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Slug-gate! How much reimbursement should I request?

161 replies

youdontwantasluginthebedroom · 02/12/2025 12:49

NC for this, and posted shamelessly in AIBU for traffic.

The story, in a nutshell; I had to go away at v short notice last month and booked 4 nights in a self-catering place. On arrival (day1) I noticed slug trails on the bedroom carpets. But it was late, I was tired, I didn't have the owner's number so I left it until the following morning, when I contacted the owner.
Nothing was done about this by the owner on days 2 (which I queried that evening) or day 3 (when I kind of gave up).
But early hours of day 4 I got out of bed to go to the loo and almost stood on a slug on a carpet next to the bed. (There was no bedside light so I had to cross the room in the dark, and no furniture other than a tiny bedside table so my case had had to stay on the ground; thankfully I couldn't see any slug trails on it). Decided I couldn't stay there any longer so moved out with daybreak and had to find alternative accom at even shorter notice for that evening.
I've contacted the owner and by text and phone but am getting nowhere with a refund so have now opened a case through the CC company (luckily I'd paid with my card).
My question - how much refund would you go for? I'm asking for a refund of the unused night plus some more to reflect distress and inconvenience. I think a total refund for 2 out of the 4 nights is reasonable, and I'm sure that some people would ask for more. But a couple of people have told me not to make such a fuss about a slug!
Well, who wants mashed slug between their toes when they get out of bed?
So what does the MN jury think?
Poll - YANBU = refund well deserved (but how much? Freetext please!)
YABU = suck it up (but I'll still write an honest review!)

OP posts:
ComtesseDeSpair · 02/12/2025 13:05

Stepping on a slug is a bit gross, but I think saying you had to get alternative accommodation as a result is OTT. Slugs don’t mean somewhere is unclean and they aren’t a safety risk (unless you try to eat them, but I imagine the owner trusted you not to do that.) If I reported a slug and trails I’d expect the owner to make a note to visit after my stay and work out where they were getting in and sort it out, but I wouldn’t see it as something which required automatic rallying whilst I was staying there in the way I would for e.g. a wasp nest, or bed bugs. In fact, I’d be a bit annoyed to have my stay disrupted if they did.

BillieWiper · 02/12/2025 13:05

You only saw one slug. That's hardly an infestation!? Why not just pick it in a tissue and throw out or down the toilet?

PandaCwtch · 02/12/2025 13:05

I think you are being overly dramatic in describing seeing one slug as an infestation.
You can ask for some element of refund, but I'd expect the owner to come back to offer maybe a partial refund of the last night, if anything at all - you left because you found a single slug and find it icky.
2 nights refund and compensation for distress? Fairly ridiculous. At least you've provided some comedy for the day.

Shedmistress · 02/12/2025 13:03

Good lord.

ExtraOnions · 02/12/2025 13:01

One slug is not an infestation.. these things happen. Once you had disposed of it, that might well have been it. The trails could well have been 1 slug in 1 night. We had a rogue one the other week .. we caught it, got rid of it.

I once stood in a lizard, barefoot, in a hotel room once ..

Sprogonthetyne · 02/12/2025 12:59

Want to stand on slug, no.
Move out at daybreak because of a slug, also no.
Expect to someone to compensate me for my slug driven relocation, absolutely not.

Sorry you had issues with your last minute accommodation, but I think it's a case of suck it up and move on (whilst also thinking about why an accommodation might be available last minute in future)

EuroTour · 02/12/2025 12:59

You don't have a phone torch? I wouldn't expect anything for a wayward slug. It happens.

They crawl under the smallest gap, one slug can make a vast amount of trails, pick up, put outside, move on.

isitmytime · 02/12/2025 12:58

Yuck that’s disgusting. One slug/wasp/bat! Is very different to an infestation
with slug trails all over the carpet 🤢
I think realistically you’ll only be able to get a refund for the one night you don’t use maybe the cost of the additional accommodation if you push hard enough. I’m no expert though and someone else might be along to give better advice.

RaininSummer · 02/12/2025 12:57

Not sure you will get a refund for that. Probably just sneaking in at night not an infestation

youdontwantasluginthebedroom · 02/12/2025 12:54

I think that if you're paying to stay somewhere and there's a slug infestation, the property owner should sort it out!

Would you want to stand on a slug in your bare feet in the dark?

OP posts:
MySweetGeorgina · 02/12/2025 12:52

Really? Sometimes a slug or a wasp or even a bat can get into a home. It happens. How can this be such a big deal to you?!