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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

To expect more as a goodwill gesture when in holiday rental for 2 days with no oven?

93 replies

Bellsandwhistle · 14/08/2019 19:11

No oven yesterday or today - heating element seems to be gone - and I’ve bought food to cook for 3 days planning on eating out once on last night. Spent two hours last night trying to see what problem was googling instructions etc. Eventually called owner who kept saying couldn’t be broken as not old. After about 6 phone calls with her family plus / visits which took another 2 hours a sensible family member agreed yes broken. Now these things happen andI took kids for chips (cost £20). She was meant to get someone out today. No one came. One text and 2 calls later she says looks like they should come tmw. She had left a voucher round for dinner for tonight. We are 2 adults and 3 kids. What would you expect??

OP posts:
sugarplumfairy28 · 14/08/2019 21:26

IMO if you have paid to rent accommodation and facilities are offered then they should work, and if they do not, you should be reimbursed for your additional costs incurred by that. If the owner had advertised (I appreciate she didn't know) that the oven didn't work, would she still be making the same amount of money? Would she have a booking?

Its no-ones fault as such, but its not OK for the owner to take full payment and expect the customer to just make do, especially when it is something as essential as an oven. In your own home its different, as the owner its your responsibility and you take that hit. If you were due to bake something to profit out of it, you do everything you can to make that possible or take the loss, not turn up with unbaked goods and force people to pay for them.

NoHummus · 14/08/2019 21:29

I'd be really annoyed. She could have got a cheap microwave for not much more than £30 and dropped it off so you could heat up some of the food you made at least (maybe not the pie). I think £50 compensation for each night you've been ovenless would be the minimum I'd want.

wibbletooth · 14/08/2019 21:34

I would expect them to reimburse for all the meals out that you had as a result of having no oven when you’d already brought food with you. Have you kept receipts? I would just tell her that you’ll give her the receipts for the meals and your bank details so she can pay you directly - guessing you might have spent a fair bit on petrol plus there’s the inconvenience so don’t know if you would want additional recompense for that or if the £30 voucher is ok to cover it?

I would just present it to her as it it never occurred to you that they would do anything else, particularly as you’re having to throw good food away and that the voucher is the goodwill gesture for wasting a significant chunk of your holiday. Hoping it’s for somewhere that you can use it to buy food that you like, even if there isn’t enough to have drinks too!

Nextphonewontbesamsung · 14/08/2019 21:40

Totally agree with sugarplumfairy28. Couldn't have put it better myself.

@Malbecfan - what the accommodation owner could have done better is to compensate op fully for wasted food and having to buy replacement takeaways.

timshelthechoice · 14/08/2019 21:40

I agree with modge. I'd expect the cost of eating out entirely. We also self-cater and plan to eat in, meal plan and shop/have delivery accordingly (we cook as a family) and could not afford extra ingredients or eating out.

YANBU

Original poster
Bellsandwhistle · 14/08/2019 21:55

Okay just back from dinner. Took 1hr40 to get food. Bill £62. One drink as had to drive there. So had to put £32 towards it. If fixed tmw I’ll see what she says at end of week re any other refund then decide. Totally not letting it ruin things just posted to see if others thought £30 was a bit mean. A £50 voucher and I’d never have posted!!

OP posts:
EskewedBeef · 14/08/2019 21:55

As a holiday accommodation owner, I'm wondering what more she could reasonably have done. If it was your own oven in your house, you wouldn't necessarily be able to source and fit a new element the same day or overnight, so why should she?

This is a very good point. It seems an easy demand to make when it's someone else's problem. I don't think the owner is being unfair in not getting something fixed within 24 hours. Presumably she has her own life going on in the meantime, and she has taken steps to get it sorted. This is a family concern, not a big business, so you've got to anticipate a less slick operation if something does go wrong.

You wasted an evening and had to buy chips. Don't let it ruin your holiday.

BillieEilish · 14/08/2019 22:05

Now you've explained more, I don't think YABU OP.

You're in the Lakes on a short break and you prepped food to save hassle.

I own a holiday let and that would have been fixed by now.

I really hope you cab have a nice holiday Flowers

Sunflower20 · 14/08/2019 22:06

What are you going to do OP?

BillieEilish · 14/08/2019 22:07

I would offer what you paid for deposit back, if I'm honest.

BillieEilish · 14/08/2019 22:08

Bring it up with them, they won't want a bad review and I have changed my mind, hearing now what you have said.

Having said that, the owner has tried to sort it out, but hasn't Hmm

SarahAndQuack · 14/08/2019 22:10

@CitadelsofScience - yes, I think I'm in touch with the real world. What are you getting at? It's surely not hard to understand that, generally, if you are budgeting really tightly - so tightly you can't cope with a wasted meal - you likely won't be going on holiday.

