My In-laws are staying in our house at the moment. I had to turn down a 3 week booking because they my FIL is totally inflexible even though he's retired and has all the time in the world!
The day after he arrived my husband received phonecalls and texts about the TV. It seems that the AV button on the remote control isn't working so he can't use the DVD.
I told him there wasn't much we could do from this end and suggested he might need to get a new remote as I didn't hear anything else I thought he must have sorted it out.
How wrong can I be. Last night I received an email from my property manager saying FIL had passed problem to him and asked him to sort it out!
I'm really quite annoyed - on the one hand it does need sorting for the next guests but I am being unreasonable in thinking that it wouldn't have hurt FIL to have seen to this himself, therefore saving us some money?
I just hate relatives!!!
Relatives!!
Not in laws but a couple who have taken a long let - just been away for the weekend - left a friend's number for emergencies. They are using a wifi connection in the gite but I did tell them that at busy times the connection is dodgy - we are at the limit of reception. That's fine they said will only need it from time to time. While I was away they rang my friend to ask him to come to boot up my computer as the wifi was a bit intermittent (I use the wifi too so it wouldn't have helped him) - my friend quite rightly said he didn't want to mess with my computer and he didn't have a key to the main house (another friend had that) - so why are you the emergency number then? - for emergencies in the gite said he and this isn't an emergency!
I was so cross.
I was so cross.
nice answerenid wrote: - so why are you the emergency number then? - for emergencies in the gite said he and this isn't an emergency!
have just read my original post and I was having a strop wasn't I? It does annoy me though that relatives want to treat the place like they are paying guests and expect all the services that go with that but they don't want to pay!!
It's a bit early to hit the wine so I'm attacking the ironing!
Bet those clothes were crisp with sharp edges by the time you were finished! 
Sadly I have to agree. All of our family stayed in our apartment (in the 80's before renting properties took off in a big way) and we only charged a very small amount to cover bills. One half offered more and totally respected the place (I won't say which half) the other half didn't, had a free holiday and did mostly all the damage that happened in the apartment through either accident or neglect (broken beds. broken lamps. etc)
One bit of the family went for 2 weeks - during which a water pipe to the water heater developed a small leak. Did they get it fixed whilst there? (these were the days before managing agents) No. They shoved a shallow tray underneath to catch the water and kept emptying it.
'Course when they left it was still dripping and they never bothered to tell us about it either......a friend who went out a week later (alone) arrived to find the worksurface so wet it had buckled and whole kitchen unit underneath ruined. Between us we then had to organise to get it fixed, but her holiday was ruined and I of course gave her her money back.
The annoying thing is - I didn't feel I could let rip at them and cause a family row.
Mouse
x
Sadly I have to agree. All of our family stayed in our apartment (in the 80's before renting properties took off in a big way) and we only charged a very small amount to cover bills. One half offered more and totally respected the place (I won't say which half) the other half didn't, had a free holiday and did mostly all the damage that happened in the apartment through either accident or neglect (broken beds. broken lamps. etc)
One bit of the family went for 2 weeks - during which a water pipe to the water heater developed a small leak. Did they get it fixed whilst there? (these were the days before managing agents) No. They shoved a shallow tray underneath to catch the water and kept emptying it.
'Course when they left it was still dripping and they never bothered to tell us about it either......a friend who went out a week later (alone) arrived to find the worksurface so wet it had buckled and whole kitchen unit underneath ruined. Between us we then had to organise to get it fixed, but her holiday was ruined and I of course gave her her money back.The annoying thing is - I didn't feel I could let rip at them and cause a family row.
Mouse
x
One martini, two martini, three martini floor!
I would have risked the family row and let them have it!!! 
