Help with villa after return!!

[4brillkids]

Im really looking for some advice on the villa that we have just returned from. We paid a security deposit of £300 and as we have been bk for a week now I emailed the owner to find out what was happening. She has emailed me bk and said they are keeping it as there is a decorative pillow missing !!
I know that this is there and surely u cant keep £300 for something that would cost £5 tops??
I have also been told that by state law we should have had a pool guard and we didnt - is this true??
Any advice on how to get my deposit bk would be gratefully recieved.
Louise x

[Rigstig]

I think the owner would be totally out of order to keep a £300 deposit for the price of a pillow.
Im pretty sure State Law says that there should be a pool guard fence available OR an alarm on any doors leading to the pool area. Dont quote me on that , and Im sure some of our Dibb villa owners will know better and will be along to help.

Stuart

[Tom Morrow]

$300 for a pillow - that is daylight robbery and a total scam. Sorry I don't know how to help you.

[JammyDoja]

Im really looking for some advice on the villa that we have just returned from. We paid a security deposit of £300 and as we have been bk for a week now I emailed the owner to find out what was happening. She has emailed me bk and said they are keeping it as there is a decorative pillow missing !!
I know that this is there and surely u cant keep £300 for something that would cost £5 tops??
I have also been told that by state law we should have had a pool guard and we didnt - is this true??
Any advice on how to get my deposit bk would be gratefully recieved.
Louise x

what a ######!! name and shame them?? help fellow dibbers! we dont wana get skammed by the same person, also when you leave a villa with a deposit im gona take pictures and a video just to state that everything is there then leave :) also if you have there address take them to court! make sure you have a letter saying they are keeping £300 cause of a pillow, or record the convo... court case will sort it no problems :)

[peter+lynne]

one word police

[15isto2]

Trading standards?

[galway-777]

that is bad, they don't value repeat bookings either. i would be so mad , we had our deposit returned within a couple of days, and have re-booked the same villa again.

[buffalo]

What a scam. We have always booked villas with no problems and one year one couple said they were keeping our deposit as the cleaning company had to spend all day cleaning. I was gobsmacked. I had spent all night washing and drying all the towels, swept and washed all the floors (I'm not a good traveller so cant sleep before)and the next day stripped all the beds and put them in to wash.

I dont know if it was a scam by the cleaning company as they had been employed in the middle of our stay or the owners themselves.

After a very direct e-mail, we had our money back.

[carolmc]

Ask for a receipt - if it is a genuine that a decorative pillow needed to be replaced, then they should have no problem giving you a receipt....don't mind paying if I damaged something, but only for the cost of replacing something.

[jodash]

I have also been told that by state law we should have had a pool guard and we didnt - is this true??


yes there has to be a alarmed door between the living space and the pool area

[dismum]

Did you book the home through a listing site as a complaint to the site owners may help -they do not like owners who bring their site into disrepute.Asking for proof they have purchased the item for £300 is a good idea too.

[loadsapixiedust]

We had a similar incident on our first trip. On our return the owner said a candlestick was missing from the dining table and they would withold our deposit. I trawled through our photos taken in the villa and hey presto there it was on top of the fridge, cleaners had probably moved it to clean the table and not put it back, so we eventually got our money back and a rather sheepish apology. If you have any photos look carefully at them and see if the disputed item was there when you left or has maybe been moved.

If you have to pay for a replacement then I'd be asking for a receipt. No way is a pillow $300! Did you deal direct with the owner or is there an agent/website involved?

If I stayed in a villa again I would always spend some time taking some before and after photos that you can refer to later if there's any dispute. Most cameras can date stamp them for you so you can prove when they were taken.

I wonder if it's the same owner or management company trying it on? I've heard more than a few similar stories and it could be a nice little earner for someone dishonest.

[WindwardGal]

To keep £300 for a cushion is stupid.
As an aside lots of owners do not return the security depost as quickly as a week, it often takes a while to get report/ bills etc.

[PETED]

Name and shame so no one goes through this.

[Midsummer]

Believe it or not some of the decorative pillow shams can cost up to $40. I know because I had to buy one and was horrified by the cost. Also if the MC had to make a special journey to buy it they would probably charge for their time so it could cost up to $65-75. Just ask for a receipt but my guess is that they are waiting for full details of cost involved from the MC before they refund the difference.

