Active discussions

Meet the Other Phone. Only the apps you allow.

Meet the Other Phone.
Only the apps you allow.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

Talk
AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

To be fuming at holiday home owner?

225 replies

namechange0178 · 14/06/2021 23:15

We booked a week away (in England) for August ages ago. In autumn last year. We're a large family group so limited options. Last week I get a cancellation note, with a big story from the owner that her family member has long covid and they are closing their business so that he and his carers can live there. Lo and behold, as I'm browsing every day in the hope that something else becomes available so that we don't lose our holiday completely, the house has popped up again for our dates at a much inflated rate.

Why lie? If you're going to be a greedy snake, at least give us the option to pay more to keep our holiday. As it is, there is literally nothing else available for us.

OP posts:
WilsonMilson · 15/06/2021 11:30

If you’re absolutely sure it’s the same property and the unscrupulous owners are at it, I would have no hesitation in naming and shaming. Review everywhere and back it up with screenshots.

VodkaSlimline · 15/06/2021 11:38

Did you book through a third-party site/agency? Can you report them?

GruffaIo · 15/06/2021 11:43

@user1497207191 All my clients have had more in grants than they lost in lost customers over the lockdowns, so are quids in. If a holiday home owner wasn't properly registered with their local council as a business, and therefore missed out on the grants, it's their own hard luck!

Perhaps in England, but not in Scotland the Scottish government decided not to pass on multiple grants to properly-registered businesses. Our holiday let is larger (4 bed, sleeps 7) and we have lost significantly more than we have 'made' from grants.

newnortherner111 · 15/06/2021 11:44

I think you should hint at legal actions and definitely contact any agency. Or even the police for obtaining services/money by deception.

Don't know if local press if they have any might be interested, or local tv?

Closetbeanmuncher · 15/06/2021 11:44

What's the cancellation policy on the place? If it's a couple of days before (as with plenty of Airbnb places) I'd be tempted to book it on DPs credit card in another name and then cancel last minute

Please do this, greedy bastards.

81Byerley · 15/06/2021 12:09

Did you book through an agency? If so I'd complain. I would let them know as well that you've seen them advertising it.

Doodlebug71 · 15/06/2021 12:10

This was done to us a few years ago. A stop-over host cancelled our booking, and insisted that we book again (at an increased price) via a different website. We decided that if the owner was going to behave like that, we really didn't want to spend our money with them, or trust them.

We managed to find a different option, and booked that. Reported the unscrupulous one to the host website/platform, including their messages. Unscrupulous host lost their place on the platform.

oldwhyno · 15/06/2021 12:11

document everything and threaten legal and social media action

DansMaPoche · 15/06/2021 12:13

What's the cancellation policy on the place? If it's a couple of days before (as with plenty of Airbnb places) I'd be tempted to book it on DPs credit card in another name and then cancel last minute. Arseholes

That's EXACTLY what I was going to say. And tell them who you really are when you cancel it.

ARealHoliday · 15/06/2021 12:22

I would happily name and shame, coming from someone who has a relative losing their job to long covid, it’s not a fucking joke.

Like you said you would have split the difference like a lot of people are saying they have to.

osbertthesyrianhamster · 15/06/2021 12:23

This why we only use hotels in the UK. Holidaying in the UK is a swizz and always was. No idea why people hype it up so much.

princessandthedragon · 15/06/2021 12:23

I’ve heard of this happening a lot and it’s put me off from booking a holiday in the Uk. If it were me I would screen shot their message to you and the new listing and then share it across every review site I could find.

ARealHoliday · 15/06/2021 12:24

@Janedownourlane

Its definitely happening in other areas too. We ordered an item for our garden, not realising that there was lot of demand for them. No email about delivery for a couple of days then we had an email saying there were warehouse problems due to items being damaged Hmm. We checked online the next day and there was the item only £150 more expensive. We contacted them and left a bad review, they truly dont care, its all about making as much as they can.
The same happened to us. Company over sold and they had already inflated the prices. Took 6 weeks to battle for a refund for an item that wasn’t delivered and back on sale for more now.
princessandthedragon · 15/06/2021 12:42

They’re shooting themselves in the foot. As soon as the restrictions on foreign travel are eased people will choose to go abroad instead. CPs is another that have hiked up their (already astronomical prices). Much as we can afford it I cannot justify spending £1400 on a three night break in a villa in the UK.

