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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

Email from property owner - room cancelled for refugees

380 replies

DuvetHugger · 04/04/2022 16:03

I booked holiday accommodation last year for this coming June in Scotland. They allow pets so this was the main pull for us. We have booked tickets for a big gig taking place there and are travelling from south of the UK.

I just received this email from them:

"We have applied to use the barn for Ukranian refugees. if it's not a problem for you can you please cancel free of charge"

I replied saying we have booked some activities etc and is she sure the place wont be available at that time, we booked 8 months ago and her response was:

"No you need to book something else sorry".

AIBU in thinking this is rude?? Obviously, I have nothing against them housing refugees but I am a bit taken aback.

AIBU to be pissed off or AIBU for my first world problems when there are families to house?

Surely she would see a diary of full bookings and think "I am not yet in a position to use the barn to house others, but will stop taking bookings now to enable myself to do so at a later date"?

OP posts:
Hoppinggreen · 04/04/2022 21:34

@LifeIsHardAlways

People are being raped, tortured and executed.

Yeah the booking being cancelled is annoying, but if that’s all you have to worry about in life then you’re very lucky!

Read the whole thread
worriedaboutmoney2022 · 04/04/2022 21:36

@bettydelrimple

Whatever you do don't cancel it yourself. There's a reason she wants you to do it, not her. Let her deal with the problem, don't make it easy for her.
I agree that's very weird but I would ask for a full refund
DoucheCanoe · 04/04/2022 21:40

@LifeIsHardAlways it's all relative and you could say that about everything given the amount of wars that have been raging around the world for years.

Absolutely no one is saying that this is in anyway comparable to what those displaced by war are experiencing but life has been shit and the OP has clearly been looking forward to this for a while!

Ssmiler · 04/04/2022 21:50

@cakewench

Email the company you booked through, send them the copies of the msgs from the owner and tell them if the owner wants to terminate the contract, she can do so. I'd stress that this cancellation is actually potentially putting you out of pocket (or something along those lines) as you've booked tickets to an event and this is leaving you with nowhere to stay with your dog as planned.
If she continues to refuse to cancel then so this

If that platform works in the same way as Airbnb then the host probably does not have your money yet. Airbnb take your money at the booking point but it is not released to the host until check in - so the chances are that as per her message she doesn’t have it. But that’s irrelevant. If she cancels the platform will refund you automatically.

However as PPs have said If a host cancels they get various sanctions applied through Airbnb. So it is possible if this platform works the same way she is trying to get you to cancel instead of her..

I had a host email me to say the property that I had booked for Easter 6 months earlier was no longer available as “she hadn’t realised it was Easter and her mother needed it so could I just cancel my booking”
I told her that I was not wishing to cancel - she was - so either she could cancel or I would contact Airbnb and ask them to resolve. She cancelled within two minutes of that message.

I hope you get sorted.

Ssmiler · 04/04/2022 21:50

*do this

Apologies for typo

Frazzled2207 · 04/04/2022 21:51

Take it up with dog friendly cottages but as pp have said don’t cancel yourself.

I don’t believe her. I’ve “applied for a refugee” but although I will be open minded I suspect the chances of someone actually coming here are quite small. If she really was wanting to host a refugee she’s have worded it differently.

whynotwhatknot · 04/04/2022 21:53

what a load of bull

and how low to use the fact refugees need homes to cancel you booking

she clearly got a better offer-go trhough the agent tell them what shes said

lollipoprainbow · 04/04/2022 21:54

This reminds me of other posts when people are rightly annoyed or upset about something and some smart Alec pipes up about them being lucky they aren't in Ukraine right now. People are allowed to be upset and annoyed about their own issues !!

greenlynx · 04/04/2022 22:00

It still might be true. We’ve booked a flat through Airbnb and the message said that it should be approved by owner after booking through the website. So maybe her property is just not taken of the website yet but you won’t be able to book it.
I will give her the benefit of doubt but I wouldn’t cancel myself in case of any fees/ returns of the deposit and so on I would email politely that if there is a problem at her end she should cancel herself.
I wouldn’t begrudge OP a holiday, for all we know she might have done a lot to support refuges she might even host them herself. The owner approached this wrongly. If she wanted to cancel for whatever reasons she should cancel herself.

MaggieFS · 04/04/2022 22:02

Well if she doesn't have your money then there isn't anything to cancel is there Hmm

PutinIsAWarCriminal · 04/04/2022 22:21

I really hope my holiday cottage isn't cancelled this year, I've been looking forward to it since it was booked last year and I would be very disappointed if it was cancelled due to refugee use. Disappointed, not devastated. I have a safe home, my children are safe and my husband hasn't been taken away from us to fight.

EezyOozy · 04/04/2022 22:26

I don't understand why everybody is so sure that this owner is lying about housing refugees. I don't know how it works through third-party agents... I admit it's a bit strange that she won't do the cancelling herself. Maybe she gets penalised for doing this.

