Holiday From Hell - Live

[Bartlebum]

Please help!

It's my nan's 80th birthday and we have arranged for 29 of us to come to North Devon for a weekend to celebrate. Arrived at 3pm to boiler faults in our cottage, no heating and no hot water. Immediately reported and the owner did not reply.

We have seven cottages in total and as everyone arrived we realised all of them are out, so we checked the gas tanks for the whole property and they are empty.

I have been calling the booking agent we went through who said they won't deal with this guy anymore as he has had nothing but complaints, so have terminated the contract.

As we paid them I have asked them to sort it so they said they will do what they can to get in touch with him.

It's been 2.5 hours and no progress. 29 people, two elderly, 7 children and one with a disability. I have asked them to find alternative accomodation but they said its not on them, it's on the owner of the property who is not contactable.

I don't know what to do. There is no one on site as it was all done via key codes. The owner lives several hours away in London, we are freezing and can't begin celebrating my nan turning 80 on what should have been an amazing occasion. We literally stayed here two years ago and had the most amazing time but it's changed hands and not been maintained to any standard.

Anyone been in a similar situation? I've been nice to the agents and I don't want to kick off but I can't believe they won't help me.

Eek!

Are there wood burners? Electric showers?

Wood burners with big baskets next to them saying "here is your complimentary wood" and there is some remnants at the bottom. We found a log store but it's locked.

There is one electric shower between all the houses.

Sounds awful op :( your poor Nan !
Is there any way you could order some gas in and then bill the owner or the letting agents ? Not sure if this is possible, but might be worth calling around a few places ?
Sorry if this is lame advice , but obviously the owners are total tools.
I hope you can sort it out

If I order gas I don't know if they can fill the tank today? I have maims gas supply so not dealt with tanks before.

Are you close to an Argos or suchlike and buy some electric or oil filled heaters?

What an awful situation! You must be livid!
can you go and buy some electric heaters and use those to keep warm? Are the ovens and cookers gas or electric?

So sorry OP, I’m not sure how likely it is that the gas tank can be topped up in time for you to enjoy your weekend.

In the meantime, can you put those most in need of heat etc in one or two cottages and concentrate on making those comfortable whilst the rest of you make do?

Get yourself to a supermarket and buy a load of those plug in electric heaters and move them around the house. They heat up pretty quickly

Call the booking agents, tell them you want an immediate refund or they pay for a suitable hotel.. You are going to have to kick off to get them to do anything.

Oh no.
Are the gas tanks the big like this one? My folks have one and it gets filled automatically when it runs low. The tanker just turns up.

Who are the booking agent? Could Twitter help here?

We have all the ovens on that are functional but they are filling the cottages up with smoke - not been cleaned. The houses are filthy and unsafe. There is black mold on the ceilings.

We have a pool here too that is turned off and half empty

Definitely going to have to kick off. Being nice isn't going to get you anywhere.

If you paid the company doesn’t that mean your contract is with them? So I agree with Twitter, make it visible. Put the link here and get people to retweet.

I would buy some wood from nearest garage or roadside log stall. And set up in the cottage with the electric shower. And the two either side.
Move the most vulnerable into the nearest hotel with vacancies and ask if they can cater for you this weekend.
Then take owner to court for full refund.

This isn’t good enough.
Do you have travel insurance?
Complain endlessly to the booking agents.

What do the T&Cs of the contract say?

How did you pay? If credit card then gather all the evidence by photo and see if you can find alternative accommodation. Then claim back on your credit card.

Good point re gas :(
I am sorry this is happening to you
I hope that the owners are taken to the cleaners once you get back.
People on here often say to name and shame on Twitter (x) , but again not helpful to you at the moment.
I'd be considering calling the police on them , but I guess this is extreme. You have vulnerable people with you and left high and dry , it's appalling and I bet none of it was cheap to rent for the weekend.
Hope you get some better advice and take care

You need to go and buy wood and some fan heaters and then try and claim in your insurance.

Gas will be on a contract so you won’t be able to order (or get a delivery asap even if you could).

Sounds like this is the least of the issues, I’m so sorry 😢

Bet the agent is Sykes. They are shit. Never again.

Do you have holiday insurance?

I know you're in the UK but our annual policy covers us abroad and in the UK.

If you are insured phone them and see if there's anything they can do.

The booking agents are being ridiculous - please name and shame.

are you able to share where abouts you are in case anyone local has spare heaters? I know we’ve got 4 we would happily drop off within a 30 mins drive to help out.

Why wouldn't Twitter be helpful right now? I've had really, really quick action from companies by posting things on there.

Who are they OP? Name and shame them.