Font Gites legal advice (Read 14941 times)

andyd · September 05, 2013, 03:14:34 pm

I like the knives you get in the packet with the donkey-dick sausage in Carrefore for €2.

Jim · September 05, 2013, 03:38:21 pm

always take your own pillow(s) and sharp chef's knife

roddersm · September 05, 2013, 04:27:06 pm

Quote from: andyd on September 05, 2013, 10:52:31 am

Quote from: roddersm on September 04, 2013, 10:45:07 pm
Yeah for reference the place is http://www.cheznous.com/248837/chez-diana-seine-et-marne.aspx

..and its nowhere near as nice as it looks, easily the worst gite I've stayed in in 6 or so visits and most expensive (not including the hike!).... was recommended the place after the owner of the gite we usually stay in let us down last minute due to family coming or something.... if I could get a refund I'd be happy to move for sure.

Looks like a complete rip-off before the price hike. £100 a night but only sleeps 2?

Interesting that they don't mention climbing in their long list of activities available within 20 min drive. Perhaps they've never come across such a discernible community before!

Yeah it is a rip off already we know, another Gite owner let us down after we had booked and recommended this one as a last minute alternative. We took it at face value that this place would be nice, despite the (over)price and didn't want to go hunting for gites as our dates were fixed. The place is shit,certainly the description is an embellishment to say the least but it's the owner trying to con us that is the main issue right now.... Gite owner no 1 has offered to intervene on our behalf but will see how it goes when we politefully decline to pay any additional charges.

Interesting one about the credit card might look into that one too.

Paul B · September 05, 2013, 07:53:16 pm

We had similar happen to us when we booked accommodation in Spain (nr. Riglos). We (actually Nat) politely told them that we weren't paying the additional amount as the mistake was theirs and we would have sought accommodation elsewhere if we'd known the 'actual' price at which point the owner politely conceded and didn't trouble us again.
Actually we didn't see them again and when it was time to leave we had to just leave the keys in the porch area.

roddersm · September 05, 2013, 07:55:20 pm

Ok quick update, had a conversation with the gite owner.... it didn't go well, all sorts of suspicious goings on here no doubt about it.

She is adamant that despite her making a mistake with the price (due to her brother being in hospital), that her father is the boss and he wants 500euro and that is that. She claims he is a lawyer and that unless we have a contract signed on-site we have no legal agreement...she has kids to raise and there is an accounting shortfall and all sorts of other nonsense... honestly never seen anything like this in my life.. apparently we can't speak with her father either, everything goes through her.

I've requested all the details in writing - who is in charge, why the price has changed etc. but I won't hold my breath. I think she has pocketed the money and claiming that we haven't paid maybe...

Luckily another local gite owner who recommended her said she will contact her father to find out what is going on.

On top of all this its too flipping hot out here..... the trip from hell so far!

mrjonathanr · September 05, 2013, 08:16:27 pm

Quote from: roddersm on September 05, 2013, 07:55:20 pm

O unless we have a contract signed on-site we have no legal agreement

ie the French law of contract only exists in respect of hand-signed documents? No other behaviours, documentation or verbal agreements can constitute a contract? She thinks you were born yesterday.

However if she's right, you're under no obligation to pay a centime as no contract between you exists....

Oldmanmatt · September 05, 2013, 08:33:35 pm

The local tourist office or Mayors office, with copies of your correspondence.

I owned a Gite in France (well, my parents but we all ran it) for 10 years or so. French law is very, very heavily weighted to the tenant and I suspect the Mayors office would refer it straight to the Police National as fraud.

roddersm · September 05, 2013, 09:04:24 pm

Thanks Matt! Yes we are definitely thinking fraud here, that she didn't declare the original payment and now has a black hole in the company accounts.

Looking back at the email correspondence with my partner, she originally requested 500euro in her personal account and another to another account... she then changed her mind and the second went in her personal account too.

Yeah this is an omnishambles for sure, should have seen the warning signs earlier but as we were put in contact by someone we trust we were naïve. You live and learn, just need to get out of this pickle in one piece and actually get some climbing done. This will be a long night.....

Nibile · September 05, 2013, 11:59:45 pm

I thought about tax fraud first!!!
Again, be polite and do not change anything. Do not agree on anything with her.

Luke Owens · September 06, 2013, 10:46:07 am

What a nightmare! Hope you get things sorted! It does sound like she's pocketed the cash.

We're currently looking for a gite to stay in for the end of October, certainly won't be this one! Makes me want to pitch a tent instead...

danm · September 06, 2013, 11:37:04 am

Good luck getting things sorted.

Thankfully this sort of thing is pretty rare. Stayed in gites more than a dozen times myself now, never had any bother whatsoever.

SA Chris · September 06, 2013, 11:42:31 am

Ask advice on the bleau.info forum?

http://bleau.info/forum/

Nibile · September 11, 2013, 09:07:17 am

Happy ending?

roddersm · September 17, 2013, 06:24:00 pm

Hey all, sorry had no internet access for a while there...

