Caravan owner ignoring request for return of deposit

Brighton_belle

tea_lover wrote: »

Two weeks isn't very long, it would take me longer than that to find my cheque book.

Have you called her?

Not if you are running a business surely: returning a deposit would be a regular occurrence.
I would regard 2 weeks of no cheque and refusing to acknowledge contact as unethical behaviour.

Kastanie

Brighton_belle wrote: »

Not if you are running a business surely: returning a deposit would be a regular occurrence.
I would regard 2 weeks of no cheque and refusing to acknowledge contact as unethical behaviour.

Exactly, along with insisting on cash in hand and not arranging for proper receipts to be issued. The OP had to write her own!

OP, do you have an email from her confirming your booking and does it set out the price per night plus deposit?

tea_lover

Brighton_belle wrote: »

Not if you are running a business surely: returning a deposit would be a regular occurrence.
I would regard 2 weeks of no cheque and refusing to acknowledge contact as unethical behaviour.

Probably, but the owner did ask for bank details to return the deposit so it may be they're not used to using cheques anymore.

I agree that it's not on that you can't get through to her OP, but I don't think 2 weeks is actually that long. Certainly not long enough to be thinking about trashing someone's reputation on trip advisor!

zaksmum

Kastanie wrote: »

Exactly, along with insisting on cash in hand and not arranging for proper receipts to be issued. The OP had to write her own!

OP, do you have an email from her confirming your booking and does it set out the price per night plus deposit?

Yes I do have all her emails which set out the price for the four nights. She advertised as dog friendly then charged me an extra £10 per dog for them. That's fair enough but it was the dogs needed extra cleaning when we left as even THEY stank of cigarette smoke after four days!

Believe me...I could go on about the state of that caravan but don't want to turn anyone's stomach...!:eek:

bylromarha

Had a similar experience. Caravan was a state, stunk of fags and was awful. Deposit not returned, despite chasing for 3 weeks after our stay.

The thing that got my deposit back was a letter sent via recorded post saying I feel I have no alternative but to begin court proceedings to reclaim my deposit. I gave a date 7 days from the letters arrival date saying I expected a cheque by then, or I'd be filing my claim.

Refund arrived within 3 days with a 10% discount leaflet on a subsequent stay in any of his caravans. Anyone want it?

nodiscount

Which Park is it so we can avoid?

zaksmum

nodiscount wrote: »

Which Park is it so we can avoid?

It's Kingfisher Caravan Park in Ingoldmells, Skegness. The caravan is privately owned though. I may get in touch with the site, which is run by the local council, and tell them what's happening.

The caravan owner got in touch with me last Thursday, to say she'd had no internet for four days and hadn't got my emails (yeah, right!) She shouldn't even need my emails to return a deposit, she should just do it anyway.

She promised to send my deposit back so that I'd definitely have it yesterday.

Guess what? No deposit. And she's ignoring me again.:( I'm fuming about this. And I'll do whatever it takes to get my £50 back!

zaksmum

I have tried texting the caravan owner but she's ignoring the texts too.

She obviously has no intention of refunding my deposit and I'm fuming.

Looks like I will have to consider the court option. I know the ruling will go my way but apparently it's difficult to enforce such rulings if she still doesn't pay up.

But at the very least the thieving cow will have a CCJ to her name.

I'd want to warn others not to rent from her because she may well make a habit of stealing deposits and hoping everyone will think it's only them she does it to. All her adverts are still active.

RAS

Have you also considered contacting Advertising Standards if she makes charges that are not properly advertised?

Savvy_Sue

One suggestion I read in another thread is to start the court action online, print the documentation but not actually submit it, then send that with a Letter Before Action. They've found that very effective: it shows the other party that you know what you are doing, it sets out the consequences of not paying up, but it doesn't commit you to going to court.