Holiday Cottage Nightmare

[AuntySandrasDauphinois]

Please can someone tell me what you would do in this situation?

We arrived at our (much anticipated) holiday cottage yesterday to find that it absolutely stinks. I have febreezed every surface so many times and it still stinks. It's worse downstairs but still absolutely awful upstairs, so bad that I struggled to get to sleep last night. We have been out all day today and just got back and honestly I want to cry. More than £1000 we've paid for the week!

I spoke to the woman in the local shop (when I was buying the febreeze!) and she told us some of the local lads had been putting fish through the letterboxes of any known holiday lets. There was nothing to suggest that's what it was but the smell is very fishy/putrid. The village doesn't feel very welcoming to visitors- she also said last year someone had the wing mirrors broken off their car outside overnight!

The Cornish cottage company have been no help whatsoever- the woman laughed down the phone and told us the fish were an urban legend. There's no way to take a photo of the smell to try to claim a reduction. I don't even know if I can last the week. Currently sat in the garden having a glass of wine but I'm dreading having to go inside.

If anyone has any suggestions bar more febreeze please please let me know. I'm trying to be lighthearted about it but I'm devastated. We drove for 6 hours to get here, I'm so exhausted with it.

I am sorry to hear this and hope the cleaning is going well.
Lemons also absorb smells too.

I see this has descended into the fairly common anti-Cornwall/Cornish thread.

There are some anti-anyone who isn't from at least 3 generations Cornish and who are rude to tourists/second home owners. This is not unique to Cornwall (remember the Welsh holiday home arson attacks?) but whilst they are in the minority, they're pretty loud on social media. We are really struggling with accommodation for workers though and I think AirBnB, together with stricter rules on energy ratings (not compatible with many an old Cornish cottage) for long term lets has increased that problem. That said, I know people who have moved down (several who now earn a living from holiday rentals) and none have encountered the attitudes some complain of here. Instead, locals have gone out of their way to welcome them and to help them settle in.

If you'd like a counter balance though, there have been plenty of tourists who have reduced waiting staff to tears, clicked their fingers and whistled at them, ignored 'no parking' signs, left their beach toys on the beach when they'd finished with them and been rude asshats in general. However, they also are in the minority and most tourists are really nice and are just here to enjoy their holiday in our beautiful region.

The fish through the letterbox is up there with the prawns in the curtain rails ... urban myth. I suspect the smell is from the far more common practise of previous guests going rock pooling or crabbing and, despite the frequent entreaties from wildlife/beach/animal lovers to return their finds to the pool/sea, brought them home in the bucket to return 'next time'. Whatever it was would probably have died, gone yucky and the bucket got knocked over either by post coming through the letterbox or the cleaner coming in, the contents soaked into the flooring and voila ... disgusting fishy pong.

That said, it very much should have been dealt with and I hope the OP gets someone from the company to come out and sort it!

Good points.

I have to say though Nahimjustaworm im really glad to see the rhetoric changing in these forums. A couple of years ago it was all bun fighting and now I'm seeing people think 'hang on a minute, the reason we are in this mess is because of policy and government'. They are wise to the divisive propaganda and divide and conquer tactics and it's great

Yes me too. But there's still a load of bollocks blaming people who only own their own home for wanting to stay self catering in house not a hotel when they go on holiday. Take a big dog to a hotel? No thanks, even if it is dog friendly. Plus the fact I spend far more money on food in different establishments in the local area staying at a house. And we don't go to Cornwall anyway in the summer as it's too busy.

I’m really surprised that they reacted that way OP.

All this publicity and the risk of Daily Mail / Cornwall Live getting hold of the story.

Something about this thread smells fishy…..

jealous, no. Actually have a brand new more expensive car than that, live in a very expensive area in a large house. So not jealous.

and my dad is bigger than your dad.

You mark my words, this will be in the ‘West Briton’. The internet isn’t just for up-country emmets.

