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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:
MurmuratingStarling · 04/04/2022 17:43

@Viviennemary

Give her a poor review. This is a bad show and not acceptable.
100% this. ^
Hoppinggreen · 04/04/2022 17:44

@Birchtree1

Most of you need to wobble your head! It would be amazing if she hosted refugees! An inconvenience for you but what is a holiday compared with a safe life!? I have an Airbnb cottage ( not my second home….my business and income) and I considered taking in some refugees. For me personally I didn’t want to cancel bookings so I didn’t do it but I can understand why it may happen! Ukrainians are dying, being bombed, raped and killed. Don’t just assume it’s a lie. But I may be too naive. Just think about these poor people and how would you feel if nobody would be willing to help you in this situation!
It’s probably not even true
ChopinBoard · 04/04/2022 17:45

If she wants to do a good deed, that's great, but it sounds like she's asking you to do a good deed. It's not your responsibility to do a good deed on her behalf. She should take the financial hit.

707smile · 04/04/2022 17:45

What a dick move of hers. She had already taken your booking and you had book local events.

Have you agreed to cancel? Because if you don't cancel she's more likely to face a fine for cancelling your booking and then if she cancels several bookings it's likely that the website that you booked through will stop listing her property. I would also email the company you booked through to say that this unacceptable.

707smile · 04/04/2022 17:46
  • booked
Annette32123 · 04/04/2022 17:46

@Dunelmer

The UK has a housing and accommodation shortage. Europe (incl UK) had just had 4mn refugees arrive - as a result of a war.

They are fleeing mass execution, rapes of young women.

I'm really sorry for your inconvenience - but have a heart and perhaps understand why the hotelier wanted to use the accommodation to a better purpose.

As for those suggesting it is for profits from the £350/month ukrainian scheme - nonsense. This business will lose a lot of money by hosting.

The host is most likely lying - not hosting any refugees. Instead cancelling to rebook with higher paying customers.
IncompleteSenten · 04/04/2022 17:46

I agree with pp. Tell her no, you won't be cancelling. She has to cancel your booking or your insurance won't pay out.
Even if you don't have insurance! Stick to that.
If she's still taking bookings then like fuck is she housing refugees.

pollymere · 04/04/2022 17:46

I had a company do this to me recently then said it would be OK. When we arrived at our destination, they said the accommodation had been trashed so was no longer available. We had to find somewhere at 1:30pm. We got very lucky with where we did find but it wasn't really what I needed! I can imagine this Company doing something similar so I'd just be trying to find somewhere new. I think people are just trying to sell to the highest bidder unfortunately.

lollipoprainbow · 04/04/2022 17:47

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LardyDee · 04/04/2022 17:47

@ChopinBoard

If she wants to do a good deed, that's great, but it sounds like she's asking you to do a good deed. It's not your responsibility to do a good deed on her behalf. She should take the financial hit.
Her good deed should involve her donating her rental profit to Ukraine. Then no one else suffers, she gets a warm glow and Ukrainian refugees benefit.
707smile · 04/04/2022 17:48

Also if she genuinely is taking in people from Ukraine then she definitely won't list her property for 6 months around the dates of your stay- so do a fact check on that one and report her to the company and review on Tripadvisor if not!

CMZ2018 · 04/04/2022 17:49

What’s a bell end. Doesn’t deserve your £ OP

DogInATent · 04/04/2022 17:50

The Virtual Virtue Signalers who are not being inconvenienced themselves are missing the attempted deception the host is insisting the OP does in order that the host can maintain their reputation with the letting agency.

The host may be genuine in their claim, but they're expecting the OP to pay for the consequences of the host's decision.

It's the host that's trying to avoid consequences, not the OP.

bumpermom · 04/04/2022 17:50

People love to make out they have a massive heart and love helping others even at the expense of other people. But tbf she is more than likely lying and has a better offer. Dressing it up with her 'big humanitarian heart'

drpet49 · 04/04/2022 17:50

** Hmm, I'd think if she was that charitable she'd be decent enough to give you your money back as she is the one that wants to cancel
I'd refuse unless everything was refunded, including expenses, because frankly I don't believe her**

^I agree with this. I don’t believe the host either.

IAMGE · 04/04/2022 17:51

@DuvetHugger

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"?

Dear x Please see confirmed booking 8 months ago and I am just confirming we will not be cancelling our holiday as you have demanded we do - we have booked and paid for the accommodation from this date to that date and you were not in a position to offer it to someone else as you knew it was taken. Thank you
EatSleepReplete · 04/04/2022 17:52

It does sound to me like she wants more money for the room, TBH, if she's still taking bookings. If she'd applied for the refugee scheme she surely wouldn't be doing that would she. If, however, she assumed that the economy would be improving by now, more people would want/be able to go abroad compared to the previous couple of years, she may have put her prices back down to attract customers. But, the economy has pretty much tanked. Between the war & Brexit, prices have shot up & many people who would habitually go abroad now cannot afford to, but may be able to afford a UK break. So perhaps a cottage that was booked last autumn is now looking very cheap indeed, & could be cancelled & resold at a much higher price.

Or maybe she is just trying it on & wants the OP to cancel so she can have full occupancy for several months, while feeling good about herself for providing accommodation for some refugees. But she doesn't want a bad rating so is trying the emotional blackmail. Either way it's very poor form.

TatianaBis · 04/04/2022 17:52

Why would she be taking on more bookings when she's already cancelling the existing ones?

If she wanted to give the barn to refugees she would have blocked the calendar for the foreseeable future - for the next 6 months say - to prevent letting other people down.

Absolutely good luck to anyone taking refugees, but it sounds unlikely that this woman is.

MurmuratingStarling · 04/04/2022 17:53

[quote lollipoprainbow]@CallMeDaddy58 what a delightful and charming attitude you have. Hopefully you'll get shitty reviews and lose business. [/quote]
This. ^ @CallMeDaddy58is probably the owner of the barn tbh.

With their vile attitude towards people, it sounds very much like it.

Don't deserve to keep running a business when you treat your customers like shit like this.

Disgusting.

muddyford · 04/04/2022 17:54

She's had a better offer. Tell her you expect a refund of all your expenses, otherwise your travel insurance company will refund you then charge her. She is contractually obliged to honour your booking. If you still want to stay with such a grasping but virtue-signalling individual.

MurmuratingStarling · 04/04/2022 17:54

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lollipoprainbow · 04/04/2022 17:55

My son had his school residential cancelled because the place they were going to is being used to house refugees. He is 10 and has more understanding and compassion than you do.

Who said the poster isn't compassionate ?? Good for your son if he's happy to have his residential cancelled, I wouldn't be happy about this at all.

lollipoprainbow · 04/04/2022 17:56

@MurmuratingStarling ha ha hadn't thought if that!! Yes I expect it is the owner, sounds like it with that attitude.

lollipoprainbow · 04/04/2022 17:57

@DogInATent wonder if they'd all be happy at having their weddings cancelled too !!

ChateauMargaux · 04/04/2022 17:58

Geez.. talk about assuming the worst without having all the facts.... she might be pulling a fast one.. but she might not be..

Sorry your holiday is in jeopardy OP... I hope you work something out or she comes back with a solution.