Partial refund on accommodation - sense check on amount to ask for

born_again

the_lunatic_is_in_my_head said:

cmthephoenix said:

hw1900 said:

"my view" is breach of contract is clear the plumbing may or may not be his fault but taking 4-5 hours to tell me he can do nothing, no one turning up, and only then offer accommodation late into the evening is not reasonable care and skill. What we booked was not usable for about half the time and we wasted the day.

Can I ask what the plumbing "may or may not be his fault" means. Does that mean it may have been your fault? That would put an entirely different complexion on the matter.

I took that to mean it’s “one of those things” where no one is really “at fault” as such.

OP probably easier to go after the card company than the accommodation owner.

@born_again might be able to clarify how the minimum £100 works for accommodation, i.e per night, per person, etc. 

TBH, no chargeback right & S75 (if cc used) would be hard case to prove given owners actions in sorting out.
Would be best to speak to CC on S75, as it is all going to depend on how property was priced to meet the over £100.

the_lunatic_is_in_my_head

Vectis said:

To be clear:

By 8pm the owner had sorted out another accommodation for you to move to?

And, it took 4-5 hours to tell you that he couldn't get the shower fixed?

So, presumably, you had reported it at around 3pm - 3.30pm, going by your timeline?

I don't think it's reasonable to expect the owner to have a plumber, or anyone for that matter, on stand-by just in case something goes wrong with the property. If you were at home and had the same problem and rang for a plumber, can you actually see them turning up within a matter of hours, never mind even the same day?

I think you have to be reasonable. It's not a hotel where they could possibly simply move you to another room. 4-5 hours doesn't seem an unduly long length of time to try and get a plumber sorted and, when they can't, arrange for some place else in the city for you to stay.

Yes, a reduction is probably valid given the disruption. If it were me, I'd be content with getting around £100 reduction.

I don't think there is anything wrong with the owners actions really but ultimately they chose to go in to an area of business where they are offering a service and more importantly one where damages for loss of enjoyment are a valid claim. As above I don't think they are at fault but due to the nature of their business it is an unfortunate expense for the owner in an unfortunate situation. 

Jumblebumble

born_again said:

To Be fair to the owner of the property. Finding someone to come out over a weekend will not be a easy task, just the same as finding alternative accommodation.
Which has still not been cleared up just who paid for it. Or just which city? 

I assume the OP would have had no objection to the owner having some kind of emergency cover contract with the likes of Homeserve in which case it would be easy for the owner to find a plumber on the weekend

hw1900

Thanks all for the continuing advise and comments, the diversity of opinions is very welcome and helps set the exceptions. The eating out cost is simple (We took self catering to avoid the eating out costs in the first place) but the loss of enjoyment is the difficult part, thanks for helping me refine.

The big issue at the moment is the vendor is just refusing to talk this makes it impossible to proceed, I hate it when someone is just being an ar*e. If they would like to make a reasonable offer then happy to take it. 

Looking at S75 cc but it is via booking.com so this creates all sorts of levels of difficulty. 

! agree with the above post I would have had no objections if they had emergency cover. It is not his fault but it is also not mine so why do I have to pay full whack for not getting something. Maintenance cover is a business cost, if you chose not to pay then you make more profit but take higher risk. You might have to give someone a partial refund. When you are running only short term lets you need to be more responsive - you make quite good profits for a reason.

Additionally total loss of all toilet facilities is at the high end of failure and not just a 'hair in the sink and not dusted' level. At 8 pm 4 hours from home with 2 kids and an elderly relative with nowhere to stay it gets quite stressful. The additional 2 hour run around incurred to move to somewhere was not just a convenient shuffle across the corridor, and also not how I planed my evening!

 Again thanks all for the comments.