Vexatious procedures to prevent refunds. I booked a 10 week stay at a property that turned out to be unfit for purpose. Setting aside a 14 hr journey and this being a long planned break (maybe an adult equivalent to a gap year) after a long period of I’ll health. The condition of the property at best was not fit for purpose but in reality seemed semi derelict. Not withstanding that The Ferry House in Ramelton in Donegal was clean and recently painted with the beginnings of a house that is being converted for the rental market, there were safety concerns from the beginning. My booking was in the winter months and the house was cold to the extreme. The house had not been heated prior to arrival and the heating (on an old pin wheel plug point) did nothing to warm any room in the house. There was however an open fire which, I thought I could take advantage of. This failed to light sufficiently as there was no draw from the chimney and what fire there was sent smoke into the room, ( thankfully 🤷🏻‍♀️ there was no smoke alarm) causing concerns regarding safety. I considered using my heated blanket ( I came prepared) which although fine in the living room, could not be used in the dining room ( from which all other areas are accessed) as the wiring was of historic, terminating in round pin sockets not compatible with standard modern plugs. It became apparent that although beautiful the windows (some of which were cracked ) are single glazed and the building of period stone construction had no insulation and was suffering from severe damp and mould. Fresh paint was blistering away and the walls were like refrigerators to the touch. The alternative was to have a hot bath so the water was boosted ( as per house instruction ) and as the bath was tin only the hot put on as they are notoriously cold. Even the water did not stay hot enough for the bath and it was only warm at best. The Rayburn of which I have little knowledge, had wiring protruding from the side and was not warm to the touch. I further discovered that outside a ditch had been dug around the foundations to try and cope with the damp that was rising through the floor at the back of the house. There was no effort to make this safe and raised more alarms. The garden area is unkempt with walls down in two areas making it insecure for dogs ( and certainly a death trap for a small child ). The area described as a patio made a good substitute for an ice rink. This may have been fun if it wasn’t the only access in through the back door where the key safe is located. Despite telling myself to be careful I still injured myself in my second fall. This was probably when I decided I could take no more. You could consider this house quirky or atmospheric and although not specifically mentioned in the listing for the house, there was no kitchen sink. The small sink in the scullery area is only just large enough for a dinner plate and the butler sink by the back door has little of its ceramic finish left but you do get the deep penetrating mould around the sinks seal. If you fail to fall over when entering the property, You could try the uneven but original stone floor in the dining area or you could rest your hand on the bannister which is held on so lightly that you are bound to be able to injure yourself here. If injury or smoke inhalation or the possibility of electrocution or carbon monoxide isn’t your thing, then you could try the wooden bed head in the master suite which is neither attached to a wall or bed. You could also take in the moth infestation that is evident in the carpets in your own belongings ( it may kill your clothes, rather than you). If none of these work for you maybe negotiate the mud slide to the front where, the gutter empties directly on to the suface. You will then be able to negotiate the 20 yds to where your car is parked ( described as off road parking) which is on ( or in ) the mud ( depending on weather conditions ) under some trees. If you are not exhausted by trying to stay warm and safe you could then spend your waking hours contacting Sykes. Polite, yes, helpful it’s hard to say. You cannot speak to one staff member, you therefore enter into a negotiation with a department. Most will say they need to read your file and will ring you back. This does not happen so you contact them again to speak with another staff member who will tell you it’s a large file, and ask if they can ring you back. It is not a large file it is just a record of the amount of times that you have contacted them asking fir an answer to your very first question. They then deploy Stalling tactics, maybe so that you will accept there ridiculously low offer of £1700 refund. For a £6000 + stay for a 4 day stay out of 70 nights. You could then wait patiently for your reply and then be offered by half of the total amount with the proviso that you do not write any negative review. How can a review system be accurate if the company is wilfully preventing negative reviews. If you have a conscience you reject the offer and will find another way to secure your money. After 12 emails and 16 calls. I have had no reply to whether Sykes have inspected the property. I have no confirmation that the property had certificates relating to the electrics, fire safety, chimney maintenance, energy efficiency ratings and suggested regulations on Sykes own website. No one wants to learn so much about a companies business practices, consumer protection, reviews etc. If only the property had been as described. When you do get your chance to write a review on the official website you are asked to tick a box agreeing to there t&cs regarding reviews. On reading It, it prohibits you from leaving any information that will identify you (so you can not direct people to for example your Instagram page so others can view photos). It also has so many stipulations that the likelihood of it being included in their website are remote. It is also the umbrella company for multiple other booking companies, advertising the same property each with their own reviews so you cannot as a consumer see any accurate information all in one place for the property you wish to book. There are many good properties and many good customers, let those that offer excellent accommodation and customer service succeed, do not tarnish there name with those that only interests are in getting you to part with your money whilst not giving you what you paid for in return. Please check to see if the property you are looking at is on another site where you can check there reviews. There 25-30% commission on top of there booking fee seems steep for a company that dodges responsibility and liability and does not even make the most basic of checks on the consumers behalf. To me it appears to be well orchestrated business model to limit refunds. All this when they could have offered an alternative property which I would probably have taken as I was there. They could have accepted my offer to pay a full two weeks in full to release me from the contract. They could have just refunded the money early in the events and maybe made a good will gesture such as a 10% discount in a future booking and I would have probably used them again . I can not tell you how much I dislike having to write anything negative but when your experience leaves you no where to go in reality where do you go next? Please see attached photos.