View Full Version : advice needed.. in FL now!
I would appreciate advice. We are staying in a villa in Orlando for 2 week stay..... we are halfway through the holiday. When we arrived the pool and Jacuzzi were very cold. (it is october) pool heating was included in the price agreed up front with the villa owner.... we have had good communication with the owner. The mangment company got someone out to look at the pool and then it became clear that it needed replacing get so the owner arranged for several quotes. He is having to replace the pool heater at some considerable expense... obviously we are very dissapointed. He has offered for us to stay a few extra days but we don't have flexible flights. It was important to us that we had a pool as our young adult son is holidaying with us and particularly a Jacuzzi as I have a medical condition which benefits from the warm water (although I didn't mention to the owner )...what if anything could we expect from the owner as recompense for the lack of heating in the pool. ? We tried to use it with cold water but it's just too cold to sit in the Jacuzzi and even our bold son couldn't fully immerse in the pool.... advice welcome....PS .the owner has been very friendly and helpful.
Surprised that the pool is very cold. We only have our solar heating on and when we arrived yesterday it was at 94 degrees. We nipped over to our neighbour who has no pool heating and his pool was sitting at a much pleasanter 85 degrees.
I think that all you can expect is a refund of the amount that you paid for pool heating.
Andrena
steph_goodrum
23-10-2013, 05:07
Under the circumstances I would suggest that you contact the owner and see if they can find either a way to enable you to either move to a villa with a heated pool for the remainder of your stay or guarantee they get the heater installed in the next day or so. Yes it is expensive but that isn't your fault and the heated pool/jacuzzi is obviously one of the major factors in the enjoyment of your holiday. That is more important than them/you deciding what you want AFTER the holiday it should be turned round to try and get the remainder of your holiday at least what you paid for. If you paid spearately for pool heat then it should be offered a full refund anyway imo.
To answer your question - you can expect the refund of the pool heat charge.
Hi Joolz,
I'm no lawyer, so the following advice is worth exactly how much you have paid for it, but here's how I see things ...
First, the villa you arrived at was not as described, i.e. you didn't have the pool and spa heating that you paid for. At this point I believe that you had the right to a *full* refund as long as you do not accept the villa as it is ... i.e. you didn't stay there, you found an alternative that fits your requirements and you stayed there instead. That's the black-and-white approach.
As you are half way through your holiday, that didn't happen so things might be a bit more complicated. It might well depend on what you agreed with the owner in terms of the time you would allow to resolve the pool heat issue. Typically this is how things work in the less black and white world. If you are happy to be without the pool heat for a couple of days while the owner gets it fixed, that's something that you agree between yourselves. If the fix isn't in place by the agreed time, then it's as per above and I believe you would have the right to cancel and find an alternative villa at that point ... or go around the loop again and agree another date-to-fix with the owner.
That all sounds a bit formal but in reality it should be anything but. Both you and the owner should both be wanting to achieve the same thing ... that is you having a brilliant holiday. For sure, mechanical things can and do break down. There is no avoiding that. But most things, including pool heaters and air conditioners, can be replaced within two or three working days. These are expensive items but an owner should be budgeting to have the funds in place to replace these things when they need replacing. As well as acknowledging that mechanical things can break down, one also has to acknowledge that mechanical things also have a finite working life and budget to replace them when they are approaching the end of that expected working life.
So where does that leave you now? As you are one week in to a two week holiday, perhaps not in the best position.
I would say you still retain the right to agree a time to fix the pool heater with the owner, and then move to an alternative villa at that point if the pool heater is not fixed. If you felt that necessary I would imagine that the owner would be due to refund you pro-rata for the number of nights that you have cancelled, plus the full cost of the pool heat for the whole of your stay. Basically - the cost of the service(s) that you have not received.
