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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

Family Left stranded in France. Refund?

145 replies

sezzer87 · 02/09/2023 14:37

So last week booked a stop over on our way to Spain in France via booking.
The property owner sent the standard please confirm check in time. We confirmed and received message saying key code would be sent before the day of our check in.
We arrived at 1am (approved by property owner) and the key code hadn't been sent.
In hindsight I should have checked they'd sent the code before we set off, but as I'd be reassured several times it would be sent and I had her number, it felt safe to assume I would logon and just get the code and enter. Not to mention we'd be on the road for several hours, very little signal.

Upon arrival it was very hot about 38c, dark and scary and code hadn't been sent. Our daughter was very distressed and was literally throwing up. She has learning difficulties so doesn't respond well to challenging situations.

I tried to call owner..number not recognised. Messaged her on email and via the booking .com app. Pleaded for the code.
45 minutes passed and no response.
My daughter was crying loudly at this point so we had to move on in search of a hotel.
We finally got space in one so worry over at that point.

The property owner finally responded with a code at 3am. Then 45 minutes later resent it as the first one she'd sent was incorrect.

She is now refusing a refund and booking.com say she sent the code so no refund due.
We've also confirmed it wasn't a scam.

AIBU to expect the code on the day of check in and not to have to beg for it in the early hours?
Of course I made a big mistake not pulling over and checking earlier on it had been sent but I felt reassured by the good communication prior to this. That I just assumed it would have been sent to us before she went to bed at the very latest.

OP posts:
Soontobe60 · 02/09/2023 16:04

With 3 children in tow, I would have booked accommodation that you could get to in daylight hours. Could there have been an issue with your phone not getting a signal? whereabouts in France was this place?

AppleKatie · 02/09/2023 16:05

If you want to arrive at a hotel at 3.30am (or 1am) you don't get that night for free)

No but you bloody well would if you turned up at midnight and they didn’t let you inside the building until 3.45!

Ciarianna · 02/09/2023 16:06

TheLongGloriesOfTheWinterMoon · 02/09/2023 14:45

Doubtful. You got into the property, just later than you had hoped because of the confusion over the key code.

You'd have a hard time proving it wasn't sent, though you do have proof that for an hour or so you had the wrong one.

What refund would you expect? Pro rata? You didn't get in but only for a couple of hours. Inconvenient, sure, but refund worthy? Really?

A lesson learned- make sure everything is confirmed before you leave. You were expecting the code the day before. You should have checked the day before not on arrival.

They had to pay for other accommodation due to the owner not allowing access

MrsBennetsPoorNerves · 02/09/2023 16:08

Whataretheodds · 02/09/2023 16:01

We agree that they should be refunded.

You said 3.30 was too late to use the property. It was only 2h30 later than they'd expected to check in.

If you want to arrive at a hotel at 3.30am (or 1am) you don't get that night for free)

Show quote history

Where has the OP said that she expected to get that night for free? She obviously booked the previous night and agreed a late 12-1am check in time. So she expected to get access to the property as per that agreement so that they could use it for the night that they had been paid for. She wasn't given access until 3.45am.

Clymene · 02/09/2023 16:12

Soontobe60 · 02/09/2023 16:04

With 3 children in tow, I would have booked accommodation that you could get to in daylight hours. Could there have been an issue with your phone not getting a signal? whereabouts in France was this place?

None of that is remotely relevant.

The OP had arranged a late check in which wouldn't inconvenience the owner in any way as it was key code entry. But the owner forgot to send the key code.

She should have sent it before 2pm which is the time the property was theoretically available from.

You absolutely should get a refund OP.

This is the second post in so many days where posters rightly should get a refund from Booking.com and failed to get one.

It's really making me wary about using them again.

Snittle · 02/09/2023 16:12

Whataretheodds · 02/09/2023 16:01

We agree that they should be refunded.

You said 3.30 was too late to use the property. It was only 2h30 later than they'd expected to check in.

If you want to arrive at a hotel at 3.30am (or 1am) you don't get that night for free)

Show quote history

No, but if you pay for a room from 2pm, you should expect it to be available 11 hours after you started paying for it. If the host makes you wait a further 2.5h then you should be refunded. The OP paid for exclusive use from 2pm-10am and only got use from 3:45am-10am, which is presumably not long enough for their intended purpose (of a good nights sleep before driving on).

Given they needed somewhere to sleep at 1am, they had to find someone else to provide that as the host clearly didn’t deliver on their side of the bargain.

Yalta · 02/09/2023 16:13

You shouldn’t have to pay for something you never used as they sent the code too late and caused you distress.

You booked for what would be a few hours to sleep and then they didn’t let you in and had to be reminded to send the code when it was confirmed you would get the code prior to your arrival.

You couldn’t see into the future and know that the code would arrive nearly 3hours later. So what were you supposed to do, wait around in the dead of night surrounded by intimidating bikers or make alternative arrangements.

This I think has small claims court written all over it.

Booking.com might say she sent the code. But it wasn’t when she said she would send the code. It wasn’t even sent when you were at the property and you pleading for the code.
If she had sent the code 5minutes before checkout would they be saying that was acceptable.

I think the owner stuffed up. But rather than owning the mistake she is trying to hold onto your money.

It could end up costing her more than she got from you because a review explaining how she dealt with her failings could put off many people not wanting to be in the same position

Montydin · 02/09/2023 16:16

You should be refunded as she should have sent the code way before your check in time. Can you use the angle that the code was wrong to get a refund?

Whataretheodds · 02/09/2023 16:16

MrsBennetsPoorNerves · 02/09/2023 16:08

Where has the OP said that she expected to get that night for free? She obviously booked the previous night and agreed a late 12-1am check in time. So she expected to get access to the property as per that agreement so that they could use it for the night that they had been paid for. She wasn't given access until 3.45am.

