B&B want me to pay £150 fine!

[froggy1811]

So, this might be a longish read, but please bear with me! Recently my husband and I went to stay at a pub B&B. It is not often that we would ever be in a financial position to do this; however, we love the area and decided to treat ourselves. Anyway, when we arrived we didn't exactly receive the warm welcome that we were hoping for! I thought that perhaps I was imagining things; however, I received a message this morning from Booking.Com demanding that I pay £150 to the B&B for not following their policies. They have stated that this is because my husband smoked a cigarette in the room (please don't all shout at me at once! 😱) BUT, in his defence, he did this hanging out of the window at 2am and disposed of the dimp discreetly - so the only way I can imagine that they knew, is if someone from across the road of where we were staying, saw him and told the landlord!

To be honest, the attitude of the owners was absolutely dreadful from the moment we arrived! And I got the distinct impression that they didn't like us straight away! I shall list some of my points below:

1: Upon arrival we were told that if we wanted a table for dinner, we should have pre-booked. Our fault entirely, but it was the irritable way it was said to us.

2: My husband ordered several half pint ales at the same time, so that he could try them and decide which one he wished to drink for the night. Unfortunately, the idiot forgot which one was which, but as his drinks was still relatively full he asked the landlord which he thought was which based on the liquids colour. The landlords response was extremely cold and scratchy! He made it plain my husband was a fool in his eyes, and then he just stomped off without trying to assist him.

3: Over the course of the night, I had ordered 2 bottles of Prosecco (although, the second bottle didn't actually get drunk, as I couldn't manage any more!) So, it was taken up to our room.

4: We had booked a King room, but this was actually a really cramped, small double , and my husband's legs hung over the end of the bed. Shower and sink only a few inches apart so if you opened the door it hit the sink, and there was zero room to dress in there! The toilet seat was also wonky.

5: Room wasn't the cleanest, and no option to pay extra for a later check out.

6: When my husband went down for the breakfast, the landlord made reference to the amount of Prosecco I had drank the night before! This is despite the fact that we sat quietly at a table all night and was not in any way 'loud' or rowdy! So why mention this?!

7: WiFi didn't work all night long.

I know my husband shouldn't have smoked out of the window, but I have a suspicion that they just didn't like us from the moment we arrived. I had expressed this concern to my husband, who just brushed it off. We were quiet guests who made sure the room was spotlessly immaculate before we left, so I just genuinely feel like they were looking for issues!

Would you pay this? Do you think AIBU?

Smoking stinks, end of. I can tell if someone in my household has even seen a friend who smokes

I too am shocked at the vitriol on this thread.

When my dh was working away the Marriott he was staying at had a fire alarm go off at midnight and the customers all had to troop outside in their dressing gowns.
A famous actor had returned from performing in a play at the local theatre and decided to make toast in his room.
The man was embarrassed but he didn't get charged for what was a huge inconvenience. My dh found it quite amusing.

@Capferret

I too am shocked at the vitriol on this thread.

When my dh was working away the Marriott he was staying at had a fire alarm go off at midnight and the customers all had to troop outside in their dressing gowns.
A famous actor had returned from performing in a play at the local theatre and decided to make toast in his room.
The man was embarrassed but he didn't get charged for what was a huge inconvenience. My dh found it quite amusing.

I don't remember making toast being illegal. I do hope things haven't changed since I last checked

Surely if this had occurred the B&B would have contacted me sooner? They had my phone number and my email address, and had no reason to assume that they couldn't speak to me directly.

So if they had fined you the very next day you would pay? It’s the fact that it was a few days that’s an issue? Otherwise why does it matter when they contacted you?

I don’t really understand the alcohol thing (maybe that makes me an awful person?).

He shouldn’t have had a cigarette but you know that. I think the fine is proportionate and you will probably find small print on the booking warning of this.

I don't remember making toast being illegal. I do hope things haven't changed since I last checked

I meant charged money by the hotel. I'm pretty sure making toast in a hotel room is forbidden in
t &c's.

I'm a smoker. I've done this (well in huge hotels, not in a B&B). And every time I've done it, I've known full well if I get a fine it's well deserved.

Pay up for the smoking fine.

@theemmadilemma

I'm a smoker. I've done this (well in huge hotels, not in a B&B). And every time I've done it, I've known full well if I get a fine it's well deserved.

