Bad holiday experience :-(

[theheadgirl]

Last week I took my 3 DD away for a holiday in this country. DD3 has Downs and ASD and can be destructive. Last time I took her away alone we managed by clearing away all breakables, and supervising her closely.
Different ball game this time - the house didn't have secure doors meaning I couldn't easily contain her in one room. Also she is herself becoming stronger. There were a few small breakages (teapot, etc, which I replaced) but on the last night she pushed over a wooden coffee table and smashed the glass in the gas fire. I rang the owners immediately, apologised profusely, and said I would pay for damage (I'd got insurance with the cottage rental agency)
Today though, I've received an email listing room by room damage they say we have caused. I'm livid, some of this we definitely have not done, I feel they are using DD3's disability as an excuse to get general repairs done on their house.
Anyone got experience of this? I am in Unison through work, and they offer members free legal advice. Also going to deal with it all through the insurance company and not with the cottage owners. But just feel sad as well as angry, like another door is shut to us. We can no longer have holidays all together cos of DD3 :-(. I feel bad that we've caused the owners problems, but I can't believe they're trying to take us for a ride. Just need to vent to you all really.

oh theheadgirl I am really really sorry that you have had an exhausting 'holiday' and also that you have been honest enough to tell the owners of any damage (and offer to pay through insurance) and they have taken advantage in this way how bloody mean of them

Send a letter saying you will pay for any damage you agree you caused and challenge them to prove the other damage. Was there an agreed inventory at the start of non damaged items? They sound like horrible people - we had a similar issue at nursery with them claiming costs for items that DS1 did not need (but that they wanted to buy).

Could the insurance company do the arguing for you ? They are used to dealing with people inflating claims and know how to knock them down.

Really sorry these people are being so unfair and vile.

yes, let the insurance company do the hardwork and you keep out of it. You may want to pen a letter to the cottage group (if there is one) showing your disappointment though

Thanks for your responses everyone. I will be talking only to the cottage agency and the insurance co to sort this, not to the cottage owners. It was all booked online, and no they can't prove that we caused any of the damage they say we did, apart from what I already told them about. They say they have taken pictures, but in my book that means nowt unless they can prove that it wasn't like that before we arrived.

You are right Fio, it was exhausting.
Cos I couldn't let DD3 run about however she wanted, she spent too much time sat in her pushchair. Subsequently she didn't sleep at night, 2 of the nights she was awake til 5 am. Just feel fed up about it all really

Most photos now have date stamps on them - it should be be easy to establish when they were taken. If they can't prove you damaged the items then the onus is on them to establish why you should pay.