Is this something that you should consider? I think only you can decide that as only you have all the facts? How does the owner seem to be handling this? Are they coming at it from the point of getting things fixed for you as quickly as possible? Or are they coming at it from the point of trying to minimise their costs? The two are seldom compatible and villa owners often have to try to do their best to find the most appropriate point in the middle. Do you really like the villa and want to stay there? Would it be a huge amount of faff for you to find an alternative and move there, possibly costing you a day of your holiday? It's a really tough decision and I can really only sympathise with you for having to make it.
OK, what else? From your post it sounds like the villa owner is genuinely trying to get this resolved for you and that they want to help. Offering you a few days extra is a really nice gesture, and not without a significant cost to the owner as villas do cost a fortune to operate. If you can't use these extra few days this trip, would it be something that you and your villa owner could consider for your next trip? Maybe add on a couple of extra days gratis?
A final thought? And I know this is a bit left field. If you want to spend a bit of time having fun in some warm water, how about heading over to one of the Gulf Coast beaches for a day? The sea on the Gulf side should be lovely and warm at this time of the year. The Atlantic side will still be cold, it always is, but whenever we've been over to the Gulf the sea has been really, really warm. It might work out that if you have a day or two at the beach the owner will get the pool heater replaced in those days, and then you're all set to enjoy the rest of your holiday.
If you want to check the Gulf Coast water temperature, NOAA currently have a really good tool at:
http://www.nodc.noaa.gov/dsdt/cwtg/egof_tmap.html
(The water temperature at Tampa is showing at the moment at 85 degrees).
Joolz I had a similar experience last December. The pool heating packed up after about 7 days, we were there for 21 days so needed it fixed. They management company had to get a replacement part for the control box which took about 4 days to get it installed. After that was installed the pool lights didn't work but a least the pool was very warm. They never managed to get the lights to work before we left but the owner refunded us 50% of the pool heating cost for the inconvenience which I thought was more than fair, as these things happen.
SteveandJan
23-10-2013, 11:29
Hi. I'm sorry to hear that you are disappointed. I would agree with what Steve has said.
You have arrived to find the pool heat not working since your arrival and you're into the first part of your holiday. If we, as villa owners ourselves had been in this situation, we would have done everything in our power to ensure that the pool heater was replaced within a few days regardless of the cost as that is what we are here to provide you with a great service and fantastic holiday. It's not for you to be worrying about the expense of the pool heater. As Steve has said owners have to budget for these long term investments. We would have also offered to refund the pool heat for those unused days and have provided a gift card for a restaurant as a gesture of goodwill at the very start of the pool heat problem. Owners do need to take responsibility for the maintenance of their villa so the guest's enjoyment is not prohibited in any way as for many these trips are a "lifetime" trip and may not be returning year on year.
We replaced our pool heater last year, we made that decision on it being 10 years old and the likelihood of it requiring replacement was very imminent and we did not want happen was for it to fail when we had guests in; it would have happened during the winter months when the pool heater is most used. Of course, we can't make contingency plans for every kind of defect or mechanical breakdown but you are now halfway through your holiday and it is sufficient time for it to be replaced. As Steve said villas do cost a fortune to run, so extra days is a gesture of goodwill, but if you're without pool heat it is of no use.
Hope you manage to get it resolved and hope you enjoy the rest of your holiday. The owners has been very forthcoming in communication so I hope the new pool heater is up and running soon and you can have a stress free holiday and do get to go over to the Gulf coast.
floridavillas
23-10-2013, 12:41
When you say pool heating was included in the price, did the owner give you separate price for the rental and the pool heating?. The reason why I ask is that some owners provide and all inclusive quote which is where you may have difficulty. If however they have quoted a separate price for the pool heating, then I would say that the owners sound as if they have done all they can under the circumstances and I am sure they will offer some form of compensation for the inconvenience. I do hope that the owners can arrange for the pool heater to be replaced very soon because as other home owners have said a pool heater can be replaced quite easily within a few days. If they can't then I think you need to consider staying in another villa for the rest of your stay if you really need the use of a pool. I am sure if you contact the owners they will understand your disappointment and the need for a warm pool for your son. Good luck whatever the outcome and enjoy the rest of your stay in Orlando.
