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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

or is this hotel being a bit tight?

37 replies

ElizaPickford · 04/11/2014 14:39

I dunno if it's me or not so really appreciate your feedback!

I stay with a particular family run hotel for work sometimes and have spent thousands with them over the last 5 years.

On my last stay I stupidly left a dress hanging in the wardrobe. Totally my scatty fault. I contacted them and they said that they have it, so I asked if they would send it back to me and I would of course cover the postage. To cut a long story short they are saying that they will not take to the post office but I can arrange a collection to be delivered to me. If I use a courier service that require them to print a label out it will cost me £3. They are saying that they don't want to print a label, they want me to use one of 3 couriers they have mentioned and it will cost me £12. (And they don't have to print a label.)

I know that it's my fault and if I left something there it's my responsibility to pay to have it returned, but I can't help but think that their response shows a lack of goodwill considering the amount time and money I've spent with them? I left one of my children's books at a hotel we stayed at for a week once and the lovely woman who ran it posted it back to me before I'd even realised it was missing! To be honest the dress only cost £30 so it's a bit annoying to have to pay a third of its value to have it returned - in fact I'm not even sure if I can be bothered to spend that much to get it back, I'm just a bit miffed at myself for having forgotten it in the first place.

So are they being tight or am I being entitled? Grin

OP posts:
beeny · 04/11/2014 14:41

They are being tight

justmuddlingalong · 04/11/2014 14:42

I'd forget the dress and find another hotel to use.

Only1scoop · 04/11/2014 14:43

I'd send them a self addressed mail bag and a fiver and ask them if they can nip to post office. Or drop at a Hermes etc.

12 is ridiculous

cozietoesie · 04/11/2014 14:43

They're being stupid with an established guest in my view - but are you sure you were liaising with one of the owners or with someone who had no authority and was blindly following some sort of policy which they only thought they understood?

19lottie82 · 04/11/2014 14:44

They're being tight. I was with them at the, they wouldn't go to the PO part, but not be willing to print off a pre paid address label....wow.

WhyIRayLiotta · 04/11/2014 14:44

I would use another hotel in future and tell them so. A hotel I stayed in in Edinburgh posted me back my phone charger - I hadn't even bothered to ask them as I thought it'd be cheaper to get another one.

Also... Tripadvisor Grin

captainmummy · 04/11/2014 14:46

Tight - and short-sighted.

My dh left a suit at a hotel in Ireland once; they posted it back and he reimbursed them the postage. Good review on TA!

Original poster
ElizaPickford · 04/11/2014 14:48

I think it's the owner who has been emailing me. Sad

I might do that, Only1. I won't be going back as my company are relocating, and I think I mentioned it when I was there, so I can't send a huffy "kiss goodbye to my business" email. I asked if they would seriously not print out a label and they now seem to be ignoring me. Such a shame, I thought it was a lovely place to stay...

OP posts:
Only1scoop · 04/11/2014 14:48

So you've spent thousands and they are being tight about a stamp basically Confused

Speak to manager or owner and explain you will reimburse but can be done far cheaper than 12 pounds.

Original poster
ElizaPickford · 04/11/2014 14:50

Yeah, will deffo be revising my Trip Advisor review if they don't respond to my last mail...

OP posts:
Fillybuster · 04/11/2014 14:51

I'd post them a pre-paid envelope, or even liais with Hermes to get it collected on your own behalf. But YANBU, they are. How annoying.

violetlights · 04/11/2014 14:52

I had something similar this year when my lovely sister paid for us all to stay at a swanky hotel for a week or so. I'm guessing the bill came to about £5000, more with the food and spa treatments etc. After leaving I realised I left my baby's tiny pillow in the cot... And they charged me £12 to send it back. I was a bit Shock. It's so short sighted... For the sake of £12 they lost a lot of good will.

mum9876 · 04/11/2014 14:52

I think it sounds reasonable really. If they aren't going to the post office daily (like many businesses aren't any more) it involves a lot of extra effort to send someone down there to queue for half an hour. I can also understand them wanting you to use a courier which just turns up with a ready addressed bag and you put the item in. They don't need to wrap/address it which then has the potential for them making a mistake.

If you go there regularly can't you just pick it up when you're next there?

I bet every other person leaves something in a hotel room - it's probably a right pain.

cozietoesie · 04/11/2014 14:54

I'd write off the dress then. I know that hotels are having a rough time at the moment but if you run a family concern, you should be making better calls according to the circumstances. (No central policy dictats.) It leads you to wonder what else is going on behind the scenes.

mummymeister · 04/11/2014 14:59

blimey, I run my own business and anyone who is any sort of repeat customer would never be treated like this. people who come to you first for any sort of trade or business are like gold dust and should be treated like it. just think how much lost business they will suffer if you now decide to look and stay elsewhere. very short sighted attitude. if times are hard then you need your repeat business even more and need to work even harder to keep customers coming back not scrimp £12.

cozietoesie · 04/11/2014 15:05

It sounds as if they noted that the OP's business is relocating and are now either in the huff or showing their true colours. Either way, if it was me, the dress would be slightly 'tainted' by all this and as it wasn't a hugely expensive one, I think I'd let it go. (I would be hard put not to send them a mean-ish final email though.)

HappyAgainOneDay · 04/11/2014 15:06

Another good hotel example here. I left my camera case (had camera with me though) in Mount Pleasant Hotel in Banff, Canada. I wrote (no e-mails then) and asked them to send it, saying that I would reimburse the postage to them. They posted it straightaway and said that I need not bother with the postage. I did work out what the postage was though and sent it. I'd certainly go there again - one day.

HappyAgainOneDay · 04/11/2014 15:07

Sorry. I should have said that I'm in the UK.

Original poster
ElizaPickford · 04/11/2014 15:14

Oh - hang on, a different member of staff just mailed to say that they would print off the label for me.

Wonder if the manager is a Musnetter? Wink

OP posts:
cozietoesie · 04/11/2014 15:29
Grin
jay55 · 04/11/2014 16:21

Yay for a bit of progress.

Earlier in the year premier inn sent my phone back to me for free and were super nice about it

Only1scoop · 04/11/2014 16:24

Ah that's good Smile

ProfYaffle · 04/11/2014 16:24

Premier Inn were also great with us when we left dd2's beloved Ducky there. They posted him back at no cost to us, we left very happy reviews all over the web!

Findingthisdifficult1234 · 04/11/2014 16:28

Maybe see if they will hold on to it until next time you stay?
They are being very tight! Don't pay the £12

Findingthisdifficult1234 · 04/11/2014 16:29

Sorry just seen your other reply! Good news op! :)

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