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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

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Original poster

Holiday accident...can they do this?

53 replies

Br1256 · 12/09/2018 07:23

I am on holiday with two friends in Spain in a very nice two bedroom two bathroom apartment. Unfortunately it has no air con. The receptionist gave us a fan for one of the bedrooms and told us to open the windows. Apartment block is on top of a v. steep hill, about 15 mins walk up from the beach and we are on the 14th floor ...lovely views with a wrap around balcony.....so quite safe to leave the windows open. It was really hot opened all the windows and went out. When we came back we found the tv had blown off the sideboard resulting in a black line about an inch deep on the screen. We reported it and they are saying we have to pay for a new tv.... What do you think?

OP posts:

Hippywannabe · 12/09/2018 07:27

How powerful is the fan to blow a tv off??

RedHelenB · 12/09/2018 07:34

Unless it was a new TV not for a new one but money towards one perhaps.

astoundedgoat · 12/09/2018 07:37

Surely there's no way a domestic fan could have done that?

Holidayfromreal · 12/09/2018 07:38

I guess the issue is if you had smashed it on purpose or doing something stupid you should pay and you can't prove it blew off the side and not saying you're a liar but I've never heard of a TV blowing off or over anywhere so they probably think you are trying to pull the wool.

Singlebutmarried · 12/09/2018 07:38

Are you saying the wind from outside blew the tv off the sideboard?

WillowKnicks · 12/09/2018 07:39

I'm reading it, that the wind from the open windows blew it off, not the fan.

Desmondo2016 · 12/09/2018 07:39

So it was because of going out and leaving the windows open? I think, yes, you've been honest in reporting it so you kind of have to pay for it. Did you pay a deposit for the accommodation? If not then I can't see they'll bother chasing you for it if you choose not to pay, but I probably would.

Nikephorus · 12/09/2018 07:40

Can you supply details of the fan please? I've never found one that can provide a decent blast more than a few inches away & that one sounds as if it could really bring the temperature of the room down a treat.

AuntieStella · 12/09/2018 07:40

I think the idea that a fan produced enough air movement to knock over a telly is so wholly improbable that I would definitely bill you.

A holiday maker who said 'sorry, I've knocked the telly and it's broken' would get a cheery 'That's OK, I'm insured but I'm not sure how long it will take to get one, but I'll get on to it today. And don't knock the next one!'

Nikephorus · 12/09/2018 07:41

If it's that hot I can't imagine it would be that windy...

Cuttingthegrass · 12/09/2018 07:42

Surely the accommodation has insurance? Or your holiday insurance? Check small print on the booking T&C?

Damn annoying. Hope it doesn't spoil the mood of your holiday.

NewPapaGuinea · 12/09/2018 07:42

I think, this is part of what running a hotel entails, that mishaps happen and what insurance is for. I’d ask them to prove you caused the damage and take it from there.

Singlenotsingle · 12/09/2018 07:45

It must have been a very lightweight TV if the wind could blow it over

Powerless · 12/09/2018 07:48

OP, unless you're honest with us then we can't give you proper advice!!

TheObwaldhutte · 12/09/2018 07:49

Wind would blow my telly over. The thin screen on a silly little foot is really wobbly. No wonder people wall mount them.

grumiosmum · 12/09/2018 07:50

Did the wind blow one of the windows which was not secured and did that knock the TV off? Otherwise I can't really see how this could have happened.

Anyway, insurance should cover it.

Original poster

Br1256 · 12/09/2018 07:51

Hi not the fan that was in the bedroom ...it was the the wind through the open windows. I think it caught the full length curtain behind the Tv and that knocked it over. There would be no point me posting this too lie about it... We are hundreds of feet up.

We have now realised how strong the wind is up here... Our argument is we were a not warned how strong the wind was and b the TVs should have been attached in some way, they are very light ...a child bumping into the sideboard would easily knock it off.

OP posts:

bridgetreilly · 12/09/2018 07:52

Surely they meant open the windows while you're in the apartment, not open and go out?!!

NewPapaGuinea · 12/09/2018 07:52

At the height of the 14th floor the wind can be pretty strong and a TV could act like a sail if a gust hit it and sent it flying.

Nikephorus · 12/09/2018 07:54

We have now realised how strong the wind is up here... Our argument is we were a not warned how strong the wind was
Did you not realise when you opened the window and were sent flying through the air with all the furniture?!

Ohyesiam · 12/09/2018 08:00

I think it’s th hotels responsibility, they must have insurance.
You were told to open the windows and you did, the resulting accident wasn’t your fault.
What temperature is it there? I think it’s reasonable to expect you to leave the windows open when you go out, you don’t want to come back to a boiling apartment.

BertieBotts · 12/09/2018 08:03

No... I don't really think you have an argument sorry. Somebody should not need to warn adults that wind might be strong I mean in other news, water is wet and sun is hot

The TV does sound flimsy, and perhaps should have been better situated. But a through breeze in an apartment does tend to be strong.

In addition if it's an airBnB or similar rather than a hotel they might not have insurance. But if it is through AirBnB you should try contacting them directly rather than the apartment owners, and see what they say. Just be honest it was an accident and don't try to claim that it was somebody else's responsibility to "warn" you - that might be the attitude which is coming across badly.

HermioneGoesBackHome · 12/09/2018 08:10

Nope sorry.

I wouldn’t expect the TV to be bolted to the wall or the furniture.
I wouod expect you to have done a rich assessment re the wind and the curtain and see if it was safe to leave the window open.

Besides, if you are somewhere really warm, I wood have expected you to actually CLOSE the curtains/shutters (and therefore potentially close the window too) to keep the cool in the flat when you were out during the day.

It was an accident yes. But your responsibility too.

I would question the cost of the TV though, how old it was etc.... when talking about replacement.

Nutkins24 · 12/09/2018 08:15

Sorry I think this is you’re responsibility. Most hotels/holiday lets will tell you in the info pack to close the windows anyway. What if you’d had a ‘break’ in? Would that be their fault too? IMO it’s foolish to leave windows in a holiday apartment open if you’re out.

Nutkins24 · 12/09/2018 08:15

*your

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