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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:
EmmaPaella · 02/09/2023 17:45

I’d definitely want a refund. OK, you should have checked. But in practice you just assume it’s been sent because they say it will. You didn’t receive the code on the day it was booked for.

NoDoorHooks · 02/09/2023 17:47

This is black and white. Of course you should get a refund. I can’t believe people are saying not.

cakeorwine · 02/09/2023 17:48

Of course it’s relevant! If the issue around not getting the text in a timely manner was as a result of the phone not getting a signal, thats very relevant

I am struggling to see how there was little signal on a long drive through France.
I know the OP has just said she was the one driving, the app was on her phone, but I know I would be worried, especially if I was arriving somewhere in the early hours with 3 children.

Soontobe60 · 02/09/2023 17:51

sezzer87 · 02/09/2023 17:44

Well there wasn't the day we travelling for some reason. I know in hindsight I should have chased it up, but as I said the communication prior was excellent and I was reassured several times the code was due to be sent via email on our check in day. Never had issues with any other booking before. Part of the problem was I was the one driving and the booking was on my phone via the app.

Show quote history

But you said you'd stopped for lunch. that would have been the time to check the code had been sent. Or your DH or one of your teen children could have checked for you whilst you were driving.

Original poster
sezzer87 · 02/09/2023 17:54

@Soontobe60

The situation needn't of been challenging if the owner had honoured her responsibility and promise to send the key code at the correct time. She was asleep on arrival and would have been in bed asleep again once we'd got in.
My child might be disabled but she can still live her life to the fullest, she's still a normal human being capable of staying up late.
The original plan would have enabled us to get there by 9pm but unfortunately our ferry was delayed a week before we set off and accommodation already paid for in full. Staying closer north would have meant we'd have not checked into our Spanish accommodation until very late, so this way round made sense.

OP posts:
cakeorwine · 02/09/2023 17:58

sezzer87 · 02/09/2023 17:54

@Soontobe60

The situation needn't of been challenging if the owner had honoured her responsibility and promise to send the key code at the correct time. She was asleep on arrival and would have been in bed asleep again once we'd got in.
My child might be disabled but she can still live her life to the fullest, she's still a normal human being capable of staying up late.
The original plan would have enabled us to get there by 9pm but unfortunately our ferry was delayed a week before we set off and accommodation already paid for in full. Staying closer north would have meant we'd have not checked into our Spanish accommodation until very late, so this way round made sense.

I agree the owner should have sent the code.
She didn't - maybe she got the dates messed up, who knows.

You did have the chance during the day to chase the code.
It seems that you didn't chase it till 12.25 am?
You are due to arrive at 1am
So I guess the owner was asleep?
A code gets sent through but it's the wrong code.
You get the right code 45 minutes later.
And the phone number you dialed didn't work.

Is that a fair summary?

Original poster
sezzer87 · 02/09/2023 17:59

cakeorwine · 02/09/2023 17:48

Of course it’s relevant! If the issue around not getting the text in a timely manner was as a result of the phone not getting a signal, thats very relevant

I am struggling to see how there was little signal on a long drive through France.
I know the OP has just said she was the one driving, the app was on her phone, but I know I would be worried, especially if I was arriving somewhere in the early hours with 3 children.

Our phones are 5g and there was little 5g the route we were travelling and 4g was very unstable. Regardless of that, we weren't given the code as promised. Our children are all over 10 years old. We wouldn't have made the trip when they were little.

OP posts:
rookiemere · 02/09/2023 17:59

You're definitely due a refund based on the circumstances, but you don't need to add in the details about your DD if you're escalating. I would respond back to booking.com with a factual timeline of what happened as it's clear you were mucked around.

Having said that we were in a similar situation with a delayed ferry and we made a point of ringing the owner during the day to make sure we were still ok to get in. Obviously they should have sent you the code, but I am surprised you didn't check or chase it during the day.

Original poster
sezzer87 · 02/09/2023 18:01

@Soontobe60

We stopped to lunch and I did check. But check in is from 2pm and the owner sent very friendly messages for days leading up to our travel saying she would send it in time for our check in. The biggest mistake I made was trusting her.

No naive mistake I made, gives the owner the right to keep our money. I'm not used to having to chase for a service I paid for.

OP posts:
Clymene · 02/09/2023 18:04

@Soontobe60

The property was available from 2pm. The code should have been sent before then. Assuming the OP was travelling across France, there's no way she would have been without signal all that time.

In any event, she had signal when she arrived at the property and still hadn't received the code.

