Geraldton's Ocean West

On 16/01/2026, my family and I stayed in a unit booked and paid for through Booking.com. The fridge tray had a visible repaired crack before we arrived. Food spilled into the tray and leaked through onto the fridge seal. I only noticed while packing to leave and tried to clean it with what I had. I knew there might be an extra cleaning charge, but I'd removed similar stains successfully before. Three days later, I received a text saying housekeeping couldn't clean the fridge and that I was being charged for a replacement. I suggested ways to treat the stain based on what had worked for me before. The reply said they'd already tried cream cleanser and bleach. A cleaner I spoke to said I should contact the manager, Natasha, through the main number. After several calls, I got a text from an unknown number saying they couldn't answer. When I asked who it was, she confirmed it was Natasha. I waited for her call, but received an email first. Natasha said the $326 charge was correct because the staining was permanent, made the appliance appear unclean and meant it couldn't continue to be used. She said the spilled liquid had damaged the fridge, that leaving the tray in place had allowed it to stain, and that cleaning hadn't worked. She also said the charge was for damage and replacement, not an unauthorised service, and would not be refunded or reversed. She warned that if I disputed it with my bank or left a review, she would share supporting evidence with the bank and publicly if needed. She said the fridge hadn't been left as it was on arrival, the staining wasn't caused by them, and the matter was resolved. After more calls and texts, she wouldn't agree to a reasonable resolution, and charged my card a cleaning fee as well as the cost of replacing the fridge seal. She took no responsibility for the badly repaired tray that let the spill spread, and dismissed my attempts to help. She then sent degrading texts. I asked her to stop because it was clear we weren't going to reach a reasonable solution, but she refused and told me to grow up. I've since made claims with consumer protection and ACCC because I don't believe I was treated fairly.