other side of the coin................
other side of the coin................
Wasn't sure where to post this but here goes........
We decided last xmas to rent our own property out for the two weeks in Aug when we usually go and use the money towards treating ourselves to a nice villa with private pool. It was a late honeymoon for ourselves, last hol for kids before they stop comming with us and for a week of that 2 weeks my just married eldest daughter and hubby were going to come and visit. My critieria was it had a have a dishwasher and 3 bedrooms. We found one on the net via a agent called Mr and Mrs X and when we were out last new xmas went to meet the agents, had a look at the villa and decided to have it so put a deposit down. When we were over again in May we went and paid the rest of the rental, it was £750 sterling per week.
When we arrived on Weds 19th we went to pick the keys up and as they lived just down the road and we knew where it was no-one came with us to open up
I will try and shorten the saga before everyone falls alseep!!
On arrival is was apparent that the back bedroom was filled with live and dead wasps, window was shut and they were coming through the air con unit, Hubby immdeiatly went back down to advise the problem with Mr X who said that the cleaners and said there was a problem and they had sprayed the room. He said he would send his wife up the next day with another can
The next day looking at the roof of the villa one could see wasps swariming all over it and going underneath the tiles. When we went out we came back and found a spray can ourside the door for us. We used it
On the Friday we went back down and saw Mr and Mrs x and said it was a bigger problem than they think. They said they didn't know what else to do and maybe the spraying would work soon. I said the room had to be sorted by Monday as my other daughter was arriving and we needed to use the 3 rd bedroom
On the sat again we went to see them with some numbers of pest controls. They then said they would phone 'people they had used before' (So I wonder why they didn't do that in the first place) being a Sat and Spain no-one was going to arrive until Mon
By now there are about 1000 wasps in the back bedroom all decaying and wasps flying all over the roof
On Mon the pest control people arrvied and said it was a very big problem which couldn't be dealt with until Weds and we wouldn't be able to stay there for 24 hours whilst they fumagated
So they decided to move us to a larger finca someway inland as other daughter was arriving on Tues. We asked to see it first but they cou'dn't as they were too busy with other arrvials etc. They kept saying they were funding the diff as this other property was more money (It was 4 bedroomned but had no dishwasher)
We arrived on the Mon night having packed everything up etc, didn;t like it at all but didn't really have any other choice
On the Tues we phoned and asked if we could move back once the place had been fumagted, he said yes and on the Weds he phoned to say the wasps had been 'done' and we could go back on the Thurs which is what we did, now with other daughter and hubby
When we arrvied on the Thurs, having packed everything up again, we found wasps still getting into the bedroom via the air con unit and we told them but they said it would calm down and take another day maybe beofre all acitivity stopped. So the for next 3 nights we had to sleep on mattresses on the floor. On the Friday I phoned to say the dishwasher had stopped working, she said they would get someone out, it had happened before, I aslo said the wasps were still coming in and she said they would get the pest control people back. I said the room was still unusable. On the Mon we had to phone again, Mr X said he woud phone the company back, I said didn't you do that on Sat and he said the 'phones hadn't been working'. I said we need to talk about compensation which he ignored and again I said the dishwasher wasn't draining out and the smell was terrible (with water being left in the bottom)He said they would phone indesit to come out
On Tues morn the pest control people came out and could not believe what they saw in the room, thousands of wasps, the stench from that was awful too, they would have to come and do it again but not till Weds (we were leaving on Thurs)
There were other complaints re this villa which I would have accpeted more readily if we had least had had the use of the third bedroom and the dishwasher!!! These were
washing machine being 'live', when you put your hand inside the drum you got a shock!!
cutlery was litereally falling apart (Mrs X did eventaully bring some new cutlery up) but basic whote stuff for 4 people
was not equipped to cope with 6 people, very very basic furnitire pacakgae, basic uncomfortable beds, all yellow and stained pillows, lots and lots of hand towels but only 4 bath towels,
no main lights working in any bathrooms so had to walk over to the mirrors to put them on there which is quite difficult in the dark!! no cd player, no dvd player,ad said there was aircon but it was only in the bedrooms,(well the ones we could use!)