This thread wreaks of stupidity, jealousy and xenophobia. All these posters who assume “the Cornish” don’t go on holidays and don’t own new cars. It’s ridiculous. Listen to yourselves. some of us even went to school

Top poster in that category is @AuntySandrasDauphinois , who says about her fellow UK citizens

it really felt like the shop assistants stopped talking when I came in

and notes, in huge alarm, that:

Woke up at about 2am to barking dogs and a car revving it's engine. Strange in a quiet village, you never know what goes on.

Really xenophobic and ridiculous - no wonder locals aren't performing her level of required "friendliness" and gratitude.

🤣🤣🤣
Just a bit thick then.

Seems like Air BnB’s and the like are going down the pan. And considering what they charge!
Cornwall is the new Wales (no outsiders thank you).

OP, I hope you get this sorted out. I’m surprised at the attitude of the letting company and will certainly avoid them in future.

To all the Cornish Mumsnetters, I’m sorry you’re getting such a lot of unkindness. I’ve holidayed in Cornwall for many, many years and have always got on well with the local people. I have good friends there who were born and bred in Cornwall, they have always made me feel welcome. Perhaps it’s because I come from a tourist area and try to behave as I would like people visiting my home town to behave - friendly and considerate.

Thank you.

Been to Cornwall, loved it. Beautiful place and lovely people. We'll jell of the locals. BUT have to say we went when it was out of season and it was unusually nice weather for the time of year, must be a nightmare during high season to get around.

Family live in Dorset and its a bit like that there too.

cornushandbored22

just a bit thick then

Thank you for demonstrating in five words the rudeness some of us are trying to depict.

Yes. All emmets are thick. I thought you knew that?

Thickness is relative; I can take in and assess information reasonably well, though I’m no Emily Dickinson. The information (verbal and non verbal) coming from workers in Cornwall is: we don’t want you here.

So good luck with your economy when people give it a few goes then give up 😉

I think the Cornish insularity comes from how inaccessible it is to the rest of the country. We live in a more beautiful part of the UK but with very good links to the capital and other parts of the country. So let’s just say we are more .. open minded.

cornishandbored22 poetry is very good for widening the vocabulary you know🙂 so that one might not feel the need to fall back on words such as “thick” or tropes such as “you’re just jealous” Or tired plagiarisms such as “news flash”.

There’s lots of poetry on audible - so that you could be listening to it as you drive around in your brand new Range Rover. 😉 Looking at scenery only the Cornish people have access to.

Think they mean the fish was put through while the house was empty. So someone would have been around to clean and make sure the house was ready before they arrived and obviously binned the fish.

this is an awful thing to say. I’m sorry but you were being obtuse and @cornishandbored22 was clearly just being sarcastic.

You on the other hand have basically called anyone who doesn’t live near London inferior and stupid. Which is disgusting.

OP hope the holiday is sorted x

Well it made it to The Guardian. www.express.co.uk/news/uk/1639165/Mumsnet-row-holiday-cottage-tourism-fish-Edinburgh-Scotland

We once brought some sea shells home. Thought we'd cleaned them thoroughly. Left them in a toy cupboard. And after a couple of days oh my the REEk! There must have been fragments of tiny rotting bodies in the shells!

Tell the agent that she comes tomorrow or you will contact the local council Buildings health and safety and tell them that the property is unfit for human habitation due to contamination. If they find an issue you will be entitled to your money back and the owners will have a non-occupation notice on the property. At the very least, it will get you a (very good 4star ) hotel paid for for your troubles.
Tell your sniggering agent that you will also report the situation to the local and national papers. This sort of thing will make great news and cause a stir amongst the local letting community, and the agency will be stuffed. Put it in writing.
As a commercial customer you are entitled to expect proper standards.
I feel for you; a ruined holiday is about deserved happy relaxation and the loss of money is only a small part of it.

Thanks for the link, but it's the Express.
Did this get into the Guardian, too?

This thread is a perfect example of why we need a watch alert for op updated thread in addition to the generic watch alert.

You just click on see all on the OP post and you can see all her comments at once.

We live in a tourist area and there is a covenant on the house that ot cannot be rented out.
Op , i have aleady sent my sympathies , just wanted to add this.

The Express article cites fish as the culprit! And blames locals for doing it but as far as I’m aware neither of these two things have been proven!!