A pool has to have either a pool fence or a hard-wired alarm. Some home have both. If it is was an older house you were staying in they would not have a pool fence only the alarm as at one time neither was necessary.

[doughboy]

make a short clip on you tube so when anyones searches for the name of the villa for references this will come up the search its a good way of advertising for free

[Disneypal]

Agree with others I would press for return of deposit or receipt.
Name and shame :grin:

[brody-maddison]

I'm with the others, name and shame these people. £300 is far too much for a pillow!

[Jules R]

A week is a little early to expect your security deposit back. We say we will return security deposits within 30 days of the end of the holiday although in practice it is much quicker, but as Jill says they may just be waiting for the full report from the MC. That said £300 is way too much to keep because a pillow, even an expensive one, is missing. We say that if we need to repair or replace anything we will provide full receipts for the amounts involved. I hope you get this resolved quickly.

As for the pool barrier as the others have said the current rules are a pool alarm or a pool fence although lots of homes have both.

Jules

[dgfazzer]

if the landlord is UK based simply contact your local court and for £85 you can take them to small claims court. You can ask for expenses and get the £85 back if found in favour, plus if they don't pay it back get a court collections agent involved and you are more likely to get your money quicker.

[Tom Morrow]

On one of our trips my DS got bright green silly putty on the white cotton sheet on his bed. As much as I tried I could not get the stain out.

On our return the villa owner was very apologetic about charging us for the replacement - I did not have a problem with that, I would have had a problem if she had charged me $300.

I hope you get it sorted.

[Fiona]

I'm with the others, name and shame these people. £300 is far too much for a pillow!

Totally agree with this. :thumbs-up £300 for a pillow!! :omg: Scandulous is not the word for it!! :nonono:

[barbarah]

I would also report them to the Florida Better Business Bureau as lots of people check on there for any previous problems. They will then investigate them and log the issue whether the claim was sucessful or not.

Name and shame definately if they keep the whole of the security deposit.

[TobyK]

Is she charging $300 for a pillow sham as she now has to replace all the bedding in order for it to match?
Is the sham under the bed/in the wash/inside ANOTHER pillow cover (always happens to me in the wash!)/mixed up the cleaning company's items from another villa?

[4brillkids]

Thanks guys - I will name and shame if the end result is that I dont get my money back or that I have to take her to court!! At the moment I have told them to look in the washing - maybe mixed up in it and also under the beds!! I know thatthis pillow was there when we left and so do have an issue with being charged for it! If we had broke or lost something - fair enough but we were so careful in that hous ethat I feel offended to say the least that she is keeping my deposit!! I also know that someone else was due in the villa on the day we left so surely the mc will have had to have done a report on the day we left???
Im really upset that this has happened as we have only been fair with the couple who own this villa but they are not being fair back!! We left a bed guard and hair straightners in their villa I think thats a lot more than a decorative pillow.
Ill kp you up to date with my progress and once again thankd guys!!

[shirley]

hope everything works out for you, we broke a glass in one of our rentred homes one year and luckily found the same 1 in the $ shop. savea lot of hassle I think shirley

[sheka]

$300 is a little excessive......

It is one of the first things that I check however. I try and make sure that when we rent a villa that there is at least an inventory of items in the guest/handbook. failing that i typically photo or film each room within a few days of arriving.

The last villa we rented had a broken pool alarm and other signs of wear and tear. i immediately told the owners and management company.

In a villa we rented we had a breakage on the day we were leaving, one glass and a plate I think. Still there was nothing taken from our deposit, We had left a couple of dollars in the kitchen anyway. Maye they treated those breakages as a accident, etc. Most villas we have rented rarely have a full complement of cutlery and crockery anyway......

A friend of mine had owned and rented out a villa. Some of the management companies leave a lot to be desired. he had told me a number of stories eg he was told he needed a new vacuum cleaner as the existing one wasn't sucking. He refused and was strongly told that he needed one. He eventually flew out for a few days and found that the bag had not been emptied and was basically blocking things.....

