What a mess!

From the moment they step through the door your bookings become guests, and their experiences determine whether they ever come back.
Essar
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Post by Essar »

Bunny wrote:Came off this thread and went on Facebook and this is what greeted me!

https://www.facebook.com/dj3spearoffici ... 7/?fref=nf

Coincidence or what?!
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gardenboy
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Post by gardenboy »

sorry to hear about this. 13 years, 300+ bookings & no thank god I have never had this. About 5 disrespectful guests but no h block protests thank god.

Keep the deposit & pursue in small claims court for the balance (do it online). Bill the cleaners time, replacement material costs, mileage, calls, etc but sadly you cannot award yourself damages.

I don't suppose there's a chance of naming & shaming, someone else on here may get them, or leave a clue.

Really sorry, things can only get better.
J00ls
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Post by J00ls »

@gardenboy
I don't suppose there's a chance of naming & shaming, someone else on here may get them, or leave a clue.

I think that's a great idea. We've probably all had the guests from hell and alerting fellow LMH'ers to a blacklist of guests who are more trouble than they are worth seems like a plan.

Personally I have a blacklist of guests who will never be welcome again and I guess maybe we all do?! When they enquire for a return visit I let them know that 'so sorry, the accommodation has just been booked', mark it as booked everywhere and then mark it as available a few days later.

I suspect such a blacklist would have to be in the members only area though. :wink:
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Post by edinburgh »

I wonder how JudithandPaul got on?
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Post by aasta »

:shock: so sorry that your initiation to guest hosting has been so horrid....
We´re in our 5th season and have never (knock on wood) had such problems....so agree with others this is rare....
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pambon
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Post by pambon »

Casscat wrote:First things first: this is not normal. You have been profoundly unlucky and please so not assume that this experience is setting any kind of pattern. Secondly this is not acceptable. Having a dicky tummy is no excuse whatsoever for a) failing to make it to the toilet and b) failing to clean up after yourself if you do have an accident. Leaving a quick note of apology about not being well is clearly inadequate and this 'retired professional couple' should be made to pay for the replacement of your bedding and the additional cleaning costs. I am struck dumb (almost :D ) as to how any civilised human being can leave someone else's property in that kind of state. I do not blame you for being devastated, but please do not lose heart.
+ 1. Entirely agree with every word Casscat has written.
BTW welcome to the Forum!
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pambon
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Post by pambon »

Bunny wrote:Came off this thread and went on Facebook and this is what greeted me!

https://www.facebook.com/dj3spearoffici ... 7/?fref=nf

Coincidence or what?!
Yuck Bunny! Made me feel sick.....
JudithandPaul
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What a mess!

Post by JudithandPaul »

edinburgh wrote:I wonder how JudithandPaul got on?
we are still trying to get them to pay for the extra costs we have incurred!
:?
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edinburgh
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Re: What a mess!

Post by edinburgh »

JudithandPaul wrote:
edinburgh wrote:I wonder how JudithandPaul got on?
we are still trying to get them to pay for the extra costs we have incurred!
:?
Sorry to hear that.

Are they from the UK? If so, and assuming you have evidenced it well (I think you said you had an admission from them?), I would be inclined to send a letter before action, then head over to: https://www.moneyclaim.gov.uk/
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AngloDutch
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Post by AngloDutch »

Just caught up with this thread. We too have been quite unlucky with this kind of thing.

We get a lot of elderly people stay as there is a double bedroom downstairs across from a loo and a bathroom, so very popular with senior citizens.

At the end of last year we were told by departing guests that the grandmother had had an accident on the last night and they had put the sheets through the washing machine.
OK, can happen and thank you for taking care of it, I thought.

Unfortunately, the washing machine stank and it took several months before we could get the smell out - the door really reeked, and we tried all kind of things. Washing on empty with masses of powder at 90'c, washing on 30'c with a biological powder which we thought would break it down, even poured vinegar into the drum and wiped it on the seal as well.
In the end, out of desperation we applied bleach straight onto the seal, inside and outside (didn't want to do this at first, as we thought it would weaken the seal). This did the trick but it took many more cycles before the stench was gone.

Although we never used them when our kids were babies, I remember that reusable nappies should be cleaned in buckets and not in washing machines. So, if your guests leave you with linen in the same condition, do not put it through your washing machine. But, just how do we stop guests from doing this themselves?

I mentioned on another thread a while back that one of our nightmare bookings was a group of mentally-handicapped guests (8 of them with 2 minders). There was poop everywhere - on the walls, on the chairs, sofas, even on the taps. One of our gardening buckets had even been taken to be used as a potty in one of the bedrooms, the contents of which had not been emptied when we went in to clean.
And no, we had no idea of who these guests were, as they are normally booked under the minder's name with no further information. There was a lot of other damage too, including fixtures that had been ripped from the wall.
When we contacted the lead party member he just said that some mentally-handicapped people can be very inquisitive and do have quite a lot of strength. If something is stuck on a wall they will tug at it until they have it in their hand. You can understand that we kept their EUR 200 security deposit.

There was another similar group from Belgium back in 2006. There were 6 patients and again 2 minders who spent most of their time smoking in the garden and not keeping a proper eye on their charges.
I found one very distressed man trying to count the cars going by the house whilst standing in the middle of the road. It was only from the sound of horns blaring that I was alerted to the fact and managed to run into the road, grab him by his t-shirt and haul him onto the pavement.
It was only when I told the minders what had happened, that they began to pay a little bit more attention to them. They left the farmhouse in a right state as well with a huge mark on an upstairs carpet (looked like someone had squirted the entire contents of a ketchup bottle onto the floor, and rubbed it in).
I don't think we ever got any compensation from them, but managed to get the stain out after deep cleaning the carpet....
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