Bed bugs

Tan1971

I had anyone successfully sued TUI for bed bug compensation? we booked a holiday to Crete through TUI, we were bitten in our room while on holiday but thought it was mosquitoes, my partner found what we now know to be bed bugs off the bed but having never known what they looked like he just thought they were just bugs.
When we got home I put our suitcase on the sofa to sort it out and within two/three weeks we were being bitten every time we sat on the sofa. Within five weeks we were finding bugs, tiny little things. I finally called Rentokil in when my partner sat on the sofa without his top on and he got up after half an hour with a perfect square of bites on him. The next day we found several bugs crawling on his top.
Rentokil came in and put bug identification cards in our sofa and bed, they yielded nothing but we did catch several bugs of differing sizes, which Rentokil confirmed to be bed bugs ☹️ we threw the sofas out which was heartbreaking as they were Thomas Lloyd chesterfield sofas, worth £6,000 😭
Then we started using our bedroom as a living room. A few days later we discovered bugs in our bed!! We have had to pay £3,124 to eradicate the bugs and still have no sofa to sit on.
I complained to TUI and received a ridiculous reply saying bed bugs are one of those things. I went nuts at them and they’ve now passed it on to their legal team, I just wondered if anyone else has had a problem like this? Any advice would be gratefully received x

Tan1971

Can’t edit my original post but it should begin Has anyone successfully claimed compensation

[Deleted User]

How do you prove it came from them? As far as they're concerned your home could've been crawling with them before.

[Deleted User]

Yep its a common saying, bedbugs like breakfast lunch and dinner so the bites come in groups of 3 or so.

Its a shame, no need to throw furniture out. I managed to remove bed bugs, with an awful lot of work and spraying with chemicals ordered online from a specialist website, even knowing they wouldn't be the same strength as a specialist would be able to use. I removed the lining of my sofa so could spray internally, and steamed everywhere, for minimal cost. I encased the mattresses just in case, never returned again.

It took some research and we had a month of hell (three week cycle of bed bugs, I made sure I covered two cycles) and then used long lasting sprays every three months on every surface and crevice in the house although I concentrated on my son's room (where they were worst). I doubt there was a milimetre of the room that wasn't sprayed and steamed several times.

Did you wash all the clothing and tumble dry to remove bugs from clothing and soft furnishings & clothing? They die at being exposed to above 62 degrees, you just then need to catch the ones that come out of any remaining live eggs. I did read that bed bugs have become resistant to chemicals to some degree, so I steamed everything I couldn't wash as well. One way or other I was going to get the little blighters lol.

I didn't like the idea of paying for repeat visits with no guarantee of eradication. I knew I was the persistent type lol. Reading the various eradication company's websites, I wasn't filled with confidence they would work as hard as I was prepared to. It wasn't their house or family being bitten lol.

But I am afraid, you do have to prove where the bed bugs came from. And you didn't have to throw your furniture out so might not get compensation for that even if you could (but would depend on how knowledgeable the Judge was).

Tan1971

The timeline fits for the bed bugs, I wish we’d have known what they were when we were at the hotel as we’d have taken photos. We certainly didn’t have them before we went to Crete, I realise it’s going to be difficult to prove, all we can do is hope that TUI are honest and have the hotel checked.

Tan1971

@Shel it’s just occurred to me
Do you work for TUI?

[Deleted User]

Tan1971 wrote: »

@Shel it’s just occurred to me
Do you work for TUI?

:rotfl: no, just thinking logically, what they'll say to you.

missile

Name and shame the hotel. If you check on social media / trip advisor you may find others with same story or encourage others to comment which would aid your case.

Tan1971

They have actually already admitted that some of their hotels have bed bugs and are fumigated in the low season but it doesn’t guarantee they get rid of them. Actually one of their emails almost says that bed bugs are “just one of those things “ ��

EachPenny

Tan1971 wrote: »

I complained to TUI and received a ridiculous reply saying bed bugs are one of those things. I went nuts at them and they’ve now passed it on to their legal team, I just wondered if anyone else has had a problem like this? Any advice would be gratefully received x

Hopefully to consider your request for compensation rather than getting a restraining order against you.

You need to be realistic about any compensation you might get - they are very unlikely to pay for expensive furniture you've destroyed rather than having treated.

Do you have any evidence of the destruction - i.e. rather than sale?

that

On the tube the other day, looked up at the pole between seats and guess what was there? Had to get up to get off at the next stop anyway, just did it a bit quicker than normal and made sure it was still on the pole when I left.