Sykes Cottages Reviews

Name: Sykes Cottages
Address: Sykes Holiday Cottages Lime Tree House Hoole Lane, Chester
Rating: 1.20

1.2 Rating 1,492 Reviews

4 %

of reviewers recommend Sykes Cottages

Company Reviews

Questions

Metrics

1.2

Based on 1,492 reviews

Shipping & Delivery
Delivery Methods	Own Driver
Customer Service
Communication Channels	Telephone, Email, Live Chat
Queries Resolved In	Over A Week
Customer Service	1.1 out of 5
Returns & Refunds
Refunds Process	Difficult
Returns Process	Could Be Better

Phone:

0124 435 2059

Location:

Sykes Holiday Cottages Lime Tree House Hoole Lane
Chester
CH2 3EG

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Sykes Cottages 4 star review on 6th January 2025

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Sykes Cottages 1 star review on 17th November 2024

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Sykes Cottages 1 star review on 8th November 2024

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Sykes Cottages 1 star review on 2nd November 2024

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Anonymous

Anonymous // 01/01/2019

Sort by: Most Recent Most Recent Highest Rated Filter: None None 5 Stars 4 Stars 3 Stars 2 Stars 1 Stars Helpful

“Looking to book a cottage latter this year and having previusly used Sykes a few years back I decided to check them out. So having looked at reviews on this site I went to the Sykes Unhappy Customers Facebook page today and cannot believe what I have read and how long Sykes have been allowed to get away with such behaviour. I will now be looking to book direct with the cottage owner.”

Helpful Report

Posted 3 years ago

“If you think these reviews are appalling, you should take a look at the Sykes Cottages Unhappy Customers Page on facebook. Why would anyone book with this company? I was a Sykes loyal customer before Vitruvian Partners took them over, now I will never use Sykes again.”

Helpful Report

Posted 3 years ago

“Like so many others we were refused a refund for our holiday scheduled during the first lockdown. We had to pay extra to book in the same week a year ahead. Once the company was forced to change its refund policy we were told that as we had already rescheduled (we had no choice) we did not qualify for a refund.”

Helpful Report

Posted 3 years ago

“Booked via lakes cottages which on bank statement shows as Sykes. Again like many on here couldn't go for New Year as lockdown. Refused an alternative cottage for this next new year as the original one was booked. Refused a refund of the price which we had paid £659 they asked for another £187 if we wanted to book for 2022! Even had insurance booked through them but apparently it dosent cover cancellation through pandemic. Absolute Nightmare of a company. Thankfully the credit card company have now been able to reimburse us.”

Helpful Report

Posted 3 years ago

“Payed 439 £ last march 2020 and couldn't go due to lockdown. Rebooked for this March and are being charged £930 ! Fortunately c card has changed since booking and there is a very good chance we will still be in lockdown .Very unhelpful re our booking on the phone as to why we were being charged so much .Will never ever use this company again .”

Helpful Report

Posted 3 years ago

“Avoid! Had two bookings in 2020 but due to COVID, both could not go ahead. These charlatans would not refund money but insisted on my changing dates at extra cost. They don’t like complaints either so I’m blocked from their Facebook page!”

Helpful Report

Posted 3 years ago

“Having to cancel our holiday for April 2nd for a week, shocked that we have lost our full deposit of 418 pounds. Disgraceful”

Helpful Report

Posted 3 years ago

“Had a booking for the end of January. I was told it was cancelled at the end of December. Now I have been told.I have to wit 45 days for.my refund. I wonder if i will ever get it back. Looking at using solicitors to recoup the funds. Absolute disgrace..”

Helpful Report

Posted 3 years ago

“Absolutely disgusted, refused to give me a refund june last year and told me I had to amend dates, so picked a date for June 21 that I can’t go on now, still refuse a refund telling there waiting for government, I’ve found other people to take over the holiday but won’t change the names over and tell me I’m still liable, absolute joke.. con artists and should be ashamed”

Helpful Report

Posted 3 years ago

“Don't believe the 5 star reviews! What a disgraceful organisation Sykes are, we have a holiday booked for Mid March that will clearly not go ahead. You are ‘hiding’ behind the Coronavirus regulations review clause, even though the Act itself is in place until the end of March. You refuse a refund and are still going to take our balance. A balance that is only due because Sykes refused to give us our money back last year and forced us to move it to this year, costing us more. And the biggest kicker is that the Market Commission has since found against Sykes Covid refund policy last year and you should have given us our money back in the first instance!”

Helpful Report

Posted 3 years ago

“These reviews are appalling, why would anyone book with this company. I was a loyal customer but will never use Sykes again. I am amazed they can get away with treating people like this.”

Helpful Report

Posted 3 years ago

“Customer Service is non-existent. I submitted a complaint in October 2020 and despite this being "escalated" the only responses I have received are acknowledgements of my emails and excuses that they are busy, short-staffed due to Corvid.”

Helpful Report

Posted 3 years ago

“If I could rate them a 0 I would. They have been absolutely abysmal amongst this pandemic. Last year even though there was a travel ban in place, they refused to cancel and refund us for our holiday and instead only offered us the option of rebooking. We were given two dates, both costing more than what we had paid originally. We picked a date and as soon as we did, the second option went down in price so we asked to swap to that date instead and they refused. Fast forward a year later and due to government rules we can not go because there are 3 households mixing, which is not allowed. They are still refusing to cancel or refund and have only offered for us to rebook again, only this time they want to charge us £30 to do that. I am not sure legally how they are allowed to encourage you to break the government rules and have contacted the CMA on this regard. The CMA has already confirmed that if there was a travel ban they should have offered refunds and apparently Sykes have agreed to it, yet still no refund. I will never ever use this company again, and I will be writing this review on several platforms.”

