Rural Retreats Mouldy Cottage Disappointment Rant

[Clayhead]

Am absolutley gutted with the service we received from Rural Retreats - we booked a cottage for 8 this summer, costing around £1,500 for the week. The brochure promised the highest quality properties and the highest standards of cleanliness.

When we arrived it was to a mouldy kitchen and bathroom (bathroom was also dirty), there were not enough glasses for 8 people, all the crockery was chipped or damaged and there weren't even enough easy chairs for 8 - we had to rotate around! The beds were awful and one bedroom was so small that the bed had to be climbed over to reach the other side of the room. There was outdoor seating, as advertised, but only for 6, not 8.

We complained to them and they've admitted cottage needs more of a clean (had photos so hard for them to disagree) and that it is not set up for 8 but are not willing to refund anything other than an insulting low amount of money. Each letter I write is answered by a different person and they have promised me that it will be cleaned/sorted out but that doesn't help me!

The main thing that angers me is that we fell for the marketing and believed it would be better than the run of the mill property and it actually turned out to be worse!

Rant over, just wanted to warn anyone thinking of booking with them!

I slept in three of the beds when we were there - they were all really uncomfy but I thougth it was just because I was used to sleeping on memory foam rather than a normal mattress.

I was going to drop RR a line regarding the lack of provisions actually. I will do that this week now.

We bought J cloths and also took our dishwasher tablets home with us. Thanks for the bin liners . (Am surprised there were none there as there was a note in the kitchen about taking your rubbish with you to the bin at the bottom of the drive - how are you supposed to do that without bags?)

Did you write in the guestbook? I do vaguely remember reading something similar to your complaint in there. I think the cottage has been cleaned since you stayed as there was no mould in the kitchen.

We noted that two chairs had been added to the sitting room quite recently as one still had cardboard packaging on the underside .

Yes, I wrote a rather tetchy note about it being disappointing. I was really pissed off!

Yes, note in kitchen confused me too as it was quite firm about bin bag protocol. It was hardly the place to be nipping out to buy the odd thing from either!

The shame of it was that the location was really nice and it could have been so much better had they have attended to the finishing touches we thought we'd paid for.

... I have often drooled over the RR brochure but decided most of the properties were just too pricey for us. Won't consider them now.

We usually go for English (or Welsh/Scottish) Country Cottages and have never had a bad one (some better than others of course), so I would recommend them as an alternative. Someone will probably post now to say they are rubbish!! (They often don't supply enough bin liners though, and only an initial supply of loo roll and dishwasher tabs....but the cottages have always been clean).

Last summer we stayed in a cottages4you place in the Broads - it was a bit under-equipped in the kitchen cupboard dept (had a lovely big fridge-freezer though) but it was a 2-star and was only c £600 for 6 people (including enough beds, chairs etc)

Agree completely that if you're paying £1500 for 8 people you should get a much better level of equipment and ample chairs etc.

I wonder if a previous visitor had nicked some chairs...?

(Supplies of bin-liners, loo-rolls, dishwasher tabs etc not required in contract btw - it's just that you expect them when you pay more I spose)

(I have stayed in places with about 6 bottles of Fairy under the sink and 6 bottles of ketchup in the cupboard)

I agree, DH got seriously annoyed with shopping at the Co-op and Spar. It was a nice location though. Did you go to the beach at Aberdovey? That was really fab and the fish and chip shop was the best we've had.

I'm surprised by the response of RR though, they always seem to be fairly on the ball with us.

I was thinking of booking a RR cottage for next easter. I won't now, though. I hate crap customer service. Hope you get it sorted out.

Yes, went to Aberdovey beach and thought it was wonderful. Ice cream was lovely too!

Also thought Tal-y-llyn railway was lovely.

Even if bin liners not in the contract I would still expect the odd spare when paying that much! Especially when the marketing bangs on about all your needs being met etc.

Enough chairs per person is fundamental. I can't believe they got that one wrong.

The part which is annoying me about the customer service is that they are admitting that the place wasn't clean and was ill equipped but not agreeing to reasonably compensate me!

Are they mad?

I won't consider them either now, sounds like dreadful customer service. Why do you care what they're going to do in the future? They should refund, let us know how you get on.

Just a thought Clayhead. Check out if any of this thread can be deemed to be libellous / slanderous (I don't think it is but I am no legal eagle).... hopefully it can't be,- it's just you relating your experience to others.

And if you are satisfied that it is not libellous / slanderous why not email RR with a link to this thread? They can then see that their inadequate response to your complaint is both deterring potentially new business and also putting off repeat business (people who have already used them but will be wary about doing so again having heard of your difficulties - i.e. people like me and a few other posters on this thread). Perhaps that will focuss their minds in getting a satisfactory resolution

Quick update.

After my third letter they seem to be taking my points a bit more seriously and will contact me again once they have visited the property.

I hope none of this is libellous / slanderous. I thought long and hard about starting it and might not have done had they responded differently.

Bit of an update.

In the end, the lady from Rural Retreats went to see the property for herself.

She called me to say that they agree with all my points and I will get the refund.

I am pleased to get the money but would have been even more pleased to get the holiday I thought I was going to have! Two months of letter writing is also not ideal.

At least it looks like no one else will have these problems, hopefully.

Thanks for the update Clayhead, and glad that you got a result in the end. Well done for persevering.