I do feel that if this is genuine the Op will just have to cope with finding another holiday cottage. A quick Google of Bucha should put things into perspective.

Twentypast · 04/04/2022 22:30

@hassletassle

I don't understand why everybody is so sure that this owner is lying about housing refugees. I don't know how it works through third-party agents... I admit it's a bit strange that she won't do the cancelling herself. Maybe she gets penalised for doing this.

I do feel that if this is genuine the Op will just have to cope with finding another holiday cottage. A quick Google of Bucha should put things into perspective.

She's probably lying because you need a commitment of 6 months to house a refugee and it's still showing available to rent within that period.
user1471447863 · 04/04/2022 22:38

I sometimes wonder how it happens when you read stories in the paper of people being conned out of their life savings by the most blatant scams ever - then I read comments on threads like this and with the sheer number of unbelievably gullible fools commenting about how kind it is of the owner to help these poor refugees, it suddenly becomes clear.

Your 3 night early booking has basically blocked out a full week and has been trumped by someone now wanting 7, 10 or 14 nights, and she's chancing her arm and trying not to get a black mark for cancelling (or is just inept and doesn't understand the processes of the booking agents she list through).
She would only need to have 2 nights booked per month to beat the £350 for hosting refugees, and if her rental cannot attract more than 12 nights of booking in a 6 month period then she's in the wrong business.

Annette32123 · 04/04/2022 22:39

@hassletassle

I don't understand why everybody is so sure that this owner is lying about housing refugees. I don't know how it works through third-party agents... I admit it's a bit strange that she won't do the cancelling herself. Maybe she gets penalised for doing this.

I do feel that if this is genuine the Op will just have to cope with finding another holiday cottage. A quick Google of Bucha should put things into perspective.

If she was cancelling for refugees she would call the agent and explain that so as not to be penalised. That’s why we believe she is lying. She let for three nights and now wishes she had held out for a seven night booking. That simple. Greed. And lying about refugees to manipulate the Op.
AllOfUsAreDead · 04/04/2022 22:44

Yes the empty ones not the ones already booked, some people have second homes that they don't book out

No it was all holiday homes, think it even went so far as to suggest those in big houses with small families should be housing refugees too.

It's amazing how quickly attitude changes but knew that would happen. Once it inconveniences a holiday, people get annoyed about it. Give it another month, maybe two, and you'll see threads on here of people complaining about Ukrainian people being in the UK and taking jobs. It's sadly predictable.

bluebell34567 · 04/04/2022 22:52

@Nicholethejewellery

Also I would be very wary that her taking in refugees is the actual reason - it's more likely she is using this as an excuse because she's found someone willing to pay more. People tend to exploit human tragedy in this way.
i thought that, too. it sounds fishy to me.
Eucalyptusbee · 04/04/2022 23:05

@bettydelrimple

Whatever you do don't cancel it yourself. There's a reason she wants you to do it, not her. Let her deal with the problem, don't make it easy for her.
This.
AStar98 · 04/04/2022 23:20

Ukrainians fleeing a war zone Vs your jollies Confused

Skiptheheartsandflowers · 04/04/2022 23:29

@whynotwhatknot

what a load of bull

and how low to use the fact refugees need homes to cancel you booking

she clearly got a better offer-go trhough the agent tell them what shes said

This. To those who believe the owner, I've got a bridge to sell you. All profits go to Ukrainian refugees, honest.

Don't cancel OP. Make her do it.

lollipoprainbow · 04/04/2022 23:31

@AStar98 rude

Nowomenaroundeh · 04/04/2022 23:32

Vile responses here. I just watched footage of a woman standing over the homemade Garde grave of her daughter. There was an ordinary blanket to mark it. Change your holiday plans and get over yourself.

nettie434 · 04/04/2022 23:36

I started off voting YABU, thinking how could anybody think their holiday was more important than refugees having somewhere safe to stay but now I wonder.

It doesn't make sense to ask you to cancel if she doesn't have your money. If the agency had your money, surely she should notify the agency and ask them to return the money to you. How does she know the refugees will be there in June when there are so many reports of delays in issuing visas?

I hope you get your money back, find somewhere else and have time to drive past the barn to see who actually is there.

Theluggage15 · 04/04/2022 23:41

Yes, like others have said, she’s clearly trying to pull a fast one. Pretty horrible using refugees as her cover. Hope you get it sorted.

Joystir59 · 04/04/2022 23:41

@Nowomenaroundeh

Vile responses here. I just watched footage of a woman standing over the homemade Garde grave of her daughter. There was an ordinary blanket to mark it. Change your holiday plans and get over yourself.
How many Ukrainians have you got living with you then? How many holiday plans have you cancelled for them?