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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

To think that “because of covid” is now taking the piss?

211 replies

Ndujauser · 10/07/2023 07:02

24 hours before we are leaving for a stay in a holiday cottage, and this message has just popped up - “ because of the current situation with covid we are no longer providing bedding. Please bring your own pillows, duvets, linen and towels”.
This feels like a massive cop out now, and I’m really hacked off at having to sort it out at the last minute. I get that there are still plenty of covid cases around, but surely we’re done with this kind of measure?

OP posts:
willWillSmithsmith · 10/07/2023 08:17

So what would they do if the people who booked were from abroad? It’s a total piss take. Covid is like the flu now (which can be fatal), but you don’t get holiday lets saying because of the flu bring your own bedding.

LlynTegid · 10/07/2023 08:17

Telling you at the time of booking, fair enough. Not with only 24 hours notice.

As for the use of it as an excuse to provide poor customer service, we need a new Consumer Act to address this and all the things that mean analogue service in the digital world we live in.

Greenberg2 · 10/07/2023 08:17

Winchester100 · 10/07/2023 07:50

I own a holiday let. It’s absolutely not about Covid, that’s about the cost of the linen, I reckon.

Hired Linen for my two bed property costs about £75. They are taking the piss to save money.

As an aside, my housekeeper charges £85 to clean, and rubbish removal is £4.50 per bag. Added to the cost of linen, it’s therefore £164.50 in ‘changeover’ costs without even thinking about use of gas, electricity and water. This is why a lot of holiday lets have a ‘minimum’ nights stay - we get lots of requests for two nights, or people saying that their budget is very low - I don’t think people realise the changeover costs.

But covid is no excuse!

£85 is ridiculous unless it's an enormous property! I tend to clean up before I leave so there's hardly anything to do. Change the towels and sheets, hoover up a bit, that's it.

Many landlords charge a cleaning fee, couldn't you do that?

There is no way I'd pay for accommodation if it didn't provide bedding and towels. Except in Cornwall, where most places didn't from memory, knowing you didn't have a choice because they could always let to someone.

VelvetLiesAndChickenPies · 10/07/2023 08:18

AndIKnewYouMeantIt · 10/07/2023 08:14

I did say a single too so I was confused! 😁

Show quote history

Oops sorry. Not slept a wink and it's showing. As you were 😂

Kokeshi123 · 10/07/2023 08:18

Utter piss-taking, OP.

Cannot believe the laziness of !some! people who own AirBnbs and holiday cottages. Some genuinely seem to view this kind of a business as something that is supposed to be a completely passive revenue stream where they do absolutely sweet FA and get paid for it.

StormShadow · 10/07/2023 08:24

AndIKnewYouMeantIt · 10/07/2023 08:16

I've never used them. Too many things have happened to friends, like booked cottage cancelled because there was a hen do wanting all 3 cottages, or cancellations then listings at higher prices because a gig has been announced.

Show quote history

I did a few times pre-pandemic and it was fine. Though I went to one in 2018 that could've been a family home, realised that wasn't a problem I wanted to be part of and stuck to caravans and similar after that. However it seems to have really gone downhill and then my friend got fucked over.

It made sense when it started, and then arguably still as a sufficiently cheapo version of the self catering holiday market that the risk was worth it. For some people at least. But it has to be quite a lot cheaper for that model to work, and these days it isn't.

Scarlettpixie · 10/07/2023 08:26

Asking you to take duvets and pillows is bonkers. We have a medium sized car and there is just me, DS and the dog but we wouldn’t have room for that. I look for lets which includes linen and towels for the same reason. We have been on 3 self catering holidays since covid and while some have had a later check in and earlier check out all have provided bedding and towels - even the one in August 2020.

It is especially ridiculous to drop this on you at the last minute. I am off to read the small print on this years booking!

bellac11 · 10/07/2023 08:27

I would say we use airbnb around 5/6 times a year, at home and abroad.

I am very fussy though, it takes week of me deliberating over what place I pick and all these details are important about what they supply

User646332 · 10/07/2023 08:28

Link to the listing @Ndujauser ?
Then we all know to avoid!

How do they expect any guests who use the train to do this?

rookiemere · 10/07/2023 08:30

I have only used AirBnB a few times, but staying in a well reviewed property is a must for me and I sift through all the reviews to identify any issues.

So at the last one it was all good apart from mentioning that there might not be enough hot water for two long showers. Not a deal breaker for us so fine.

