Farnworth newlyweds' honeymoon nightmare in Cuba as groom is ordered to pay £4,000 for 'broken' TV

Farnworth newlyweds' honeymoon nightmare in Cuba as groom is ordered to
pay £4,000 for 'broken' TV
9:25am Monday 16th June 2014 in News Exclusive By Jeremy Culley, reporter

A NEWLYWED couple's honeymoon ended in turmoil when the bridegroom had
to fly back alone after being ordered to pay £4,000 to replace a broken
television.

Former soldier Wesley Dyson and his bride Heather were on the last day
of their holiday in the resort of Holguin at the Paradisus del Rio D'Oro
when they were ordered off their airport transfer coach.

The Farnworth couple were told a damaged TV had been found in their
hotel room.

Mr Dyson, aged 36, was told he would have to pay 10 times the cost value
of the TV — 6,600 Cuban pesos or about £4,000 — or the police would not
give him his passport back.

He had to wave his 31-year-old wife off in a taxi before spending an
extra night in a separate Cuban hotel, frantically making arrangements
for the cash to be put in place.

Neither of the couple remember damaging the 32-inch television that had
been in their room and hotel staff would not allow them back into the
room to inspect it.

Mr Dyson, who now works as a HGV driver, said they are desperately
hoping their travel insurance will cover the replacement payment or they
will start married life in debt.

He flew back alone to Gatwick, rather than Manchester, a day later than
scheduled on June 3.

Mr Dyson said: "The hotel was run by the military and we were advised
paying would be in our best interests.

"They said, if you don't pay that within three days then an
investigation will start and you will be held.

"I was in the army for 13 years and have been all over the world but
I've never been treated like that anywhere.

"It was horrendous — like a Cuban hell."

He warned other holidaymakers to be on guard when visiting countries
like Cuba and to carry out a personal inventory of the contents of their
hotel rooms complete with pictures.

Mr Dyson added: "I don't want anyone else to be waving their new wife
off in a taxi in a foreign country on her own. It was terrible.

"We had been saving for the wedding and a dream honeymoon for months so
we just don't have £4,000 to hand.

"I had to borrow it off my dad in the end."

The couple booked their holiday through Thomas Cook and Mr Dyson said
the reps in Cuba had been helpful but also advised him that paying for
the TV would "in his best interests".

Mr Dyson is now anxiously waiting to see if his travel insurance policy
with ERV will pay out for the bill.

By paying, despite the circumstances, Mr Dyson is concerned it will
appear as though he is accepting liability.

A Thomas Cook UK and Ireland spokesman said: "As soon as our highly
experienced resort team was made aware of the situation Mr Dyson was in,
representatives went to the hotel and offered him every support possible
right through until the time he was able to return home.

"Our customer services team is also in contact with Mr Dyson to see if
any further assistance can be provided."

The management of the Paradisus del Rio D'Oro failed to respond to
requests for a comment.

Source: Farnworth newlyweds' honeymoon nightmare in Cuba (From The
Bolton News) -
http://www.theboltonnews.co.uk/news/11279650.Farnworth_newlyweds__honeymoon_nightmare_in_Cuba/