[JammyDoja]

can i just ask is it a member of this forum :erm: reasons like this is why i didnt book a villa this year and havent booked a villa next year... to much risk involved... no matter how much good feedback someone has.. they can #### you over of they want to :(

[alexisemma31]

can i just ask is it a member of this forum :erm: reasons like this is why i didnt book a villa this year and havent booked a villa next year... to much risk involved... no matter how much good feedback someone has.. they can #### you over of they want to :(

I think this is slightly over the top.

Stories of villa owners 'ripping' people off are extremely rare. We have stayed in villas for the last 10 years and never once had a problem.

[Fiona]

can i just ask is it a member of this forum :erm: reasons like this is why i didnt book a villa this year and havent booked a villa next year... to much risk involved... no matter how much good feedback someone has.. they can #### you over of they want to :(

If you want to stay in a villa, be it a dibb one or non-dibb one, then I would do it. :) Don`t not do something just in case something may or may not happen. We have stayed in lots of different villas over very many years and never had a problem. You cannot beat staying in a villas, the freedom and space, a home from home. A million trillion times better than a hotel room IMHO.

[JammyDoja]

yeh i really wanted to stop in a dibb villa :( just scared i dont know the person and stuff like that :( i wish people could stick there villas up with a travel agent would give me so much more piece of mind picking out a villa from a travel agent book :) (someday i will stop in my dream villa) (welshwizz) 2011 here i come! :grin:

[Sunshine Lena]

Seeing this from 3 different prospectives...
some villas have photos showing each room as should be..
Some also show cupboard contents.. not just text, but photographic.
If this is available, and you feel something is not there on arrival, call the management company. This will protect you, as much as the owner. (it is not always an owner being nasty..)
The dated photos are a bonus.. we all take photos in the holiday home..
Owners appreciate accidents happen, but in rare cases there is wilful damage... that is hard to swallow financially.
I agree that 300 pounds is excessive for a decorative pillow... you can buy a whole new comforter set, pillows and curtains for that price!
Ask for the receipts.. you are entitled to see them.

[tiggermeister]

We had a similar experience with a garage door but when we later investigate it was found that someone else had booked straight after us and was found not to be us , it was a dent on a garge door that was there when we arrived, we returned to the villa next door the following year and the dent was still there so the chances are and it goes against the grain somewhat, they keep the deposit of the real offener but dont repair or replace items damaged/ lost

I just skimmed across this post but was amazed they would insist on keeping the full amount, i would challange them over this, trading standards here will have no jurisdiction in the USA however....

May be worth finding out if the property is registered with a residents commitee and try to locate the commitee president/chairman and express your views to them, they tend to be sympathetic and if found unjust will act upon it on your behalf....

good luck with this and keep us posted

[edie_w]

We had a similar experience last time. The villa we were in had far fewer towels than usual and only just enough cutlery, but it was a minor thing so we didn't say anything. When we got back the owner said he was retaining $30 to cover the "missing" towels and cutlery.

When I explained the situation, he apologized, said he obviously needed to have a word with the cleaners, and refunded the whole lot.

[disneybabe]

I ALWAYS return our security deposit back within a week. I think I can count on one hand the number of times it has taken longer (bearing in mind we have two homes) and that is because I have forgotten to get it in the post.

For example the guests who checked out of our homes last week will have already recieved their deposits back.

I know quite a number of owners who do take up to a month to return it - it is usually stated in their terms and condition.

I have to admit £300 for a pillow is a bit steep but it is possible that they will not be able to get another one to match the set for the bed - and believe you me, they are expensive the bed sets and can cost up to £300 for a full set (NOT THAT I AM DEFENDING THE OWNER AT ALL).

What I would do is is ask the owner to check again with the cleaners/Management company to see if the pillow has been put somewhere else - or is even inside one of the others!

I do hope you manage to get it sorted soon.

ChristineTo keep £300 for a cushion is stupid.
As an aside lots of owners do not return the security depost as quickly as a week, it often takes a while to get report/ bills etc.