Pay up for the smoking fine.

Me too, I’ve also been fined once, and I paid it, it was a fair cop and I knew the risk I was taking.

I knno I have absolutely no chance of convincing you otherwise OP as you are determined that AIBU? Resounding yes = no no you are all wrong, we are special and different and they were nasty and mean and didn't recognise how amazing we are and it's not fair... but...

You can't smoke in any accommodation - be it a shit B&B or The Ritz. Unless you specifically book a smoking room and I actually don't think even these have existed for about 20 years.

Because to a non smoker it is instantly noticeable and will ruin the stay of the people who have the room after you.

The fine is 1. A deep clean of the room 2. A day where they can't sell the room because it needs to be aired out.

Not being allowed to smoke in a room (or out of the window) really cannot be a surprise? Are you telling us you never stayed anywhere in the last decade.

And being fined for the room smelling of smoke is also a completely standard thing.

It's got nothing to do with if they liked you or not.

It's a rule in every accommodation in the UK and you broke it. I speak as a smoker who is not stupid enough sober or pissed to smoke in a room and think I can get away with it.

@theemmadilemma

I'm a smoker. I've done this (well in huge hotels, not in a B&B). And every time I've done it, I've known full well if I get a fine it's well deserved.

Pay up for the smoking fine.

I’m a smoker and can’t imagine ever doing this.

People are really weird about alcohol on here. And many people have a sneaky fag even if it is ill-advised.

But anyway...the drinks, the sub-par hotle and the mean staff are unrelated to the question of the fine.

Unless their fine print says there is a £150 fine for smoking in the rooms I don't think they can take your money. But beware that they might be able to take it via your card and Booking.com without you doing anything-- if you have card details on there.

I would try to avoid the fine, dispute it if necessary if it doesnt state it in the t&cs. Ask for proof etc. But at the end of the day your DH did smoke while (partially) in the room so you might have to cough up. I don't think you can get out of the fine by saying the hotel was a bit rubbish but it could be worth a try. There is wiggle room sometimes when you still have the power of leaving a review.

Some friends of mine drunkenly spilled red wine on a hotel carpet and had to pay a £250 fine-- but they paid it cos they knew they had done it and also a stain is evidence in itself.

I think it is pretty shitty to smoke in a non-smoking hotel/B&B room. And then refuse to pay any money towards a big clean

[quote froggy1811]@Autumndays123 Have you actually read some of the outrageous comments that have been made about me on this thread? I posted here because I wanted to hear people's views on the £150 charge, and whether or not they thought it was fair. I was honest in my OP when I stated that DH had had a cigarette out of the window. I requested that everyone not shout at me/have a go at me, as I wanted real opinions - not online abuse/attacks - which is actually what I have been subject to here!

I have been accused of being a scumbag, an alcoholic and of having zero morals! People have taken things that I have said completely out of context (such as when I mentioned the price of the room - which I only did so that others could weigh up the £150 charge against the price of the nightly stay!) I was accused of being sat there with two bottles of Prosecco at the same time (despite the fact that this was not the case and I tried to clarify this several times!) I have been accused of being drunk and disorderly in the pub which is completely untrue! These are just the things that I remember! And now I'm being accused of being self entitled!

If only you knew me, you would laugh out loud at this assumption![/quote]
Well, I haven't read any of these outrageous comments, I just did a 'See all OPs posts'.

Yes the £150 fine is fair.

To remove the smell of cigarette smoke from the room it will have to be fully aired, and they won't be able to let that room until the smell is gone. Curtains, carpets, cushions, bedspreads will all pick up the smell, so more time and effort will have to be spent on those than would be normal. The £150 covers the loss of rental and the cost of deodourising the room. It is a fair amount.

Bottom line, your husband smoked. The whole 'smoking out of a window' - really? He thought the smoke wouldn't drift back into the room? It always does. Since you live with a smoker you are probably unaware of just how strong even a little cigarette smoke smells to others. My dad smoked, I was nose-blind until I stopped living with my parents. If I went into a hotel/B&B bedroom and I could smell smoke, I would be back down to reception immediately demanding a different room. No way would I stay in that room. And that would be the fault of the person who smoke in that room.

Pay the fine. It doesn't matter that you found the B&B shit, that's completely irrelevant. Give them a bad review on Tripadvisor about rudeness if you must, but they're not fining you because they're rude, they're fining you because you smoked in their room .

