Constant damage due to carelessness

Agencies and other headaches, keys and cleaners, running costs and contracts...in short, all the things we spend so much of our time doing behind the scenes.<br>
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AngloDutch
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Constant damage due to carelessness

Post by AngloDutch »

Well, 2017 is coming to a close and I thought I'd just list what has been damaged or broken so far this year (this is not including any normal longterm 'wear and tear' and anything that we have managed to repair):

3-seater black leather sofa -- the seat completely ruined after guests obviously attempted to clean it with an abrasive cleaner. Until we get it replaced, currently using boot polish to stain the colour back to black

3-seater sofa (linen) -- leg broken off. Irreparable, have removed other 3 legs and have now stuck non-slip mat to the underside, until we can get it replaced (along with the leather sofa, above)

2 (more) shelves in the door of the fridge shattered after guests placed oversized bottles into them (€42 EACH to replace - we have now spent more on the replacement shelving than the cost to purchase the fridge in the first place...)

New (March 2017) retro electric kettle (bought as a matching set with a toaster, when we were in the UK) -- base completely melted after a guest attempted to heat the kettle over a gas flame (I am not joking....)

2 plastic garden chairs broken after guests overstressed them

1 of 2 parasols (new in 2016) -- locking mechanism bent sideways, so now extremely difficult to shut

New (March 2017) wooden sidetable in sitting room marked and scratched due to guests bringing a fridge with them and placing its metal feet onto the table (the fridge was for their drinks, they always take the fridge with them everywhere they go, so they told us)

New (March 2017) wooden TV cabinet in downstairs bedroom now deeply scratched on top

All four plastic dishwasher shelves (to hold glasses in place) snapped by same guests, as they couldn't figure out that you have to pull the shelving upwards from its closed position before you can swing it out, otherwise it snaps..(€35 to replace)

Completely new bedding (March 2017): black dye splashed on 1 duvet cover, 1 (expensive) pillow protector taken by the guests who left last week

Set of hand towels for bathroom - originally set of 12, now reduced to 9 of the originals. 3 taken by guests, with a further 4 of various colours left behind in their place

2 new (March 2017) frying pans removed of much of their protective coating (even though we make sure that there are only plastic cooking utensils available) and badly stained on the outside. Replaced by 2 new (September 2017) frying pans which are now again badly stained on the outside (pancakes!?)

Canopener handed to me by guests in pieces...replaced and then left by last guests, again in pieces

Metal soup ladle - cup snapped off from the stem

Dustpan and brush -- brush survives, plastic dustpan melted and charred black, due to what must be from guests using it to brush hot coals from the BBQ

Approximately 40 glasses of all sorts smashed or cracked (including around 10 from just one group of guests)

Assorted plates and bowls smashed or cracked

Pedal bin in kitchen - corrossive liquid (not provided by us) spilled down its side

Window lock -- window forced open with the scissor-type opening mechanism locked in the 'closed' position and lock broken (€30 to replace)

Assorted electronic games and other toys broken (wiring snapped in electronic game, barbie decapitated, etc....)

TV remote control in bedroom broken


Looking forward to what 2018 brings....:shock:
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PW in Polemi
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Post by PW in Polemi »

Wow AngloDutch, you certainly seem to get more than your fair share of breakages.

Did you manage to recover some (or hopefully all) of the repair/replacement costs from your guests? And how many of these guests were from agencies (I've noticed that most of your worst troubles seem to be from agency bookings).
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GillianF
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Post by GillianF »

Ditto WOW! You do seem to have had more than your (or anyone's) fair share of accidents, carelessness and abuse.
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teapot
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Post by teapot »

Aside from the plastic chairs which just are total crap. You really do have some *ssh*le guests.
So many of the domestic items are just not industrial enough for drunk holiday makers.

Testing those ceramic non stick pans now as we get through too many teflon versions. Stainless steel is still the best but I wouldn't let any guest loose with a scouring pad after they cleaned the PLASTIC glasses for around the pool with it and we bought the very nicest pool suitable ones.

We have decided to take a break from renting next year and possibly beyond that just because we don't want any more hassle as we came close to someone trying it on this year.

