Freebie Successes by Letter / Email - What have you recieved? (merged)

Enterprise_1701C

Just a quick note for angecull31 - Smoke alarms are not wired into the mains for a very good reason - often the first thing to go when there is a fire is - wait for it - the mains! Therefore you would not get warning, especially if it is an electrical fire, or if there is a power cut there would be a real problem.

jenza8

I received £8 of vouchers from Muller because I had raspberry seeds in my rhubarb mullerrice. I had to send them the lid of the rice off to them and they also asked for the seeds, which I couldn't send as I'd eaten them. Presume they use the batch code to prove that raspberry mullerrice were made just before rhubarb and this is how it was contaminated. Was really pleased with the £8. I didn't really expect anything, just let them know as obviously something had gone wrong when changing production from raspberry to rhubarb.

Harveycat_2

angecull31 wrote: »

This is the letter that I sent to HAVEN after we got back from our week long holiday:

Firstly I would like to start off by saying that whilst we did enjoy our holiday overall with you at Primrose Valley we feel there are quite a few issues that, added together, had a significant detrimental effect upon our time with you. Please find below the issues of concern, some of which we feel pose serious potential Health and Safety risks. Also please find attached photographs which were taken during our stay to illustrate these points more clearly for you.

(Thinks - Oh Jeez, curse the digital age).

Thankyou, the photographs are lovely. Would you consider releasing copyright to us so that we could use them in our 2009 brochure?

I had previously been in touch with your office via email to organize collection of the keys to our caravan. I am disabled and as a result I can have problems standing and walking for any time at all and waiting in a queue to collect keys could cause me intense pain and suffering. I had been informed that instead of queuing in the main area (Jesters) I was instead to go directly to your reception and collect my keys and other associated paperwork there. This was fantastic news. When I arrived at the camp I went to reception but I was dismayed to discover that the keys were not there. A member of staff told me that I was in the wrong place and should just go and collect them from the same place as all the other guests (Jesters) and only when I explained that arrangements had already been made for me to collect the keys from Reception did she herself kindly offer to go and collect them for me which meant standing waiting for 10 minutes until she came back with all the items required but causing me the pain which I had so wanted to prevent from happening in the first place, especially after a long car journey.

(Thinks: Why the hell didn't the old bat wait in the car or sit down?)

We are very sorry to hear of your discomfort. I will contact our maintenance foreman to request chairs are available in reception for our visitors.


Lakehill No * - Superior Plus
·The gas fire in the living area makes really strange noises which sounds as though there is a huge amount of wind blowing straight into it and would do this intermittently even when the doors and windows were firmly closed and sometimes it wouldn’t light when the gas had been switched on and the ignition pressed. I must admit that thankfully we didn’t really need to use it that much.

(Thinks: If she'd got Carbon Monoxide poisoning I wouldn't be mithered with this damn email).

All our gas appliances conform to current regulations and are regularly maintained by registered Corgi gas fitters. The sound of 'wind' is an indication that the appliance is venting normally.

·Even though there was a sign on the wall in the kitchen which related to both the Fire Extinguisher and the Fire Blanket I was dismayed to find that even though there was evidence that there had been a Fire Blanket it had not been replaced once it had been removed.

(Thinks: Never heard of a wet tea towel?)

This has been reported to the fire officer.

·On the Thursday I accidently burnt some toast. This resulted in large amounts of smoke and the door between the kitchen and hall was open at the time. Bearing in mind the smoke alarm was only a couple of feet away from the toaster I was amazed that it did not activate. Upon pressing the test button instead of the confirmation of battery tone I heard the intermittent battery low peeps which indicate the need to change the battery. Two points are of concern here 1. As there was obviously some power left in the battery (as indicated by the existence of the battery low indicating peeps) why did the alarm not activate. 2. As this alarm is the only one in the entire caravan and bearing in mind that the battery low indicating peeps can occur at any time of day or night would it surely not be prudent to have a spare battery in each caravan and this to be clearly communicated to all new caravan occupants. Alternatively each smoke alarm could be wired directly into the mains electricity supply with a battery backup in the event of a power failure. The significance of the potential catastrophic effects of fire on these caravans was brought home to us when we observed a totally burnt out and destroyed caravan from around the corner being towed away from the site one day. Finally on this point on the day of departure we left a note on the work surface by the sink to inform the housekeepers that the battery needed to be renewed. To ensure that this was carried out we threw away the all but dead battery and left the alarm itself open (please see photo) to ensure that if it was not replaced that the next new occupants would see this for themselves. To this end it is apparent that the effectiveness or otherwise of the battery operated smoke alarm can lie in the hands of the holiday makers themselves (ie. If a dead battery is not reported to yourselves by your customers this could result in the new occupants being totally unaware that the battery in the alarm is completely useless because once the battery is completely dead the intermittent battery low peeps will cease to occur. This obviously is a disaster waiting to happen and should not rely on the holidaymakers to ensure this basic and crucial Health and Safety issue is maintained.

