Family Left stranded in France. Refund?

[sezzer87]

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.

The owner should have sent the code as agreed and you should definitely try and get a refund. In no way is this your fault.

We wanted beach, pool and hot weather plus a bit of an adventure and we got exactly that. It was great seeing the landscape change the further south we went. Can't get that in the north of France even if it is lovely.

How is it a massive inconvenience? The owners don't have to do anything other then provide the code. They don't have to wait to greet us.

Signal was patchy although that might have been my phones issue who knows.

Regardless the code should have been sent without us having to beg for it. We were supposed to receive a welcome email on the day.

Obviously I've learnt a valuable lesson not to assume people always tell the truth. Or that everyone is kind and considerate.
Perhaps you would be the type to do the same as the owner of the property we rented?
Personally I would make sure that code got to them as promised in a reasonable time frame and no way would I have them begging for it at 1am.

I recently got a refund from booking.com that I really wasn’t entitled to, so they’re not all bad!

I had to cancel two rooms at a hotel at very short notice due to my flight being cancelled and they had sent me notifications that the free cancellation period was going to expire then the rooms would become non-refundable (the flight was cancelled after that time).

Why didn't they just send the code at 2pm (if that was the usual check-in time?)

TBH - the code should have been sent and you should have been more pro-active in ensuring you got the code rather than emailing at 12.25 am.

It's not that hard to quickly pull into a rest stop and double check if you have the code.

A refund is due though.

@cakeorwine yes I would have been more proactive if I'd known how unprofessional and nasty the owner really was. I was driving for many hours. Stopped briefly twice and had phone issues with 5g/roaming data. I felt reassured due to the nature of our communication. She was very friendly, wished us a pleasant stay, reassured me I'd receive the code on the welcome email before check in, even asked us if we needed anything for the fridge. Never in a million years did I think she'd forget the crucial code to unlock the door.
Obviously I'd never let this happen again and I did make a mistake but I just didn't think it was ever going to be an issue and just wanted to get there.

Only on MN do you ask if you should have got a refund when the company were clearly in the wrong and get posters critiquing your entire travel plans 😅

Off topic - but you stopped briefly twice on a long trip down to the Pyrenees area of France from Northern France. And you arrived at 1am in the morning?

Weren't you tired?
I did about 6 - 7 hours driving on that route with several long stops and I was tired.

The owner fucked yo here. They needed to send the ‘correct’ code before you arrived at the property. I’d say you’re due a refund for that night. Poor show on their part.

I know right!

@cakeorwine I was fine. I didn't sleep that night either because the only hotel rooms we could get had no aircon and with it being so hot the only way to get oxygen was to leave windows wide open. It was motel style and there were lone men in the rooms in between our room and the room our 2 eldest daughters were staying so I stayed awake to stand guard. My husband and daughter slept with wet towels over then to keep cool and he drove us to Spain the next day. It was fascinating when the sun came up though, mountains and a town I could only describe as being a mix between North Korea and South Africa. The army base was right by the hotel and there were soldiers marching about.

You absolutely should get a refund IMO.

You should definitely get a refund.
Did the owner say why she didn’t send the code earlier? Did she just forget? I wonder what made her check her email at 3am. I wonder if she woke up and thought shit I never sent that code!

This is why I only stay at hotels now!!

This

It's not difficult
yanbu

I know! OP, it’s your own fault for travelling to France!

It's insane

Absolutely you deserve a refund. You couldn't use the accommodation until 3.30 am which is unreasonable

This!

If check-in is from 4pm for example and you couldn’t get in til it was almost the morning, I would be demanding a refund and compensation! Normally would expect Booking.com to do better - I’d keep emailing them!

I'm often shocked at the bullshit on Mumsnet but this thread is particularly full of it. This is not your fault at all and late check ins are common when travelling - this can't have been their first time. You are absolutely due a refund. Perhaps not a full one as you were able to sleep there but something for the stress and huge inconvenience. If you had to book elsewhere because they weren't answering then they should pay for that other hotel because it's an expense you have incurred through their shittery.

If no luck through the host, go through booking and the vindictive part of me suggests you push for removal from that platform if they are so utterly shit at what they have been paid to do.

There was no reason they could not have sent that code at the official checkin time of 3pm or whatever so you had it in plenty of time for your actual arrival. After all, I doubt you paid less for the late check in so from 3pm it was yours, no need to wait.

Your poor daughter, I hope she recovered from all that stress quickly.

The smug and lofty 20/20 perfect parenting/travelling/holidaymaking on this thread is a total marmalade dropper.

Accommodation woman fucked up royally. Fucked up because she had one job in this transaction. OP had one job - to pay. Accom woman had one job - to email code in timely manner. And she flunked it big time. OP has the proof. Hence she deserves refund.

All the rest is absolute ocean-going vein-popping victim-blaming stuff and nonsense. Everyone leaping in to throw bricks with their random interventions about SN and Brittany holidays and long drives IB VVVU.

@sezzer87 Actually, I would repost your query on Legal Matters, where you are likely to get some more useful advice from qualified posters who engage with the essence of your complaint.

Well yes, of course, but it's also a hospitality standard to give you access to the room you've paid for when you arrive at the agreed check in time!

The accommodation provider messed up and you absolutely should get that refund! Keep at it, perhaps your bank will come through. And be sure to leave a stiffly worded review.

I only ever book accommodation on a credit card in case this kind of problem comes up as it does provide another level of protection.

Hope your holiday in Spain is wonderful!