Thanks for all your replies.
The new heater will be installed on Monday... we leave wed.
We are waiting for management company to arrive to sort out another issue. So will speak with them........
SteveandJan
23-10-2013, 14:33
Joolz, sorry to hear you have another issue to deal with during your important vacation time. It's good to hear the owners are now installing a new pool heater but sadly far too late for you to enjoy.
florida4sun
23-10-2013, 14:43
Sorry but that makes no difference. If pool heat is included, it should be provided payment terms makes no difference. If I have my car serviced and it includes 'free' oil, they need to put oil in the car. If not they have broken contract.
When you say pool heating was included in the price, did the owner give you separate price for the rental and the pool heating?. The reason why I ask is that some owners provide and all inclusive quote which is where you may have difficulty. If however they have quoted a separate price for the pool heating, then I would say that the owners sound as if they have done all they can under the circumstances and I am sure they will offer some form of compensation for the inconvenience. I do hope that the owners can arrange for the pool heater to be replaced very soon because as other home owners have said a pool heater can be replaced quite easily within a few days. If they can't then I think you need to consider staying in another villa for the rest of your stay if you really need the use of a pool. I am sure if you contact the owners they will understand your disappointment and the need for a warm pool for your son. Good luck whatever the outcome and enjoy the rest of your stay in Orlando.
Resolution.......
Thank you all for your replies. They helped us make our decision about what to-do. We contacted the owner who has been EXTREMELY understanding and has offered us our money back for the second week of our holiday. Then we spoke with the local management company who have found us another villa which we shall move to tomorrow...the new villa has a heated pool. Many thanks for everyone's help and ideas. Looking forward to a warm swim tomorrow.
steph_goodrum
24-10-2013, 07:00
That sounds like a perfect solution to at least get some more pleasure from your 2nd week. As owners we can never guarantee that things won't go wrong (and as we know with our own homes we live in - Murphys law says that 2/3 things will always go wrong together) but it is how the situation is dealt with that makes the difference. It sounds like everbody involved worked well together to solve it rather than have heated debate about who is at fault as can happen. Enjoy the rest of your holiday and have a grreat swim:)
FraserLynn
24-10-2013, 07:07
I am sure that this has caused some disappointment during your holiday, but it does sound like everyone has tried to do their best and find a good solution. As I have said before, there has to be an element of trust in this whole process and this sounds to me like another Villa owner leading with doing the right thing... Fantastic. I hope you get to enjoy the rest of your holiday.
SteveandJan
24-10-2013, 08:23
I'm pleased to hear it has been resolved and you are going to another villa so can enjoy the pool. Have a lovely holiday
floridavillas
24-10-2013, 11:36
Sorry but that makes no difference. If pool heat is included, it should be provided payment terms makes no difference. If I have my car serviced and it includes 'free' oil, they need to put oil in the car. If not they have broken contract.
Sorry Martin I have to disagree with you on this point. Owners do provide things on a complimentary basis eg phone, internet and also pool/spa heating. Things unfortunately do go wrong and it is how you deal with it is what counts. Most guests are understanding that things happen as in this case and the owners have done their best.
I have posted this response again as it would appear that my orginal reply was removed - no idea why though???
daisey10
24-10-2013, 22:43
I am happy to hear everything worked out for you and the owner of your villa is a very up right person.
Similar thing happened to us.
We went for around three weeks one winter and paid for pool heat. The pool was never right - it was emptying overnight though not sure where the water was going (maybe leaking from a pipe underground). Every morning the level was down maybe 18 inches (maybe more). Anyway, the pool maintenance guys were there every day but it never really got fixed. Not only did we not have heating, for most days we didn't have a pool. Of the 21 days we had access to the pool, maybe 8 days. We had a pool with heating, maybe 3 days.
We emailed the owner but did not get any refund at all. Didn't pursue it - life's too short (stuff happens). Turns out the villa was up for sale and there was obviously a quite messy split going on. Fairly obvious that the owner(s) had stopped caring about the villa - we had used it before and it had been outstanding. Apart from anything else, they must have been out a fortune for water bills so hey ho. Just decided not to go back to that villa again.
