Complaint against US!!! - Holiday Complaints, Holiday Forums

Complaint against US!!!

mainy

2009-04-25 09:55:17

- God, im in shock.... I have a problem and im hoping someone here may be able to help me as i cannot speak to anyone over the phone as its the weekend and the department i need are closed.

I use Hoeseasons as a booking agent for all our uk holidays. I have booked approx 5/6 in the last 18 months. I used them in April to book a park dean resort for a caravan holiday. We had problems when we arrived here as our accomadation was not ready for a hour and when we got the keys a cleaner was in there shampooing the carpets!! We were offerd another caravan of a lesser standard than we paid for or to stay put. We decided to stay put as the original caravan we booked was nearer to the venues and we had a young child with us. We were provided with a £35.00 voucher for a meal. We were happy with that but commented to the manager we would be talking to Hoeseasons upon our return as we had a holiday booked with them for July 2009, and as customers of them we were shocked with the standard of accomadation of this park.

Today i have recieved a letter from the same manager informing us that we left our accomadation in a poor state, blocked the toilet?? and there was cutlery on the floor and mess on all ;benches'... Also that we are no longer welcome back to this park or any park dean park and that they will be informing Hoeseasons as we made our booking through them.

I can honestly say that the toilet was not blocked and looking back we took all our rubbish out in 2 blackbags even though i had a quad bike accident there the day before we left for which im still recovering. There was some dishes and breakfast things on the kitchen table that we didnt clear away, but who go's on holiday to wash up? We have never had a problem like this in all the booking we have made.

Im so so worried now for not only being barred from Park dean but what will happen to our summer booking with Hoeseasons? Its not at a park dean resort but nether the less its still booked with them and now they will be getting informed we have been barred from Park dean. Could they block us from that holiday? Could they bar us from Hoeseasons? Would we lose our money, this holiday has been paid in full and we cannot afford to lose it. The kids would be so sad not to be going as we have been looking forward to it

Please will someone advice me

We really arent guilty of what this manager is saying....

Pippa

2009-04-25 11:48:13

Re: Complaint against US!!!

You are supposed to leave the property in a clean condition and that means washing up dirty dishes before leaving so in that respect the manager is correct in some of what they say.

Pippa

steve8482

2009-04-25 11:59:54

Re: Complaint against US!!!

I don't suppose you made your complaint in writing at the time? This sounds like them getting their retaliation in first after you said you would complain to Hoseasons. Your problem is that if you haven't got anything in writing and didn't write to Hoseasons immediately it will now look like you responding to their complaint. What Hoseasons can do will be buried in their T&Cs but they won't be able to keep your money if they cancel future bookings.

But I do agree about the washing up. If you don't go away to wash up you should eat out.

mainy

2009-04-25 12:11:14

Re: Complaint against US!!!

Thanks for the replys so far. I take on the point about washing up but to bar a family from 24 parks in this current financial climate? I think its harsh by any one's standards! I have contacted Park dean head office and they were unaware of this letter and are going to contact the manager of this park and take it from there.....

steve8482

2009-04-25 12:19:31

Re: Complaint against US!!!

Now that is interesting! If the manager hasn't told his own head office I doubt he will have contacted Hoseasons so get your letter in to them straight away. First one on the desk gets advantage!

wendywu

2009-04-25 17:10:38

Re: Complaint against US!!!

I seem to remember someone else had this problem with a caravan park saying they had left the place in a mess. They were repeat customers as well.

Aliceadventures

2009-04-25 17:23:41

Re: Complaint against US!!!

Do they give you a check-in time and did you arrive before that time? Just a thought, but possibly the maid was taking longer than normal to do the cleaning as the family who'd checked out that day, had left some dishes and breakfast things on the kitchen table that they didnt clear away!

Chivas69

2009-04-25 18:01:17

Re: Complaint against US!!!

no one wants to wash up. Especially the caravan cleaners who end up washing up other peoples things!!!
If it was just a few dishes why didn't you just wash up?

ok it seems very harsh to ban you for that but I don't see how they can have evidence of the other stuff!

jannyT

2009-04-25 18:45:18

Re: Complaint against US!!!

Sorry to sound harsh but what if everyone left uwashed dishes? Incoming guests would never get in their accomodation on time as maids would have twice the amount of work to get through. To be honest, I wouldn't want to accommodate repeat guests that didn't respect my accommodation either. Only my opinion but I'm sure a lot would agree with me.

booboo2

2009-04-25 19:45:34

Re: Complaint against US!!!

I cant belive that you did not wash up your dishes, OK we all go on holiday to relax but if you are in Self catering (which YOU booked), then does it not follow that you clean up after yourselves. If i were the manager then i would also have the same attitude, how lazy are you???????????

Sarah E Young

2009-04-25 20:13:50

Re: Complaint against US!!!

OK I think we all agree they should have washed their dishes but please lets not get personal or abusive.

Sarah

mainy

2009-04-25 21:46:50

Re: Complaint against US!!!

Aliceadventures- lol regarding the dishes gag, you do have a check in time but we had to wait an extra hour and when we arrived at our accomadation they were shampooing a carpet which equals wet carpet and chemical smells!

