Lowcostholidays blames ‘over zealous’ employee for ‘Thomas Crooked’ slur
Lowcostholidays has withdrawn an online ad campaign asking consumers if they’ve been ‘Thomas Crooked’.
It has removed the ads after Ian Ailles, CEO of Mainstream for Thomas Cook UK & Ireland, said Thomas Cook would be taking legal action (see earlier story). Thomas Cook has since dropped any action.
Lowcostholidays chief executive Paul Evans has issued an apology for the ads and blamed an "over zealous member of staff’.
He told TravelMole: “I have apologised to Ian personally – as soon as I saw it. And we have withdrawn it. It was an over zealous member of staff and we have dealt with the issue.”
In a statement earlier today, Ailles said: "It is shocking the tactics some will stoop to. This is totally unacceptable and defamatory and we're taking immediate legal action against them."
ABTA has confirmed that it is investigating the Google advert to see if it breaches the association's Code of Conduct.
Both companies are ABTA members. Under the ABTA Code of Conduct no member is allowed make comments about another member's financial status or bring a fellow member into disrepute.
by Bev Fearis
Bev
Editor in chief Bev Fearis has been a travel journalist for 25 years. She started her career at Travel Weekly, where she became deputy news editor, before joining Business Traveller as deputy editor and launching the magazine’s website. She has also written travel features, news and expert comment for the Guardian, Observer, Times, Telegraph, Boundless and other consumer titles and was named one of the top 50 UK travel journalists by the Press Gazette.
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