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Holidays go under the hammer
A holiday auction website is launching next month to sell weekend breaks.
The website, auctionweekendbreaks.co.uk goes live on 2 May. Owners, Roger Preece and Roger Thomas have teamed up with travel suppliers like Le Meridien Hotels, Sheraton, Gleneagles, and Thomas Cook to offer the value added breaks.
Mr Preece and Mr Thomas say that some of the breaks are exclusive to the website, and claim that none are last minute clearance stock, but are designed to be taken at a time convenient to the bidder.
Neither of the owners have a background in the travel industry. Mr Preece used to own the Jamies wine bar chain in London, while Mr Thomas already owns some websites including londonelite.com, which is currently being developed.
Bidders pay an auction fee of £1.50 for one bid, or can pay a monthly membership of £5 for unlimited bids. It is a silent auction, and at the end of the month the highest bidder gets the holiday.
Each break is displayed with its estimated retail value and a minimum bid. For example, a two night break for two at the Waldorf Astoria Hotel in New York, including flights has been given a retail value of £1,900 and minimum bid of £950. All breaks feature a luxurious element, such as champagne on arrival or spa treatments.
Bidders who get their bid in during the first ten days of each auction are emailed to let them know if their bid is unsuccessful, thus giving them the opportunity to make a second higher bid.
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