Some on here just have a rough ride.
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AngloDutch
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Post by AngloDutch »

PW in Polemi wrote:Wow AngloDutch, you certainly seem to get more than your fair share of breakages.

Did you manage to recover some (or hopefully all) of the repair/replacement costs from your guests? And how many of these guests were from agencies (I've noticed that most of your worst troubles seem to be from agency bookings).

PW, most guests this year are from our own site and via OD. Very few agency bookings nowadays - only 5 for 2017 dates.

Those booking via our own site are mostly Dutch and it is normal to have additional separate costs here. Included in the additional costs is a €7 charge for linen per person. This is really our damage insurance, as it amounts to normally €70 per group. We find that it is much easier (and less risky, thinking negative reviews, etc.) to use this charge to cover the damage, otherwise we would be claiming against the security deposit (when it has been paid) on a continuous basis. Those booking via OD (and ABB, HL, VR, etc.) are not being charged a security deposit and our tariffs on those sites are all-inclusive anyway. Until we build this average €70 charge into our all-inclusive price, those guests coming via agencies and our own site will continue to pay for damages caused by those coming through OD etc.

We just had to impliment this 'insurance' charge a few years ago, as our average damage cost was and still is running at around €500 a year.

We have so far collected €826 in linen charges for bookings this year via our own site and from Dutch agency sites, so that has paid for all of the damage mentioned above, apart from the furniture. The two sofas are not new and I think we will again go for second hand when we replace them (buying completely new is just pointless for many items in a holiday home, we find). The damaged new tables - we will see whether we can fill the scratches/sandpaper down and then repaint.

Apart from the recent episode with the WC (as I mentioned on the other thread), we have also claimed heavily during the summer against the security deposit from a guy who turned out to be just 19 years of age. Actually, his parents booked him and his friends (age range 14-19) for a week in August. The 10 smashed glasses, melted dustpan, smashed shelving in the fridge and the damaged leather sofa were from them. They also clogged the vacuum cleaner with beer bottle tops and caused an error code in the dishwasher, both which we managed to repair.
We actually warned the adults when they dropped the kids off that we did not normally accept groups unless one participant is over the age of 25, but the parents said that they would cover any eventual damage. In the end, they saw very little of their €200 security deposit returned.
You would think that paying €900 for a 6-night stay would put 8 teenagers off from booking, but that's only €115 each I suppose, so the only deterrent to causing damage is to hike the security deposit. We did not want to refuse them on the day because we have had groups of young people in the past, most of whom have behaved themselves. The 19-year-old was trying his best to clear up after the younger kids (we could see that), but not with complete success. They weren't 'lager louts', just kids who had no experience of running a household without their parents there to help them!
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AngloDutch
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Post by AngloDutch »

teapot wrote:Aside from the plastic chairs which just are total crap.

Teapot, we actually managed to get the two broken chairs replaced by the manufacturer (part of the large Allibert brand), as we found via their site that they came with a 2-year guarantee. We heard from some American guests that stayed that these kind of plastic garden chairs are only sold with a crossbar between the chair legs in the States, due to so many Americans having the chairs collapse under them and then suing the manufacturer. You are correct, they are easily broken, especially if not kept on level ground.
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AngloDutch
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Post by AngloDutch »

GillianF wrote:Ditto WOW! You do seem to have had more than your (or anyone's) fair share of accidents, carelessness and abuse.
Gillian...looking forward to a bit of rest now until it all starts again in April/May next year. We (and our poor farmhouse) are in need of it :lol:
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bornintheuk
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Post by bornintheuk »

AngloDutch wrote:
teapot wrote:Aside from the plastic chairs which just are total crap.

Teapot, we actually managed to get the two broken chairs replaced by the manufacturer (part of the large Allibert brand), as we found via their site that they came with a 2-year guarantee. We heard from some American guests that stayed that these kind of plastic garden chairs are only sold with a crossbar between the chair legs in the States, due to so many Americans having the chairs collapse under them and then suing the manufacturer. You are correct, they are easily broken, especially if not kept on level ground.
I can believe that having seen the number of obese Americans !
We had 2 English guests last year and one of the couple was so overweight that the steel frame of the bed had to be straightened afterwards so its not just a USA problem. And we have noticed that young UK guests are also increasing in size, and I dont mean taller .
What would Plato do ?
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Post by Hells Bells »

