Active discussions

Please or to access all these features

Talk
AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

AIBU to leave a stinking review

63 replies

101confusedbutangryholidaymakers · 31/03/2024 17:11

Staying at lovely cottage in Scotland, text the owner last week as instructed to by Sykes, to get attached response... fine Sundays are sacred to some people. Rang 2 days later to be told keys will be in back door... why that warranted a phone call who knows. Arrived yesterday without further contact. This afternoon, a Sunday, lady showed up out of the blue whilst we were in the hot tub, came right round the back of the property. It was bloody awkward, me DH and my 2 young kids in swimming cossies in the garden faced with this random lady, this cottage is in the middle of nowhere we were definitely not expecting this randomer to intrude. She told us we'd put the top off the hot tub wrong, it was lent against the side, who knows where it's supposed to go, all she described was how to put it back on. She asked if everything was okay, I told her the Internet didn't work she told me "well it does", definitely doesn't. She left telling me "no kids unsupervised in the hot tub" well duh and they weren't. She also chastised us for not showering beforehand... which we had but obviously we looked dirty or something cos she looked sceptical. It just ruined everything frankly and now feel weird about the rest of the week if she's just going to show up whenever she feels like it. I just don't know whether to text her again to reiterate about the Internet and politely request some notice before she intrudes or just leave a stinking review.... bit tempted by the latter but I realise that's the childish way out... this place wasn't exactly cheap though

AIBU to leave a stinking review
OP posts:
New posts on this thread. Refresh page
Thread gallery
6
Oneearringlost · 07/04/2024 08:11

MrsKeats · 31/03/2024 17:24

Sykes is the worst company ever.
They've just come near the bottom of cottage companies as rated by Which yet again,
Give a bad review and have a look at the unhappy with Sykes FB group which has gone over 7000 members.

I was about to come on and mention this.

We used Sykes once for a family holiday in Wales and were told we had to bring our own towels and bedlinen. Guess what? We forgot and had to spend the 1st night without bed linen and find a shop ( in North Wales on a Sunday) to buy all new bedlinen for 5 of us.
Fair enough, we were warned, but it went under our radar somewhat as generally one isn't expected to provide all towels and bedlinen for a holiday cottage rental.
It wasn't cheap, either.

I would contact them, on the pretext of the WiFi, ( even though they have said they're unavailable) just for the record and mention the unsolicited visit, politely.
If you don't hear back, I think it wouldn't be unreasonable to mention this in your review, to warn others.

toastandtwo · 07/04/2024 07:36

Personally OP I’d cut that review right down and make it purely factual. I’m absolutely not saying this has been the case here and I’m sorry you’ve had such a crappy experience but often when I read a review that feels so personal/emotional I mentally disregard it.
I’d just bullet point the keys, WiFi, hot tub issues. Children definitely allowed in that hot tub from the signage and the swimming pool
comment is bizarre - my ILs have a hot tub and my kids ‘swim’ across it all the time without any issues whatsoever - unless she thinks they were jumping in and out and getting it dirty?!

Original poster
101confusedbutangryholidaymakers · 07/04/2024 07:23

ImposterSyndrome24 · 06/04/2024 19:09

Can I just ask something? If your children did use it as a swimming pool how does that affect the chemical balance in the pool? Does swimming half a metre (if that) create chemicals I wasn't aware of as opposed to sitting still?

😂
Good point, what did she actually mean by that!?

OP posts:
Gunz · 06/04/2024 21:53

I feel your pain - when you do get a holiday with an 'intrusive owner' it really ruins it for you. Booked a lot of 'cottages' over the years and I won't book anything where the owner is next door or its annexe to their property. We had a real nightmare when I left my Goldie for half a day in the cottage - it was 35+ and it was too hot to take him out. Really kicked off over it. The owner was adjacent to the cottage. I now look very carefully - it suits me if they have lock box for the key and I don't meet them.

