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AIBU?

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To think theres something going on here......balaericsHotel

96 replies

Trolleydolly123 · 16/05/2025 14:48

So without going into detail, trip to balearics 3 months ago, major issue at hotel where other guests accused my dad of theft (not true) due to the large group being so aggressive, hotel essentially forced my dad to pay back the money. We requeated to phone police they refused,requested CCTV but refused. We left that day as planned with a view to complaining on return.
Numerous emails sent to hotel to complain, all ignored.
Calls to hotel ignored.
Email to head office ignored.
Contacted tourist board who say get a complaint form from hotel.
Finally speak to a human at hotel who denies such form exists.

Am i being paranoid or is this a massive wall of silence/cover up?!

Any advice of how to progress?

OP posts:
Trolleydolly123 · 17/05/2025 18:19

HotHoney · 17/05/2025 17:55

An apology wont make a bit of difference, just call the police if you are even in that situation again, unless you have stolen something

Yes I would do so again absolutley. We dont tend to steal things so no concerns on that front 😆

OP posts:
Trolleydolly123 · 17/05/2025 18:12

WokeMarxistPope · 17/05/2025 18:02

Ask the hotel for an hoja de reclamaciones. Tell them you are aware that this is a legal requirement and that there is a substantial fine for not providing it, and that you have already identified a Spanish law firm to handle it if they do not provide the form (easy to find googling in English).
They are counting on you not knowing the law. They wouldn’t do it to a local because everyone knows the laws around these forms.

Thank you thats so helpful. Exactly what I was hoping for tbh, some sensible helpful advice. The hotel have told me such form does not exist which is the part I find odd, why do they not want me to escalate it unless they know they have messed up somehow.

OP posts:
WokeMarxistPope · 17/05/2025 18:02

Ask the hotel for an hoja de reclamaciones. Tell them you are aware that this is a legal requirement and that there is a substantial fine for not providing it, and that you have already identified a Spanish law firm to handle it if they do not provide the form (easy to find googling in English).
They are counting on you not knowing the law. They wouldn’t do it to a local because everyone knows the laws around these forms.

HotHoney · 17/05/2025 17:55

An apology wont make a bit of difference, just call the police if you are even in that situation again, unless you have stolen something

Toootss · 17/05/2025 17:48

Why are you talking about Balearics holiday -first thing I would do is make name of hotel public - this may have happened to other people.

Trolleydolly123 · 17/05/2025 17:43

Rumbley · 17/05/2025 17:40

yep, there’ll be another side to this

There isnt another side.

OP posts:
Trolleydolly123 · 17/05/2025 17:42

charabang · 17/05/2025 17:39

I think you've probably missed the boat on this one. The best time to sort it would have been at the hotel but you were under duress. Doesn't stop you from leaving a Tripadvisor review though so potential clients can be made aware that a) scammers operate within the hotel and b) they may be being backed up by hotel staff.

Yes I think so, I thought on returning home there could be some sort of resolution with the hotel, apology etc. I dont think the hotel are in on the scam, if it is a scam, just not good at dealing with it. Yes we should have dealt when we were there, and got the complaint form had we known about it.

OP posts:
Rumbley · 17/05/2025 17:40

Trolleydolly123 · 17/05/2025 17:38

It was my mum and SD but for ease said 'parents'. Well done for assuming it was my dad and vile step mum, as you correctly assume, no i would not go on holiday with her. I have two parents though, like most people. Both married to other people so I refer to both sets as 'parents'.

Didnt take the children, not taking children is allowed...shock horror, and they were at school. We didnt go in May, but I am going to a lovely waterpark hotel in May half term with the children, thanks for your concern though. The childrenwont be mssing school, as per the rules.

No my benefit cheating BIL didnt come.

Yes quite the family indeed, again well done for noticing (if not a little weird).

yep, there’ll be another side to this

Trolleydolly123 · 17/05/2025 17:40

Rumbley · 17/05/2025 17:33

So yes, as I say, I suspect a teeny tiny bit more to this

Sorry to disappoint but no there isnt.

OP posts:
charabang · 17/05/2025 17:39

I think you've probably missed the boat on this one. The best time to sort it would have been at the hotel but you were under duress. Doesn't stop you from leaving a Tripadvisor review though so potential clients can be made aware that a) scammers operate within the hotel and b) they may be being backed up by hotel staff.

Trolleydolly123 · 17/05/2025 17:38

Rumbley · 17/05/2025 17:32

You went on holiday alone with your father and his wife, your step mother, who you describe as “utterly vile” and you hate?

Where were your children? Given you were asking for a May hotel with a water park and super children friendly!?

No benefit cheating BIL and other family members who all celebrate him living the high life on fraudulently receiving every benefit going?

you have quite the family op. But odd to go on holiday with someone who despise

Edited

It was my mum and SD but for ease said 'parents'. Well done for assuming it was my dad and vile step mum, as you correctly assume, no i would not go on holiday with her. I have two parents though, like most people. Both married to other people so I refer to both sets as 'parents'.

