Sykes Cottages review dispute

Hazzabee

2 week Sykes Cottages holiday in Cornwall last October had a few "issues" on arrival. At the end of our trip responded to Sykes automated emails requesting to leave a review on their website. Uploaded then forgot about it.

A few weeks ago somewhat surprisingly received a new email from Sykes asking for my permission for them to post a significantly altered version of the review! Replied asking to send a copy of my original review. They've just sent exactly the same email again without the original review.

My review (which I've now found saved elsewhere in my phone) and their recent email below. Thoughts???

My review:

[i]Our 3rd visit. Comfortable will furnished
cottage in a fabulous location. Comfy beds, fantastic hot powerful shower, thermostatically controlled central heating works brilliantly, kitchen has all mod cons and functioning correctly.
Unfortunately I was shocked on arrival this time for our 2 week late October visit to find the ground floor bathroom in a terrible state. The window was badly worn/damaged and couldn't be closed. This presented obvious privacy, security and temperature control risks. Furthermore there were severe damp problems resulting in paint peeling off the ceiling.
As a consequence the majority of the first week was spent communicating with Sykes and the local property management team to get this fixed. To their credit everyone was prompt in their replies and by the middle weekend a friendly repairman following multiple visits (during which we couldn't use the bathroom) managed to fix the problem, and full functionality was restored for the second week.
On return after filing an official complaint Sykes apologised and agreed to a substantial refund.
With this generally very good customer service in mind I wouldn't be inhibited in booking with Sykes again, nevertheless it was disgraceful to have to deal with this issue during our stay instead of being able to completely relax and eniov our holiday.[/i]

Their recent email:

[i]Hi there,

Thank you again for taking the time to share your feedback with us. We’ve reviewed the comments you provided about the property and made a few adjustments to ensure the wording is neutral, property‑focused, and suitable for publication on our website. The meaning remains exactly the same—only the tone has been standardised.

Below is the adjusted version:

**“The cottage is comfortable, well furnished, and set in a fabulous location. The beds are comfy, the shower is hot and powerful, the thermostatically controlled central heating works very well, and the kitchen has all modern conveniences functioning correctly. This was our third visit, and we have always enjoyed the overall setup of the property.

Unfortunately, on arrival for a two‑week late‑October stay, the ground‑floor bathroom was in poor condition. The window was worn and damaged and could not be closed, which affected privacy, security, and temperature control. There were also significant damp issues, with paint peeling from the ceiling. Repairs were carried out during the first week, and once completed, the bathroom was fully functional again for the second week of the stay.

While it was good to have this resolved, it was disappointing to have to deal with the issue during the holiday rather than being able to fully relax.”**

Could you please let us know if you’re happy for us to publish your review in this format, or if you would like to adjust or add anything before it goes live?

Kind regards,

Diar

The Customer Support Team

Sykes Cottages[/i]

caprikid1

Up to you , I am shocked they would even consider the revised version on their website.

Their website, their choice, if you wish to have the exact feedback stick it on trust pilot, or Trip advisor etc

Sounds like they have been pretty fair in a situation that was avoidable by them.

fatbelly

I don't think it's acceptable for a firm to edit reviews in that manner.

As above, post your review on another site and decline their suggestion.

vacheron

It looks like they have reworded words like "risks", "severe", "problems" and "terrible", but to things almost as bad, they also removed their name (Sykes) in the edit.

I wonder if there is any kind of keyword logging that raises red flags at these, or if it puts them in a legal position if these were left in, or if google / AI web scrapers will associate "Sykes" with these words.

As others have said though, I'm amazed they were happy to change it to what they have proposed! I would have assumed much more severe editing…. they even left off the bit where you said you would still book again! 🤔

WeAreGhosts

There is a Sykes Cottages Unhappy Customers Facebook group - it'd be interesting to hear their thoughts.

I'm thinking why don't Sykes just review their properties themselves. Whenever i've left a review it has never appeared anyway. I will no longer use them, after having no help and an indifferent attitude to problems. They take your money but won't step in to mediate with owners.

LW2525

As a member of the Sykes Cottages Unhappy Customers Page on Facebook I suspect there are a number of motivations

1. Sykes likes to keep its name out of property reviews. Even though it is acting as an agent working for the owner.
2. Toning down the language is, as has already been said, a way of minimising any linkage between negative terms and Sykes, particularly by AI systems.
3. The main reason for Sykes wanting the changes is to remove the reference to 'a substantial refund'. Sykes doesn’t want a public precedent.

New legislation means that companies should not be modifying customer reviews that would make them misleading. I'd recommend that you resist the proposed changes.