Also, I absolutely take on board that the pool was cold but I don't really understand how this is. A few years ago, we rented a villa in May/June and our friends rented the villa next door. Neither of us paid for pool heating but, while our pool was a lovely temperature, theirs was absolutely freezing. You simply could not use it. The pools were similar size, same aspect so can anyone help explain how one was lovely and the other was icy cold?
Also, I absolutely take on board that the pool was cold but I don't really understand how this is. A few years ago, we rented a villa in May/June and our friends rented the villa next door. Neither of us paid for pool heating but, while our pool was a lovely temperature, theirs was absolutely freezing. You simply could not use it. The pools were similar size, same aspect so can anyone help explain how one was lovely and the other was icy cold?
This is a wild guess as so many things can affect this; but perhaps the pool had been heated for the guests who were in your villa just before you.
Around May/June you are just starting to come into the time of the year where pools won't lose a lot of heat overnight. Similarly they won't gain much through the day either, but it's the overnight loss of heat that makes pools feel cold. If the pool was warm to begin with it might just have stayed that way.
Another explanation might be that you had pool heat even though you hadn't ordered it. For example we include pool heat year round as standard for exactly the reason you have described. Having a warm pool that you can jump straight into makes such a huge difference in how much you enjoy the whole experience. Sure, it costs us a bit more, but the benefit is hugely happy guests who come back year after year. We also find that at the shoulder ends of the summer (May/June, September/October) the pool heater doesn't have to work too hard as the pool tends not to drop a huge amount of temperature overnight. The heater kicks in for a couple of hours each morning and before you know it the pool is back to a dreamy 89 degrees.
Solar pool heat would be another explanation but I would guess you would have noticed that if you had it.
If you used the pool blanket and your friends didn't that could also explain it. There are also thin film products you can get for pools in place of a blanket. When the water is still they create a microscopic film on the surface that helps to keep the heat in the pool. You wouldn't notice it, it's just there instead of a blanket. Some owners claim to have had great results with these products.
Thanks for taking the time to reply Steve. Much of what you say makes sense but I wondered if there was something else.
I suppose I should have qualified what we would consider to be 'a lovely temperature' - that is quite cool and fresh when you initially go into the water but becoming comfortable once your body adapts to the temperature. Then you can float about on the lilo, listening to music and let the time drift by. We visit frequently at this time of year and our pool was pretty much what you would expect.
Next door's pool was freezing though and we wondered if it was being filled faster (with very cold water). In any event, their pool was simply unusable even though the weather was in the 90s. Our friends contacted the management company who came and switched the heating on - actually too much because it ended up like a warm bath but that's another story. We wondered if the plumbing for their pool was somehow different from ours and it was being filled all the time with very cold water.
florida4sun
06-11-2013, 09:43
Nothing to do with plumbing. Could be they had a slightly larger or deeper pool. Positioning makes a big difference. They could be lying in the water table and yours not. Shadows cast by property can make a big difference too. They may well have had a chiller running by mistake. Some pools (mostly kn the coast) actually need chilling to bring the temp down. If it was real icy and yours not, I would suspect that to be the case.
Thanks for taking the time to reply Steve. Much of what you say makes sense but I wondered if there was something else.
I suppose I should have qualified what we would consider to be 'a lovely temperature' - that is quite cool and fresh when you initially go into the water but becoming comfortable once your body adapts to the temperature. Then you can float about on the lilo, listening to music and let the time drift by. We visit frequently at this time of year and our pool was pretty much what you would expect.
Next door's pool was freezing though and we wondered if it was being filled faster (with very cold water). In any event, their pool was simply unusable even though the weather was in the 90s. Our friends contacted the management company who came and switched the heating on - actually too much because it ended up like a warm bath but that's another story. We wondered if the plumbing for their pool was somehow different from ours and it was being filled all the time with very cold water.