UPDATE - RE SECURITY BOND

[Susan]

Thought you might like to know the outcome of my dispute regarding the security bond.

I returned from Orlando on 28/12 after a fantastic two week holiday. I was absolutely devastated to find an email waiting for me at work today from the villa owner (not one of this sites, unfortunately I found this link after I booked) saying that the person who manages their villa said that when we left:

1 The garage door was left wide open (we didn't use the garage at all during the whole of our stay).
2 We stained one of the cushions (it was already stained when we arrived and I assumed it had been there for some time).
3 I took all the cleaning products home with me ???? (I am speechless!!!)

Therefore the security bond would be reduced!

I replied to the owner totally refuting these claims and am awaiting a response.

Can anyone give me any advice on how to deal with this.

This is the reply from the owner's agent:

'We have now heard from the owners of the villa who have spoken to the lady that manages our villa. Apparently there has been a little confusion as the cleaner only speaks Spanish. She was not accusing you of stealing the cleaning products, it was just that our villa was not stocked with them so she could not clean the house straight away. We had to pay her extra to move the furniture back and to clean the sofa, thus we will refund your security deposit to the value of £80 to cover the cleaners cost - hope this is satisfactory. With regards the garage door being open, the lady who manages the villa says that it was left open twice during your stay and not at the end when you left, as previously thought. Not to worry though, this will have to remain a mystery as you say you never opened the garage door - no harm done.'

I will accept the £80 and put this down to experience, but I have replied and asked them why I am paying for the sofa to be cleaned when the stain was on the cushion?? I also asked who else had keys to the villa as we were quite un-nerved one morning to hear a key in the lock and the door being opened. In walked a pest control man who apologised and said he didn't know anyone was staying. (The car on the drive should have been a clue!!). I said again I DID NOT USE THE GARAGE.

I have not had a response the this yet. As I said I'll draw a line under it now (albeit grudgingly).

Thanks to everyone who replied. I will definitely book my next villa through this site and have already passed it on to others.

Many thanks.

[hamptonlakes]

I would of thought that the cleaner would bring her own cleaning products and if not they would locked in a cupboard - sorry to here about the experience you have had and i agree that a villa through one of these sites is the best way to go

Good luck

[Beverley]

Hi Susan,
How much security deposit did you pay?
Are you saying that your deposit has deducted £80 because the cleaner had to move furniture & clean a stain on 1 cushion?
I don't think I would accept that. I have just had a 3 piece suite and 1 large carpet cleaned for that amount.

[Nostromo]

This entire episode smells a bit fishy to me. I think someone should check out on this " speaking only Spanish" thing. It sounds like the whole story was quickly changed after Susan refused to buckle down and pay-up. Can it be that a previous tenant's misdeeds were being passed off to Susan?

[steph_goodrum]

I'd certainly recommend to the villa owner that the lady who manages her villa should look at her housekeeping arrangements. If (as she says ) the garage door wasa left open twice during your stay, how and when did she know this? Somebody must have told her, incorrectly, anyway if you didn't open it, so they probably got the wrong house, but why were you not telephoned after the first occasion it was supposed to have happened and asked to ensure it remained locked when not in use, rather than wait until yuo had left to tell you.
In the same way we ask our guest to notify us if they have a problem the same should happen in reverse to give chance to rectify it.
As for the cleaner only speaking Spanish, I don't believe they would employ staff with whom they are unable to communicate properly, at least they are very foolish if they do, with communication being the biggest key to maintaining high standards and good staff relations. I don't see why you should have to pay her to put the furniture back, does she normally only clean the bits she can see then?
At least you've found a more reliable source for your next holiday.

[athurstance]

I'm glad it wasn't just me who thought it was a bit odd about the furniture - I was kind of assuming cleaners did move the furniture if they needed to clean under it.
I agree with Steph it doesn't sound quite right to me. There do seem to be a lot of people involved - owners agent, manager, owner, cleaner - so perhaps communication is not what it could be. Usually when you book a villa direct with the owner (like on this site) you would deal just with the owner and the property manager which should mean these kind of miscommunications don't happen.
Myself I wouldn't worry too much about a stain on a cushion - it is the kind of thing that can happen to anyone - so I certainly wouldn't withold a security deposit for something so trivial.

[skippy]

I certainly don't like the sound of anything that happened to you.
As said before when booking from a villa owner only other contact should be management co. I wouldn't like to wake up hearing someone using a key to gain entry.

Sue http://www.villasflorida.com/villaview.asp?villa=1012

[floridadreamvilla.co.uk]

Sounds more than a little odd to me. I would fully expect cleaners to bring their own cleaning products and things with them and have never heard of them doing anything other than this. Also moving sofas and beds I would consider as part of any clean and should not be subject to extra charge.

As you say, probably best to put it down to excperience now [msnsmile]