Sykes Cottages Reviews

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

1.2 Rating 1,493 Reviews

4 %

of reviewers recommend Sykes Cottages

Company Reviews

Questions

Metrics

1.2

Based on 1,493 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

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“We booked a cottage with a twenty pounds deposit last year for June this year. They took our balance even though they knew we could not travel due to the covid 19 restrictions. I could have stopped the balance payment and let them chase me for it, but I was daft enough to trust this company to do the right thing and they didn't. I wrote and told them that I was a frontline NHS worker and needed a refund as I cannot rebook as my holidays have to be agreed many months in advance. I sent them a copy of my wage slip, NHS ID, and NHS photo ID, and copy of the salary being paid into my bank and they did not reply. I sent it twice more and still no reply. I contacted them on Facebook and Twitter and they blocked me without replying. They do not answer the phone and eventually after lots of emails which they ignored they refunded two thirds and one third of the balance they have put down as a future credit. How on earth can I trust this company to even consider booking a holiday with them again? I complained as did many others to the CMA who state that we are allowed a FULL REFUND due to a frustrated contract. How can I trust a company that takes balances out of our accounts when we cannot go to holiday lettings during the current health legislation? How can I trust a company that cuts off all ways of communication? You send them an email and you get an automated response with a do not reply email address. You think that by sending them a facebook or twitter message you may get a response to then realise they have blocked you? I recently had to cancel a flight and holiday with a different company who did not hesitate to refund me but Sykes are just hanging on to people"s money regardless. I kept my side of the contract by paying my balance and they are charging me fees and commission for what? The commission is between them and the cottage owner and not me. They reluctantly gave me a partial refund and the rest they kept as a future credit. I told them before they took my balance I did not want a credit only a full refund and I explained my reasons. Who even knows whether they may go bankrupt before long but in the meantime they are keeping back money from their customers. I wish now I had blocked the payment like hundreds of other people have. I would have lost just £20.00 but now I am out of pocket. If Sykes had communicated with me then there would not have been the need for me to leave a negative review. I have now made a claim with my credit card company for a section 75 chargeback. Sykes has lost my custom and many thousands of others who are in the same situation as myself. Even some cottage owners are taking away their custom from Sykes. I have used Sykes before but never again. In future I will only book directly with an owner in case I use one of their other companies Sykes are involved with. There are lots of negative feedback all over the Internet against Sykes Cottages. Read them and make up your own minds. But I will never use them ever again!”

Helpful Report

Posted 4 years ago

“Customer service disgusting no support unable to amend change booking we had been left with no option but to cancel our holiday costing me £430.00 and huge amount of stress and anxiety Closing call centre and ignoring emails. Please avoid this company there are no words to describe how dreadful they are 😔”

Helpful Report

Posted 4 years ago

“Appalling untrustworthy company setting customers and owners against each other. Taking and holding money that doesn’t belong to them. No effective customer service. I will never use a holiday booking agent again.”

Helpful Report

Posted 4 years ago

“a terrible company unable to contact them in any way the company took whole payment from my booking and not the deposit as requested, now am unable to get my payment back. Sykes cottages are criminals and will be taken to court for mis representation and not following their terms and conditions. very poor company, avoid at all cost .”

Helpful Report

Posted 4 years ago

“NO REFUND. We will remember this lot when we book our next cottage.”

Helpful Report

Posted 4 years ago

“Maybe some good news - CMA (Competition and marketing authority) have started procecutions against companies like Sykes who were treating their customers with contempt and not offering full refunds. This gives anyone the right to challenge Sykes with CCJ's. The law is now clear. Full refund or it will cost you more by being taken to court. Start respecting your customers.”

Helpful Report

Posted 4 years ago

“Wish I could leave no stars! A terrible holiday let company. Lots of false promises regarding the amount of lettings you'll get. Using Airbnb and Homeaway we earned £8000pa. We switched to Sykes and got £1857!! Their pricing is bonkers and inflexible and not at all personalized to the property. Customer service is appalling-they very rarely reply. And worst of all they only publish excellent feedback which gives a totally biased view of your property. And i just don't like that level of deceit. If you don't refund bookings that customers have cancelled they get very threatening. Horrible company and so not worth the 22% commission.”

Helpful Report

Posted 4 years ago

“Due to Sykes terrible communication systems, I was left with no choice but to cancel the holiday I had booked for June this year, losing the deposit charge. The option offered on the website to change the dates was not available as the cottage I had booked will not be available next year. Despite many attempts to contact Sykes by both phone and email, and despite a message from them indicating that they would contact me to discuss my options, no contact could be made, so, when the full payment was due, I had no alternative but to cancel the booking, forfeiting my deposit. Since then I have heard nothing, I wrote a letter of complaint to the CEO and have had no response. I have been a regular customer for many years and I am disgusted by the fact that they totally ignore their customers, they have not offered refunds, and do not respond to any communications. I feel I have been very badly treated by this company, and had no alternative but to waste my money at such a difficult time . Lyn Dowsett”

Helpful Report

Posted 4 years ago

“Due to travel 21/06. No refund full balance taken. I emailed the below text to Sykes today. Lets hope they also change their policy and start treating their customers fairly!!! The holiday rentals firm behind Hoseasons and Cottages.com has agreed to give customers refunds for cancelled trips due to the coronavirus crisis after being reported to the competition watchdog.The Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) said Vacation Rentals had changed its policy after originally refusing to give money back to customers whose stays had been cancelled. But it said it is continuing to investigate the sector, with other holiday companies still refusing to offer customers their money back. The CMA warned it could take court action against firms that refuse to treat customers fairly amid the Covid-19 pandemic.”

