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All Leisure agents held off taking customer money before collapse

Sales staff at All Leisure purposely held off taking customers’ money amid concerns about the firm’s future.

Homeworker Jacqui Ridler (pictured) said she and other colleagues had their suspicions in December when they were told not to give flight upgrades and, later, when cruises were cancelled at the last minute.

All Leisure ceased trading last week after pulling Swan Hellenic and Voyages of Discovery cruises on December 30, a week before they were due to depart. The lines had 400 passengers overseas at the time and 7,000 forward bookings.

Ridler said: “We knew something was up in December, when they told us not to give flight upgrades.

“On the 30th, they cancelled the [Voyages of Discovery and Swan Hellenic] cruises and we were told that was for ‘operational reasons’. How could two ships so far apart both be stopped for operational reasons? Then the brochure launch was postponed until April, which was weird.

“We were told to keep on booking as usual. I had two elderly ladies who wanted to book, but I talked them into taking wheelchair assist, which delays payment. My colleague told her customers her payment system was broken.”

Ridler, who lives in Eastbourne, said she and other homeworkers were left in the dark as staff at All Leisure’s Market Harborough offices were told about the collapse. “I would have appreciated a phone call,” she said.

“They only hired four of us in August so we feel like lambs to the slaughter.”

Ridler was made redundant but found another job after posting about her situation on social media.

All Leisure chairman Roger Allard blamed a “perfect storm” of geopolitical events for the collapse.

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