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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

Pants honeymoon

128 replies

Hughfearnley · 04/08/2014 23:19

got married on Sat. Wonderful day. Perfect in every way. Hired a holiday cottage in this country from a company billed as selling luxury cottages- the finest self catering holidays blah blah blah.
We turn up and there is dirty crockery on the table, the master bedroom is not big enough to walk round the bed (not conducive for planned shagfest) , no parking (layby down the rd we have 6 month DS)
Travel cot is damp. No BBQ despite inventory stating it and no TV reception as Aerial is buggered. TV screen only as big as small laptop screen anyway.
Mould in bathroom.
I am in tears and want to go home. DH very laid back, wants us to have a holiday and relax. Emails to letting agent will sort out TV aerial and BBQ. Refusing to acknowledge any other problems.
Supposed to be visit England 4 star. I have emailed them too.
We have paid £1.5k for 2 weeks. AIBU? WWYD?
Should I just get over it?
This is day 2 of 14 Hmm
I would rather be at home with decent bed, TV, decent cot etc etc

OP posts:
GilmoursPillow · 05/08/2014 22:09

Needing an answer, Buds ? Grin

Bunbaker · 05/08/2014 22:27

"It has really put me off another holiday let in this country. It seems to me to there is a lot of luck involved."

We often holiday in the UK in a holiday cottage and have never come across the problems you have encountered so please don't think all holiday lets are like that.

I always do a lot of research when booking a holiday and use google earth and street view to help me make a decision. We did have one holiday where there was no parking (in Tenby) and wouldn't do that again. One of us had to get up early every morning to feed the pay and display meter in the car park.

SweetSummerSweetPea · 05/08/2014 22:37

One holdiday we went to B and B in Haworth home of the BRONTES.

We had heard there was a dreadful clamping company there so we pulled up on yellows to un load the car and panicked so went to local car park, someone handed us a ticket and as we were only there for two mins to fin unloading we accepted it. came back to car and guy was clamping us.

95 quid.

turns out whole car park - WAS the clamping people, its a famous car park!!! Its been in the news loads, on car rouge people and all sorts! Dave evans i think....the whole car park is a scam and they have people deliberately giving out tickets to trap you, they even clamped disabled van as slightly over non existent line, any point is did our FUCKING B AND B LET US KNOW!! Did they tell us where to avoid????? No.

there is only so much research you can do, something things like a car spot you do assume you get!

Glasshammer · 05/08/2014 23:37

Take photos of the mould etc

mummymeister · 05/08/2014 23:44

if they are properly 4 star accredited by visit England this means that they have had an independent inspection. check the visit England website and if they are listed then contact visit England to complain as they are the accrediting body. some people call themselves 4 star or 5 star never having had an inspection so check that this is not the case. Trading standards? not as described? I think you have to make the best of it now but complain loudly and also take photos and video of what is going on there. good luck and sorry it has happened.

CocktailQueen · 05/08/2014 23:45

Hi op, I agree that you should complain all over social media - we did this when staying in a hoseasons house that gad terrible damp and got 50% off. They should be falling over themselves to make you happy. Gabbing Saudi that, enjoy your honeymoon and don't make this the main focus!

CocktailQueen · 05/08/2014 23:45

= having said that!

Original poster
Hughfearnley · 06/08/2014 00:59

Summer-Confused
How awful!

I can assure you all, I have double checked the 4 star accreditation with visit England and informed them we are on honeymoon! (Or holiday or whatever anyone wants to call it!)

After I sent the most recent photo of "the hole in the bedroom wall" (mainly to avoid losing deposit as it's not our fault!) The rental agent has said that they are in discussions with the owner over what to do. (After a FB complaint, twitter and lots of emails including an email to Visit England!)
To be honest, we'd be fine with a few hundred quid off and an apology.
Have discussed with DH and we decided we would use cash for another cheeky weekend somewhere swanky!
We'll see what happens! Thanks for all the advice esp the taking photo advice and social media advice. I think that has made a difference!

With regard to the whole honeymoon vs holiday thing??? WTF? I really don't get it!! It was TOTALLY irrelevant to the spirit of the thread anyway! But I have had a jolly good chortle at it all......

