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?)

the internet is a wonderful medium - no one can hide! I read with interest all the rather amazing diatribe that you have all posted and the huge speculation you have assumed over our company. You should all work for the "Red Top" tabloids with such a flowery and vivid imagination!

Lets just lay out a few things for you all and perhaps the set the record straight!

Firstly - yes the web is outdated and in need of a serious revamp - however when it was built in 2000 it was considered very good - but in internet terms 7 years is a lifetime - so i take the comments made about it on the chin. Interestingly though I have a new site just being finished off and currently under construction www.luxuryvillarentals.com

Secondly WE ARE NOT LUXURY BREAKS LTD. please note this name is broken down into two words. Our company name is ONE word Luxurybreaks. And the Validate.com site and Trustguage certifications are not "bullshit" and I have forwarded them your comments on the work they do for them to peruse with interest no doubt. We have to go through a full audit proceedure including decalring our bank accounts etc etc - however if you took time to read the service they offer instead of adopting a knee jerk reaction you would have discovered that. We tried to look into some form of ABTA or ATOL licence but they don't do it for a company that does villa rentals - only if we package holidays etc. However I think ABTA have recognised there is a need to regulate our side of the industry which is growing hugely.

Thirdly - we are registered as Luxurybreaks LLC - however we are fully audited and approved credit card merchants with HSBC. We as a company have to be validated and audited by the bank to be given the credit card merchant status we have.

Fourthly - ANY top of the range villa rental company in the UK operates on a if not exactly the same - very similar terms and conditions as we do. In fact we modelled most of our T&C's on some of the biggest players in the business.

Half arsed remarks and scaremongering in the manner you ladies have undertaken is damaging and unfair. PLEASE get your facts straight before you start bandying around remarks - which some actually border on being liablous under British law.

We are a small niche business - we are like a can of "Ronseal" we do "what is says on the tin". Being a small niche business is NOT a bad thing. if every niche business in the UK was to shut up shop tomorrow the economy in this country we suffer a HUGE blow - niche "cottage" industries now form the backbone of the British economy.

For the record the only reason i answer the phone or sometimes my wife - is because WE are the only ones that go and personally inspect EVERY property we have on our books to ensure that the standard is very high for our guests - which incidentally include the likes of Sir Paul McCartney! NOT using a "middle man" as some of you refer to us - is not a a BAD thing. I remember 9 years ago i booked a villa in the Algarve DIRECT with the owner. I got there and the place was DUMP! my wife went MAD and I got it in the neck for 6 months - usually at every dinner party in front of our friends! I have NEVER EVER seen an advertisment direct from a property owner saying this - " I have a home that I consider as wonderful - however you will probably arrive and think its naff and that I am a very good photographer and have managed to make the place look fabulous in the pictures - but in actual fact it is really horrible. You will also have paid me all your money and frankly have NO bloody chance of getting your money bakc or any form of compensation from me"!

It's like when clients as k me if they can bring their dog to stay in the houses. They ALWAYS say their dof is the BEST behaved dog in the world....yeah right!

Anyway I just felt so upset by some of things being said in this forum that i deserved the right to reply - hopefully the client ( I know who she is but will protect her name for pivacy) will be able to report what a great time she had......and If it is who i think it is - ALSO that she got great discount for late availability!

Anyway have a great summer wherever your travels take you - and remember never judge a book by its cover!

Luxurybreaks

Well said!

Hello - please pass me a very big slice of humble pie

We will certainly do some very positive promotion for you after our holiday to make ammends, and if you will have us , - will probably use you again

One suggestion though - I think a few personal testimonials on your website from satisfied customers would help in terms of increasing confidence at the time of booking.

Notwithstanding that, I'm sorry!

Bump

(Sorry - that's just to keep the thread in 'active conversations')

I know tiredemma, I know!

It's a bit odd that luxurybreaks found this thread though, no?

I can vouch that it is them. The owner phoned my husband this morning.

The internet is a smaller place than you think....

somebody could have told them that they saw this thread- dont forget, if you type 'luxury breaks' into google- this thread is bound to come up somewhere.