And the ants!!! Well I know its spain and I know you get ants as we do in ours but we lived with them, slept with them, ate with them, I don't think the villa had been rented very much as they were everywhere, in the fridge, in the freezer, in our clothes as they were in all the wardrobes and in the oven and in the dishwasher!! In the bath and in the showers!!! In the microwave, absolutly everywhere, didn't matter how many times we cleaned up they came back!!
Are you all still awake???
So hubby went to see them on the Weds to ask about compensation, we said we felt we had paid a lot on money and the two basic things we wanted we had not been able to use at all. Basically they said we won't be getting anything as 'they had done everything they could possible to help us'
What do you all think? I was so looking forward to it all and feel very disapointed and let down. I am not sure where we can go from here either really
We decided last xmas to rent our own property out for the two weeks in Aug when we usually go and use the money towards treating ourselves to a nice villa with private pool. It was a late honeymoon for ourselves, last hol for kids before they stop comming with us and for a week of that 2 weeks my just married eldest daughter and hubby were going to come and visit. My critieria was it had a have a dishwasher and 3 bedrooms. We found one on the net via a agent called Mr and Mrs X and when we were out last new xmas went to meet the agents, had a look at the villa and decided to have it so put a deposit down. When we were over again in May we went and paid the rest of the rental, it was £750 sterling per week.
When we arrived on Weds 19th we went to pick the keys up and as they lived just down the road and we knew where it was no-one came with us to open up
I will try and shorten the saga before everyone falls alseep!!
On arrival is was apparent that the back bedroom was filled with live and dead wasps, window was shut and they were coming through the air con unit, Hubby immdeiatly went back down to advise the problem with Mr X who said that the cleaners and said there was a problem and they had sprayed the room. He said he would send his wife up the next day with another can
The next day looking at the roof of the villa one could see wasps swariming all over it and going underneath the tiles. When we went out we came back and found a spray can ourside the door for us. We used it
On the Friday we went back down and saw Mr and Mrs x and said it was a bigger problem than they think. They said they didn't know what else to do and maybe the spraying would work soon. I said the room had to be sorted by Monday as my other daughter was arriving and we needed to use the 3 rd bedroom
On the sat again we went to see them with some numbers of pest controls. They then said they would phone 'people they had used before' (So I wonder why they didn't do that in the first place) being a Sat and Spain no-one was going to arrive until Mon
By now there are about 1000 wasps in the back bedroom all decaying and wasps flying all over the roof
On Mon the pest control people arrvied and said it was a very big problem which couldn't be dealt with until Weds and we wouldn't be able to stay there for 24 hours whilst they fumagated
So they decided to move us to a larger finca someway inland as other daughter was arriving on Tues. We asked to see it first but they cou'dn't as they were too busy with other arrvials etc. They kept saying they were funding the diff as this other property was more money (It was 4 bedroomned but had no dishwasher)
We arrived on the Mon night having packed everything up etc, didn;t like it at all but didn't really have any other choice
On the Tues we phoned and asked if we could move back once the place had been fumagted, he said yes and on the Weds he phoned to say the wasps had been 'done' and we could go back on the Thurs which is what we did, now with other daughter and hubby
When we arrvied on the Thurs, having packed everything up again, we found wasps still getting into the bedroom via the air con unit and we told them but they said it would calm down and take another day maybe beofre all acitivity stopped. So the for next 3 nights we had to sleep on mattresses on the floor. On the Friday I phoned to say the dishwasher had stopped working, she said they would get someone out, it had happened before, I aslo said the wasps were still coming in and she said they would get the pest control people back. I said the room was still unusable. On the Mon we had to phone again, Mr X said he woud phone the company back, I said didn't you do that on Sat and he said the 'phones hadn't been working'. I said we need to talk about compensation which he ignored and again I said the dishwasher wasn't draining out and the smell was terrible (with water being left in the bottom)He said they would phone indesit to come out
On Tues morn the pest control people came out and could not believe what they saw in the room, thousands of wasps, the stench from that was awful too, they would have to come and do it again but not till Weds (we were leaving on Thurs)
There were other complaints re this villa which I would have accpeted more readily if we had least had had the use of the third bedroom and the dishwasher!!! These were
washing machine being 'live', when you put your hand inside the drum you got a shock!!
