Keep stressing that we will travel 600 miles by car to South of France only to discover that there is no villa. Check out this website for me - does it look 'legit' to you?

[handlemecarefully]

www.luxurybreaks.co.uk/luxury_villas_France_Cannes+-+Cote+D%27Azur_6_35_1.htm

We have already paid the deposit and are about to pay the balance in full. Am probably being completely ridiculous and OTT but I can not seem to shake niggling doubt that we well travel 600 miles by car with 2 small children only to find that we have been done.

Am I being ridiculous? What are you impressions of the website, does it look okay to you?

There is certainly a lot of detail on it...which is reassuring is it not?. But it seems to be run by a one man band (he is the only guy who answers the phone)

That in itself is not cause for suspiscion is it? Is it?

Also there is no hard copy brochure of properties (is that an issue?)

So in a nutshell smelling a big rat do you think...

So Mr bloggs could make a website, gets llots of folk to join up, take all lots of bookings acting as the agent and take the consumers money, keep it nicley in a UK unaudited bank account, then not pay his suppliers and then go bye bye!

is that is in simple terms Xenia ?

Don't know what to think now

[befuddled emoticon]

I don't know. You need to call him. Also call ABTA tomorrow. I am not sure how they regulate companies like that. There might be stuff on the ABTA web site. May be sites say if that agent holds an AbTA bond or something. I really don't know and by the way on a quick check a minute ago even mumsnet does not seem to display their proper legal details so it may be nothing to worry about.

I wouldn't pay the full balance just yet. You could always take it with you when you arrive.

did you read my link? it seems cutmadoc farm is leased out too (where they're based) awarded 5 stars by the british tourism council. try calling them to verify it?

I will ring them southeastastra

check you're not traveling on a 'black' day for the motorway - will be bumper to bumper.

Used to be a website for this - can't remember it.

What about tgv & car hire?

Good idea. Also I just read their terms...

"Should there be any discrepancy in the service provided within the property this should be intimated immediately to Luxurybreaks whereupon Luxurybreaks will attempt to broker a satisfactory outcome.
Luxurybreaks is however not responsible or liable to any claims for a perceived substandard of service. All claims in this respect should be made to the owners through our offices and you are bound by their terms and conditions - (available upon request) - when staying in their home.

Luxurybreaks arrange short term holiday rentals of Properties as agents of the Owners of the Properties. The Contract is between the Owners of the Property and the Client. Luxurybreaks act on behalf of the Owners. The Contract will be entered into when Luxurybreaks issues booking confirmation.Any subsequent booking (s) at the same property by existing customers with Luxurybreaks will be deemed binding under the original terms and conditions agreed to and will subsequently be rolled over."

So that means you have a contract with the owner so even if the agent went out of business in theory you still have your contract with the owner but I suppose you might perfer to pay the balance of the price to the owner. It is very bad practice to say your contract is with the owner on the owern's terms but we don't even send you those terms! So you're bound by terms you haven't seen. I don't think the Office of Fair Trading would like that. Those terms are available on request it says so you could request them.

I don't think it is very clera from the site until you dig down into the terms that your contract is with the owner not Luxury Breaks Ltd/dissolved/LLC or whatever.

southeastastra the address is farm is leased out too!

He will be habig a lot of calls tonight I have already rung him! lol. This all sounds sooo odd!

Why are they located in Bodmin but have a London phone number?

Yet when I called they say the act as the agent! So they should tale full responsibility.

handlemecarefully: there was a review of a luxurybreaks property in The Independant in June 2006. See: travel.independent.co.uk/uk/article624008.ece.

You could perhaps try contacting that property to do some checking.

erm, The Independent!

that's right the papers never print rubbish

I've copied and pasted that http address and can't get it to load....

The only thing that concerned me was companies house site saying the limited company is dissolved. Now often they will just transfer their assets to the directors who carry on a new business so you don't need to worry. It is possible they already passed your deposit to the owner and your contract is apparently withthe owner so all is well. Also they may have just changed the business from a limtied company to an individual anyway and then just wound up the company without bothering to change bits of the site. I hope you haven't been panicked unnecessarily.

Try this instead:

Go to The Independent's homepage at www.independent.co.uk. Select the Travel page and then the UK. Then look for page 8. The report is under the title "Five Chic Rural Retreats".

travel.independent.co.uk/uk/article624008.ece

Ah found the article. A review of a cottage and a link to this guy's website. Although last June.....

Thanks everyone for helping me with this. You're all very kind.

Is it possible to check the ABTA number online to see if it is still legitimate and that your agent is still bonded?

They are not an ABTA bonded company so there is no point contacting Abta as they wont offer any help with it.

Yes, but there is a telephone number which seems to be for the property itself rather than for the agent. It might be worth trying to see whether they can help put your mind at rest at all.

Ah didn't spot that boozle. Yes indeed.

Hope you're not mad driving all the way - because we're doing the same (London to Toulouse).
Only we're going overnight. Getting the car on the train at 9pm, hoping to arrive in time for breakfast. DVD's in the car. Kids in PJ's. Hopefully they'll sleep. And we can catch up when they have a nap in the afternoon.
Reasons to drive: you can take lots of stuff with you. Is dd's birthday while we're away and want to take some presents (not many). Have car once we're there. Costs £140 plus petrol. Have had 2hr plus delays every time we've flown to SOF in the last 3 years (BA) and can't stand the waiting around anymore.
So - fingers crossed your villa is legit, and that the journey is bearable.

Wewere im a similar position last year as we'd booked a villa in Spain.
We were dfue to pay some of the deposit, afetr paying £150 holding fee, and I notice dthat the detaisl ahd gone off thw websirte that I had booked it through.
I called the guy several times in Ireland to try and find out what wa sgoing on, and left messages. I then called form a mobile and he answered. He then told me that he had withdrawn the villa due t osme problems that had occured in the area, mainly violence and break ins and that he would be returning my cheque.
Well ,he never returned it, I had to put a stop on it, and he never answered my calls again. i complained to the website and they assuerd me that i wa dth eonly person affected.
When i looked int o it, there was no press coverage of these problems. And I do wonedr if he would have ever coontacted me.
Not really relevant, but these things can, and do, happen.