ImposterSyndrome24 · 06/04/2024 19:09

Can I just ask something? If your children did use it as a swimming pool how does that affect the chemical balance in the pool? Does swimming half a metre (if that) create chemicals I wasn't aware of as opposed to sitting still?

Original poster
101confusedbutangryholidaymakers · 06/04/2024 15:35

whywonttheyeattheirfood · 06/04/2024 13:24

I wonder if she's breaking her public liability insurance rules by failing to provide instructions for the hot tub, particularly if safety issues have arisen by her use of potentially dangerous chemicals.

Remind her of this if she pursues the £80.

That's a good thing to keep in mind thanks. I think that was her preemptively making sure we didn't ask for a refund over the broken Internet!? Maybe. My husband keeps telling me to stop trying to rationalise her behaviour, when she's obviously not a rational person...

OP posts:
Original poster
101confusedbutangryholidaymakers · 06/04/2024 15:27

Capmagturk · 06/04/2024 14:05

I'd also put in that your children absolutely were not messing around or using it like a swimming pool and always had you in supervising. Otherwise people will automatically think aw her kids must of been messing around in it, in and out etc. I'd also mention her shower comment.

Edited

You're right, you know what the showering thing had kind of slipped my mind, which is insane considering just that on its own would have been rude enough 😅

OP posts:
Original poster
101confusedbutangryholidaymakers · 06/04/2024 15:18

Isittimeformynapyet · 06/04/2024 13:17

I'd say "mystery faux pas" OP - that says you have no idea what it was and the fact that it was unintentional is implicit.

Brilliant! Definitely adding mystery in there, thanks

OP posts:
Whatifthehokeycokey · 06/04/2024 15:12

Very rude to assume you hadn't showered! Holiday cottage owners can be very precious about their hot tubs. Went to one where it was set to a very tepid (unusable) temperature with big signs saying not to turn it up.

Capmagturk · 06/04/2024 14:05

I'd also put in that your children absolutely were not messing around or using it like a swimming pool and always had you in supervising. Otherwise people will automatically think aw her kids must of been messing around in it, in and out etc. I'd also mention her shower comment.

volvoxc40 · 06/04/2024 14:00

omg what was her problem?!

whywonttheyeattheirfood · 06/04/2024 13:24

I wonder if she's breaking her public liability insurance rules by failing to provide instructions for the hot tub, particularly if safety issues have arisen by her use of potentially dangerous chemicals.

Remind her of this if she pursues the £80.

Isittimeformynapyet · 06/04/2024 13:17

I'd say "mystery faux pas" OP - that says you have no idea what it was and the fact that it was unintentional is implicit.

pikkumyy77 · 06/04/2024 12:35

Good review! As a renter I would want to know all this because I would rather not be hassled in this way.

Teenagemum34 · 06/04/2024 12:12

Sounds horrid. When we’ve rented places with hot tubs in Scotland sometimes the owners come by the morning after arrival to make sure everything is okay maybe scope out your not a stag or hen do etc., but I’d not normally expect to see the owner the rest of the week and would find that intrusive.

Original poster
101confusedbutangryholidaymakers · 06/04/2024 11:50

This is what I plan to post as my review and leave 2 stars... also not sure whether to share any of the message screenshots or if that's too petty!?

"Cottage lovely. Found owner rude, critical, intrusive and unhelpful.

Couldn't fault the cottage, lovely location, well equipped, very clean and perfect garden for children. This should be a 5 star review. Unfortunately our dealings with the owner ruined it.

When I tried to text her the week before our arrival to arrange key collection, as instructed to by sykes, I received a rather blunt message, in response, to get in touch with her a different day as she was having time off. I rang her later in the week and was told the keys would be in the back door.

Be aware she makes frequent unscheduled visits. There is no front door so she will come right around the back, where the hot tub is, completely unannounced.

The Internet was not working, when I informed her of this on the Sunday afternoon, her response was “well it does”, we felt completely dismissed. After contacting sykes she finally tried to fix the internet on Thursday, we had no WiFi for the entire week, with no offer of apology for the inconvenience. We even felt as if she thought we were making the issue up.