cutlery was litereally falling apart (Mrs X did eventaully bring some new cutlery up) but basic whote stuff for 4 people
was not equipped to cope with 6 people, very very basic furnitire pacakgae, basic uncomfortable beds, all yellow and stained pillows, lots and lots of hand towels but only 4 bath towels,
no main lights working in any bathrooms so had to walk over to the mirrors to put them on there which is quite difficult in the dark!! no cd player, no dvd player,ad said there was aircon but it was only in the bedrooms,(well the ones we could use!)
And the ants!!! Well I know its spain and I know you get ants as we do in ours but we lived with them, slept with them, ate with them, I don't think the villa had been rented very much as they were everywhere, in the fridge, in the freezer, in our clothes as they were in all the wardrobes and in the oven and in the dishwasher!! In the bath and in the showers!!! In the microwave, absolutly everywhere, didn't matter how many times we cleaned up they came back!!
Are you all still awake???
So hubby went to see them on the Weds to ask about compensation, we said we felt we had paid a lot on money and the two basic things we wanted we had not been able to use at all. Basically they said we won't be getting anything as 'they had done everything they could possible to help us'
What do you all think? I was so looking forward to it all and feel very disapointed and let down. I am not sure where we can go from here either really
Oh my goodness -- that sounds awful!
I don't really know what you're legally entitled to, but I can tell you that if that had happened to you at our property, we would have refunded your entire rental payment even if we had done everything we could to fix the issue.
Although, to be honest, I don't think this would have happened at our property. I can't see how a major wasp infestation like the one you describe could develop overnight. Even if our property is unoccupied, our caretakers still check in on it at least every other week, in order to avoid problems like this. So we would likely know about a serious problem well before our first guests of the season arrived. And there's no way we would let a client stay at the house if we knew there were such a problem.
I think this is a procedure that every responsible off-site rental owner generally follows, and you seem to have gotten unlucky in that regard. But whether you are entitled to a refund because of neglect of the property and/or false advertising of the amenities that were available, I really have no idea.
Regardless of what happens, that's terrible that you had to go through that. I am pretty terrified of wasps, so I would have bolted on day one when I saw the problem!
I don't really know what you're legally entitled to, but I can tell you that if that had happened to you at our property, we would have refunded your entire rental payment even if we had done everything we could to fix the issue.
Although, to be honest, I don't think this would have happened at our property. I can't see how a major wasp infestation like the one you describe could develop overnight. Even if our property is unoccupied, our caretakers still check in on it at least every other week, in order to avoid problems like this. So we would likely know about a serious problem well before our first guests of the season arrived. And there's no way we would let a client stay at the house if we knew there were such a problem.
I think this is a procedure that every responsible off-site rental owner generally follows, and you seem to have gotten unlucky in that regard. But whether you are entitled to a refund because of neglect of the property and/or false advertising of the amenities that were available, I really have no idea.
Regardless of what happens, that's terrible that you had to go through that. I am pretty terrified of wasps, so I would have bolted on day one when I saw the problem!
Brooke
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Hi,
Wasps can be a problem here on the Costas especially if the villa is located in a rural setting. My neighbours property had to be fumigated last year as the swimming pool became unusable with hundreds of wasps coming for water continually. The fumigators found lots of nests underneath the roof tiles but also spread out on plants and pots through out the garden but it was impossible to get rid of them completely as they just came from the vacant land adjoining.
I wouldn´t be surprised that other clients who stayed in the villa hadn´t complained as well.
I would make a complaint to the agents in writing as soon as possible looking for compensation.
Suerte, Maria
Wasps can be a problem here on the Costas especially if the villa is located in a rural setting. My neighbours property had to be fumigated last year as the swimming pool became unusable with hundreds of wasps coming for water continually. The fumigators found lots of nests underneath the roof tiles but also spread out on plants and pots through out the garden but it was impossible to get rid of them completely as they just came from the vacant land adjoining.
