LHH Scotland cottage booking refund

Sutch

Sutch said:

whinlatterdrive said:

Hi Sutch, do you have the full address of janebradley.  I am happy to write to her also.  Thankyou
Whinn

Try at The Scotsman: -

• Consumer Affairs Correspondent
• Jane Bradley
• Phone: 0131 311 7609
• Email: jane.bradley@jpimedia.co.uk
• Twitter: janekbradley

whin - Jane actually contacted me and I've sent her a synopsis of the various issues. She has expressed interest and was unaware. I've left it with her to address as appropriate. More ammunition wouldn't do any harm.

whinlatterdrive

Encouraging Sutch.  I wrote to her also.  Like yourself, I suggested she had a look at MSE

Sutch

If you haven't already seen this, the CMA's latest update on holiday accommodation cancellations
https://www.gov.uk/cma-cases/cancellations-holiday-accommodation

whinlatterdrive

Thankyou for that info Sutch. Interesting reading. Lets hope LHH will be next.  

Sylvestris

LHH are getting the 1 star ratings removed from Trustpilot almost as soon as they are posted. At the time of this comment there are 28 reviews that have been removed and which are being checked by Trustpilot. I will therefore try and copy the 1 star reviews to this forum (before LHH get the chance to remove them) so that they remain in the public domain. I hope others will help me as I cannot monitor the web 24 hours a day. This was posted by William on 20th July:

 I too have been affected by LHH Scotland’s decision not to offer refunds to customers who booked and paid in full for holiday accommodation booked through them, but were unable to take up their accommodation due to COVID19 travel restrictions. I was initially informed in an email headed, cancellation of your LHH booking, that in light of the Governments latest instruction, my booking could no longer proceed.

I have emailed LHH on numerous occasions requesting a refund for a service they were no longer able to provide. It is my understanding that the lockdown legislation had the effect of ‘frustrating’ the booking contract and as such if guests do not want to transfer their booking then they are entitled to a refund. Like many other LHH consumers, I have reported LHH to the Competition and Markets Authority, using the CMA’s online ‘Report a business behaving unfairly during the Coronavirus (COVID19) outbreak’ facility.

I find it very unfair that the property owner and LHH are not only refusing refunds but making additional profits out of their customer’s misfortune, as the property owner is no longer liable for expenditure costs associated with letting out their property and it is possible that both LHH and the property owner will have been provided with some Government financial assistance in various forms.

I was hugely disappointed not to be able to take up my LHH booking due to the COVID19 restrictions. This year was a special year for our family, and to mark the occasion we had plans to tour the Scottish Highlands and also visit the Channel Islands. I had accommodation and car ferry bookings with multiple Companies. With the exception of LHH Scotland, all of these Companies refunded the monies that I had paid them for the bookings that could no longer go ahead due to COVID19 travel restrictions. I am very appreciative of all those Companies that made the decision to do the right thing and it is those Companies who will be getting my business in the future. I am extremely disappointed with LHH - the only Company that has refused to treat their customers with respect and offer a full refund for the service they could no longer provide. It is how Businesses treat their customers in the bad times rather than the good times, that people will remember. 

ElvisU309

I was considering doing the same. I'll start with my own which is currently being 'investigated' by Trustpilot.
If I could score this as 0/5 then I would. My family and I book a trip to Lewis this summer and, due to Covid-19 regulations, LHH cancelled our trip. They have thereafter failed to offer us the opportunity to reschedule or trip or provide us with a refund despite several emails to them citing recent guidance from the Competition and Markets Authority to refund all advanced payments and deposits. They are now stubbornly refusing to communicate and have deleted my negative comments from their social media before blocking me. I note that they have since taken down their social media accounts and, with no other method of posting a review or feedback, I have decided to post on here. I see that there are many others in my position who have been left out of pocket and that LHH have reported these reviews on an attempt to have them removed. The attitude of LHH has been absolutely appalling. I have never been treated so badly as a paying customer. I would urge all customers in the same position as I am to report the company to the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) via their online form in order to build a stronger case against them. In short, LHH have taken my money, failed to provide a service and refused to issue a refund. My strong advice is to avoid booking with this company!

Sutch

I have just sent a long and detailed email to BBC Watchdog outlining in purely factual terms the issue that we all have with LHH. I have no doubt that they will attend to it appropriately, but far better would be if everyone in a similar situation to me submitted a complaint likewise. I'd be very grateful if any of you felt the motivation to do so. It costs nothing but would help all those of us who have been 'cheated' by LHH. 
https://twitter.com/bbcwatchdog?lang=en
https://www.bbc.co.uk/contact/questions/getting-in-touch/contact-watchdog

Thank you.

comeandgo

There is a Scottish Sunday newspaper, The Sunday Post, that has an investigation page, righting wrongs in the financial departments.  As LHH are a Scottish company they may be interested.

Sutch

Watch out for Sunday's edition of the "Scotsman" It may be revealing.

Sutch

Having received this less than encouraging email from Wynne Bentley I thought it appropriate to share my response with you all:- She wrote

" If you wish to take this further I am sure you are aware of the appropriate channels.

Yours Sincerely,

Wynne Bentley"

Dear Wynne 

I am not expecting you to reply to this message, which is for information only. 

I imagine you are aware of the 11 pages of condemnation of your company on Martin Lewis’s “Money Saving Forum – LHH” ? 

I also imagine that you are following the extensive condemnation on Facebook in the private group growing daily - “Let down by LHH” ? It’s worth reading. 

Equally a number of us have complained to Trustpilot that being uncomfortable with legitimate criticism is not a case of defamation. “A reasonable view, reasonably held” is a perfectly valid point of view. There are certainly enough of them to occupy you. 

You will therefore no doubt be aware of the other initiatives and correspondence initiated by equally outraged and frustrated customers with amongst others  including:- 

BBC Watchdog
Nicola Sturgeon’s private office

The Scottish Tourist Board

“The Scotsman”

Trust pilot LHH and the public outrage being generated by a great number of contributors

“Visit Scotland “

“Which” consumer magazine

Regus Ewing MSP

Kate Forbes MSP

A number of pending “Small Claims actions”

Jane Bradley – journalist “The Scotsman”

The Daily Mail

The Sun Newspaper 

Given your advice to me that I know the appropriate channels to pursue the matter, I thought it would be courteous to keep you informed. 

Yours sincerely