And as for arriving at a particular time, sometimes with ND children, it's just easier if you can put them straight to bed rather than having to do all the bedtime stuff in a new place. That said, I'm probably a bit sensitive to being given helpful advice on how to manage an ND child though - we mostly have found what works for our individual children and someone saying 'oh have you thought of X?' is really tiring.

cakeorwine · 02/09/2023 18:06

Our phones are 5g and there was little 5g the route we were travelling and 4g was very unstable. Regardless of that, we weren't given the code as promised. Our children are all over 10 years old. We wouldn't have made the trip when they were little

Which way did you go?
DS and I were just down there a few weeks ago and there was definitely mobile coverage all the way from Northern France to the Pyrenees.

And regardless of age, I would definitely be worrying about the accommodation if it was something that was not a hotel. When I've done long drives, I have always checked with the owner en route to confirm things.

That's hindsight of course.

But yes - the owner should have sent you the code and if I had been in your situation, I would be stressed as well. Arriving at 1am with no code. Because you know the owner would be asleep at that time.

SiobahnRoy · 02/09/2023 18:08

Yea push for a refund, but this is why we always book chain hotels en route. One place we arrived to at 2am due to tunnel issues, but because it was ibis there were no problems getting in.

PoshPineapple · 02/09/2023 18:08

I really want to know where in France it's 38 degrees at midnight!

But yes, of course you should get a refund. Who's to say that if you HAD started chasing for the code on the morning of the check-in date, that you still wouldn't have got a timely reply from the contact?

Original poster
sezzer87 · 02/09/2023 18:09

PoshPineapple · 02/09/2023 18:08

I really want to know where in France it's 38 degrees at midnight!

But yes, of course you should get a refund. Who's to say that if you HAD started chasing for the code on the morning of the check-in date, that you still wouldn't have got a timely reply from the contact?

It was hot last week in the south of France 40c

OP posts:
Original poster
sezzer87 · 02/09/2023 18:13

SiobahnRoy · 02/09/2023 18:08

Yea push for a refund, but this is why we always book chain hotels en route. One place we arrived to at 2am due to tunnel issues, but because it was ibis there were no problems getting in.

Yes I would have booked a chain and we did on the way back, but my husband really wanted to stay in a particular area. We've learned the hard way and definitely won't be making this mistake again. As I said it would have be fine if she'd just sent the code. And yes I know I made a mistake not checking sporadically through the day. She was just so reassuring and reluctant to send it early. I did ask about 2 days prior for it. But she said it will be on the welcome email sent on the check in day. I trusted her too much.

OP posts:
cakeorwine · 02/09/2023 18:14

Yes I would have booked a chain and we did on the way back

Are you back already!!

Deathbyfluffy · 02/09/2023 18:16

Booking.com have a 24 hour helpline - what did they say when you rang from outside the property?

Original poster
sezzer87 · 02/09/2023 18:24

Deathbyfluffy · 02/09/2023 18:16

Booking.com have a 24 hour helpline - what did they say when you rang from outside the property?

Not a lot. Told us just to chase the owner.

OP posts:
Original poster
sezzer87 · 02/09/2023 18:25

@cakeorwine yes we went on the 23rd and came back last night. Gone only 9 days to a eurocamp in Spain.

OP posts:
cakeorwine · 02/09/2023 18:32

sezzer87 · 02/09/2023 18:25

@cakeorwine yes we went on the 23rd and came back last night. Gone only 9 days to a eurocamp in Spain.

Wow!

I thought I was unusual in our trips - we spent 15 days away on our trip down there.

I do think a refund is due - ultimately you should have got the code. She forgot and that's her fault.

Soontobe60 · 02/09/2023 19:00

I can highly recommend booking a holiday in Brittany next year - especially if you’re only going to be there for 8 days after travelling 3000 Km! You’ll avoid spending 2 days in a car, the wear and tear on your vehicle, the cost of fuel - maybe around £500? Any worries around where you’ll be spending the overnight stops. It’s lovely in Brittany.

BigOldBlue1 · 02/09/2023 19:09

Nah. First of all it's massively inconvenient that you arrived at 1am. This is why you don't do that: because you're screwed if something goes wrong. You should have stopped further north around 10pm/11pm.

Second of all, who doesn't check they have their door code, when they know they are going to be arriving very late at night, and they have an entire day of sitting in the car doing nothing all day. Do you really expect us to believe the length of France has patchy Internet? Did you really expect the host to sit up until the early hours of the morning on the off chance that you had issues with the door?

This one's on you.

Princessfluffy · 02/09/2023 19:15

Refund
No question

HauntedPencil · 02/09/2023 20:03

I would have expected a refund.

If it was in the afternoon and we could have parked up and had a coffee then I wouldn't be as annoyed but it still would have been stressful but to not have one for 1am and further 2 more hours - I would have gone to a hotel too.

HauntedPencil · 02/09/2023 20:05

I don't think it's on you as you didn't check as hindsight is a wonderful thing, as there has been messages to and fore with agreed times.