OP posts:
Original poster
Hughfearnley · 06/08/2014 01:02

By the way Mummy
Apparently self catering accommodation gets an inspection on a pre agreed date blah blah so not truly random or Independent.......hotels/b&Bs etc are different and have more stringent checks....

OP posts:
HappySeaTurtles · 06/08/2014 03:29

Ick. When did you pay? You might be able to file a claim with the bank and have them refund your money, while you find a different place to stay.

SweetSummerSweetPea · 06/08/2014 10:43

Its just appalling and the MOST appalling thing about the whole thing is the APATHY and slow response of those responsible. You would think balls would be rolling and pretty fast to sort it out not some wet lettuce email to say - the photos match! If I was the owner I would be ashamed.

KnackeredMuchly · 06/08/2014 14:03

Glad they are working on it.

SweetSummerSweetPea · 06/08/2014 14:06

But are they? They are days into hols and not much seems to be happening except them wanting to re plaster a whole wall, whilst paying customers are in situ?

Aeroflotgirl · 06/08/2014 14:09

I would tweet their company op, I bet they will respond sharpish. 1.2k for that! Sounds awful, you would have been better in a Marriott or Best Western Hotel.

Aeroflotgirl · 06/08/2014 14:11

It's a honeymoon whoever you miserable people want to call it, mabey op and her dh could not or did not want to find childcare!

SweetSummerSweetPea · 06/08/2014 14:12

I think she has tweeted and emailed and the people sent round to help have created a hole in her tiny bedroom wall, so they wanted to re plaster the whole thing, you know, whilst they were there supposedly on honeymoon.

Thats the company response to her tweets and complaints.

Visit England!

Aeroflotgirl · 06/08/2014 14:15

How absolutely disgusting, next tearing standards and watchdog

Aeroflotgirl · 06/08/2014 14:15

Trading

diddl · 06/08/2014 14:20

I suppose the travel cot could be aired quite easily.

But mould in bathroom-yuk, yuk, yuk!

I'd ask to be moved for that!

SweetSummerSweetPea · 06/08/2014 14:59

But mould in bathroom-yuk, yuk, yuk!

Mould is a massive health and safety issue in the states, one has no idea whether a spore will infect your lung, I have had first hand experience of mould and had to leave a property due to it.

I would not expect to pay a huge sum of money to go to a place that would put delicate 6 month lungs at risk to be frank. As well as my own.

ihatethecold · 06/08/2014 16:49

Some of the typos on this thread are making me smile.

Original poster
Hughfearnley · 06/08/2014 17:05

Update: End result is £375 refund. TV stopped working again but we have nice weather and BBQ! Area is stunning and we had a lovely day out today.
So complaining does get you somewhere.
I have to say, I will think twice about booking self catering again in this country. It's not clear what you're getting and it is very expensive compared with abroad!
We usually camp/stay in bunk barns and youth hostels in this country but decided to splash out for a honeymoon!
Thanks everyone!

OP posts:
Bunbaker · 06/08/2014 18:46

"I have to say, I will think twice about booking self catering again in this country. It's not clear what you're getting and it is very expensive compared with abroad!"

So you have one bad experience and you assume that all UK self catering holidays are the same. Shame on you. We holiday in the UK nearly every year in a self catering cottage. Only once have we stayed somewhere below expectations.

I don't think you are being fair to tar all SC cottage owners with the same brush.

Disclaimer: I don't own a holiday cottage.

Were there no reviews for this cottage you are in? Did you use google map and Streetview to check the area?

Perhaps you are vexed because you didn't research your holiday properly before you went.

Bedsheets4knickers · 06/08/2014 18:57

I'd be upset also , totally demand a full refund and book another trip. Totally ok to be fecked off. X

Original poster
Hughfearnley · 06/08/2014 18:58

Favourable reviews on website. Review of local pub excellent (which are correct!) otherwise nothing on trip advisor. It's not in an area of google street view high resolution as it's pretty remote.
I'm still going to think twice. I'm not sure self catering in this country represents value for money....
Short of actually looking round the place it's a bit difficult to get an accurate idea of what you're getting for your money.

OP posts: