Should I give a refund?

Charityworker

Its a bit of a long story so please bear with me.

I own a caravan on a Park Resorts site in Great Yarmouth which I rent out. In january a work colleague (who lives in Great yarmouth) booked my caravan for a week and her holiday was meant to start in 2 days time. In between then and now she has had problems with her neighbours and moved away to the midlands.

She kept posting on her facebook "I'm never going back to Sh**ty Great Yarmouth again" but didn't actually tell me she didn't want to go into the caravan. Then last week I noticed her posting on facebook selling sites and Gumtree that she had a caravan holiday she wanted to sell on. She had it up for sale for £50 more than I sold it to her for!!!! So I sent her a message asking her if she has sold the holiday on and she denied all knowledge of trying to sell it on at all. I went to the caravan site last week and told the staff there about this and they said now that they are aware she has been trying to sell the holiday on they will be asking for photo ID from her. They said they've had a few caravans trashed on the site just lately and they are usually from people that have sublet. I paid a lot of money for that caravan and at times it was a struggle to pay the loan off so I don't want to run the risk of having it trashed. So I sent her a message saying she could still stay in the caravan as long as she shows photo ID and told her the reasons why. She said she hasn't got photo ID as they have just sent their driving licences off to the DVLA because they have moved.

So because she was a work colleague and I'm too nice for my own good I have asked for her bank details so I can give her a refund. She keeps sending me nasty messages saying shes going to get me done for fraud etc.

I've also recently found out that she trashed her house in Great Yarmouth when she did a midnight flit and left without telling anyone she was going.

So I'd like to know your opinions on this. Would you give her the refund after what shes done or would you block her from facebook and let her call the police? My other work colleagues keep telling me not to refund her as I haven't done anything wrong and its not my fault what shes done and she hasn't got photo ID.

TBagpuss

I would not give her a refund unless you can find someone else to use the caravan that week, as the caravan is still available for her to use, should she chose to do so.

Did you take screen shots of her posts on facebook?

Could you send the site a photo of her, so they can ID her if she shows up.

If you no longer want her in your caravan given the risk of her trashing it then it would be you, not her, cancelling the booking, in which case it would be reasonable to give her a refund.

Did you have any kind of formal agreement in place with her?

In future you might want to consider having something written out which automatically requires Photo ID to collect keys, includes a security/damage deposit and seats out how much will be refunded in relation to any cancellation.

Do you think she is likely to show up at the site?

McKneff

To be honest, if you want an end to it all I would just send her a refund.
The job is done and you will never have to think about her again.

fishybusiness

Many people don't like giving out bank details, and considering the potential here for conflict I'm not surprised the other person won't entertain it.

As said, if you have an address for her, post a cheque, along with a nice letter formalising the refund.

Inform the caravan park, and it is job done.

Prevents comeback, prevents any potential damage to your property and you can move on.

Blackbeard_of_Perranporth

I assume she has the status of ex friend now, so no refund.

And steer clear of her because she seems a nasty piece of work

Charityworker

Ok,in reply to the queries. Her holiday confirmation was given to her on an official park resorts document no different to the one PR give their own customers. It has terms and conditions on it that say you don't get any money back if you cancel less than 6 weeks before the start date of the holiday, you are not allowed to sublet and you may have to show photo ID to check in.

The charge for the holiday includes a £50 security bond which people get back if they leave the caravan in a good condition.

I don't have her new address as she moved in the middle of the night, left her job and none of us knew shed moved until we saw posts about it on Facebook. Im guessing She doesn't want me to have her new address because she trashed her house on leaving and the police are looking for her. I have her bank details. There's no risk from her giving them, I can only put money in with these details.

The holiday is still available if she has photo ID.

sharnad

Don't refund her she can still go if she wants

J_i_m

Well, if she's currently trashing places then she's high risk isn't she?

In which case I would utilise any clause which enables you to cancel the agreement without comeback.

Plus do refund her, assuming you can get hold of her. Don't worry about her threats of reporting you to the police for fraud as it looks like she has no grounds to do so and will not be entertained by the police for it.

themull1

I wouldn't refund her, she's a cheeky cow.!

kerri_gt

If she won't give you details, you can't really refund her. She has the terms and conditions of the bookings.

She can't geet you done for anything except trying to do some thing nice. Keep any messages from her but it sounds like she has bigger issues to deal either in herself.

Charityworker

Thanks for your replies. I can give you a bit of an update on this.

I was at work yesterday and a woman came in having a right go at me saying I should pay the customer back and I had to give her a cheque right now otherwise the police would be called. I said on no circumstances was I giving this woman a cheque (I don't take my cheque book to work anyway). I told the woman that the holiday was still available to the customer if she wants it and all she needs to do is show photo ID. The woman shouted "she hasn't got photo ID" so I said it wasn't my fault she hasn't got photo Id. The caravan let letter says you may need to show photo ID to check in so she shoukdnt have sent their driving licences off until after the holiday.

The woman went away then came back later when I was in the back office doing something and started having a go at one of my work colleagues who told her to leave.

She then came back an hour or so later to have another go at me saying she got the bus here from 10 miles away to speak to me and left her husband who's dying of cancer on his own to get this cheque. She was shouting at me and upsetting the learning disability people I was looking after so I politely asked her to leave. She wouldn't go so I said I was going to call the police. She still carried on so I took my mobile out my pocket and dialled 2 nines and then she scarpered out the door.

I will see what happens today and see if anyone tries to check in my caravan. The site are not going to let anyone check in it now after all this.