A newlywed family of three on a last minute honeymoon were shocked after they say they found a mouldy and damp holiday home they had forked out nearly £800 for. The couple from Bury, who wish to remain anonymous, were married on August 25 and two days later decided to book a holiday home in Oswestry near the Welsh border to treat themselves.
They took their disabled two-year-old son on the trip with them, who suffers with severe asthma, and had made the long drive to stay for two nights. But, when they arrived they say they found a property covered in damp and mould with a dirty hot tub and a play area which "looked like it was falling apart".
They returned home almost immediately after ringing the company they had booked it through, Hoseasons, saying the property was 'unacceptable' and demanding a refund.
They said: "We booked it on the same day as we went and we were married two days beforehand. It was just disgusting, it was mouldy, damp, and dirty.
"We were with our disabled two-year-old with severe asthma so it was very concerning when we saw the mould and damp as that’s very unhealthy for him. You could smell it as soon as you got there, and when we turned up every window was open to try and disguise it.
"It had a little play area with it too which looked like it was falling apart with sharp bits sticking out. It was just absolutely shocking."
Overall they paid £785 for the property, which should have been for a two night stay. They say they were given the impression by Hoseasons that the refund would be made quickly but have since been "fobbed off".
They went as far as making a complaint through ABTA (Association of British Travel Agents). And, soon after being contacted by the Manchester Evening News, Hoseasons rang up the complainant to say they would refund them within the coming days after nearly a month of the family waiting.
They family went on to say: " The hot tub was dirty, we turned the bubbles on to try and get it going but that just made a layer of dirt. It was just grim and gross.
"We rang when we got there and said the property was not fit to stay in, which at first they said was fine and to send them pictures of it to sort a refund, and immediately we put our things back in the car.
They added: "After a week of chasing them up every day they then said I had to go through customer services but they told me to go through the owner and that anything would take 28 days to sort. They just kept changing the goalposts and the owner hasn’t responded to us since.
"We felt like we were just being passed around, fobbed off left right and centre, it's caused so much stress. I really don’t understand how they’ve been giving these excuses we sent them all of the pictures which were clear as day, it was a disgrace."
A Hoseasons spokesperson said that customer services had followed up with the customer and given them a full refund.
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