Show quote history

OP hasn't said anything like that.

I was responding to @AuntieEsther who said 3.30 was too late to use the accommodation. I pointed out that it's a hospitality standard that you pay even if you arrive partway through a night including very early in the morning.

cakeorwine · 02/09/2023 16:19

I would mention this in the review.

cakeorwine · 02/09/2023 16:21

This is the second post in so many days where posters rightly should get a refund from Booking.com and failed to get one

I had an issue as an owner double charged my card. Booking.com got onto it straight away and it was sorted in a few hours.

Houseplantmad · 02/09/2023 16:21

I think you are both at fault. I would never plan to arrive at 1am with 3 kids for exactly the reasons you experienced.
While she was at fault for not sending the key code surely, knowing you were arriving so late, it would have been sensible to check beforehand, would it not?

SlippySarah · 02/09/2023 16:28

I think you deserve a refund based on the info but your description of events is way overly dramatic and it just sounds like you are laying it on thick so I'd probably assume you are trying to pull a fast one. Stick to the facts and leave off the drama if you're going to pursue this.

Whatnowfgs · 02/09/2023 16:28

If you paid by credit card and it's over £100 I would raise a dispute through them.

ZadocPDederick · 02/09/2023 16:28

Whataretheodds · 02/09/2023 15:49

But noone else could book the property that night. If you want to check in before the check in time you pay for the previous night - that's standard.

Show quote history

OP checked in when she said she was going to. Why do you think she was checking in early?

Original poster
sezzer87 · 02/09/2023 16:29

Houseplantmad · 02/09/2023 16:21

I think you are both at fault. I would never plan to arrive at 1am with 3 kids for exactly the reasons you experienced.
While she was at fault for not sending the key code surely, knowing you were arriving so late, it would have been sensible to check beforehand, would it not?

My children are 17,13 and 10. They're not babies. We travelled all the way from The uk to the south of France. They all slept in the car whilst my husband and I drove. They were fine up until that point. Some people have flights at that time it's no different.

OP posts:
ZadocPDederick · 02/09/2023 16:29

You'd have a hard time proving it wasn't sent, though you do have proof that for an hour or so you had the wrong one.

Not OP's problem. It's up to the owner to prove she sent the code.

Whataretheodds · 02/09/2023 16:30

ZadocPDederick · 02/09/2023 16:28

OP checked in when she said she was going to. Why do you think she was checking in early?

Show quote history

I don't think she was checking in early - read my intervening posts. It appears I alone misunderstood what @AuntieEsther was saying.

ZadocPDederick · 02/09/2023 16:32

BiscuitsandPuffin · 02/09/2023 14:53

The thing is, as inconvenient as it was, YABU to expect them to be awake and on call 24 hours a day. It's a wonder they got back to you at all that night, I would have taken my medication and been asleep until 7am and if you weren't checking in before midnight, 99% of establishments would assume you were a no-show and they don't usually bother chasing up no-shows.

Really when you noticed you didn't have the keycode before getting on the ferry or when you got off the ferry you should have contacted them. It was probably an oversight on their part and you should have alerted them since it did occur to you beforehand and you still decided not to contact them until 1am when most normal humans would be asleep.

Additionally, did the phone number perhaps not work because you didn't use the international dialling code correctly?

You haven't understood the arrangement, have you? OP wasn't expecting them to be on call 24 hours a day. She was expecting them to do what they said, i.e. to send the code so that OP could access the property without bothering anyone.

Yalta · 02/09/2023 16:34

If you want to arrive at a hotel at 3.30am (or 1am) you don't get that night for free

You would if you arrived at the hotel at your checkin time and found it locked and despite calling and trying to get through to someone to let you in for 45 minutes and failing to get an answer and the doors remaining locked you decide to find alternative accommodation because you are knackered, your children are knackered and crying and you have a lot of driving in the morning and have no idea if or when you can gain access to the hotel

Then after you have found an alternative place and probably fast asleep as nearly 2 hours have passed since you gave up trying to gain entry into the original booked hotel they message back to say they can let you in now and whether you arrive or not they are charging you for booking even though they weren’t open for your planned arrival as they are open now.
Certainly wouldn’t be paying them.

If paid by credit card you might be able to get your money back through your credit card company
Not sure but I think giving your bank a call and explaining the situation you might be able to get your money back if you paid by debit card. I know there are alternative rules re debit cards

ny20005 · 02/09/2023 16:35

How did you pay ? If my debit or credit card, contact your bank

SwedishEdith · 02/09/2023 16:36

SlippySarah · 02/09/2023 16:28

I think you deserve a refund based on the info but your description of events is way overly dramatic and it just sounds like you are laying it on thick so I'd probably assume you are trying to pull a fast one. Stick to the facts and leave off the drama if you're going to pursue this.

This

Icycloud · 02/09/2023 16:36

I’m more angry at the fact that the OP knowingly planned her holiday with an arrival time that would cause distress and disruption of routine to her child with SN
then as the child was vomiting and crying from the distress, continued fucking about trying to contact the host for an hour

AuntieEsther · 02/09/2023 16:36

Whataretheodds · 02/09/2023 16:16

OP hasn't said anything like that.

I was responding to @AuntieEsther who said 3.30 was too late to use the accommodation. I pointed out that it's a hospitality standard that you pay even if you arrive partway through a night including very early in the morning.

Show quote history

Is it an industry standard that if you arrive at 1am as arranged and nobody opens the door until 3.30 am you still pay for the night?

Paq · 02/09/2023 16:39

You absolutely deserve a refund.