On the Tuesday afternoon, after arriving back from a day out, we found the hot tub open and full of froth, it smelt strongly of chlorine. There was no note or text message explaining what she had done or what to do next with it and no manual with safety instructions on the premises.

On the Thursday morning, I got a nasty text message from her, telling us my children had contaminated the hot tub as they were using it as a “swimming pool” and it would cost us £80 to fix the issue. The weather really wasn’t great so we weren’t even in the hot tub for more than a few hours in total all week.

I feel as if we made some unintentional faux pas which the owner felt warranted the above treatment. I’m sure if you can navigate these unwritten rules you might escape this treatment, it’s such a shame as it is such a nice place to visit."

I'd happily share the name of the place... am I allowed on here, maybe there's a sneaky way round if anyone knows?

OP posts:
Capmagturk · 06/04/2024 10:54

This is so bad, she's so rude and intrusive and the lack of info regarding the hot tub is bad. I'd defo complain then let us all know where it is, I'm in Scotland and never want to book here!

Caroparo52 · 06/04/2024 10:51

Be fair and state the facts honestly. Whilst you have negative comments to make which will be helpful to her and future bookers also put the positive ones if there are some. avoids you sounding vendictive

LlynTegid · 06/04/2024 10:42

I treat most reviews as suspicious unless they say something factual, such as distances from nearby facilities.

Original poster
101confusedbutangryholidaymakers · 06/04/2024 10:40

tobee · 05/04/2024 17:22

Are there dates on the reviews?

The ones we've found are dotted around a few websites but the 4 on sykes are from April, May, June, July 2023.... not sure if thats suspicious or just a coincidence it worked out so neatly

OP posts:
Queenfierce · 05/04/2024 19:45

I would leave a negative review in this case it doesn't need to sound angry but be honest and say you felt it was intrusive owner turned up and made you feel uncomfortable comments was passed that you didn't appreciate eg the shower comment

I stayed in a guest house 3 weeks ago with my dh and I left a negative review based on the situation at the time
One their was cameras all over the guest house so felt watched
2 the housekeeping went in our room without permission and actually had touched and moved some of our belongings owners hid away yet shower didn't work at all so couldn't shower did try to mention this but couldn't catch the hosts
It was a disappointing stay
So no I don't think it's unreasonable of you to leave a negative review

DonnaBanana · 05/04/2024 19:34

She sounds like a bit of a nightmare. Maybe a good host usually but got rubbed up the wrong way in this case somehow. That can happen. Chalk it up to experience and leave an honest review. This is the downside to staying at other people’s houses.

RickyGervaislovesdogs · 05/04/2024 19:07

I would say children are allowed in. If it’s adult only she should specify that so people with children cannot book. She sounds intrusive and rude and yes it does sound like there’s a camera, or she’s walking by regularly.

There should be a hot tub manual, we’ve always had one. (DD loves a hot tub, I wouldn’t have one myself lol) how else are you meant to know how to use it, the dangers etc, it’s only meant to be used for 20 mins, no alcohol, covered if not in use , lights etc turned off and so on. You cannot use it if it’s been treated.

We stayed on a working farm, the owner was very close and she didn’t appear at all. Just said here’s my number if you need me- enjoy the house. It was dog friendly and we leave the dog in the accommodation as he’s old, quiet and just sleeps (we always ask permission, in advance). We are always offered discounts for repeat bookings.

We go away a lot and I’ve never experienced anything like what you describe! Ever. I would definitely complain, as you raised these issues with her to no avail.

I wonder if they can choose which reviews go on the site…

LlynTegid · 05/04/2024 18:40

The unannounced visits are factual, not opinion. So even if you say nothing else, worth putting in a review.

Tempnamechng · 05/04/2024 18:37

As above I've had nothing but really lovely owners through Sykes. Your host sounds like a bit of an arse though, so you need to complain.