Where do we stand ?

[Suandpete]

Actually it's not necessary for gites to be declared and registered

with their local Prefecture - at least not in Deux-Sèvres.  We are

registered with the area tourist authority who inspected us together

with a contingent from the Mairie and they told us we could choose to

be registered with the Prefecture if we wished (cost 50 euros) but that

it is not a requirement.

[Cerise]

Suandpete - comes down to the same thing - you are registered with the Mairie/local tourist autority, if Prefecture received a complaint they would contact them.  The main thing is (though as I said,lots are not) is that you are supposed to be registered somewhere!  We at local tourist office have received notice that we are not to advertise any properties which are not EITHER registered with Clévacances, GdF or Préfecture and definitely with local Mairie.  This bit of official goobledygook implied that things are being tightened up and I understand (may be wrong) that the person at Préfecture responsible for tourism is obliged to look into any complaints.  Miki may know more if he is around anywhere.

Maggi

[Suandpete]

Yeah I guess - although the requirement in this department only came in

when they started to charge Taxe de Séjour.  Certainly a complaint

in this instance would put the spotlight on to what sounds like an

extremely unsavoury gite.

[Miki]

Cerise,

As it stands now, one has an obligation to tell the Mairie about ones

CdH's and Gîtes, as well of course of informing the tax office.

Within the French govt, long discussions with G de Fr are still onward

going, as to the best way to ensure all places, such as B&B and

Gîtes are graded, if only to be able to inform the potential client as

to what the place contains, in the way of space, equipment, beds, rooms

etc. Although ones place will not need to be with G de Fr, (they are

though,  the spokespersons for this kind of hebergement) the

French govt want to see tighter regulations, due in no small way to the

boom in such places in the last decade (more so in the last 5 years)

and there is a real worry that tourism in France will fall, if too many

tourists start to complain in numbers about the state of some of these

places. It is a good idea, anyone who works hard to keep their places

fit for their clients would agree totally with the expected proposals.

This case shows you why it is neccessary. A hard earned holiday spoiled

by someone offering awful accommodation and at a price I think was

quite high. What time of year was it and whereabouts was the place, you

can tell us that, it does not infer it is anyone.

[nimportequoi]

Pip, I was a little shocked at the price you had to pay too, presumably it was late September? I don't charge that for our 2 bed cottage and we offer a heated pool too (and no damp inside!). 

Miki, I agree that it would be nice to have some kind of  grading, but I do have a problem with some of the very strict criteria specified by G de F and Clévacances - one of my (very old) cottages does not qualify for a grading automatically because there is a beam in the living area that is a couple of centimetres below the required 2m clearance height. Despite this the cottage is normally fully booked from March through to end October and I've never had any complaints and get a lot of repeats. In fact, a  lot of my French visitors say it is far more comfortable and better equipped than graded G de F gites they have stayed in, but I can't get the epis...!

[Lizzie15]

I have just read this,the place sounds awful.You should have complained at the beginning and given the owners the opportunity to do something about the problems .They presumably wouldn't have done and then you could have asked for a refund of the rental price.If they had fixed everything ( flying pigs time) all would have been well, if not at least you would be entitled to money back so that you could go elsewhere.You should have your security deposit returned in full unless you damaged something? Not all owners are like that! Some of us really DO care. Approaching the site the property is advertised on is a good idea,maybe they have had other complaints? Good luck and hopefully next time you'll have a much better experience .

[Miki]

No I wouldn't worry on that score Susan. Just being good enough to be

graded will be enough, it is not being graded at all, that will be the

worry for some. It won't be a witch hunt, just a way of sifting the

awful stuff out of the market place.

G de Fr or anyone, hopefully,  will not have the powers to

individually grade, more to say whether the place is up to an

acceptable standard to let to tourists. That I think is what is needed,

then if anyone wishes to join somewhere that grades (for want to show,

rightly or wrongly, to how high a standard their plce(s) are, such as

G de Fr etc)  that will be their choice.

[Cerise]

Thanks Miki - my understanding too.  As the CSG bill has just dropped through the door - as they do at this time of year - feel very uncharitable towards those who are not registered anywhere.  I'm not personally with GdF but agree that there should be some sort of benchmark.  I'm sure tourists (guilty of this myself) don't give a thought to things like insurance and presume that the place they rent from internet is OK.  Fine line to draw I think as I hate over regulation and personally would rather stop making meals than ever donning a dreaded blouse (as per the regs) to cook in my own home.  However, the kind of place described by Pip gives everyone a bad name. 

[JJ]

Pip,

Like all my other fellow gite owners who have responded to this post I am also appalled that you have been so let down.

Do they have a customer comments book? if so that would make interesting reading.

I have heard stories of gite owners removing pages where adverse comments had been made.

Hindsight is a great thing, but it would have been a good idea to register your complaints at an early stage.

Good Luck, and remember gites like this should be a thing of the past.

