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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:
sueelleker · 05/04/2022 09:33

@hungrymutha

Maybe she only had a couple of bookings and thought ah well, A few families will have their 3 day break ruined but the goodness that comes from this act trumps the disruption caused

Maybe you can find a non dog friendly place and not take your dog with you?

So in addition to having to find somewhere else, she's supposed to pay out extra for kennels/boarding for her dog?
Hoppinggreen · 05/04/2022 09:36

@hungrymutha

Maybe she only had a couple of bookings and thought ah well, A few families will have their 3 day break ruined but the goodness that comes from this act trumps the disruption caused

Maybe you can find a non dog friendly place and not take your dog with you?

OR she thought It’s a shame I can’t earn more by letting my property out for a week rather than 3 days so I am going to shamelessly exploit the awful situation in Ukraine
User748956 · 05/04/2022 09:39

Probably hoped that OP would just say of course cancel, you are doing such a good thing.

Hoppinggreen · 05/04/2022 10:01

She probably thought OP was as gullible as a lot of people on this thread

HELLITHURT · 05/04/2022 10:12

Sounds all very unlikely!

Limer · 05/04/2022 10:15

@Hoppinggreen

She probably thought OP was as gullible as a lot of people on this thread
It's gobsmacking, isn't it? Makes me realise why all the Nigerian princes, mail-order brides and everyone else selling the equivalent of "five magic beans" are so successful!
PinkSparklyPussyCat · 05/04/2022 10:16

No I haven't, For health reasons I can't. But if I had, obviously I'd be disappointed, but I wouldn't be angry, these people NEED a roof over their heads, a temporary home, it far outeweighs anyones holiday plans.

So you wouldn't be angry if you ended up out of pocket?

Maybe you can find a non dog friendly place and not take your dog with you?

Why should OP end up out of pocket because she has to pay for kennels. Also not all dogs can go into kennels.

lollipoprainbow · 05/04/2022 10:23

@Lockheart who are you to decide If OP doesn't deserve a holiday?? So we all have to put our lives on hold and have our plans ruined because of the Ukraine situation ?????

Lockheart · 05/04/2022 10:36

[quote lollipoprainbow]@Lockheart who are you to decide If OP doesn't deserve a holiday?? So we all have to put our lives on hold and have our plans ruined because of the Ukraine situation ????? [/quote]
A) Who said anything about deserving?

B) You'll have to quote where I've said the OP should cancel her holiday for any reason, Ukrainian refugee related or otherwise.

forinborin · 05/04/2022 10:47

I think the Scottish government runs the scheme differently. You don't apply to house refugees directly, but the government acts as a super-sponsor, and people are then placed in social housing, I understand there's not such a shortage of it in Scotland as there is in England.

WeBuiltThisBuffetOnSausageRoll · 05/04/2022 11:39

I don't understand her message. How can she not have your money?

Yes, she's playing with semantics. Technically, it isn't in her bank account yet, but it's right there waiting to be transferred to her at the appropriate time, as per the conditions.

Whilst I'm in the 'had a better offer so let's exploit the Ukraine situation' camp, I think there's a chance that she might be one of these people who drifts impetuously through life trying to 'be kind' whilst leaving other people to pick up after her.

She also sounds like one of these landlords/hosts who doesn't quite 'get' the idea of a commercial transaction: the sort who will obsess about it being their house that they've allowed you to stay in, conveniently forgetting/ignoring the large amount of money you've paid them (even regularly pay them) in order to do so, and will nonchalantly drop a deal-breaker bombshell on you at the last minute, such as the boiler is broken and the repair man can't come out for two months, or one of the windows fell out and there's a big square hole in the bedroom wall for the foreseeable future.

If she is the latter sort, you may have actually avoided a bullet. We used to know somebody who had a couple of (very old) static caravans on her land - bit of a building site with junk strewn around everywhere. She lived in one herself when there was major work being done to the house - all fine - but she then had the idea of renting them out to paying holiday makers.

I don't know if she got that far, but the amount of pained pity I would have for anybody looking forward to their lovely caravan holiday who turned up to that. Even friends from hundreds of miles away who were invited to stay over without charge saw what was on offer and booked into a hotel straightaway; other friends from not quite as far away found a 'reason' whereby they would 'need' to go home again overnight.

You tend to find that most of these 'kindly and slightly batty' people who naturally assume you won't be bothered at all by severely substandard accommodation, as they're treating you like old friends to whom they're doing a favour, suddenly become extremely astute when it comes to charging you full market prices and making very sure that you pay.

