Honeymooners & burst water pipe :(

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

Thanks Joanne!

I'm feeling a bit better adjusted about it now.

Actually the title of this thread reminds me of a Tom Waits song "Bad Liver and a Broken Heart"...... :lol:
Fraise
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Post by Fraise »

Oh how awful for you both- I haven't a clue what I'd do in the same situation but I probably wouldn't know about it for a while as I'm not on site :cry: You are both great people who care about your guests and have done well by them . Others might not have been so lucky. Deffo huge group hug :lol:
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debk
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Post by debk »

Sue, did your Baxi fellow show? (Joanna's idea about double boilers doesn't sound so wild, given your situation. Hope things are looking up for you?)

As for us, our situation is all resolved, thanks to a crew of wonderfully helpful Portuguese técnicos. What a great country: mention honeymooners and they fall over themselves to get everything perfect asap.

I'm off to bed. Exhausted husband is already sawing logs.

Thanks for all the LMH support!
debk
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Sue Dyer
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Post by Sue Dyer »

Hi, the Baxi guy showed up and "it was just a loose wire". A loose wire that has cost us around £400 this time around and more importantly ruined someone's holiday.

Still, it is fixed but it is hard to have any confidence in it. The cottage isn't huge and the kitchen has just been refitted so finding space for another boiler wouldn't really work out. Fingers crossed and glad it worked out for you Deb.

Maybe it should be like my last job where I was in charge of the disaster recovery plan and had a manual on things like this arising!?!
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enid
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Post by enid »

I'm so pleased you are both sorted. It's very annoying about Baxi - when you choose to pay for a good brand it's do frustrating when you don't get the quality of goods or service that you have invested for.In the UK when we got married 10 years ago we decided that as middle aged newly weds we could afford to buy quality gproducts we had so many disappointments we could write a book - anything we bought from Ikea or Homebase worked a treat!!!!
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debk
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Post by debk »

Hurrah for you, Sue. And this is exactly what I was thinking this morning:
. . . it is fixed but it is hard to have any confidence in it.
My husband is supposed to go out of town this weekend and with all four places booked I found myself wondering if he should, given the blur of the last two days. (Couldn't have done it without him.)

Of course, we can't live under a cloud but the lack-of-confidence was clouding my thinking. Must be our after-shock, eh, Sue?

Thanks again to everyone for the support!
debk
Highams Park Harry
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Post by Highams Park Harry »

well done you lot for sharing your disasters and traumas

helps the types see their own minor hassles for what they are

and the best of luck, natch
Dordogne Holiday Cottage, sleeps eight
http://www.ruedelagare.co.uk
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Sue Dyer
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Post by Sue Dyer »

Boiler update...

We wrote to Baxi asking for consequential loss due to their faulty boiler and gave details. We were asking for about £600 or so in all. (2 sets of refunds, hotel for a night, electrician and local plumber call out) They have written back and said "your warranty does not cover for consequential loss, however we will make a goodwill gesture of £160 and are drawing the cheque up.

Hmmm, am I right in thinking this is some admission of liability? Surely they can't say "not covered for consequential loss" if the good weren't fit for purpose. I will ring my helpline dude at Consumer Direct who helped in the firstplace. Will keep you posted. I do feel strongly enough for a small claims court.
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Sue Dyer
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Post by Sue Dyer »

Oh, heartstopping moment on holiday this week in Spain. My mobile went and those terrible words hate to hear uttered:

"hello, this is the guests in Lily Cottage...". By my expression Dave just expected the worst, flooded kitchen, no boiler, roof caved in. The lady went onto say her husband had tripped and broken 2 cups, did we want them replaced or the money left. I told her neither as I had spares and thanks for letting me know. I was so thankfully I felt like saying, hey, just break the rest of the set too, knock yourself out!!! I don't care as long as the boiler works!!!! phew!
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debk
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Post by debk »

"hello, this is the guests in Lily Cottage...". By my expression Dave just expected the worst,
Heart-stopping moment here, too. You had me on edge. I'm so GLAD they broke two cups. :) :)

I have been meaning to provide an update about our honeymooners (the ones who started this thread, being greeting by a kitchen covered in soaked towels and whisked across the street to a partially prepped-home, along with a mid-stay move back to the original place). This is what they put in the guestbook:
Deb- Thank you! We had a fantastic time in Lisbon -- much due to your time and attention to your guests. We are glad to have had the fortune of experiencing both homes (Casa "Jo" and Casa Pátria). We will recommend your casas to our traveling friends . . .
"...the fortune of experiencing both homes..." Some people are gracious beyond belief, eh? Especially as they could well have written, "Deb-It was really a pain to pack and move mid-stay but we still enjoyed Lisbon. Hope the plumbing holds for the next occupants..."

Here's a toast to all the great guests!
debk
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Sue Dyer
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Post by Sue Dyer »

Yet another heart stopping phone call potential boiler moment.

This time "Hello, this is Sean the plumber from Belford....."

ARG!!!!! However, he went on to say that he loved the cottage and wanted to book it for his brother for a week. :lol: I guess my confidence will come back eventually but for now I'm still jumpy for "something gone wrong" calls.
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