 

 

 

 

 

[Pip]

Thank you everyone for your support and advice.  I have had a response from the editor of the site on which the gite is advertised and we are corresponding.  It appears that the owners of the gite are away this week, according to the automated reply to my e mail, so I will try again at the beginning of next week.  The gite is in Dept. 46 Miki.  Also I should have explained that the week was booked originally for June, hence the price, but I was unable to travel because I had to go into hospital for an operation at short notice which kept me off work for eight weeks.  At the time the owners agreed to allow us to transfer the booking to the first week in October.  Normally the gite would have cost £195 for this time of the year but because we appreciated the transfer we paid the June rental.

The morning after our arrival OH did tell the owner about the eletrical socket which had come away from the ceiling attached to the pull cord in the kitchen (At this time we hadn't noticed the other sockets - one being hidden behind the sofa).  We were worried in case this had not been reported before and that the owners would think we had been responsible.  His reply was that he knew about it already !

I have now downloaded the photos I took and if I can (I'm not techie minded) I will try and get a couple onto the thread.

[Frogslegs]

We have had at least 5 guests arriving at our gite after having to check out of their original gites due to substandard accommodation. Did your gite have a website? Were they advertised well? It is a shame for you and it is about time we name and shame these people.[:@]

www.le-tilleul.com

[alnmike]

Lasy year, when the weather suddenly turned very hot, our old stone

cottage suddently suffered very badly from condensation. The guests

rang after 2 days in the gite and said it was very bad, the mattress

and their clothes wet. I got our caretaker down, who said there was a

little moisture but nothing unusual. BUT my guests were not happy, and

so I refunded there whole rental plus security deposit. The customer

being always right!!! Fortunately the Guest comments book is full of

great comments so this was just a one off, and hopefully these guests

managed to still enjoy their hard earned break!

Good luck with your refund!

[Pip]

Hi Frogslegs - Yes the owners do have a website and it was well advertised on the other site.  From the description it sounded idylllic !  It was what it didn't say that was the problem.

Hi Alnmike - I'm pleased to hear that you sorted things out for your guests, you clearly have a good conscience and your goodwill will bring people back.    In this case it wasn't just condensation, the gite had an unmistakable damp problem.  Twice my OH approached the male owner but at no point did he offer to rectify the electical sockets or investigate the damp problem.  Goodwill means such a lot in any business and he seems oblivious of this.

[Pip]

Here goes.  Trying to get photos onto the thread.  Hope they are clear !

 

 

 

 

 

[Pip]

Sorry folks ! As I said, I'm not techie minded ![:$]

[JayJay]

Pip, do you want to mail them to me & I'll post them on your behalf?

[Pip]

That's really kind of you Jay Jay and they are on their way.  Thanks !

[JayJay]

These are Pip's plug pics, from the gite. Bloody dodgy they are too!

[IMG]http://i31.photobucket.com/albums/c377/DoreenJames/Pipplug1.jpg[/IMG]

[IMG]http://i31.photobucket.com/albums/c377/DoreenJames/Pipplug2.jpg[/IMG]

[IMG]http://i31.photobucket.com/albums/c377/DoreenJames/Pipplug3.jpg[/IMG]

[Blanche Neige]

crikey!................................downright dangerous!

How do the owners think they can ask for money for a place in this sort of state?[blink]

[Chancer]

Having spent this week wiring french placo boxes and ceiling roses I have every sympathy with someone who has wired a french house for the first time!

Although one shouldn't rent somewhere that isn't safe I am convinced that most light fittings in France are about to fall out of the ceiling and all light switches and plug sockets are about to fall out if they havn't already fallen into the wall cavity.

This is the first time that I have compared or complained (usually I have no time for people who do so) but really the French placo boxes are c##p by comparison, you have to cut a circular hole to a tolerance of +- 1/2mm using a (french) tool that usually cuts 2mm oversize and even if you manage to cut it on size or undersize the mounting flange is only 4 tiny corners of a few square mm cross section and the clamping lugs (which hold all the weight of a ceiling suspended fitting) are equally small, a recipe for disaster.

I am not surprised that the ceiling pull switch (probably English!) has parted company, I would never dream of hanging one from a French placo box!

[Pip]

Just to say that I have now had an e mail to say that our security deposit is in the post.  As that is all we hoped for or wanted we are happy.  Thank you everyone who responded to this thread and for all your support - it helped so much.

[LEO]

[quote user="Pip"]Just to say that I have now had an e mail to say that our security deposit is in the post.  As that is all we hoped for or wanted we are happy.  Thank you everyone who responded to this thread and for all your support - it helped so much.[/quote]

 

 

Satisfactory outcome, well done.

 Perhaps this may cheer you up even more;

A woman, who was renting a council house in the UK, accidentally broke the toilet seat.

Where does she stand?

 

 

 

[JayJay]

Well done Pip, pleased they have at least returned your deposit. As long as you're happy, that's great.

Leo[:D]