After getting the tourist information in font (who were fantastic btw) to call the gite owner she asked us to leave the gite and she would refund our money which we were very happy to do ... well thats a condensed version, she got a bit aggressive and changed her mind then on the refund after we had packed, I threatened to get the police and eventually wrote us a (british) cheque which I expect may bounce but hey ho ... anyway we moved into another gite and did some climbing and are en route home now so yeah it was a reasonably happy ending to a nightmare start to the trip. Seems a long time ago now...

Thanks very much for all the advice, it really was a great help.

Ti_pin_man · September 17, 2013, 06:57:01 pm

ace result, hope cheque isn't made of rubber.

Oldmanmatt · September 17, 2013, 08:36:40 pm

Glad it was a good trip in the end.

roddersm · September 27, 2013, 02:15:42 pm

OK just a quick update... as per expected the cheque we were given has bounced due to insufficient funds. I'm guessing going through the French courts for 1000euro is a waste of time so perhaps we'll get some joy through the credit card company. You live and learn I suppose....

Cheers,

Rodders.

petejh · September 27, 2013, 02:50:10 pm

Christ what a nightmare. In hindsight do you think it would have been possible to refuse to leave until she gave you a refund in cash?

This from her gite webpage http://www.cheznous.com/248837/chez-diana-seine-et-marne.aspx

Quote

I look forward to seeing you in my pretty gite which retains the 'spirit' of past days and the end of the 18th Century.

I take it she means the highway robbery.

At least by spreading the bad word about her gite as widely as possible you can take a little solace in the fact she's likely to lose out on a lot of potential customers.

roddersm · September 27, 2013, 03:36:41 pm

Quote from: petejh on September 27, 2013, 02:50:10 pm

Christ what a nightmare. In hindsight do you think it would have been possible to refuse to leave until she gave you a refund in cash?

Honestly mate I couldn't have done it, the trip would have been hell. At least we had a decent week enjoying the climbing and being in font rather than being stressed out as to what she may do to our stuff while we were out each day ...it was that bad.

As soon as she put in writing she would refund us I was out of there, even though I didn't trust her to follow through at least we have evidence that she agreed a refund.

The mistake was booking there in the first place... I'm sure not many climbers will end up there but take my word for it stay clear of this place, this woman is a total fraud.

battery · September 27, 2013, 04:12:05 pm

We've stayed in that place previously, not sure what we paid for it as my other half booked it but we did find it, and her, a little strange. it isn't great but it wasn't the worst place in the world... once we'd removed the family photos and teddies which I thought was a bit creepy! The rats in the garden didn't come near the house but were a little unsettling.

She struck me as a really sad and lonely (and weird) lady, every time she saw us we would be stuck for ages listening to her life story. I do remember something about her Dad being a lawyer. She's a Brit, staying near Paris so the kids can see their dad after a messy divorce. She was running activities for kids as it was school holidays and doing all sorts to earn money so fraud would not surprise me.

The accommodation recommendations thread is a brilliant idea, will contribute later.

slackline · September 27, 2013, 04:17:44 pm

Is this not a case for going with Gites registered with Gites-de-France or does that provide no additional reassurance?

Quote from: battery on September 27, 2013, 04:12:05 pm

The accommodation recommendations thread is a brilliant idea, will contribute later.

If you can be bothered to add them to the Wiki that would be useful.

SA Chris · September 30, 2013, 01:59:02 pm

Maybe some feedback on trip advisor or similar too?

highrepute · September 30, 2013, 07:35:35 pm

did you have holiday insurance? they might pay up something.

roddersm · September 30, 2013, 07:50:28 pm

Quote from: battery on September 27, 2013, 04:12:05 pm

We've stayed in that place previously, not sure what we paid for it as my other half booked it but we did find it, and her, a little strange. it isn't great but it wasn't the worst place in the world... once we'd removed the family photos and teddies which I thought was a bit creepy! The rats in the garden didn't come near the house but were a little unsettling.

She struck me as a really sad and lonely (and weird) lady, every time she saw us we would be stuck for ages listening to her life story. I do remember something about her Dad being a lawyer. She's a Brit, staying near Paris so the kids can see their dad after a messy divorce. She was running activities for kids as it was school holidays and doing all sorts to earn money so fraud would not surprise me.

The accommodation recommendations thread is a brilliant idea, will contribute later.

Yeah fits with our experience of her. I'd feel sorry for her but for the fact she tried, well succeeded actually it seems, to rip us off. Obviously she was desperate for the cash but that's no excuse. She is a very twisted and strange individual, I couldn't post half of it because you'd have to meet her to believe some of her antics...

Slack_line yeah in future I'd stick with Gites de France, we used to but usually they are a bit less flexible with the dates.

No holiday insurance unfortunately...