[Midsummer]

May be worth finding out if the property is registered with a residents commitee and try to locate the commitee president/chairman and express your views to them, they tend to be sympathetic and if found unjust will act upon it on your behalf....

good luck with this and keep us posted

This would be totally outside the remit of the Home Owners Association and no President would wish to get involved in a dispute between a renter and an owner.

As other owners have said communication with the owner of the villa is important.

[force ten]

Sorry to hear that you are having problems and hope you get it sorted

Last year we stayed in a villa and we were offered a damage waiver insurance which was very reasonable and meant that we didn’t have to pay a security deposit, I thought this was a great idea and would like to see it become more widely available

[Celica190]

I've never been in a position where I've wanted to rent a villa, but, if I was ever looking for one, I wouldn't hesitate to rent from another Dibber. None of the villa owners on this forum would want adverse publicity and I reckon that they would take even more care of a fellow Dibber than other customers.

[Fairy Princess]

On our holiday last year, the day before returning home the screen on the laptop went all white and had mad lines all down it :omg:

We let the villa owner know asap, they were fine said these things happen it was covered by insurance and didn't charge us a penny.

[tiggermeister]

This would be totally outside the remit of the Home Owners Association and no President would wish to get involved in a dispute between a renter and an owner.

As other owners have said communication with the owner of the villa is important.


Please note i stated "may be worth" there is no harm in asking. and as you are a villa owner I am not disputing what you have said, but if a community such as this was tarnished by one owner then the community itself would come under scrutiny.

[PETED]

We have always stayed in a villa and as yet not been hit with charges, in fact we have also booked in October 2009 as well as July. The October trip we have re-booked on Lake Berkely with the same villa we went in last year. The owner has infomed us that as a returning visitor she is for going the security deposit.

Dont let this MC/owner put you off.

[deejay]

I would also report them to the Florida Better Business Bureau as lots of people check on there for any previous problems. They will then investigate them and log the issue whether the claim was sucessful or not.

I agree - their website is at www.bbb.org

[ajsmom]

Hi I had this problem 3 years ago, villa company tried to charge for damage to pool screen. As we had paid security deposit by Visa we were able to dispute the transaction & got our money back. Not sure if this info will be any help to you. Good luck in getting your deposit back cause $300 for a pillowcase is a bit much

[tomnj]

Last year we stayed in a villa and we were offered a damage waiver insurance which was very reasonable and meant that we didn’t have to pay a security deposit, I thought this was a great idea and would like to see it become more widely available

This insurance is the norm outside of Florida. Many places it's required. It's about $35 for $1000 of damages. Great idea.
Forgot to say that no security deposit needed and no unpleasant communication between owner and renter.

[Sunny Florida]

Way over the top,I would feel hurt if this happened to me to.Cleaning on the last day of the villa we were staying last year we broke a lamp.I rang the mc straight away and explained what I had done,and as soon as we got home emailed the owners and told them my concerns were that I didnt want them to think that we werent respecting their vlla and taking good care of it while we were there,however the owners were lovely about it,as they said accidents do happen they kept back £30 which we thought was more than fair.So dont let this put anyone off renting a villa as its the best way to do Florida

[Sunny Florida]

I agree - their website is at www.bbb.org

Thank you for posting this web site Im sure it will be a great help to many I didnt even know it existed . ;)

[GUCCIMUM]

yeh i really wanted to stop in a dibb villa :( just scared i dont know the person and stuff like that :( i wish people could stick there villas up with a travel agent would give me so much more piece of mind picking out a villa from a travel agent book :) (someday i will stop in my dream villa) (welshwizz) 2011 here i come! :grin:

yes that villa is amazing, was too big for just the 4 of us but if we manage to pull DH's sister in next year thats where we want to stay....gorgeous!

[Sunny Florida]

yeh i really wanted to stop in a dibb villa :( just scared i dont know the person and stuff like that :( i wish people could stick there villas up with a travel agent would give me so much more piece of mind picking out a villa from a travel agent book :) (someday i will stop in my dream villa) (welshwizz) 2011 here i come! :grin:

Please dont let this put you off this is very rare we broke a lamp in the villa we stayed in last year and she only charged us £30 for it we were expecting a lot more as we thought she would have charged us for the pair.When you book a villa yourself you get exactly what you want where you want and how much you want to pay for it,which by the way is much cheaper than useing a travel agent.
Go on take a chance and book the welshwizz.

