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B&B want me to pay £150 fine!

453 replies

froggy1811 · 30/11/2021 20:32

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?

OP posts:
froggy1811 · 02/12/2021 17:47

Oh and also, the B&B have actually sent me an email themselves - which I'm only mentioning as someone on this thread said that they're not allowed, and have to leave the communication to booking.com

I received an angry email from them yesterday.

OP posts:
froggy1811 · 02/12/2021 17:48

[quote WheelieBinPrincess]@froggy1811

Ah that’s a shame, you could have used it for morning Buck’s Fizz![/quote]
Haha 😂

OP posts:
TractorAndHeadphones · 02/12/2021 18:37

At this point im just here waiting to see how they're going to force you to pay something that you don't have a record of as booking.com doesn't have your booking!
I don't think you'll have to pay

froggy1811 · 02/12/2021 18:45

Yes! I'm not sure either. I'm totally confused by booming.com. prior to the stay, they refused to help me retrieve the details of my trip unless I provided THEM will all the information (that of course I didn't know as my booking had disappeared,) and yet they have contacted me with this charge, so they must have a record of something?

I keep checking "my bookings" on the app, but there's still nothing!

OP posts:
UtterlyUnimaginativeUsername · 02/12/2021 18:53

You're obliged to comply with the B&B's policies. You didn't, therefore you own them the fine.

The rest is irrelevant.

froggy1811 · 02/12/2021 19:29

@UtterlyUnimaginativeUsername Yes! My husband should never have had that cigarette. Especially not when he knew we couldn't afford the extra charge.

I doubt he'd ever do it again after this!

OP posts:
froggy1811 · 02/12/2021 19:38

Also, as the days have gone by and I've thought about it more and more, I am not going to leave them a bad review for the points mentioned in the OP, seeing as how we may already have cost them money, and negative reviews can damage a business.

If I leave one at all, I will give them 3 stars and simply focus on the nice food. I mean, I'm not saying my complaints are any less valid, but I've calmed down a bit since the day I came home and I have decided to employ the old wisdom that "if you've nothing nice to say, say nothing at all."

OP posts:
Crunchymum · 02/12/2021 19:43

@froggy1811

Hi everyone,

Thanks for all of your replies/opinions. I am just waiting to see what action the B&B are going to take.

I think this will definitely teach DH not smoke in a hotel room in the future!

P.S To the person who asked, the Prosecco was poured down the toilet in the room! As the lid had been removed, I couldn't have taken it home anyway!

It was me who asked and now I'm incandescent with rage for you. I was hoping you at least got to enjoy a second bottle of fizz.

I'm not being facetious either. If I'd paid pub prices for a bottle of something, I'd have made sure I drunk it!!

froggy1811 · 02/12/2021 20:20

@Crunchymum 😂🤣😂

I know! It does seem like an exuberant waste of money now in hindsight! What I should have done, was offer the bottle to one of the locals as soon as I knew I couldn't actually drink it! Atleast then it wouldn't have gone to waste!

OP posts:
Vulpius · 02/12/2021 22:56

[quote froggy1811]@Crunchymum 😂🤣😂

I know! It does seem like an exuberant waste of money now in hindsight! What I should have done, was offer the bottle to one of the locals as soon as I knew I couldn't actually drink it! Atleast then it wouldn't have gone to waste![/quote]
Do you mean exorbitant?

froggy1811 · 02/12/2021 23:35

@Vulpius Hahaha thanks for pointing this out! Indeed I did! 😂

OP posts:
froggy1811 · 07/12/2021 15:29

Got an email message, and the sllvernly crap that they go onnn withhhj

OP posts:
MrsTerryPratchett · 07/12/2021 15:37

@froggy1811

Got an email message, and the sllvernly crap that they go onnn withhhj
On the prosecco again OP? Grin
Gazelda · 07/12/2021 15:43
Grin
froggy1811 · 07/12/2021 15:43

Abs ok mavsolutely be split CV in!

OP posts:
BonesInTheOcean · 07/12/2021 16:04

@froggy1811

Abs ok mavsolutely be split CV in!
?
Skyll · 07/12/2021 16:36

@froggy1811

Abs ok mavsolutely be split CV in!
Pardon?
Wizzbangfizz · 07/12/2021 19:43

Have you been back on the Prosecco OP Grin

BarbaraWoodlouse · 07/12/2021 23:10

It’s always nice to get an update, thought have to admit I was hoping for a little more detail 😀

MyDcAreMarvel · 08/12/2021 03:20

It’s always nice to get an update, thought have to admit I was hoping for a little more detail
Haha yesGrin

MargotMoon · 08/12/2021 04:07

If I turned up at a B&B I'd booked and the room still smelled of smoke from a previous occupant I would refuse to stay in it. So it could be that they've billed you for nights they had to refund to other guests and leave the room empty to air? On that basis I think it would be reasonable to take the hit and learn the lesson (or rather, make your husband pay and learn the lesson!)

KaycePollard · 08/12/2021 07:21

@froggy1811

Abs ok mavsolutely be split CV in!
Drunk again , OP? Good to see you've enjoyed that second bottle.
Indoctro · 08/12/2021 07:31

The room stank of smoke that's why you were charged it's common practise to be fined if you smoke in rooms you shouldn't at hotels etc

It's disgusting for a non smoker and takes ages to get the smell out

So sorry yeah the cost is perfectly fine

The rest is irrelevant to the fine

Branleuse · 08/12/2021 11:36

@PyongyangKipperbang

The fine is not enforcable unless it is stated in the T&Cs when you booked.

Even then they would have to prove that the damage caused by him smoking a cigaretter out of the window would cost them £150, which I very much doubt that they could.

As it is I think that they probably sent it as the room stank (even as a smoker I know this) and have no legal back up to it. They would have to take you to small claims to get the money and in all honesty they wont, if they did then they wouldnt get £150 as they would have to quantify their losses.

Was their surname Fawlty by any chance?

And tell your husband to not be a dick again.

exactly why id ignore it. As I said before, im a non smoker and I dont like the smell and can smell it quite easily, but ime, if you have a heavy smoker staying, then the room will smell whether they smoke out the window or outside the front, because its the person that smells of stale smoke. Its obviously worse if they smoke inside the room, but I honestly think that theyre trying it on and wouldnt take it any further. if theyd been lovely to you and not made you already feel like crap over fuck all, then id feel more sorry for them, but crap customer service is far too common. Id block them and obviously never go back.
Sparklfairy · 08/12/2021 11:44

@froggy1811

Abs ok mavsolutely be split CV in!
Ah I miss day drinking.
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