Flat 5, Big Tree Holiday Flats

The flats themselves are pleasant, but my experience with the hosts was awful. I booked a 12-week winter let advertised on their website and paid a £300.00 deposit by bank transfer. No receipt arrived. Two days after confirming the booking, my husband suddenly collapsed and died, putting all our plans, including three months in Paignton, into disarray. I contacted Michelle straight away to cancel and asked whether, given the circumstances, she might refund the deposit. She said she was sticking rigidly to the booking terms and would not refund it under any circumstances. She mentioned holiday insurance, but when I asked for a receipt, she said she would state that the deposit would be refunded if she relet the flat, to prevent an insurance claim being granted. That felt spiteful when I was still reeling from my husband’s sudden death. I’d have no way to know whether it had been relet. Michelle’s response to my review is inaccurate, so I want to clarify a few things. She says I can check the website calendar to see if the flat is relet, but the winter months aren’t shown there; the website says to phone for winter availability, so I’d have to take her word for it. I don’t deny being told the deposit was non-refundable. I just hoped some compassion might be shown after my husband’s unexpected death, two days after booking a stay six months away. It wasn’t. On the length of the stay, Michelle said the limit was 28 days, but that she could work around it by moving us to another of her flats, not by asking us to stay elsewhere for a week as she claims. I wondered if that was so we’d keep spending money with her. Money seemed to be her priority. Nearly two weeks after paying, no invoice had arrived at my son’s address. Having to request a receipt instead of receiving one automatically doesn’t seem like good practice. She says she was helpful, but I found her obstructive and uncooperative at a very distressing time. There’s no email address, which made communication harder. It had to be by phone or post, neither of which is satisfactory for confirming what was said. I also wasn’t given the owner’s surname. In hindsight, the way of doing business seemed odd and unprofessional. I suppose they’re entitled to apply their rules and keep compassion out of it, but I certainly wouldn’t want to give them my business again. These are the people you’ll be booking with, so bear that in mind. I wouldn’t expect much care if you ran into a problem.