Mr Hayes
April 2019
* The property was generally in a dirty state, with the kitchen and living rooms both requiring vacuum cleaning on arrival.. * Bedsheets in master bedroom filthy and covered in mould
* Spare bedsheets dirty and dusty
* Carpets on upper floors dirty and not vacuumed
* Waste basket in master bedroom not emptied, used tissues present
* Kitchen not cleaned properly – there were crumbs on the breadboard, and hair, crumbs and sticky material in the fridge tray
* Grill had not been cleaned since last use, with grease and crumbs present
* The carpets and sofa/chairs in the living room were both very dusty and in need of deep cleaning
* Window and window sills throughout the property were filthy and covered in mould.
* Grouting and tiles in the shower dirty and mouldy
* Bath had a hole in the tub
* Mould and dirt on walls of bathroom
When I called the owner to complain, rather than make any attempt to resolve the issues, his response was to express outrage at the complaint, to deny that there was any issue, and to accuse my family of having excessively high standards. Throughout the conversation his manner was confrontational and aggressive, to the extent that I had to ask him more than once not to talk over me.
Furthermore and most importantly, he angrily issued the following statement: “Get your money back. Leave! No problem. I’ll refund you in full.”
The combination of the unacceptably dirty state of the property, the filthy bedsheets, his unhelpful and intransigent response to my complaint and the offer of a full refund led us to our decision to leave the property forthwith, having been fortunate enough to be able to secure alternative accommodation for the evening after our initial conversation with the owner.
Sadly when we called to inform him of our decision to leave, he promptly reneged on his offer of a refund and instead made a derisory offer of compensation. He continued to argue about the state of the property. He made an unfounded accusation that we were choosing to abandon the property as we had changed our minds at the last minute. He also make entirely inappropriate comments regarding our choice to leave the property and your opinion of its effects on our 8-year old son.
We are still attempting to secure our refund from the property owner, with Sykes having been entirely ineffectual in negotiating on our behalf.
We were forced to abandon our holiday as a result of this episode, and our first booking with Sykes will also be our last. The fact that they continue to allow a property owner with such low standards of hygiene and such contempt for customers to use their site is a damning indictment of the so-called service that they provide.