Helpful Report

Posted 3 years ago

“Only gave one star as had to right this review. So many awful reviews from customers but wanted to state how shabbily loyal owners have been treated whilst trying to do the right thing throughout Covid. I contacted all mine in April when it was obvious the situation was serious and would be for months to come . None of my customers wanted to travel and so I cancelled bookings only to be charged thousands in fees and trumped up charges because WE had cancelled. We had to fight this being prepared to go to court. So very stressful, we are both retired my husband has heart issues and we have earned the company so much money in over six years. Do not book with them ever again!! J from wales”

Helpful Report

Posted 3 years ago

“Be very careful indeed of this company. Booked with sizeable deposit in 2020, but due to Covid restrictions we were NOT allowed to travel. However- no refund from Sykes Cottages, money gone. Please check other reviews about this company- they are dreadful and use highly dubious business practices. Buyer beware!”

Helpful Report

Posted 3 years ago

“Booked a cottage early 2020 for early May and paid the deposit. Obviously because of later covid, lockdown and restrictions we could not go. Tried for weeks to phone and rearrange for another date so as not to lose our deposit, which their website said we could do.....constantly engaged and emails ignored. So May came around and it was then too late. So lost all of our deposit. Would never use them again. Be careful as they are also connected with a few other companies.”

Helpful Report

Posted 3 years ago

“If you cancel a booking with this company, check to see if the same booking (property and dates) are later taken by a replacement customer. You can easily tell by looking at their web site and checking availability. If this is the case, the company has no legal right to retain your deposit, as this would be an unfair contract term under the consumer rights act 2015. Schedule 2 Part 1 paragraph 5 of the consumer rights act 2015 states that the following term would be considered to be unfair: "A term which has the object or effect of requiring that, where the consumer decides not to conclude or perform the contract, the consumer must pay the trader a disproportionately high sum in compensation or for services which have not been supplied". "Which" magazine's web site states the following: "Typically, the business has no entitlement to keep any amount that can be saved by finding another customer, or cancelling any other suppliers they’ve employed. That would likely constitute an unfair contract term under the consumer rights act. For example, if you booked a holiday and then cancel, and the company finds another customer to take your place it’s likely the only amount it can legitimately withhold from your deposit will be administrative costs."”

Helpful Report

Posted 3 years ago

“Where do I even start with this? I have never been treated so badly or disrespectfully as I have by Sykes. Booked a holiday for Christmas 2020 back in January 2020. Covid put paid to us being able to go as we were based in Blackburn (one of the worst hit with Covid I would like to add) and our friend based in another town/tier which made it impossible to go due to being in a permanent lockdown/stay local since March 2020. On top of this my husband suffers really badly from asthma. We both got Covid in late October and it caused massive complications and he was told not to travel anywhere. The customer service was shocking. They said they would ONLY issue a refund if we had cancer!! I have never heard such a monstrous thing from a company ever. The staff are incredibly aggressive, demeaning, make you feel like you are stupid and worthless and they are down right arrogant and rude. Withholding our refund has caused so much stress and anxiety. To be made to wait 45 days is disgusting. We are a few days away from this deadline and I have no faith whatsoever in Sykes. I have reported them to the CMA for their behaviour. Myself and my husband work in care homes and the impact of Covid has been immense on our mental health. So, to be subjected to the degree of mental torture by Sykes has been devastating throughout this ordeal with them. For the love of all that is good in this world, do not book with Sykes.”

Helpful Report

Posted 3 years ago

“Zero stars from me!!!! I have been a loyal customer of Sykes for years, but my latest booking, due to commence on 26th Feb, has dramatically changed my opinion of them. We’re a party of 20, spread over 8 bubbles, we’re booked into the same property, and have 3 vulnerable members in the group. According to Sykes, because our dates don’t quite fall into the latest travel restrictions, we are “fully legal to travel” - rule of 6 anyone? Not only false information, but irresponsible too. My initial request was to hold off paying the balance, for a short while until we were certain. Sykes refused. Our options were: 1) cancel the booking, and lose £645 deposit 2) don’t pay the balance on time, and lose your deposit anyway or 3) pay the balance of a further £1300, and wait to be told it’s cancelled, plus wait 2 months for your money back. This company will say and do anything to retain your money, and avoid a refund. Customer service is none existent - they even lied to pass the responsibility on, and said they’d contacted the owner who was refusing to help us. I contacted the owner myself. This wasn’t the case at all. To summarise....Sykes will take your money, and do everything they can to keep hold of it, despite a national pandemic. You’ll be out of pocket for months, for a holiday that won’t happen, and that’s if they refund you at all! They’ve worded their contracts in such a way, that whichever way you’re affected, they have the upper hand. Avoid them, and the stress that comes with them!”

Helpful Report

Posted 3 years ago

“Dont use this company thousands of people still waiting for refunds customer service is a joke full of lies”

Helpful Report

Posted 3 years ago

Sykes Cottages is rated 1.2 based on 1,492 reviews