osbertthesyrianhamster · 15/06/2021 12:48

@princessandthedragon

They’re shooting themselves in the foot. As soon as the restrictions on foreign travel are eased people will choose to go abroad instead. CPs is another that have hiked up their (already astronomical prices). Much as we can afford it I cannot justify spending £1400 on a three night break in a villa in the UK.
People could always choose not to use these cottage-style holidays. I don't in the UK because they're all rip offs. But they aren't shooting themselves in the foot. As pointed out, people will forget about it. And you'll still have 'Close our borders! Holiday in a ditch in Norwich! No one holidayed in the workhouses and they were all fine!' brigade.
whynotwhatknot · 15/06/2021 12:49

I would report to whoever theyre listed on cheeky it will come back to bite them

NettleTea · 15/06/2021 12:51

@Crazycatlady83

Very few people seem to have failed to understand that there would be consequences to closing the economy for 1+ year. Domestic holiday prices will rise this year, foreign holiday next year. Restaurant prices and taxes. I feel sorry for business owners - people screaming for their businesses to close (and in some cases they still remain closed), not making a penny for a year and then people calling them "disgusting" and "greedy" for trying to claw back some of their losses.

It's a inconvenience for you, but we don't know the holiday owners circumstances. They might be on the edge financially and need to make more money to keep their heads above water.

We should have a little sympathy for other people's circumstances

most small holiday letting accommodation has been able to access help. We didnt qualify for the main grants that were offered by the government, but each council pretty much price matched it with their discretionary grants, and just recently we have been given an £8000 re-opening grant too. And dont forget that last summer we were allowed to be open - single occupancy places, as we are now. We thought we would be absolutely shafted, but we have been fine - grants given all the time we were not allowed to be open, full bookings for when we were. Most AirBnB or cottage letting owners will be like us, we are not big owners with lots of properties, or hotels. We didnt qualify for any of the individual support. There has been help for this part of the industry. There is no reason to shaft people just because you can.
TheTuesdayPringle · 15/06/2021 12:52

This happened to my sister. It was a booking for a family group for a big occasion, booked one year in advance.

She contacted airbnb and the holiday home was removed from the site.

NettleTea · 15/06/2021 12:59

and the reason we didnt qualify wasnt because we hadnt delacred it or registered, we were a farm which is rated differently. It was one of those things that fell through the gaps, but was sorted out afterwards.

we have been OK. And we havent upped our prices at all.

Topia · 15/06/2021 13:01

At the moment it's best to go through established holiday parks/chains if you're going to book a staycation. Sorry to say it but independent providers can't be trusted, as they know they have a captive market again this year and will increase their charges as/when they see fit due to market demand.

HyacynthBucket · 15/06/2021 13:05

If you are absolutely certain that it is the same property, and if you have paid a deposit, then she is in breach of contract, even with cancellation terms if they could be deemed unreasonable. You could always threaten to sue (even if you do not mean it as it would be very expensive). Otherwise name and shame as others have said.

osbertthesyrianhamster · 15/06/2021 13:06

@Topia

At the moment it's best to go through established holiday parks/chains if you're going to book a staycation. Sorry to say it but independent providers can't be trusted, as they know they have a captive market again this year and will increase their charges as/when they see fit due to market demand.
They are doing that, those parks and chains often contract with individual owners. And a staycation is when you go out for day trips and sleep in your own home at night.

As for the comment up the thread that 'we' need to have sympathy for holiday home owners, seriously? Sympathy for people who've been able to purchase a second or more properties and charge money for people to stay there need sympathy they haven't been able to coin it off others for a year so need to swizz them this year? Yeah, right Hmm

Elphame · 15/06/2021 13:15

Covid does NOT necessarily mean they've lost a lot of money. They have likely benefited from tens of thousands of pounds from the self-employed income support scheme

No - none of us benefit from the SEIS scheme due to the way the income from holiday lets is taxed. It falls under "income from property" rather than "self employed" so is excluded from the scheme.

Smaller owners who are on business rates may have received lump sum grants however but this is somewhat random and arbitrary and subject to council imposed conditions. Some have received thousands and others nothing at all. It also depends where you are in the UK. Conditions for all the home nations differed.

This thread does explain why so many of my summer guests are keen to pay early and why others are asking if their booking is still OK and if I'm expecting them! I was wondering as I've never had this before

I am - we've held prices at 2020 levels although there will have to be a rise for the 2022 summer.

thinkingaboutLangCleg · 15/06/2021 13:20

Review them on line, you have evidence to back it up.

Yes, do it. You could save other people from being let down by them. I hope you find something better.

motogogo · 15/06/2021 13:20

If it's the same booking site it might be against their rules, call them up on it!

Swipe left for the next trending thread