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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

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Original poster

To ask for some money back

26 replies

pingufan · 07/08/2014 10:58

Just got back from holiday.

Booked a private apartment a year ago with a British lady. All paid up 6 weeks before and recieved nice emails back and fore right up until the day we travelled so all seemed fine.

Got out there to be taken by her property manager to another apartment up the road as she had SOLD hers!!!

Shock doesnt even begin to cover it! The apartment we got placed in was a bare & basic holiday let with none of the 'home comforts' that her place offered so we were left up the creek with no hairdryer, washing machine, not even a tea towel!

The owner was actually in resort at the time but didnt even come and meet us to explain - just left her property manager sort it out.

Despite it all we had a great holiday though but was very disappointed in the apartment

Many emails back and fore later and she is saying that the sale went through quicker than she expected and that she was left in a difficult situation.

She is not prepared to refund us anything as she had to pay the property manager an extra 200 to place us in the other place (that charged 200 more than we paid)

She is aggrieved that she is out of pocket for 200 and we were placed in a poor apartment - we are aggrieved that we didnt get the apartment WE felt we'd paid for - the only person who has made out of this is the property manager!

Would you be pursuing this? Hubby saus leave it as we had a good holiday in the end but I'm still angry over it

OP posts:

gamerchick · 07/08/2014 11:00

If that's the case why didn't she come and see you while you were there?

Mrsjayy · 07/08/2014 11:02

Sounds like a scam where did you see her apartment advertised complain to them too I think you probably have a case but not a clue how you would go about it,

Original poster

pingufan · 07/08/2014 11:02

I have no idea why she didnt come and see us - it would have been much better to have at least have the situation explained to us. I have asked her why and she said she should have handled the situation better!

OP posts:

Original poster

pingufan · 07/08/2014 11:03

I did wonder about it being a scam too. It was advertised on Homeaway but the listing has now been removed. I have complained to Homeaway but they say they dont get involed in disputes! Ridiculous!

OP posts:

Mrsjayy · 07/08/2014 11:08

Did you take pictures of the apartment I suppose you could get a lawyer involved imo you dont have your holiday home for rent then all of a sudden it is sold.

Viviennemary · 07/08/2014 11:09

I agree that it could be a scam. If the apartment is in the UK then you could try the small claims court. What you saw is not what you got. It's wrong. I think you should make a stand although it can be a pain to do this. Because if people keep on accepting this kind of thing the more those chancers get away with it.

Original poster

pingufan · 07/08/2014 11:12

It was in Bulgaria so I think it would be difficult. This woman has another property advertised on Homeaway plus a very successful business over here. I could cause all sorts of problems if I told her business customers how she treated her customers I'm sure!

OP posts:

Mrsjayy · 07/08/2014 11:15

Does the site have a feedback section idvleave a bad review at least she is taking the piss

guayaba · 07/08/2014 11:16

How annoying! Did you pay with a credit card or Visa debit card? You might be able to pursue it through them. I once had a problem with a supplier in another country (internet shopping), and just threatening to contact credit card did the trick!

wowfudge · 07/08/2014 11:16

How did you pay pingufan? If it was by credit card you have protection for amounts over 100. Are there any forums or message boards you can voice your dissatisfaction on? Name and shame the owner.

guayaba · 07/08/2014 11:18

Also, just a thought, you might be able to retrieve the original posting. There are search engines that can search old "snapshots" of the internet. I don't remember exactly how it works, but an internet geek friend found some old pages for me after my website had been hacked and all info deleted.

youwouldthink · 07/08/2014 11:35

Hi, Homeaway has a feedback site and a complaints procedure and they would take this very seriously on your behalf. You should give them a call.
You are totally due compensation for this and she is very much to blame and cannot pass it over to anyone else.
You booked and paid for a particular property and that was not provided

Original poster

pingufan · 07/08/2014 11:38

All paid in cash....dull I know but I was even speaking to her on her landline in Britain to make sure it was all above board!

At least we weren't expected to pay for the other place we were put in - she is the one 200 out of pocket but we didnt get the apartment we wanted either! Just be careful privately renting - we never thought it would happen as she was good at returning emails - even emailing us 2 days before to say she'd meet us out there and show us around! By then the place was sold!

