Two guests were left in tears after their holiday rental property looked “lovely” online but was actually “diabolical” in real life with nappies, sanitary towels and glass in the garden
Guests were left in floods of tears after arriving at a supposedly idyllic holiday home, only to be greeted by nappies, sanitary towels and broken glass littering the garden.
Colin Yexley, 61, and his sister Jackie, 70, thought they’d snagged a gem in Ramsgate, Kent after viewing the property online and didn’t hesitate to book it for a two-week stay.
However, their excitement quickly turned into shock when they arrived to find the place swimming in garbage, with photos revealing a littered patio area and overflowing rubbish bins. The visiting pair also discovered a defunct freezer and a missing washing machine, which was hardly what they’d signed up for considering the £1,300 charge for their fortnightly getaway.
The holiday home’s owners pointed fingers at seagulls for the mess and claimed that any issues were swiftly dealt with, citing their generally positive reviews from several properties they manage. Yet Colin recounted their dismal experience with dismay: “When you book something, you expect it to be to at least a good standard, but this was diabolical – it basically wasn’t fit for purpose.
“The garden was full of rubbish, black bags everywhere, sanitary towels, nappies and broken bottles. The light was on in the fridge, but when I went to the freezer, it just stunk as soon as I opened the door.”
Colin and Jackie, who reside in a mobile home in Ripple near Deal, face an annual predicament due to caravan park regulations requiring them to leave for a couple of weeks every year. For the past four years, their temporary relocations had been satisfactory, but their latest experience left them deeply dismayed.
Colin explained: “My sister thought it was all her fault, that she had done something wrong, but it looks absolutely lovely on the website. We have been crying our eyes out. You expect if you go on holiday, wherever it is, for it to at least look a bit like the pictures.
“If I bought a car I’d expect there to be doors and wheels on it.”
Fortunately, subsequent action was taken to resolve the issues, with the removal of trash and installation of new appliances. Colin praised the response: “The chap they sent round has done everything – a new washing machine, a brand new fridge freezer and a vacuum.
“He’s gone above and beyond, but this shouldn’t have been needed even on the first day, let alone day six.
“It’s a lot of money for pensioners. We accept we have to go away for two weeks every year, and we’ve got dogs – we expect to pay a bit more – but there should be a standard people have to stick to.”
The holiday let owners addressed the situation by acknowledging unforeseen problems: “Unfortunately, there was rubbish and seagulls had got to the bin before he arrived, so obviously no one had been there on the day Mr Yexley arrived.
“Regarding the fridge freezer, we have never had an issue with it before, but it did, unfortunately, die. This was addressed as soon as possible. He wanted a welcome pack but that’s not something we do.”
