In urgent need of advice!
I'm a single mum of 3 boys, I work 6 days days a week to try to give them the life they deserve, this included saving up for our very first holiday. We have been saving our butts off for the last 2 years, making alot of sacrifices to make the trip happen.
We had it all booked for march of next year and were finally getting close!! It's honestly all the 4 of us have talked about for the last 18 months 😁
However this Saturday morning I woke to find that the accommodation that we had booked and paid for on the Gold Coast.... it was a privately owned apartment in a well known family holiday resort....has been sold.
Originally I booked through a booking site, but then due to covid we had to cancel, the owner's said we could reuse the $1200 we had already paid towards a future booking or they couldn't afford to reimburse. So we just kept the credit with them, however when I went to re book, I couldn't do it through the site any longer due to them already having my $1200 from the previous booking, so I just went direct through them. We re booked and paid the remainder.
They have since sold the apartment without telling us that they were or had and I received a random text from the new owner saying that as it was a private booking, I needed to get my refund from the previous owner and that was that. He will no longer answer any texts (this was the first I heard about anything).
I immediately contacted the previous owner, they refuse to answer but have text me that the contract stated that it covered all current bookings.
I'm guessing because it was private and not through the booking site, the new owner doesn't want to honour it and the old owners don't think its their responsibility.
I haven't slept or eaten the last 2 days, I'm a wreck, I have no idea what to do, I can't afford to lose that sort of money. If I don't get a refund I will have to cancel the trip, but we have already paid for flights, and themeparks... everything except our spending money. The kids are devastated..
Does anyone know where I stand or where I can go from here?? I'm so distraught and confused, I don't have support around me either so at a loss as to what to do next!
16 Replies
First of all, contact the booking website, your bank and also ACCC. Provide information and get advice. Actually, contact ACCC first. They have always helped me.
I'm so so sorry this happened to you. We just came back from GC, staying at a privately owned apartment in one of the hotels. I totally understand that sick feeling as we've been scammed before but not for accommodation.
Plz provide us with an update because this is not right at all.
That's not fair! Could you contact previous owner again, explain situation again, send proof that you paid privately and that you're seeking further advice if it's not refunded? Is there a way to leave a public review, leave what you've written here hopefully that gets them to pull their finger out and sort it out for you.
I've tried, they are both blaming each other..
Try the resort itself? I know it's privately owned, but they would be bound by a contract with high standards surely or that would bring their brand down, this might go against that. Doesn't hurt to try!
Go through your bank and lodge a dispute. Show them all paperwork and text message regarding the agreement.
Could we do a little fundraiser to get 1200 to this desperate mumma?
I'm willing to put in 100.
No need to do this. There are ways she can get her money back.
Not in an anonymous setting like this. The OPs situation sounds legit but there are so many scammers out there.
Lodge a dispute with your bank. Also ring ACCC today. This is so wrong. You poor mum. I live on the Gold Coast in a resort . I wish I could give you our place for that time.
❤️
Is this turtle beach resort? I know many of them sold off during covid. Where ever it is, they’d had a private in house rental agent. How did you book it. Contact the resort itself and see what they recommend you do.
I have tried this, they take no responsibility as it was a privately owned apartment
Go public with it then. Write on the resorts google page as a review explaining the whole dilemma they would have some kind of control over the units being strata, things seem to happen when you make it public.
Contact dept of fair trading so they can tell you who is liable for it, then go to them letting them know you have legal advice that they are responsible under xyz and you require a refund by (end of week) or you will take it further. Then take it to small claims court ( if that’s what the advice says you can do)
Send Jacqui Felgate a DM via insta 👌 she is amazing about getting these types of stories out there and resolving issues 👌
Do you know the persons name who you paid money to? Stalk their Facebook get their photo and tell them if they don’t give you the money owed then, you’ll have it known publicly what they
Did