Feeling Gutted!!!!

As you know...was cheated out of GBP 800....!

How did it happen?

It all started when I wanted to SAVE MONEY on our accommodation in London. BUT instead LOST MONEY! Bleah. Humbug!

We wanted to stay in a self-catering apartment. One with a kitchen and washer/dryer so that it is more conveninient. With the boys, figured that it would be quite good to be able to cook simple stuff. Plus greedy me want to buy the packaged foods from Marks&Spencer to chuck in the oven (reminiscent of old college days!). I love M&S Chicken Kiev. Yum Yum... We needed the washer/dryer as cannot exactly bring 2 weeks of clothes with us. Surely we needed to launder whatever we have.

As usual, I surfed the world wide web for the best deals on two-bedroom apartments. And came across a number of RENT direct from Owner sites. This particular site is quite a major one. It's is www.Holiday-Rentals.co.uk and I shortlisted a few apartments that I liked. Wrote to the owners etc etc. and they replied. There was this two-bedroom apartment at Queensgate (near my old college...so around my "thei-tau" (area that I am familiar with)) and the price was right. GBP 100 per nite after some negotiation with the owner. I thought "Wah. Good deal. 100 pounds per nite for 2-bedroom apartment, and in Queensgate!". The only problem was that payment has to be made in advance. Looked around, and ALL the apartments in London required pre-payment of TOTAL STAY plus SECURITY DEPOSIT if within 4 weeks.

Of course I was a bit cautious, but this Holiday-Rentals had a BIG advertistment on RENTAL GUARANTEE. Obviously, I registered for this RENTAL GUARANTEE....and waited for them to acknowledge my registration. Only after the receipt was received, I instructed H to transfer the money. All 800 pounds of it...600 for the rent and 200 for damage security deposit which was to be refunded on check-out.

I don't know whether it is sheer BAD LUCK or what! The moment after we paid. All things gone WHACKO....and then I received a WARNING email about the owner of the apartment I rented. They said "under investigation". WTF!!!! Shouldn't they investigate and make sure that the properties listed on their website is legitimate PRIOR to listing? I wrote to them and they advised me to get my refund from the owner.
WTF!!!!
What is the stupid RENTAL GUARANTEE for? FALSE advertistment???
Wrote to them again...and NO reply yet.

And the owner??? I cannot even contact her AT ALL!!!!
Is she OUT to dupe people?
I don't know. Apparently, she has SIX properties in and around London for rent to holiday-makers, and has been doing so for a couple of years. She advertises in a few different websites. There were people who stayed at her place, and was quite happy. But they did acknowledge that she was disorganised. I donno....
All I know is that just after I paid, all hell broke loose!

I am NOT the only one. There is a forum page on this TOPIC now. About this owner...btw, her name is PAULINA THOMAS. So do NOT rent from her. Be warned!!!!
Holiday-makers from all over the globe. Australia, Moscow, Italy, Copenhagen, Barcelona, Ireland and of course little 'ole me ARE in this MESS. And we want our money back. Either from the owner or from Holiday-Rentals. Either one. I don't care. I just want my money back.
Think will call the consumer watchdog people about Holiday-Rentals' FALSE advertistment when I am in London.

And NOT only I do not have my 800 pounds. I now have to scramble around to look for alternative accommodation. I've booked a 1-bedroom apartment at Citadines South Ken at a whopping 152 pounds per nite. Boys would have to sleep on the sofa-bed in the living room. I am still surfing the net to see if I can get anything cheaper. Well, there are of course cheaper alternatives...like GBP 500 pounds (total stay) for a quad room in some other not-so-nice locations and not-so-nice hotels. But I want the kitchenette and laundry facilities. Plus don't want to stay too far out. Nor want some crappy place.
So....still surfing.
So still very stressed.
Until I nail down on our accommodation, I cannot book our transport to the hotel.
So far...looks like we have to stick to Citadines (Yeah. This is under the Ascott Singapore group). It's already Saturday, and we leave home on Wednesday evening to fly back to KL. Our flight to Stanstead (using AirAsia ...) is on Thursday, 17th.
Stay a night in London, then next morning fly out to Rome. Yes. Yes. Seems very rush.
4 nights in Rome, then back to London for another 6 nights.
Okay lah...later