I wouldn´t be surprised that other clients who stayed in the villa hadn´t complained as well.
I would make a complaint to the agents in writing as soon as possible looking for compensation.
Suerte, Maria
They must have had the wasp problem for some time. We stayed at our house one time and noticed wasps around - not that many but enough to think that there must be a nest somewhere nearby. We found a very small one under the eaves (about 10cm long) and sprayed it with wasp spray - about 150 wasps fell out of it and we knocked it off with a stick - sorted.
So for you to have had thousands, the nest must have been pretty big and been there for a while. They must have ignored it or hoped it would 'go away' or that every thing would be all right.
It must be difficult as an owner if you do have people booked to arrive the next day and you realise you have a big problem with something and you just can't cancel the new arrivals. But if it becomes appararrent that the problem can't be sorted satisfactorily and those guests have their holiday affected or spoiled then of course you have to offer compensation.
So for you to have had thousands, the nest must have been pretty big and been there for a while. They must have ignored it or hoped it would 'go away' or that every thing would be all right.
It must be difficult as an owner if you do have people booked to arrive the next day and you realise you have a big problem with something and you just can't cancel the new arrivals. But if it becomes appararrent that the problem can't be sorted satisfactorily and those guests have their holiday affected or spoiled then of course you have to offer compensation.
Nightowl
Forever going one step forwards and two
backwards......
Forever going one step forwards and two
backwards......
I was so sorry to read about your experience, particularly when it was a milestone holiday for you all to get together.
My experience of law in Spain is that the consumer is VERY much in control from a service point of view. The onus is on the provider of said service to prove innocence so to speak.
I would firstly write a letter/email to the agents explaining your position and what you require them to do for you. They may be inexperienced in customer service and not have a clue what to do. So setting out your requirements might help.
Explain that you would like a reply within a set time limit and that if you don't get that reply you will approach a lawyer.
OR
Approach a lawyer in the first instance and get him to write the letter (its a nominal charge). Again he/she will state that if a reply & compensation isn't received within a set time limit then you will proceed to court.
In Spain this rarely happens - but if you do go to court you would seem to have a good case to win (but your lawyer would explain this more thoroughly).
Please don't be afraid to take this step if they refuse to give you compensation - people like this do need to understand they can not give such poor service.
The Spanish law will be on your side.
Finally - were they advertising on their own site? If not then contact the host company and explain to them how you felt you were let down.
Mouse
x
My experience of law in Spain is that the consumer is VERY much in control from a service point of view. The onus is on the provider of said service to prove innocence so to speak.
I would firstly write a letter/email to the agents explaining your position and what you require them to do for you. They may be inexperienced in customer service and not have a clue what to do. So setting out your requirements might help.
Explain that you would like a reply within a set time limit and that if you don't get that reply you will approach a lawyer.
OR
Approach a lawyer in the first instance and get him to write the letter (its a nominal charge). Again he/she will state that if a reply & compensation isn't received within a set time limit then you will proceed to court.
In Spain this rarely happens - but if you do go to court you would seem to have a good case to win (but your lawyer would explain this more thoroughly).
Please don't be afraid to take this step if they refuse to give you compensation - people like this do need to understand they can not give such poor service.
The Spanish law will be on your side.
Finally - were they advertising on their own site? If not then contact the host company and explain to them how you felt you were let down.
Mouse
x
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Wasps nests are a major problem in Spain..but the agents should always check for nests when doing a change-over. The problem you have encountered seems to be one that has been left to grow!!
We don't have flat tiled roofs, but the traditional Spanish tiles..and wasps love to nest in these. On every change-over we always check the overlapping roof tiles for any signs of a wasp nest. Any signs are always dispersed with a hose of water..and so far no problems with wasps!!
We don't have flat tiled roofs, but the traditional Spanish tiles..and wasps love to nest in these. On every change-over we always check the overlapping roof tiles for any signs of a wasp nest. Any signs are always dispersed with a hose of water..and so far no problems with wasps!!
other side
Thanks for all the replies. We have written a very long letter explaining all events, will keep you posted!!