OP posts:

Original poster

pingufan · 07/08/2014 11:40

Homeaway emailed me back and said this

'our site is a venue for advertisement; we are not involved in transactions between travellers and advertisers; therefore, we aren't in a position to mediate or control the outcome of complaints.

So be careful using Homeaway too!

OP posts:

Viviennemary · 07/08/2014 11:46

All paid in cash. This is a bit of alarm bells. I'd ring Trading Standards if she's operating from the UK. I wonder if this income is taxable if she is a UK tax payer.

Johnogroats · 07/08/2014 11:49

Is She resident in the UK? I would send a letter before action asking for eg 50% off. Then small claims court.

If not, I would email her a copy of a review ( damning) that you are about to post on trip advisor, and say unless she gives a refund, you'll be posting widely on the Internet.

Johnogroats · 07/08/2014 11:50

Is the old apartment still advertised!

Original poster

pingufan · 07/08/2014 11:56

No, the old apartment listing has been removed, however, she still has a villa up for rent that her husband told be was also up for sale!!

The husband was a nasty piece of work actually - I was emailing him whilst she was still in Bulgaria - he was basically saying that its tough - they are on their backsides have lost money on all their investments out there and risk losing their UK home. That they did their best for us and it cost them 200 and we should be glad they didnt abandon us at the airport!!

On her return she started emailing me all sweetness then aplogising profusely saying that the property was sold by the bulgarian property manager under her nose and she didnt know about it etc. She is full of apologies, so very sorry but only really annoyed that she paid the bulgarian property manager 200 more to place us in the crappy apartment! Thats all shes aggrieved about!

OP posts:

peggyundercrackers · 07/08/2014 12:19

as she & her hubby are uk based I would go through small claims court to get money back

Original poster

pingufan · 07/08/2014 12:22

But would we win? We still got a holiday in an apartment - just not the one we booked.

OP posts:

WeAreEternal · 07/08/2014 12:46

Have you tried to look up the rental cost of the actual apartment that you stayed in?

The first thing that came to mind when reading your OP was a scam that a friend told me about years ago, someone she worked with was conned with it.
Basically you book a holiday villa/apartment that looks lovely but the 'owner' doesn't really own anything, the pictures etc are all stolen, they then book a much cheaper basic villa/apartment in the same location. then when you arrive at the destination the 'owner' tells you that there has been a flood/fire/infestation/emergancy and their apartment is unavailable, but they have managed to find somewhere else, though due to the last minute booking it cost considerable more, but as it wasn't your fault they will pay the extra cost. So you are left feeling like they are doing you a favour.

It sounds like a scan to me.

Why couldn't they give you their villa instead?

WeAreEternal · 07/08/2014 12:52

Technically your contract was with them for apartment A, they provided apartment B but as it was of a lesser standard you could ask for a partial refund, say the difference in the value of the quality.
So if apartment A was £1000 for seven days but apartments of a similar quality to apartment B in the area are £700 for 7 days you could request a refund for £300.
I think it's likely a small claims court would agree with that.
I think you would be unlikely to get all your money back though, as you say, you still had a holiday in an apartment.

Branleuse · 07/08/2014 13:06

id be pissed off but put it down to experience and id be more pissed off with homeWay

wowfudge · 07/08/2014 13:23

Pingufan if they are in financial difficulty as the husband has said, then I don't think there is much to be gained from making a financial claim against them. You will end up spending time, money and effort in doing so against someone who, by the sound of things, may have no money to pay you.

They know you are unhappy. You had a good holiday, albeit not in the accommodation you expected to stay in, and you didn't incur costs to stay in the new (crappy) place.

I think posting a bad review, etc could be cathartic, but you should then walk away. Lesson learned for next time, etc. Let it go and move on - and I mean that in the nicest possible way, otherwise you could get embroiled in a situation which is more trouble than it's worth.

Johnogroats · 10/08/2014 23:08

You can issue a claim for about £30.... No lawyers required. Worth thinking about if hey are UK based.

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