AIBU to stop pizza oven hire during the wildfire alert?

[Askandyforcompo]

I have a very small glamping business. It borders a field and a small wood. As part of our offering we have an optional Ooni wood fired pizza oven hire which costs an extra £20. It's not there unless the guest pays for it as it's shared between units.

After the government alert on our phones last Friday we decided we couldn't rent the pizza oven out. The field is tinder dry at the moment and the oven can throw sparks out of the back. We've been a bit worried about renting it out recently anyway- we set up a hosepipe last time someone had it- but the alert made us decide to stop offering it

We messaged the guests who were arriving on Monday explaining it wouldn't be available for their stay. They instantly asked us for financial compensation as they had been 'looking forward to using it'. We explained that it was beyond our control and that with the guidance in place if we continued to rent it out insurance wouldn't pay out in the event of a fire. Yes, they understood that but still wanted 'reimbursement'. They hadn't paid anything, we take a credit card when they arrive.

I just think that in light of the alert not to do anything that could cause a fire I didn't owe them any compensation. It's kind of common sense not to start a fire next to a wood at the moment. A random spark from the fire could have set the field alight. But they clearly don't see it that way.

In fact I gave them £30 'as a gesture of goodwill' to buy pizza from the local pizzeria but I'm thinking they wanted a bit more than that! I'm dreading their review.

They sound like dicks! Had they even specifically requested/booked the pizza oven? YANBU. Safety first.

I’ve got quite a bit of sympathy for people who have planned camping holidays and are unable to have the holiday they had planned. It’s not like they are the people jetting around the world.
£30 was fair, I would amend your listing in future to say that the pizza oven is only available when fire risk is low or medium.

Edited to add is there any way you could rig up an electric pizza oven for occasions such as these?

No, they're glamping in a field! It would defeat the object I think.

The point is that the government are asking us all as individuals not to do this. So they have been asked not to start a fire in a field but they wanted me to compensate them. Had the pizza oven been a permanent fixture I'm pretty sure they would have used it.

I think you’re incredibly generous OP. You owed them nothing at all. I’ve just come back from camping in a field where campfires are usually allowed but of course were banned when I went. Hope no one was asking for compensation!

Yes it is. It includes dough, fuel and tomato sauce and a lesson on how to use it. We also have to clean it afterwards.

The oven and all the equipment was £350. The consumables cost us £6.00 It takes at least an extra hour of our time., sometimes more if it's coated in cheese. Not everyone uses it so it would be unfair to roll the cost into our price.

I’m missing the point entirely but I wish glamping sites in NI had pizza ovens to hire that’s bloody genius! As for your guests they were being entirely unreasonable it’s not your fault you can’t control the weather, you can’t set the place on fire just so they can have pizza

I do wonder if they would have requested compo if they hired an oven and it rained throughout their stay so they couldn't use it.

It sounds like it was a large part of the appeal to them and I can see why, sounds like a lovely dinner under normal conditions. Now they have to source a meal, waste time driving about or whatever. Did you offer them the opportunity to transfer the dates?

No I didn't. That's the same as a cancellation. They were coming the following day. Moving dates means an owner loses the whole value of the stay as the dates can't be filled.

They weren't driving around searching for food, why have you made that up?. 5 minutes walk away are 4 pubs, 5 restaurants and two food shops. I paid for their pizza from an authentic wood fired pizzeria.

Luckily it seems you are the only person who has commented who agrees with them.

I was just thinking about it from their point of view, a pub or restaurant meal is quite a bit more expensive.

But they don't have to go to a pub or restaurant, they can just make their own dinner as they would have been doing with a pizza oven.

Not to cast shade on the op's pizza oven, which sounds fun, but it's hardly a gourmet meal or the experience of a lifetime. It's a 'nice to have' rather than a significant part of the holiday - or it would cost a lot more than £20!

And now the op has explained what's involved, I think they should be charging more!

You have been more than generous in giving £30 for what was an optional extra they didn't even pay up front for (and therefore not need a refund) and basically banned by the government. Some people are just kind of disgusting when it comes to having a sense of entitlement.

I'd formuate a statement for a possible reply to any bad review.

They are totally unreasonable. We've been camping recently and very sensibly the campsite had banned the use of firepits etc. Normally an evening with around the firepit toasting marshmallows is the highlight of a camping trip but not being able to do so this time is no more the responsibility of the campsite owner than if we'd been unable to have a fire because it had been bucketing with rain. This is "acts of god" stuff, you don't get compensated for that.

You were more than generous providing money for pizza - I would hope they would leave a positive review. It's often the case that the dissatisfied customers that you may things right for become your biggest advocates. Hopefully this is the case this time!

Round here is tinderbox dry still. 3 drops and a passing black cloud has done nothing to help! If you are in a similar area you are completely right not to increase a risk of a fire.

There have been multiple field fires over the last 10 days or so within a pretty small radius - our local fire fighters and farmers have been amazing at ensuring the fires didn't reach people houses and were out out quickly. They must be exhausted. There are pockets of black all over the place.

Nobodies holiday is worth risk of life to the local people and wildlife.

I wouldn't have given them good will compensation either!

I paid for their pizzas. That's in my post. In fact is the whole point of the post.

I would have just told them where the local pizzeria was or offered to pick up a pizza once they’d paid for it. You’ve gone above and beyond. If they write a bad review then as others have said respond with the facts and what you offered to do.
They are CF s and I’m glad I do t work in hospitality as I expect there’s lots of people like that

I thought the point of the post was asking if they were unreasonable to ask for a discounted rate. I don’t think they were unreasonable due to the reasons I’ve stated.

Anyway best of luck with it all.

They sound really entitled and grabby. I find it hard to believe that the pizza oven would have been one of the main reasons for booking the stay. It would be different if the accommodation was advertised as having a pool, for example, and this was closed. I think you’re being more than generous.