[cmpjdp]

We have stayed in 6 villas over the years and never had this problem.. ;)

[4brillkids]

Please dont let this put anyone off renting a villa we have done in the past and this is the first time we have had a problem!! Do make sure you ask for references though we didnt this time and I wish I had !!

I am having huge issues with the owner answering any of messages either phone or email - any advice what to do now?? Am i best to just chalk it up to experience and accept I picked a wrong en??

I have emailed the community leader and he said he was sympathic but could not get involved. Does anyone know how I find out which management company they use so I can try phoning them direct??
Sorry to be a pain x

[dismum]

Did they not give you the details of their man co in any paperwork ? Who would you have contacted if you had encountered a problem?

[4brillkids]

No all the details of the maange ment company were in the villa. I have only their personal numbers for contact on the contracts.

[Enright78]

can i just ask is it a member of this forum :erm: reasons like this is why i didnt book a villa this year and havent booked a villa next year... to much risk involved... no matter how much good feedback someone has.. they can #### you over of they want to :(

Stayed in Villas and Condos now for 15 years and never had this problem, it really seems a one off and not a reason never to try villa rental, it is hugely better than a hotel in our experience!

[4brillkids]

A massive thank you to all the dibbers who have helped me with this and offered advice. I sent an email late last night threatning to take them to the small claims court and guess what I suddenly get a long email that says they have just been really busy and have decided no longer to persue the $7 pillow.
I also informed their management company of our issues so with any luck this will not happen to anyone else.
Again thanks to all who helped
Louise x

[QueenB]

Congrats on the just result.

!!!!!!!!

[Rigstig]

Congrats on the result. I'd have been totally annoyed too and would probably threatened with something a bit stronger than small claims court,lol

And all for a $7 pillow.

Stuart

[ambersmom]

Congratulations, glad you got it sorted,

[Dream Orlando]

A massive thank you to all the dibbers who have helped me with this and offered advice. I sent an email late last night threatning to take them to the small claims court and guess what I suddenly get a long email that says they have just been really busy and have decided no longer to persue the $7 pillow.
I also informed their management company of our issues so with any luck this will not happen to anyone else.
Again thanks to all who helped
Louise x

Really, really pleased that you managed to sort it out Louise. :grin:

Kristina

[shirley]

good to see common sense has prevailed great result for you shirley

[arkv1lla]

Really pleased it worked out for you but for a $7 pillow it should NEVER have gone this far.

If they were that bothered they should have just taken the $7 and returned the rest to you within the 1st week or so.

[ojoboots]

Glad you got it sorted. They were probably hoping you would just accept you had lost your deposit :angry:

[dismum]

Well done I am pleased it is all over and done with but all the stress you have had over a $7 pillow is unbelievable.

[billbarbara229]

If you want to stay in a villa, be it a dibb one or non-dibb one, then I would do it. :) Don`t not do something just in case something may or may not happen. We have stayed in lots of different villas over very many years and never had a problem. You cannot beat staying in a villas, the freedom and space, a home from home. A million trillion times better than a hotel room IMHO.

As an owner I do have a bit of bias but we stayed at a timeshare in Sharm el sheik last week to get a holiday it left a lot to be desired and we ended up eating out as the kitchen was a disgrace
I hope they are just waiting for the account for the pillow sham as in these days it would be really silly to alienate renters over such trivia
Good luck
Barbara

[Fiona]

As an owner I do have a bit of bias but we stayed at a timeshare in Sharm el sheik last week to get a holiday it left a lot to be desired and we ended up eating out as the kitchen was a disgrace
I hope they are just waiting for the account for the pillow sham as in these days it would be really silly to alienate renters over such trivia
Good luck
Barbara

Sorry to hear about your bad experience in Sharm el-Sheikh. :wavey: x

[Fiona]

So glad you have now got it all sorted out. :-) It is awful to think that they were going to keep your $300 security deposit, just for a $7 missing decorative pillow! Truly disgraceful IMHO!

[buffalo]

Well done for standing your ground.

[islabonita]

So glad all turned out so well.