(Thinks: 384 words to whinge about a duff battery)

The battery has been replaced.

·The central heating system in the hall cupboard had a sooty residue around the pilot light viewing window which is an indication of a problem and could quite easily be a sign of carbon monoxide poisoning (surely a carbon monoxide alarm should be fitted in every caravan as a matter of course).

(Thinks: How on Earth did these poor people survive?)

We are not at liberty to discuss any close friends of the Prince of Wales.

·The lack of a Carbon monoxide alarm even though the fire and the cooker were both run by gas and along with the sooty residue on the central heating system did not inspire confidence or make you feel safe in the knowledge that you are safe from the ‘silent killer’ Carbon Monoxide.

(Thinks: I think it was Colonel Mustard with the lead piping in the Hall).

We only use loud Carbon Monoxide.

·There was a sign in the hall stating that the ‘Alarm’ should be set each time you leave the caravan so we went on the hunt for it to make sure we were secure whenever we went out. However there was no alarm but what we did notice were two sets of bare wires (one in living area above the main window and one in the heating cupboard). Are these live or are they merely disconnected alarm wires? Either way we were not prepared to find out and indeed we had to make absolutely certain that our children stayed well away from these exposed wires. If they are disconnected alarm wires surely they should be removed from the caravan to avoid any concern, worry and confusion.

(Thinks: visualises client removing shoes/socks, standing in metal bucket of water and testing to see if wires are live with tongue).

The wires are dead (I wish I was as well).

·The window in rear most twin room was not properly secure even when the window was firmly closed. The bottom handle had to be forced into position but even when the bottom catch was in place there was a large gap down the right hand side (opposite to the hinges) and as a result my son awoke each morning freezing cold and the van was never properly secure as a result.

(Thinks: attach wires to son?)

The maintenance foreman has been informed.

There were a few other issues within the kitchen area which are also of concern and should also be brought to your attention.
·The toaster was in a very sorry state and had been previously melted all over the top but someone has hacked off the melted plastic with a knife but not very well as they have left pointed, jagged peaks which are really painful when you catch your hand on them

(Thinks: Perhaps the toaster was 'sorry' for burning the toast?)

Oven gloves supplied.

·The microwave was also in a dirty state but even more worrying, were the large rusty patches which were hidden inside and due to very real risks of food poisoning and possible electrocution due to the interior coating being missing it could not be used.

(Thinks: Jeez the electrics inside this caravan must have been like Blackpool illuminations in a strong South-Westerly).

Housekeeping have been informed.


·The fridge didn’t work properly and didn’t even keep the milk cold and could quite easily have harboured any kind of food poisoning as a result so this also was used very sparingly (the purchase of a fridge thermometer for each caravan should surely aid all holidaymakers to ensure their fridges are working correctly).

(Thinks: no wonder it didn't keep things cold, it's supposed to be used 'constantly' not 'sparingly.')

Thank you for your suggestion.


·The caravan was supposed to sleep 8 people (even though there were only 5 of us) and as a result should have had enough provisions within it to be able to feed these 8 persons. Unfortunately if you were to use the oven they would have to be fed in shifts as there was only one oven rack and if you were to have pizza for example then you would only be able to cook one at a time. This is absolutely useless to anyone, especially if you had hungry children waiting for them. The oven as fitted has the capacity for 3 oven shelves and 3 are definitely required.

(Thinks: Why would they want to eat when they are asleep?).

We do not encourage holidaymakers to cook their children.


·The melamine covering on the dining table edge was damaged and was curled back making it very dangerous as I found out to my dismay when my finger was sliced open as a result of catching it (as you can see in the photo) when setting the table for the first time.

(Thinks: pity the injury wasn't higher up).

Thank you for the photo. I think you need to check the aperture setting?

·The bed which is hidden under the main seating area was not required thankfully as the cover which was scrunched up and thrown on the top of it was thoroughly filthy and would not have been able to be used.

