to one's intelligence is that despite having promised in writing on January 9 that their "deposits will be refunded", as I submit this column, Gracie Bongailas, Romina Mangion-Bongailas and Michelina Bongailas are still waiting for their deposits to be refunded.

In fact I tried phoning ICM Malta Ltd to appeal to them to honour their written promise to return their deposits which they referred to in their letter. However, my attempts to call them were futile and unlike Ms Mangion-Bongailas I was not prepared to make 50 attempts. Therefore I had no other option but to feature this case to appeal to the management of ICM Malta Ltd to honour their promises to Romina Mangion-Bongailas and Michelina and Gracie Bongailas.