Travel: The right to know

JOHN GRAHAM of East Sussex is in the curious position of wanting to book another holiday with VFB Holidays of Cheltenham, but the company will not even send him a brochure. After a satisfactory holiday with the company last summer, he looked forward to travelling with VFB again this year, but he has been told that his business is no longer wanted. Despite repeated inquiries, he cannot find out the reason why.

Mike Bruce-Mitford, VFB managing director, has written to Mr Graham saying: 'A company such as ours does not take such decisions lightly or without due cause, and I can assure you that there is no question of any error having been made. I do note your repeated demands for explanation, but in my experience, to enter into correspondence in these circumstances serves no purpose other than to guarantee that the matter is protracted interminably.

'I understand that this may be frustrating for you, but I am afraid that this is the only response I feel able to give you and I really must now regard this correspondence as closed.'

I understand only too well the hazards of embarking on a 'Oh, yes you did' 'Oh, no I didn't' correspondence, but there is no reasonable alternative. If VFB refuses to accept Mr Graham's business, it should at least do him the courtesy of telling him why.