(Thinks: Durrr - that's why it was hidden?)

I'm glad this was not a problem as you did not need it.

·The triple ceiling light in the main living area only had one light that was actually working on it.

It has a triple filament bulb fitted.

·The ceiling regularly had many small spiders on it which ‘abseiled’ down into the living areas onto surfaces, furnishings and us. We had to try and remove them as best we could and thankfully managed to remove lots outside and squashed more than a few too!

(Thinks: Confiscate their ropes?)

Arachnologist foreman to action.

·The back exterior door only closed properly when it was locked as it just kept swinging open otherwise.

The door is designed to open when unlocked.

Swimming Pool Issues
·On Monday 14th July my husband and children went to the swimming pool complex (by the boating lake) for the first time. My husband stepped into the main indoor pool for the first time somewhere between 2 and 3pm at the point where the water level is at its shallowest (approx 6-8 inches deep). Unfortunately the mosaic tiles you have fitted to your pool floor appear to be very slippery by their very nature! This caused my husband to fall violently back and due to the shallowness of the water had to break his fall by stretching out his right arm and his thumb took the full force of his body weight and twisted back on itself causing severe initial pain. However because this was the kids first visit to this pool and the fact that they had been looking forward to exploring the outdoor pools as well, my husband attempted not to draw attention to his injury in the vain hope that the symptoms would subside. By the time they had finished their swimming session the pain in Simon’s thumb had extended to past his elbow with localized bruising evident. When they arrived back to the caravan I administered an Instant Cold Pack to the afflicted area. This provided only temporary relief. At this point I told my husband that we would need to go to the hospital to Accident and Emergency unit to get it properly checked and X-Rayed. However once again he did not want to spoil our holiday and decided to wait until the following day to see how it was. This was the day that we had arranged to meet up with my family for a day out to Flamingo Land and once there my husband decided to attend their First Aid treatment room where he received medical attention in the form of strapping and a support bandage. Fortunately no break or fracture was sustained but we noted with interest that your new pool complex at the main entertainment block does not have the same mosaic tile pool bottom but instead has a much better rough, non slip surface. If my husband was approx 1 foot closer to the edge of the pool he could quite easily have hit his head on the side of the pool to his severe injury. Surely it should be made impossible by means of perhaps railings to enter this pool in such a way as this appears to be a serious potential hazard. If the water level was significantly higher at this point then the cushioning support of the water would mean that this type of incident would be almost impossible to occur.

(Thinks: Does she really expect us to deepen the pool at the shallow end? I can see the headlines now.)

The pool is purposely designed to be 6 to 8 inches deep at the shallow end to accomodate our 6 to 8 inch clients.

Should your husband require a deeper part of the pool to enter by may I suggest the opposite end to that which he made his attempt. In that case he would indeed be cushioned by 2mtrs water should he again lose his footing.

Kids clubs
·One of the major factors in deciding to book our family holiday with you this year was the existence of the T-Co club as advertised and explained in the Haven Brochure. As our daughter is only 9 yrs old and our son is very nearly 13 years old the provision of children’s entertainment and activity clubs is of crucial importance to us in deciding where to book and, as our car has 5 full seats, which child’s friend we decide to take with us. Because of the age difference between our son and daughter this obviously meant that they could not attend either T-Co or the Rory & Bradley’s Funtime Club together and because our son thoroughly enjoys the opportunity to experience the activities as described in the T-Co description and also has the ability and confidence to make friends easily and quickly we decided to take our daughter’s friend on holiday instead of our son’s friend. Your brochure gives the distinct impression that the T-Co club is an integral part of the daily children’s activity for that age group and on this basis we made our decision. However when we attended the T-Co meeting on Saturday the 11th of July at 12.30pm in Jesters we were astonished to discover that the T-Co Club was only operating on Saturday and Sunday and that it was only for 1 hour each day. This was VERY upsetting for our son as we had spoken many times leading up to our holiday about all the wonderful things he would be experiencing and all the new friendships he would make. Even worse news was to follow because on Friday 18th July (the day before our holiday ended) we noticed in the evening outside Jesters several display boards and manned stands advertising many and various children’s activities and clubs. When my husband asked a Funstar who was passing by about the T-Co Club and about the frequency of it he was informed by her that from tomorrow i.e. Saturday 19th July T-Co would be in operation daily because it was now the start of the English school holiday season. Nowhere in your brochure does it state that this date marks the start of the full T-Co activity programme. We fully understand that some activities do commence from certain dates but that these are clearly specified in the Haven Brochure. This most certainly is not the case with the T-Co Club! If it operates fully in ‘Peak Season’ only, how are we to know what dates this relates to if these are NOT specified in your pages of the Haven Brochure and surely the start of the Scottish school holidays should mark the start of your peak season anyway, bearing in mind that you are one of the largest, most Northerly sites available for a family orientated holiday! Moreover we have checked on brochure page 184-187 and page 202 for further information and it clearly states on page 202 under ‘Just for Teenagers’ that T-Co operates ‘at all parks except Far Grange throughout the season’. No dates are given!
As such we feel that the description and depiction of the T-Co Club is as best misleading and at worst deceiving and seriously impacted upon the potential enjoyment of all of our holidays and most especially our son’s.
In conclusion, as you can see all in all there are many areas of concern. Some admittedly are relatively minor, however, some we feel are potentially quite serious and/or a major inconvenience and could also affect other families staying at your holiday park. Like most people we would normally just accept these issues as we are not in the habit of complaining and would just not repeat book. However on reflection, on this occasion we feel we must draw these matters to your attention for obvious reasons so that you can assess and address as appropriate. As you can see we have spend considerable time and effort compiling this email and feel certain that you will, as a result, give it the recognition and attention that it deserves.