Didnt take the children, not taking children is allowed...shock horror, and they were at school. We didnt go in May, but I am going to a lovely waterpark hotel in May half term with the children, thanks for your concern though. The childrenwont be mssing school, as per the rules.

No my benefit cheating BIL didnt come.

Yes quite the family indeed, again well done for noticing (if not a little weird).

OP posts:
Rumbley · 17/05/2025 17:33

So yes, as I say, I suspect a teeny tiny bit more to this

Rumbley · 17/05/2025 17:32

You went on holiday alone with your father and his wife, your step mother, who you describe as “utterly vile” and you hate?

Where were your children? Given you were asking for a May hotel with a water park and super children friendly!?

No benefit cheating BIL and other family members who all celebrate him living the high life on fraudulently receiving every benefit going?

you have quite the family op. But odd to go on holiday with someone who despise

KimberleyClark · 17/05/2025 17:30

Sounds like a scam. Despicable.

Trolleydolly123 · 17/05/2025 17:28

Rumbley · 17/05/2025 14:35

Op won’t be back!

Hello I am back.

OP posts:
Trolleydolly123 · 17/05/2025 17:26

There isnt more, we were sunbathing next to a group (2 couples) all day. Couples were drinking all day. We left to go to dinner, went to dinner and same group from earlier in communual area accosted us with wild accusations of we took a watch from their sunbed, saying its 100 euro watch and pay pay pay. Hotel staff present,we asked them to call police as violence was threatened, they refused and were saying just pay pay pay. Paid under durress and group left the hotel laughing. Complained about hotels handling of it, over the last three months, and they have just grey rocked the entire time. Thats it. No more to it.
We were not drunk, just me and old-ish parents in a relatively nice hotel in nice ish area. Hadnt seen the group before but hadnt spent a day by the pool before this as we had been sightseeing etc.

OP posts:
Rumbley · 17/05/2025 14:35

PonyPatter44 · 17/05/2025 12:59

I am nosey like @Rumbley and think there is an awful lot being left out of this (understandably). Perhaps the two groups being British meant that the hotel staff thought it was related to that somehow, and were stayingout of it for that reason. I'd also love to know what the €100 thing was that got broken or stolen.

Be interesting if anyone else pops up to say that something similar has happened to them in the Balearics or anywhere else.

Op won’t be back!

Evaka · 17/05/2025 12:59

OP. Write to one of the consumer affairs columnists in a newspaper with your full story and any evidence you have of what happened.

PonyPatter44 · 17/05/2025 12:59

I am nosey like @Rumbley and think there is an awful lot being left out of this (understandably). Perhaps the two groups being British meant that the hotel staff thought it was related to that somehow, and were stayingout of it for that reason. I'd also love to know what the €100 thing was that got broken or stolen.

Be interesting if anyone else pops up to say that something similar has happened to them in the Balearics or anywhere else.

Rumbley · 17/05/2025 12:54

I wouldn’t be surprised if there is more to this

Changingplace · 17/05/2025 10:43

Who do you think is going to give you the money back OP? The people who you gave it to weren’t the hotel staff so the hotel don’t owe you anything.

Chalk it up as a bad experience and move on.

TheAutumnCrow · 17/05/2025 10:15

So now as many pp have said, OP, you can review and complain through numerous channels, eg Trip Advisor and social media (ie about the hotel, the tourist board).

You can still report this to the Police, both the UK and Balearics police forces, and your local MP’s office can advise you how best to do this. You’d be surprised at some of the requests they get and the stuff they help with.

You have many avenues if you are determined not to let it go.

Personally I’d chalk it up to experience and regard it as a lesson learned.

ChompinCrocodiles · 17/05/2025 10:01

My issue with the hotel is that they should have either helped us, or remained neutral, not colluded with the people behaving in this way. And then to ignore all attempts and basically not allow me to complain, and lie about the process. Thats the issue

Well yeah. They sound shit. So don't go back there 🤷‍♀️

Any other expectations you have of what should 'happen' to the hotel over this are unrealistic.

ChompinCrocodiles · 17/05/2025 09:58

Well there are plenty of things you could/should have done at the time. No point in going over and over that now.

It's 100 Euros you lost/were scammed out of/had stolen 3 months ago whilst abroad.

The chances of anyone being helpful or investigating or taking this particularly seriously is nearly as low as any chance of you getting the money back (which is NIL).

It's 100 Euros. Move on.

MasterBeth · 17/05/2025 09:53

You've been bullied and coerced and possibly scammed out of £100. Shocking and unpleasant, but over and done.

I don't think you'll get any redress from anyone now. Better to figure out how to move on.

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