Helpful Report

Posted 4 years ago

“Book a holiday with this bunch of *$*&*, had to cancel due to government advise. They TOOK the final payment from our account without permission for a holiday they Knew we couldn't go on. We have tried to get the money back, but they refused to give it to us. So i have reported them, just waiting to hear the outcome. AVOID AT ALL COST.”

Helpful Report

Posted 4 years ago

“I had a holiday booked from 4th July and contacted them re when this would be cancelled as we are still not allowed to travel and stay overnight at a property not our own. This is not likely to change I a few weeks. They have taken the full money and say if I cancel I will lose all the money. I have been contacted by the holiday home owner today to say that they will not be open and they had notified Skyes quite some time ago to tell them this. They knew this when they said it had not been cancelled? The owner has said they will not open until next year and will need to review that voice then as her husband is diabetic and an older man. They have cancelled their contract with Sykes as they are disgusted by their behaviour and lack of response to them as property owners.”

Helpful Report

Posted 4 years ago

“Absolute disgrace, tried for weeks to contact them by telephone with absolutely no satisfaction. E mails just had a general text and would not give a personalised response. I have been unable to receive any refund despite taking out their recommended insurance. How can these people be allowed to retain money paid for a holiday they are unable to provide? Will never deal with them again and it is clear from other reviews that the vast majority feel the same.”

Helpful Report

Posted 4 years ago

“Had many holidays in the past with this company . Now disappointed and will never use them again .During this Covid 19 ,can’t contact ,generic emails sent back ,will not budge in these uncertain times , Only interested in taking money for which no guarantee that you can take your holiday ,then you have to fight for refund , With over 40,000 deaths so far very bad customer service , Avoid at all costs”

Helpful Report

Posted 4 years ago

“This used to be a small friendly company. Now just a greedy bloated holiday company. Despite numerous emails re covid refunds contact is non existent. This is not a company to trust.”

Helpful Report

Posted 4 years ago

“Bullying and harassing company constantly chasing money. They asked me to change dates, not possible, so they cancelled it but still want the deposit. Doesn’t make sense. Problem is, there will be thousands out there that don’t realise their rights, and will simply pay up.”

Helpful Report

Posted 4 years ago

“This company are thieves. Holiday cottage was cancelled due to covid 19. They kept most of my deposit. Customer services doesn't exist . Email after email with no communication. Unable to phone them.Do not dream about using them. It will be your worst experience.”

Helpful Report

Posted 4 years ago

“A thoroughly disreputable company. They have just taken £1500 out of my account, without prior notification, in full knowledge that they cannot honour the contract as travel to holiday cottages in Wales is currently banned.”

Helpful Report

Posted 4 years ago

“Absolutely zero customer services - deceitful & dishonest company who ignores your requests to amend a booking & deliberately blocks you from transferring your booking dates. No response to emails or telephone calls. Appalling that you have effectively stolen money from so many people. Will never use Sykes or any associated companies again. Are they really that stupid to not realise customers won’t return & potential customers will read the terrible reviews & avoid?”

Helpful Report

Posted 4 years ago

“I am struggling to give this company even 1 star. Very poor service in light of difficult times (due to corona virus). As a returning customer I was shocked to see that in unprecedented times this was a company prepared to take final payment without any security of a holiday or allowing us to change holiday dates to the following year. When I eventually manged to speak to someone they told me possible dates I wanted next year were available. However, it would mean an increase in holiday price and a £30 charge to change dates. The website would not allow me to manually change the holiday dates as I could only do that within 30 days of the original date. However, the final balance payment of almost £500 was due 6 weeks before the original date. This appeared to me grossly unfair. I did not even get a reference number which was compatible with the 'covid 19' email address system the company had put in place to try and contact someone, until a reminder came through about the final payment. I was so frustrated and upset that I cancelled in the end. I was chasing for responses. I am aware how pushed companies are during this difficult time. However, when seeking assistance with another separate matter the company in question were apologetic that their customer service hours had been reduced to 7am - 10pm 7 days a week. In comparison Sykes Cottages customer helplines were running 10am till 4pm 5 days a week.... Mmmmm customer care at the forefront? I think not.”

Helpful Report

Posted 4 years ago

“Sadly our experience is exactly the same as everyone else here. Holiday booked for mid July. Full payment due by next week. Have been emailing and emailing but just getting stock responses. Half of our group were due to come from poland but obviously now can’t. Sykes won’t even entertain letting us move the booking as our departure date is outside the government advised travel exclusion window. I’ve asked the question ‘seeing as current advice is no overnight stays away from normal place of residence and we cannot possibly know whether we will be allowed to travel by July can we not pay the deposit and defer the remaining payment until nearer the time’ no response to any of my four emails this week. Phone just stays on hold permanently. I don’t want to weaken the economy any further but this company does not deserve to survive the coming recession when hundreds of other businesses, all hugely struggling to survive are bending over backwards to try to do their best for their customers. DO NOT BOOK A SYKES HOLIDAY IF YOU DONT WANT TO EXPERIENCE THE SAME AS WE ALL HAVE.”

Helpful Report

Posted 4 years ago

Sykes Cottages is rated 1.2 based on 1,493 reviews