(Thinks: Jeez now we've psychologically damaged the kids.)

I have asked Rory the Tiger to contact you personally with all the exciting news about what's on next season. He says he was sorry to miss you this time and looks forward to meeting you all next year.

Book early to meet our new Funstar character - Funny Funnel Web. (he can shake hands with eight people at once! PS: Please don't squash him!).

riggerz

I sent a complimenting email to Kelloggs and they sent me a £5 voucher within 2 days!!:j :j

ThinkingOfLinking

Update: Quidco have finally paid up...well the money will be in my account soon, but they've finally got it from John Lewis. About flaming time; it'll be a year since the purchase by the time I get it.

ThinkingOfLinking

Emzycal wrote: »

That reminds me,a few years ago (I was about 14,I think) I was on a train back from godknowswhere to Edinburgh - it broke down or something,and we were delayed for about an hour.
As it was the last train,we all got in too late to get a bus home or whatever so the train station staff arranged for taxis for everyone on the train,no hastle or arguments - they just told as as we stepped off to come into the little lounge to arrange it,where we got tea and biscuits as we waited!

Great service =]

Virgin Trains did that for a train I was on once too. No biscuits for us though. :rotfl:

cliffmax1903

My wife complains about absolutely anything that is any way defective and she always gets a positive response. The latest was a £15 cheque from cadburys because her twirl bar didnt have a chocolate coating on it, it looked like a flake. Have had two free holidays from centre parcs because of mice in the apartment (look behind the fridge for droppings). Free boxes of crisps because the flavour had changed (and she didnt like it). A nice polite but firm letter does wonders.

Just been informed that she has got a free lunch for everyone at her work after yesterday, after complaining about late/poor service at a eaterie just a few doors away from her office - nobody can afford to loose the business at the moment. Just as well she is so good at complaining as I would just end up 'loosing it' and getting into an argument.:rotfl: :rotfl:

WATTY1978

Letters of complaint usually get a good response if its genuine however its worth chasing if you don't get anythign back..... i made a complaint last July when i found a large bone in my chicken curry. I received two letters saying they were looking into it but by November i still hadn't received any response so i called them. they told me a report had been sent out to me in October and were surprised i hadn't received it. they agreed to send another but wouldn't tell me what it said.

i called again in January saying i hadn't received the second report and did they want to check my address, but they said no a copy of the report had been sent that very same day???

The next day by recorded delivery i got a report plus a letter and a £15 voucher.

Although a very nice gesture i made me doubt whether or not the two rpevious reports had veer been sent and indeed whether i would have received anything had i not called and chased them up??? That would mean three reports in total with £45 of vouchers - i don't think so!!!!

Makes you wonder doesn't it!

candie_gill

I baught some tommee baby bottles and one had a slight crack on the rim, i emailed them and now they are sending me a replacement bottle. Quite pleased about that as i dont usually complain when i have a consumer problem!

Candie

bhompy

ShelBell wrote: »

Emailed Andrex to comment on the Aloe Vera toilet rolls and received £5 of vouchers from them

i absolutely love the Aloe vera rolls...I'll try this one then!!