Actually what I'M thinking is some posters are more alike to CF customer. Think the world owes them.
"and I did get my money back even though the rules said they didn't have to do so." Then you were LUCKY to get those refunds NOT entitled to them!
Op says her home isn't set up for toddlers, that suggests to me either items vulnerable to damage at best or not safe for toddlers at worst. Given how this customer behaved I have no doubt that if items were damaged she wouldn't have covered costs and God forbid her child was hurt she'd have blamed op and probably sued her to the hilt! And it's highly unlikely op's insurance would have covered I wouldn't have let her or her child cross my threshold either.
"If indeed that woman attitude had been 'stuff her, I don't care, I'll show up with my kid anyway and there's nothing she can do about it' " OMG do you seriously NOT GET that's EXACTLY WHAT THE CUSTOMER DID!!!
"There is something called 'the benefit of the doubt' and 'gesture of goodwill', but these seems more and more lost in our society of entitlement and selfishness." Good grief the irony of that ENTIRE statement? The REASON people are stopping giving the benefit of the doubt and gestures of goodwill is BECAUSE of cheeky fuckery like this!
But with everything op's said I'm with johnnycomelately - I think this is a scam she pulled NUMEROUS times, people like that (con artists) have no morals using children like this. I note op hasn't said the child displayed any obvious distress? Probably used to it. Easy way to make around £100 a weekend if not more.
@Mydcaremarvel - as has been explained MULTIPLE times - customer could easily have used a stolen/cloned card to make the booking, or even if not, be well practised at making their claim for a refund from Airbnb (possibly using different name and details each time) AND getting cash refund from those in op's position.
Agree not only lots of potential (if not actual) CF on this thread, but really gullible naive people too.
Omg there's even people who REALLY don't get how insurance companies/insurance works either - they will try to find ANY loophole to avoid paying out. If the child were hurt or God forbid was lifelong injured or killed - the op could easily be liable in civil court for £100,000's!
Given the NEIGHBOURS were alerted to this woman's reaction to not getting her way, enough to want police involved I strongly suspect it would have taken police to remove her from the premises if op had let even just the child in to visit the loo.
"But I am entitled to make an exception to my policy in my home." Er NOT if that puts you then in breach of contract with the other guest/s. They could justifiably sue for that and would likely be successful.
I think some on here would also benefit from learning just what excellent actors con artists are. It's actually quite worrying and like a pp I now see how people get sucked into "green card" style marriages, dodgy tradespeople that tout door-to-door and various other well known cons
"My view is it probably never would have got to that point if this had happened to me." Couldn't disagree more, I highly suspect you would have desperately needed police to intervene to remove a volatile person from your home. Also very unlikely you could have found a room for her AND child for £40 or less per night at this time of year at weekend prices. AND it likely isn't what CF/con woman was after so you'd have been subjected to tons of excuses why the various rooms you sourced were unsuitable.
Penggwynn honestly you give people like this an inch they take a MARATHON route!!
Purplecrowbar - con artists are very similar to gamblers in that they tend to be convinced their ideas will work in their favour - even in the face sometimes of a lot of evidence to the contrary - that said there's a few on this thread would clearly fall for this type of scam.
Penggwynn you can be kind without being a complete doormat, your definition of kind with a CF like this could well end up with someone in op's position acquiring a long term tenant (and child!). Your approach is EXACTLY what CF and con artists rely on, and you're exactly the kind of person they target.
How do I know? 2 relatives who make/made money this way - also very good at talking their way out of trouble with police/courts, I bet this woman wasn't even charged with anything. Didn't so much as get a ticking off from police. Most con artists work multiple short/low value cons rather than long/big money cons because if caught, easier to explain away and lesser sentences. Doesn't really bother them doing community service type things as that often puts them in contact with potential victims - yes the justice system is THAT stupid!
@thedailymailsafmdisgusting - I've also worked in hotels, and have similar anecdotes inc a wedding party that sound scarily similar to your funeral people.
Lol - key difference between CF and experienced con artists, CF smirk, CA maintain the act in case they want to con you again in the future
Nb - I too will not be engaging with penggwynn on this or any other thread in future.