All your complaints about the B&B in other respects really just comes across as you trying to justify (to yourself, as much as to MN) not paying the fine. Just pay the fine and tell your husband not to be such an inconsiderate arse next time you book in anywhere.

I'm not sure where your getting your figures from, BUT If he broke the law (which plenty of people here have already pointed out, he didn't,) then they can send the police to arrest him.

It’s not a criminal offence, so they won’t send the police but he could be taken to court over it.

The court could fine him up to £200 which would be in addition to the B&B’s costs, btw.

My grown up son read through the first half of this thread yesterday and stated that in all of his years in highschool, he has never witnessed such malicious bullying! He got way more upset about it than I did, bless his heart.

Well at least your son went to a nice school. Yes, there have been some unpleasant comments on here but I'd take any and all of this over 1 minute back at the school I went to.

@TuftyMarmoset

I'm not sure where your getting your figures from, BUT If he broke the law (which plenty of people here have already pointed out, he didn't,) then they can send the police to arrest him.

It’s not a criminal offence, so they won’t send the police but he could be taken to court over it.

Well he's already faced "Trial by Mumsnet", so court should be a piece of cake.

@BertramLacey

My grown up son read through the first half of this thread yesterday and stated that in all of his years in highschool, he has never witnessed such malicious bullying! He got way more upset about it than I did, bless his heart.

Well at least your son went to a nice school. Yes, there have been some unpleasant comments on here but I'd take any and all of this over 1 minute back at the school I went to.

That's awful! I hope you didn't suffer dreadfully. Bullying is absolutely atrocious and nobody should have to be subjected to it!

He did go to a lovely school and was fortunate enough to meet equally lovely friends! ☺️

OP, there are plenty of us on this thread who have ignored everything but the smoking and have not made any negative comments. The consensus though is that YABU and should pay the charge.

Setting everything else aside, given what's been said only in relation to the smoking please can you explain why you think YANBU?

I couldn’t care less how much you drink, sounds like the pub where a bit rubbish and rude.

However I can’t stand the smell of smoke. I had to stay in a room where the hotel had tried to clean the room but it still stank, the whole room needed gutting, replacing and repainting in my opinion. For that reason I think you should pay, it’s a hard smell to get rid off and non smokers can smell it a mile off

@MaggieFS Hi! I am really sorry if you have been one of the few poster's that haven't derailed into a full blown character assassination of me. I suppose these messages have been lost in a swamp of negative ones, but for this I apologise!

I haven't really said INBU tbh! or that IABU either, because I've spent the majority of this thread trying to clarify silly points and disputing accusations!

I have said several times that I don't think DH was justified in smoking that cigarette; however, I do not think I should have to pay them £150 on top of the £85, the food and bar bill that I've already paid them; particularly when they completely lied in their advertisement and I doubt that the one cigarette DH had out of the window has amounted to that price so far as the fee they're trying to charge me is concerned.

So OP do you think any fine would be unreasonable? Or are you saying that it's the amount that you're questioning.

@rookiemere

So OP do you think any fine would be unreasonable? Or are you saying that it's the amount that you're questioning.

I feel that the amount is unreasonable. Obviously, I am not pleased with their behaviour at all, but despite what others here have said, I don't like to be disrespectful towards anybody!

I feel that they should be asking for a lot less. And I also don't really think that the one cigarette he smoked out of the window has caused the damage to justify that fee.

Also @rookiemere I can't pay it! I literally don't have that amount of money available to me!

[quote ImInStealthMode]@TheClockTicker A bottle of Prosecco is 6 x 125ml glasses, or 9 units. At the point the landlord made the comment about it (the tone of which we were not witness to) he wasn't to know she hadn't drunk the one she took back to the room.

I'm not a shy drinker by any means but even I'd be a bit aghast at 2 entire bottles / 18 units for one person in one night. [/quote]
Is there a reason to comment at all, though if she wasn't acting in any way drunk, having only drank 1 bottle?

Unless it was said in a very friendly way I'd say totally unnecessary, why is he unhappy she spent her good money in his

Yes sorry, I was considering 150/175ml as small, 125ml aren't in popular circulation at the moment are they although I know pubs have to provide them if they're requested. Now I think of it, prosecco is drunk from a champagne flute usually and I've honestly no idea how many mils they hold.