But no blinking duvets or pillows would be a definite deal breaker.

Bullshot · 10/07/2023 08:30

Who voted YABU? The Air BnB host? ;)

Yerroblemom1923 · 10/07/2023 08:30

People are just taking the mick now and using it as an excuse. We've had issues with hotels where the rooms aren't cleaned daily/ bins emptied etc - all the usual stuff you took for granted before Covid! People are using it to save money now eg fewer housekeepers etc in hotels. It's time everyone moved on now and stop using an outdated excuse for general laziness.

Straightomyhead · 10/07/2023 08:33

I use Airbnb quite a bit. Perfect for us and the dog. And even used in other countries (without the pup). But quite often we would book two or more airbnbs back to back to visit different places. If this was the second one then we simply wouldn't have the bedding.

StormShadow · 10/07/2023 08:35

Yerroblemom1923 · 10/07/2023 08:30

People are just taking the mick now and using it as an excuse. We've had issues with hotels where the rooms aren't cleaned daily/ bins emptied etc - all the usual stuff you took for granted before Covid! People are using it to save money now eg fewer housekeepers etc in hotels. It's time everyone moved on now and stop using an outdated excuse for general laziness.

In that particular example they may not be able to get the staff even if they want them. The fact is that our labour market now looks very different to how it did in 2019. But as a PP pointed out, they say it's covid when it would be more truthful to say it's Brexit!

SweetSakura · 10/07/2023 08:35

My son's school said that 'because of COVID" they would have ' standing only" to watch the school play at Easter Grin

thankfully someone else must have put them straight before I did. I am not sure how they thought they could argue COVID spreads more if you sit than stand but it was clearly the most ridiculous excuse ever. And utterly thoughtless too given I am sure I am not the only parent with a disability.

Realyrealypissedoff · 10/07/2023 08:35

We had - last week - we no longer supply teabags due to Covid. Totally ridiculous

Leftbutcameback · 10/07/2023 08:36

Just got back from a trip where I stayed in 10 different hotels in Europe and there were no changes to housekeeping or anything due to Covid. The only thing (which is good) is about keeping towels for longer. That’s very rude and what if the guest was arriving by train or bike? I bet they’ve had some recent damage and just don’t want to replace stuff.

toastandmarmaladeandtea · 10/07/2023 08:37

calmcoco · 10/07/2023 07:12

I'm not bothered by the COVID reason, if they have decided to take a measure on pretty much anything that's up to them, but the late notice is very inconvenient.

Indeed

Catspyjamas17 · 10/07/2023 08:41

It annoys me that some hotels have moved their check ins to 3pm where it used to be 2pm. In the pandemic it was 4pm or 5pm, and check out by 9am! There are still the odd places with 4pm check ins. And 10am check out. Not always stated when you book. Pretty shit really, considering the cost of these places.

Doggymummar · 10/07/2023 08:42

Well really

onwardsup4 · 10/07/2023 08:42

Ndujauser · 10/07/2023 07:30

I have messaged, saying I assume it’s an old instruction. Let’s see what happens.

Great response. Absolutely ridiculous you may not be coming straight from home , or not coming by car, coming by plane or anything! Using covid now as an excuse cause for anything is absolutely lame.

underneaththeash · 10/07/2023 08:44

Same thing happened to us last year, email 24 hours before to say that we needed to bring our own bedding - this was in a glamping tent where "fluffy duvets and pillows" were part of the advertised experience

Anyway, we'd already left, we were staying in a hotel nearby for a couple of days first.

I called and said that we could either go and buy some and they could pay for it, they could refund us, or I'd do a chargeback on my cc which would cost them more. They managed to "find" some bedding.

gogomoto · 10/07/2023 08:45

I would be demanding a refund and looking for an alternative! We travel by motorcycle so there is no space to "just pack" anything. I carefully check all accommodation has bedding, towels, toiletries and a washing machine!

Jitterybugs · 10/07/2023 08:49

Sounds like a lazy Airbnb host trying to cut corners at your expense and inconvenience. I stayed in an Airbnb caravan last year and all beds were already made up for our arrival and a plentiful supply of towels provided.

LaMaG · 10/07/2023 08:50

I phoned a customer helpline then other day and the message was 'in these unprecedented times..staff working from home...cannot cope with volumes etc'. Ridiculous!! Its become a great excuse for sloppy service. If service is compromised due to staff shortages then just say that. OP I'd be furious too