I felt mortified when I read this today.

maybe they are regular mumsneters then
or reguarly search for commetns about them on the Internet
Hope you have a lovely time xxx

Thanks compo, I am confident I will now. Tbh they have been very good about it all

Also a valuable lesson.....tend to think of mumsnet as chatting with my friends sometimes but it's a public forum.

To be fair to the man- there was some pretty 'close to the bone' stuff- but not from you HMC, other mnetters.

Be sure to write a positive, glowing review on your return HMC!

I wouldn't feel embarassed. You were asking for genuine advice on here.
Are you still driving?

Glad your uncertainties have been allayed, HMC .

And all fair, surely? If you advertise / sell through the internet you expect people to canvass opnion on your product (including it's validity), discuss it, google it - and the beauty of it is that Luxurybreaks had complete access to it and was able to respond.

He who lives by the 'net, Lives by the net!

Also - many many psters were re-assuring that all would be fine, and many were impressed with the loook of the property - so that's nice for luxurybreaks too!

excellent post Blu - agree with every word

No I am flying now Compo.

I guess so Blu! - still I will be sure to post glowing review on here after holiday if all goes well (and it should do)

Incidentally - thanks Blu for the Charlie and Lola biscuit garland. Kept meaning to email you to thank you but hectic week...

ditto re e mailing and hectic week - hope your party went well - ours was exactly as it should have been - hell, but the kids really enjoyed it!

Glad to hear you are flying. Is your DH driving the car down?

Glad it went well . Yes ours was hectic too - but I've since had a lot of parents tell me just how much little johnny / sarah etc enjoyed it. Even got complimented on my party bags!

Nope, we are hiring a car from Nice airport. Travel arrangements much simpler now, we can fly direct from Southampton airport. Much less hassle. Just means we won't be able to take so much stuff - but reckon that is do-able.

HMC, we got to Valbonne every year. You'll have a fab time. Try to go to the Bistro de Valbonne - yummy! There's a great market on a Friday - good for gifts for teachers, I find!

What a rollercoaster thread! And for you HMC BUT.....

I reckon Mr Luxury Breaks may do quite well out of it - the villas looked lovely and he got some extra advertising!

Will bookmark site for future reference!

Yep all publicity is good publicity isn't it Mrluxurybreaks? (she asks beseechingly)

Actually I'm quite pleased that at least I no longer have to worry about whether it is genuine or not!

Thanks I'll remember that Bistro GGG. Any other tips?

Hi
My wife and I have 4 kids - 16,14 THREE and TWO!!! And they are exactly a year apart! Mum has many friends and customers who subscribe to this site and thats when they came back to her and reported what they had seen and read. since speaking to "the hubby" I have thrown in a local service of one of my staff to meet and greet them at the airport and to personally escort them to the villa. Also as the villa check in time is 4pm and they arrive late morning we are going to facilitate the dropping off of luggage and at the villa and make an advance booking locally at a child friendly restaurant for lunch so they can pass the time in a relaxed manner whilst the villa is being properly serviced and prepared for their check in. Mr and Mrs Pashouros of London have just come back after a 1 week break and have a had a lovely time. I take the point of testimonials we do have a couple on the home page under news section however I hate testimonials as i always get the impression someone has made them up - but you see we live in a world where trust is bceoming a bigger and bigger issue. How can any body be expected to trust the likes of us as a business when you have what i thought where rock solid bastions of honesty and integrity such as Blue Peter and the BBC being censured AND fined for distorting the truth about the likes of the Queen and tampering with competition winners ......are we ALL doomed!!??

I love being a dad and have used the internet to research lots of info on childrens health through forums like these and fully endorse them so more power to your elbow - so no hard feelings at our end - I think the balance has been addressed and we have had our right of reply. I wish you all happiness and joy with your little ones - that's why I gave up being a city slicker at Canary Wharf to run a lifestyle business from a home office - so I could spend more time with my rug rats and it has paid off big time!

Cheers for now and can somebody please do something about this bl*y rain! :-(