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dave21478
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Dunno what to do really. part of me thinks "meh, its not my problem...." but...well, see what you think.....

 

I have a family of 7 in the big gite this week - parents and a bunch of teenage kids and some cousins iirc. All arrived on saturday and everything was fine. Paid by cheque, which I havent banked yet, along with another cheque for the security deposit.

Anyway, tuesday night, they were there, and when I left to go out early on wednesday morning their car was still there. When I came back wednesday afternoon, their car was gone and there is a big pair of wheel-spin marks across the grass. They evidently left in a hurry. I havent seen them since. Its now only thursday evening, but it doesnt look like they are coming back tonight either. all their stuff is still in the gite.

I just find it a little strange that someone would travel all the way from Cherbourg to near Albi (9-10 hours drive) for a weeks gite holiday and then spend half of it somewhere else, especially as they appear to have left all their clothes etc here. (I had a peek through the windows today)

 

Any thoughts?

 

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[quote user="dave21478"]Dunno what to do really. part of me thinks "meh, its not my problem...."

Any thoughts?[/quote]

I've got a horrible feeling it could well be your problem. [:'(]

Do you really know they have left 'everything' if you haven't entered the gite?

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Well, I'd get that cheque banked tooot-sweet.

We did have some guests disappear once, but there was a perfectly simple explanation for that - they went to Futuroscope, got lost on the way home in the middle of the night and ended up in Bordeaux.

Yours sound much more interesting. I assume that they are outlanders: do you have a 'phone number for them?

If it were me, after 24 hours I think I would be justified in entering the property to check that all was well: a landlord is allowed to do so in a matter of urgency...they may have left a note.

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Tressy, the gite has big glass doors looking into the living room, kitchen and one of the bedrooms. None of the shutters have been shut. The bedroom has an open suitcase on the floor with loads of clothes in it, the living room is scattered with their stuff, a few jumpers on chairs etc lots of shoes piled next to the door, and the kitchen has a coolbox on the floor, and a few packets of food etc on the countertops.

 

I dont have a mobile number for them, just their home number in cherbourg. (they are French by the way). The people in the other gite on site havent seen anything of them either. they also left early wednesday (market day in the next town).

I think if I havent seen them by lunchtime tomorrow, I will pop in and have a look, that will be over 48 hours since their car was last seen anyway. I hate the idea of rummaging around when a guest is staying, its not something I wouldever  normally do, but as you say, they may have left a message. Dont know what else I can do really...fortunately there is no booking for the gite for the following week, so Im not in a fix if they havent showed by saturday, but their stuff obviously cant stay here forever.

 I just find it all a little strange.

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[quote user="dave21478"]... I just find it all a little strange.[/quote]

Hi Dave.[:)]

No kidding - it is a little odd. 

I hope nothing bad has happened to them, but I also hope you get paid for the days they were in your property.

 

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Well it does sound bizarre and a little worrying.

Could your ring the Cherbourg number, you never know, there may be someone else there who might have a clue.

 

I would be tempted to go in and have a quick look around, as someone else said perhaps they have left a note.

 

IF they have not returned by Saturday I would pack their belongings into their suitcases and the rest in black bags so that the gite is clear.............................or would one need to leave things untouched and in place for the police if you have to call them.[8-)]

 

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[quote user="Christine Animal"]

They wouldn't have left their stuff if they weren't intending to come back.  With teenagers maybe they had a row and took one or some of them back to Cherbourg and then will come back down again

 

[/quote]

Yes, you would think they plan to return but a quick dash back to Cherbourg, I don't know,  that's one hell of a long journey.

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a ten hour drive each way....that would have to be a serious row!

 

Ok.... tomorrow, I will go in and have a look for a note. If there is nothing, Ill call their home number and see if there is any answer there. If there are still no clues, I will leave it untill saturday. I need to do the changeover for the other gite and once thats done, if they still havent showed Ill.....I willl.....dunno....call the cops?

 

 

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You never know what people will do.  When we were young on holiday in Spain there were a couple of English boys there on motorbikes, both called Bob, the two Bobs.  One suddenly got terrible toothache and disappeared.  He drove all the way back to England on his bike to see his dentist and then came all the way back down again!

Maybe these people received a call about a family member who had an accident or was suddenly taken ill, or maybe they realised they had forgotten the dog at home!

 

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They may simply have gone visiting.  Just sent directions to a friend who is visiting us for 2 nights next week whilst she is renting a gite for 10 days near Beziers - better tell her to tell the owner she is going away.  If I wanted to go off for a couple of days in my holiday (with just an overnight bag) I wouldn't necessarily think to let the gite owner know.  Being English I probably would if I saw them, but I do find our French guests much more private.  English guests always tell me where they have been for the day, French ones often don't and sometimes go to their rooms without speaking.  Not rude - just private.  Have you got their car number? If they don't turn up by tomorrow evening you could call the police to check if they have been involved in an accident.  They'll probably come back, perfectly Ok for them to pay for a gite they are not in if they want to.
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Well, its 3 oclock, and still no sign of them.

I went in earlier and had a quick look around. No note or any other obvious reason for them to have left, and what appears to be the majority, if not all, their posessions are still inside.

I phoned the only number I have for them, which is the home number in Cherbourg and there is no reply and no answering machine.

Nothing more I can do really, If they havent turned up by tomorrow morning, I will call the police and see what they suggest.

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I am surprised that you took a cheque from somebody who had not paid before they arrived. We normally ask for payment six weeks in advance and on the odd occasion that we take a booking at short notice we explain that we will require payment in cash before they can take the keys to their gite. Better safe than sorry! Hope your guests are OK.
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"There were seven of them in just one car? "

Christine, some of these people carrier type cars will easily take 7 people esp. as some of the party are teenagers who may not be large.

Another thought,

If they had not left belongings, clothes and shoes (which are expensive to replace) I would think they had given a duff cheque and done a runner however given the situation described I feel this is really odd.[blink]

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Moorejw, they paid a hefty deposit a while back, which has been banked - we dont take full payment upfront, we ask for a decent deposit then the rest on arrival - works fine for us. They have left me the cheque for the balance of the stay plus the security deposit.

They came in a blue Fiat people carrier - not the Multipla, the boxy one - Ulysee or Doblo I think. I dont have the reg number though.

 

when I looked around earlier, the stuff that is there is all the usual teenagers attire - fancy brand names and expensive looking, there is a games console and a few other electronic items, not the sort of thing you would abandon without good reason.

They are due to check out before 11am tomorrow.

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