Private Villa - contact problems

no.1swimmum

I have booked many private villas over the years and never had a problem - but there is always a first I suppose!

Contacted a villa owner via a website that advertises villa and after a couple of emails rang her and paid £200 deposit, via credit card last Sept., she said that she would email confirmation etc, but I never recieved anything. So since then I have emailed her about 6 times, phoned - no answer, and text - to which she responded saying she was at the villa in Florida and did not take her laptop with her and would contact me when she got home - you guessed it - she didn't. It is now just under 8 weeks until we travel and I want to pay balance, but not until I actually have written confirmation (via email) of booking etc, I have tried numerous times to contact her over the last week but not recieving any responce from any of them!!

Am I right to be suspicious! would a person who runs her own business and rents out a villa really go away without access to internet queries etc.! I am now getting worried that we will have no where to stay - really don't want to do a hotel for 18 nights. Any ideas or recommendations on how to proceed would really help. Thank you and sorry for long post.

budgetflyer

I would write the villa off. Get a refund from CC company. No way Id send any more money to someone so unreliable. If not a scam, maybe just incompetent.

mcfisco

Have you tried Googling her name and email address?

That can often bring up a few pointers towards her way of doing business

no.1swimmum

Thanks for the replies.

Mcfisto I have googled her several times, she has her own photography business but has not updated website or blog for sometime and can't find any reviews on villa or on photo. business. I think that I will send her another text telling her that if she is not incontact with me asap and I don't get written confirmation I will do a chargeback and spend time looking for other properties. I have always booked villas privatley and never had any issues like this before thank goodness I have only paid her £200!

Thanks again

meer53

no.1swimmum wrote: »

Thanks for the replies.

Mcfisto I have googled her several times, she has her own photography business but has not updated website or blog for sometime and can't find any reviews on villa or on photo. business. I think that I will send her another text telling her that if she is not incontact with me asap and I don't get written confirmation I will do a chargeback and spend time looking for other properties. I have always booked villas privatley and never had any issues like this before thank goodness I have only paid her £200!

Thanks again

The trouble with a chargeback is that you will have to wait until after the date you were supposed to be at the villa before it can be done, as she might still provide it for you. If you have confirmation that she can't supply the villa it can be done before then but as she's not replying to you i assume that she wouldn't provide this for you.

If you go ahead and book another villa and she then comes back to say that the original one was available, you might end up having to pay for both.

no.1swimmum

Thanks Meer53, this was my worry that I would be expected to pay for two lots of accomodation - but what can I do if despite numerous routes to contact the owner she is not responding, and can I be held to terms and conditions of booking if I have never been given a copy of them or confirmation of the booking to adhere to!

I have decided to write a letter to her other business address and send it signed for and wait for her to respond, but what if she doesn't respond to this how long to I leave it before finding new accomodation.

budgetflyer

And if she does respond, are you then going to risk sending the balance?

no.1swimmum

I am undecided! she could just be totally disorganised but my instincts are probably not.

I will need to make some enquiries how I would stand on breach of contract if I do not go ahead!

I am in the process of wording a letter to her along the lines of :-
I booked your villa in Florida last September for 18 nights from xthAugust 2013, and paid £200 deposit on my Credit Card, I have not received a written confirmation (or via email) of this booking and despite several email/phone calls requesting this and texting you whilst you were in Florida, in May you have not responded and I still do not have any formal written confirmation of my booking and am now quite anxious with only 8 weeks to go until our holiday .

Please can you respond to this letter with the information requested.

if Anyone has any views on the wording of this letter or any changes they think should be made let me know, all help will be gratefully recieved. Thanks