Complaint with Holiday Cottage - HELP!

LouandGary

We booked a holiday cottage in Somerset through Farm & Cottage Holidays but had to leave after just 1 night. The accomodation was filthy due to years of neglect. The booking agency rated this barn 3 stars so we are complaining and seeking a full refund. I cannot find anythng that confirms our rights as I don't know whether this type of holiday is covered by the various legal acts that only seem to cover pacage holidays. Does anybody have any links to websites that may be able to help us confirm our rights?? Thanks

leveller2911

LouandGary wrote: »

We booked a holiday cottage in Somerset through Farm & Cottage Holidays but had to leave after just 1 night. The accomodation was filthy due to years of neglect. The booking agency rated this barn 3 stars so we are complaining and seeking a full refund. I cannot find anythng that confirms our rights as I don't know whether this type of holiday is covered by the various legal acts that only seem to cover pacage holidays. Does anybody have any links to websites that may be able to help us confirm our rights?? Thanks

We had a similar experience a few years ago, but with English Country Cottages.We rented a cottage in Norfolk(Reedham Ferry) we arrived and it was filthy,there was a "tide mark" all around the ground floor walls where it had been flooded a couple of years previously,there were mushrooms growing in the bathroom,filthy shower curtain and lots of human hairs in the bath.We rang the owners rep who said they would phone the owner,but said they couldn't do anything that day.
We spent the next 4 hrs trying to find a B&B as we didn't want to stay there, we knew there was something up when we couldn't find the "visitors comments book".
Spent the entire next day argueing with ECC on the phone who said that as the "contract was between the owner and us"it was "not their problem" even though our cheque was made payable to ECC.They then phoned back to say the owner"would give us a 50% refund" even though we hadn't spent one night in the grotty hole, which I duly refused and said I would see them and him in court.
3 hrs later they rang back to say they had found us a replacement cottage for the remainder of our holiday which was 35 miles away, we accepted and to be fair that cottage was lovelly, great hosts(farmers) made to feel very welcome.It was the way they tried to "wipe their hands of us"that made it worse, they knew we had a baby too.
When we reutrned home I wrote to ECC and the cottage owner to complain and my intention to take court action, ECC phoned me to "act on behalf of the owner" (funny how they said it was nothing to do with them at the time on hoilday) and I insisted on a full refund and compensation for paying for the B&B for my family....
Im glad to say they paid up in full, BUT we will NEVER go with English Country Cottages again...............We were regulars too, even recommended them to friends and family.....
All I can say is Good luck Hope you took photo,s ....??? if so you might have a good case..

p00hsticks

Presumably you contacted the company at the time and gave them the opportunity to try to rectify the situation ? I think your case will be considerably weaker if you didn't, as I seem to recall that one of the golden rules is to complain at the earliest opportunity.....