Louise
www.lacharronniere.com delightful gites in the Vienne countryside.
www.lacharronniere.com delightful gites in the Vienne countryside.
hmmmm...nope, not me...in-laws are in-laws and I must always just take a deep breath and keep the peace. I do it out of love for my husband and know that he is on my side...but it is really not worth starting something over. I would TRY to calm down (after maybe a glass of wine!) and ignore all...and the next time they want to stay, I would nicely tell them it is not available for them - I would be vauge and not say if it is booked or not...just no. (ha! MY parents, on the other hand, would REALLY hear about it from me!!)
It's a bit early to hit the wine so I'm attacking the ironing!
Never too late to attack the wine! After the first afternoon off site in ages, Syb & I got back from watching the France-Georgia match in the village bar to find that newly arrived campers had not only destroyed one of the ball-cocks in the shower block (trying to help), but had brought a dog with them. Even though he rang up yesterday to book in but forgot to mention that he was bringing an animal. We say on the website (until an hour ago, since I changed it to read NO ANIMALS) that we'd like to be told of any animals as we reserve the right etc. etc....
Then she tells me that our dog has attacked one of the chooks, which was now in the coop but wasn't looking too good. As she has quite a bit of experience with chooks, she'd thought of treating it homeopathically....(!?!)
You know what? It's been a loooooooooooong season and I'm seriously considering closing the bloody gates until March!
It's a good job my mate Bernard wanted the chook, as neither Syb nor I could bear to eat it.
Wine? Bring on the GIN!
Never too late to attack the wine! After the first afternoon off site in ages, Syb & I got back from watching the France-Georgia match in the village bar to find that newly arrived campers had not only destroyed one of the ball-cocks in the shower block (trying to help), but had brought a dog with them. Even though he rang up yesterday to book in but forgot to mention that he was bringing an animal. We say on the website (until an hour ago, since I changed it to read NO ANIMALS) that we'd like to be told of any animals as we reserve the right etc. etc....
Then she tells me that our dog has attacked one of the chooks, which was now in the coop but wasn't looking too good. As she has quite a bit of experience with chooks, she'd thought of treating it homeopathically....(!?!)
You know what? It's been a loooooooooooong season and I'm seriously considering closing the bloody gates until March!
It's a good job my mate Bernard wanted the chook, as neither Syb nor I could bear to eat it.
Wine? Bring on the GIN!
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Hells Bells
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Not rental related, but it is relly-related. Yesterday was our son's last day at home before he went to Uni. Sis rang in the morning to say she was coming over and what time would we be in. I said 4 ish, and said we wouldn't be getting a take-away as hubby was doing the Great North Run on Sunday (today). I put a casserole in the oven for our dinner. They were still there at 7.30, clearly expecting dinner. Our quiet night with the boys and a bottle of wine were ruined. My parent arrived at 7.30 too, but that is different. They didn't expect to be eating, and only arrived late as they were stuck on a huge traffic jam in Newcastle. I fed them all, cleared up, and still not tidy as we've been to drop hubby in towm for the run, then a round trip to Lancaster. I'm still hopping mad
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Bellywobble
- Posts: 1262
- Joined: Thu Jan 19, 2006 7:40 pm
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Bellywobble
- Posts: 1262
- Joined: Thu Jan 19, 2006 7:40 pm
We had frinds like that, they would arrive and hang around clearly expecting a meal, and for a long while I fed them, until the inequality of it finally got too me, since we never had a return invitation, and we were blunt with them and only cooked just enough for us, and asked them to leave as we were about to eat.
As far as relatives / friends taking advantage, we learnt the hard way this year that some people will come for a visit and not put their hands in their pocket at all, not even for petrol for their airport runs, next year they'll all be told that there,s a fee for staying to cover costs and if they need airport pick-ups they need to pay for the petrol, or we can provide them the name and number of our local cabbie.
As far as relatives / friends taking advantage, we learnt the hard way this year that some people will come for a visit and not put their hands in their pocket at all, not even for petrol for their airport runs, next year they'll all be told that there,s a fee for staying to cover costs and if they need airport pick-ups they need to pay for the petrol, or we can provide them the name and number of our local cabbie.
Carpe diem