Leather damage might be possible to repair, using a kit from the Furniture Clinic. I'm about to attempt it on some scratches left by my wayward cat when we were on holiday. There are also video guides and instructions on how to carry out the repairs.

https://www.furnitureclinic.co.uk/
Last edited by Hells Bells on Fri Nov 10, 2017 11:10 am, edited 1 time in total.
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AngloDutch
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Post by AngloDutch »

Hells Bells wrote:Leather damage might be possible to repair, using a kit from the Furniture Clinic. I'm about to attempt it on some scratches left by my wayward cay when we were on holiday. There are also video guides and instructions on how to carry out the repairs.

https://www.furnitureclinic.co.uk/
Thanks, Hells Bells. I will check this out. :)
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Post by Mouse »

So sorry to read about all that Anglodutch. And of course more than the cost of dealing with these things is the stress of trying to get them replaced or fixed.

We too seem to have had a heavier year than normal, but nothing like yours. Though all our wooden furniture now has ring marks and scratches despite covering the table in a tablecloth and providing coasters. What irks me the most is that this is our home....so when we move in we have to put up with the damage that we didn't make :cry:
Our last guests left a trail of damage. We were glad the season had ended....I could have wept at their disrespect.
Stainless steel is still the best but I wouldn't let any guest loose with a scouring pad after they cleaned the PLASTIC glasses for around the pool with it
We had one who decided to clean our taps with a scouring pad :shock: :shock: Go figure. Of course we had to replace it. All scourers are now removed.

Mousie
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Post by GillianF »

What is it with people in other people's homes/property? Rhetorical!!
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Post by rosebud »

You seem to have been truly unlucky SuperDutch...

I think I have had one ruined duvet cover so far this year, a small stain that won't come out of a cotton throw, a cracked glass and a broken mug (guest left money to pay for new mug)

I hope I am not tempting gate by writing this!!

My cottage only sleeps 3 .. Often have retired couples but also families with one child...

Perhaps the bigger the group the greater the risk of damage?
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Post by AngloDutch »

Mouse wrote:So sorry to read about all that Anglodutch. And of course more than the cost of dealing with these things is the stress of trying to get them replaced or fixed.

We too seem to have had a heavier year than normal, but nothing like yours. Though all our wooden furniture now has ring marks and scratches despite covering the table in a tablecloth and providing coasters. What irks me the most is that this is our home....so when we move in we have to put up with the damage that we didn't make :cry:
Our last guests left a trail of damage. We were glad the season had ended....I could have wept at their disrespect.
Yes, Mousie, especially when you don't have time to replace things which are damaged before the next guests arrive 6 hours later. Some items (like the shelving in the fridge) take weeks before we can get hold of replacements. Hope you managed to get compensation from your last guests for the damage they caused.
Mouse wrote:
Stainless steel is still the best but I wouldn't let any guest loose with a scouring pad after they cleaned the PLASTIC glasses for around the pool with it
We had one who decided to clean our taps with a scouring pad :shock: :shock: Go figure. Of course we had to replace it. All scourers are now removed.

Mousie
x
Maybe that's a good idea to remove the scourer. We always leave a new one in the washing up bowl on each changeover but you never know what guests might try and clean with it, but from our experience, there is very little cleaning going on during guests' stays. :wink:
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AngloDutch
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Post by AngloDutch »

rosebud wrote:You seem to have been truly unlucky SuperDutch...

I think I have had one ruined duvet cover so far this year, a small stain that won't come out of a cotton throw, a cracked glass and a broken mug (guest left money to pay for new mug)

I hope I am not tempting gate by writing this!!

My cottage only sleeps 3 .. Often have retired couples but also families with one child...

Perhaps the bigger the group the greater the risk of damage?
Yes, as others here have said, the larger the group, the bigger the chance of damage or untidiness. We sometimes have groups of 10 plus babies and pets as well at the same time. We can't reduce our maximum group size because there is too much local competition in the 4-8 group band. Our farmhouse does take quite a bashing each season. Although we manage to cover all the damage each year, it's the inconvenience of constantly trying to replace/repair everything, mostly due to some guests' thoughtlessness/stupidity.
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