I posted on here for advice on the barring of us from this holiday company and my concerns over my other booking through Hoeseasons being affected by Park dean contacting them and informing them not to take any more bookings from us! No one has been able to help me with that as of yet. I contacted head office today and as it was the weekend the person i need to talk too about maybe lifting this ban is in on Monday so fingers crossed!

Im also going to contact Hoeseasons and explain everything and that i am on the understanding they have been informed and what is there policy on this? Im looking at worse case that Hoeseasons also bar us but im confifent in the knowledge we will not lose our money we have paid.

It would be very very unfortunate to be banned from all 24 parks for not washing up. I will admit i dont always do this and have never had this action before. Maybe Park Dean are doing a booming trade right now in a credit crunched Britian and dont need the custom of myself and repeat custom at that? Or maybe they hate washing up.... Maybe i will never find out!

We did take the time to explain to head office that it was not left in a unsuitable condition and that yes we didnt wash up we also explained about the personal reasons for our trip to this park and my accident whilst there. I will update about Hoeseasons take on this as thats the only thing that would be really gutting for us as we book soo many trips through them.

P.s- I do clean up after myself, and my husband, and my 2 kids, and my foster children and my animals and ..... YOU get the idea it was purely what was going on at the time that prevented the dishes being done. God im laughing to myself just typeing that! Who would believe it!

greenshoes

2009-04-26 12:40:05

Re: Complaint against US!!!

My parents friends own a villa abroad and it is let out on the conditon that families leave it as they find it. They have a cleaner who goes in after the customers have left and if the customers don't wash their dishes etc then the cleaner has to which means more time in the apartments and costs my parents friends more....so they refuse to let customers incapale of cleaning up after themselves back in their apartment.

Maybe you could write to the park and apologise for the dishes you left?

greenshoes

2009-04-26 12:42:51

Re: Complaint against US!!!

sorry can't edit.

why don't you contact the park directly, apologise for the dishes and disrepute the blocked toilet etc. In saying that, it is interesting that Park Dean don't know anything about the letter the manager sent you? I do think the ban is abit ott, surely a warning letter or a fine or something would have been more approriate than a life long ban.

Cidermonster II

2009-04-26 15:40:56

Re: Complaint against US!!!

As someone who owns a caravan on a Parkdean site, i've always been quite baffled by their management style. Have to say they've never managed to impress me once!!

fwh

2009-04-26 17:25:40

Re: Complaint against US!!!

I am involved with some premises here in the UK used by people undertaking D of E awards. A great deal of time and money has been spent on the kitchens. Completely gutted and refitted.

A group used them a few weeks ago and have just been landed with a bill for £100 for cleaning up after them. The local authority concerned who had booked it for them has backed us in this.

At our next management meeting it is proposed a standard fee of £250 is made for cleaning up after people.

Harsh? Not really as the stuff we had to clear up was takeaways. They had told us that they only used the kitchen to make a hot drink. As they were the first people to use it then it was obvious who had done it. Particularly as we had just finished the work an hour before they arrived.

fwh

Stardust2000

2009-04-26 18:24:11

Re: Complaint against US!!!

It does sound rather harsh bit I think that the main thing here is this sounds very much like tit for tat. In the first instance the park did rush through and clean the accomodation for you and did give you the voucher and they probably assumed that you were winding them up by not leaving the caravan as you should.

I would not worry to much and just contact Hoseasons at your earliest convenience. I cannot see how this incident could possibly effect any other future bookings neither legally or morally.

Helen T

2009-04-26 18:25:36

Re: Complaint against US!!!

When our children were small, my sister & I used to clean caravans and chalets at a local Holiday Park. The state that some people left things in was unbelievable - a week's worth of fat under the grill, used condoms under the bed - get the idea. Cleaners only get a certain amount of time per caravan, so if someone leaves the van like a tip, then all the accommodation is not going to be ready at check in time. If things were as bad as the Park Manager claims, then he would have taken photographic evidence at the time, which he would then be able to forward to the Head Office. I would certainly phone the Head Office first thing tomorrow morning, and explain the situation.

Pippa

2009-04-26 20:06:48

Re: Complaint against US!!!

We tend to book private apartments abroad and quite a few have what is called a 'security deposit'. Basically you pay a set amount with the balance which is then returned after you return home - providing that is that you leave the apartment in a clean and tidy state. Some of the cottage holiday companies in this country operate a similar system too. I think it is a really good idea - I think most people would look after the property better if there was a danger of not having the security deposit returned.

I would never dream of leaving a property dirty and messy - I always clean up thoroughly the night before we leave and make sure it all looks spick and span. Yes, I know you are on holiday but it really does not take long to hoover, clean bathrooms and worktops etc. and I feel happier knowing it is clean. If you keep it clean as you go then it takes no time at all. It does make you wonder what some people's homes look like...............

Pippa

K&R

2009-04-27 06:01:14

Re: Complaint against US!!!

good luck with the phoning today.....

write to head office, if they seem to be taking the washing up so seriously, then include a cheque for £10 to cover all costs.....

then speak and write to hoseasons, make sure you get the name of the person you speak to, then follow the conversation up with a written letter....

it would be awful if you were told one thing, then turned up on holiday to be told you are banned.....due to lack of communication.

hope it all gets sorted, and you wash your pots up next time :tup

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