HELLITHURT · 05/04/2022 11:51

@hungrymutha

Maybe she only had a couple of bookings and thought ah well, A few families will have their 3 day break ruined but the goodness that comes from this act trumps the disruption caused

Maybe you can find a non dog friendly place and not take your dog with you?

Not according to another mumsnetter who started a thread saying they couldn't find any pet free holiday accommodation.
worriedatthistime · 05/04/2022 12:13

@Dunelmer people were not saying for profit but think they may be using it as an excuse as in they will be out of pocket
Either way its up to the owner to cancel not OP and it may not go down well with people who have booked and paid for things and you can be annoyed whilst also feeling empathy to ukrainians its not mutually exclusive

worriedatthistime · 05/04/2022 12:20

@Birchtree1 noone needs to wobble their head at all
OP made a booking the host now wants OP to cancel when the host should be cancelling
We don't even know if the host is being truthful
But the OP has also laid out money and made plans she is entitled to feel aggrieved as well
You can still have empathy for refugees its not mutually exclusive
The host should of been doing all this in a better way , she has taken on bookings and now can't fulfill her contract

worriedatthistime · 05/04/2022 12:44

@Hoppinggreen its because there all tripping over their self to be self righteous
Prob stuck some old clothes in the ukranian box and patting themselves on the back
Slating OP for being upset
My BF has been diagnosed with a terminal illness so if OUr holiday is cancelled she will feel devastated , is that allowed on here

worriedatthistime · 05/04/2022 12:45

@HollowedOut then cancel your bookings now and give people warning , how do you know its not someones last planned holiday etc so have the decency to cancel as soon as you know

Hoppinggreen · 05/04/2022 12:47

[quote worriedatthistime]@Hoppinggreen its because there all tripping over their self to be self righteous
Prob stuck some old clothes in the ukranian box and patting themselves on the back
Slating OP for being upset
My BF has been diagnosed with a terminal illness so if OUr holiday is cancelled she will feel devastated , is that allowed on here
[/quote]
They probably were all at the forefront of clapping for carers too!
Very sorry about your BF, I hope you get to enjoy your holiday

worriedatthistime · 05/04/2022 12:47

@Lockheart how do you know noone desperately needs a holiday, do you know everyones personal situation
My friend just had a terminal diagnosis we have a small break booked , would that situation be ok for you
However anyone looks at it the people are in a contract so they need to cancel in the correct way and accept that people will be miffed

worriedatthistime · 05/04/2022 12:48

@Hoppinggreen Thanks

Keepitonthedownlow · 05/04/2022 13:19

If the airbnb owner cancels she could be penalised. If the booker cancels she won't. As a humanitarian act you should cut the owner some slack OP.

PinkSparklyPussyCat · 05/04/2022 13:31

@Keepitonthedownlow

If the airbnb owner cancels she could be penalised. If the booker cancels she won't. As a humanitarian act you should cut the owner some slack OP.
Why should OP be out of pocket?! Especially when the CF is still advertising the room!

In the unlikely event that the owner is hosting refugees then she needs to cancel the booking and accept any costs herself, not expect the OP to.

DameHelena · 05/04/2022 13:31

@Keepitonthedownlow

If the airbnb owner cancels she could be penalised. If the booker cancels she won't. As a humanitarian act you should cut the owner some slack OP.
But she is quite likely being dishonest about why she wants the OP to drop out. If she genuinely was taking in Ukrainian refugees, she wouldn't still be taking bookings. And if a property owner needs a booking cancelled, for whatever reason, it is on them to cancel it and to take whatever financial hit that entails; that's just the deal.
Skiptheheartsandflowers · 05/04/2022 13:32

@Keepitonthedownlow

If the airbnb owner cancels she could be penalised. If the booker cancels she won't. As a humanitarian act you should cut the owner some slack OP.
How about the owner cuts her clients some slack and says 'I've made the decision to take in refugees so I will bear the cost of that'?
WeBuiltThisBuffetOnSausageRoll · 05/04/2022 13:47

If the airbnb owner cancels she could be penalised. If the booker cancels she won't.

Cancelling also costs you your good reputation/feedback rating, apart from any financial elements - as a customer as well. What would happen if OP cancelled as demanded, happened to find another place on the platform and then, when trying to book it, had her booking refused on the basis that she had previously cancelled another place for no apparent good reason and so might well flake out again?

HardyBuckette · 05/04/2022 13:55

@Hoppinggreen

She probably thought OP was as gullible as a lot of people on this thread
Lmao
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