SarahAndQuack · 14/08/2019 22:14

And to be clear: I am absolutely not saying the OP shouldn't be angry about wasted food and wasted money. She should. It's annoying. The owner of this holiday house has been pretty rude.

However, I don't see how it's at all controversial to point out, separately, that the OP never claimed to be on a tight budget, and the issue isn't that she's literally unable to pay for some alternative meals. The issue is that she'd (reasonably!) rather not have spent that money.

AutumnCrow · 14/08/2019 22:16

I would be really pissed off.

MeanMrMustardSeed · 14/08/2019 22:18

I would want £100 back to cover costs, but I’d still be annoyed at the inconvenience and their slightly disinterested attitude towards fixing it.

BillieEilish · 14/08/2019 22:18

I'd be bothered by all the effort of bringing a family sized lasagne and pie, having made them TBH Sad It is a lovely thing to have done.

Yet, to begin with I thought, just make an omelette! Have changed my mind totally.

BillieEilish · 14/08/2019 22:19

I would say $100 too. (Can't do pound signs)

jellycatspyjamas · 14/08/2019 22:29

I’d be really annoyed tbh, it’s not just about not bring able to use the food you had planned, you’ve had to spend time on a short break trying to sort things out, find something else for dinner (and my DC have additional needs that mean waiting til 9.00pm for dinner would have sent them both into meltdown). It’s also having to eat out instead of having a relaxed meal, couple of glasses of wine at the place you paid to have a relaxing weekend or spend yet more time on your short break finding a supermarket, buying and cooking food when you’d specifically planned so as not to need to cook.

I don’t think £30 comes close and I’d not be happy with £50 either. You are so not being unreasonable here.

Original poster
Bellsandwhistle · 14/08/2019 22:54

Not letting it ruin holiday! Could afford takeaways but would prefer food I’ve prepped. Don’t see why I’m out of pocket after one day which I thought reasonable time to sort. She is very laid back about it which I though wasn’t great when we are on a 4 night holiday. She doesn’t work and told me she’d not got round to phoning me as she’s been out doing shopping. She’d spoked to oven guy in morning but not followed up around 400 as I’d have done to say I’ve people there on holiday could you squeeze this in for an extra £20.
Like I’ve said I’ll see what she says on sat when we leave. It’s just not the holiday I’d planned sitting around table lingering over dinner with wine and board games instead we waited an hour for dinner then 40 min for food and had to drive. Then pay money to make up bill. Was fine and made the best of it though. Food was good enough. Anyway thanks got replies I was just genuinely interested in what you’d give in a similar situation to see if £30 was okay or low.

OP posts:
Speakercube · 14/08/2019 22:55

I had numerous issues last year with somewhere we rented-hadnt been cleaned properly /flies on window sills etc and shower not working properly. Wrote a letter to the agent (was a Sunday morning agents office closed) stating issues posted it through the letter box. Took a few days then they cleaned it and sorted issues. Negotiated a partial refund(initially asked for full refund). If you're going to complain don't leave it till you're home. I feel for you I was bloody livid(even more so when people in next doors cottage who were different agents said oh we had flowers and lovely biscuits when we arrived--oh good for you then! EnvyGrin) esp as we had to keep ringing the agents so I get where you're coming from. We still enjoyed our holiday though. Try not to let it spoil yours.

Speakercube · 14/08/2019 22:59

X post. £30 way too low. It's the wasted time that you should also expect compensation for- your holiday time wasted waiting for members of her family plus stress it's caused ( meant to ba a holiday) plus petrol and time driving to a restaurant etc etc.

BillieEilish · 14/08/2019 23:03

OP to clarify, was this 4 day stay 600 pounds?

Original poster
Bellsandwhistle · 14/08/2019 23:08

Yes£150 a night

OP posts:
Medievalist · 14/08/2019 23:12

As a holiday accommodation owner, I'm wondering what more she could reasonably have done.

She could have gone out and bought a microwave / microwave grill oven and brought it round the very next morning?

OR
She could have offered to -
Reimburse op for the cost of the food she'd brought with her and couldn't cook
Offered her £50 towards the cost of eating out each day
Covered the cost of the emergency chippy tea

honeybeetheoneandonly · 14/08/2019 23:14

I can't help with the pie but the lasagne is salvageable... Just not pretty.
Make deconstructed lasagne (smush).
If still no oven tomorrow, scrape the Bolognese sauce in a pan and remove the uncooked lasagne sheets and boil them. Heat the sauce separately. Then either serve as deconstructed lasagne or reassemble on your plates as you serve.
Let the kids help.
If the grill element works you can even melt some cheese over it.
Won't be pretty but won't be wasted and kids might get a laugh out of it.