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

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

“Haven’t stayed at their cottage due to COVID 19 and we live in Western Australia and are banned from leaving the country but Sykes still want us to pay £203 as a cancellation fee. Booking.com refunded without question at no charge. We won’t book through Sykes ever again”

Helpful Report

Posted 4 years ago

“NEVER AGAIN.ENOUGH SAID.”

Helpful Report

Posted 4 years ago

“i Tried contacting Sykes Cottages to cancel our holiday, when I phoned I could never get through, their automated message was dial option 5 for ring back, that was the only option available, when I did this the service reply was “sorry your ring back request has not been accepted”. Emails were just as bad, I received a standard email telling me that standard cancellation rules apply”; any other emails I sent I received no reply at all. My husband and myself are shielding, we have been since the lockdown, I myself are in the clinically extremely vulnerable group” and this was the reason for me wanting to cancel. I paid a low deposit of £58, because it was low, there was a penalty of £238.00, as we could not contact them on several occasions, and they were making no attempt to contact us, because of our situation we decided to cancel. Sykes Cottages took the £58 deposit + £238 penalty charge for cancelling, total £296.00. It seemed we booked it, either cancel or take the holiday. The email we sent them stated for us not to contact them, as they were very busy sorting out people’s holidays, our holiday didn’t count then,?? There was a button to pay for the holiday, that was working, There was a button to change dates, this was NOT working. There was a button to cancel, that was working, but of course when I pressed the cancel button the amount that I had to pay was taken from my account straight away. I have looked at a lot of reviews on here, and I do not seem to be the only one that has a problem. I will never use Sykes Cottages again, and I certainly would not recommend them, their Customer Service is none existent, they are very quick to take the customers monies, but not to listen or help their customers in any way. A very poor holiday company, Sykes Cottages you should hang your head in shame, your hearts are in your wallets not for caring for your customers. I intend to seek further action it’s obvious they are not customer friendly.”

Helpful Report

Posted 4 years ago

“Please be careful when booking with this company. Having found and paid £1700 for a cottage, they have double booked it (as we discovered from speaking to the cottage owner - they were unable to provide an explanation for the lack of confirmed booking on the account) and now say they cannot locate the payment made. They won’t allow us to make an official complaint as there is no booking reference and they will not give any answers as to when or if they will refund the money despite having sight of a bank statement proving that the money was taken by the company. Numerous phone calls and emails have gone unanswered. This is a new booking made at the start of July not pre-COVID. I would avoid at all costs.”

Helpful Report

Posted 4 years ago

“I appreciate the current problems due to COVID, but this review is based on being told incorrect information; that I would receive call backs 3 separate times by different people over different days and only one contacting me (but not being able to fully help); being told I couldn’t get a refund until the property owner had refunded them (they advised my contract is with the property owner and not Sykes, in which case I might has well not used them), and all due to their advertising a property that was not available and allowing me to book and pay. I have spent over 5 hours in total this week waiting on calls, being cut off with no explanation and received no responses to my emails. Having been told verbally on more than one occasion that I am due a refund and all it now needed was someone to hit the button, I am still waiting and my booking is still showing as open, paid for and everything set as if I’m going there. If it hadn’t been for the property owner contacting me directly after the booking I would be non the wiser there was a problem (even though she has also contacted them). I’ve also realised that they’re preventing reviews on their own website as I’d posted the above but got a message saying that at this time the review may be delayed but it has not been posted.”

Helpful Report

Posted 4 years ago

“We have used Sykes for over 10 years and they are great, we hve had no problems with them at all and all the cottages have been to a high standard”

Helpful Report

Posted 4 years ago

“We echo the comments on poor service. Having previously used them before without issue, we'd booked a cottage pre-covid. They took our deposit. Then not only did Covid hit, but it was compounded by the fact that the property owner had sold his property and the owner had in fact instructed Sykes to cancel all bookings. We had no contact from Sykes to say so. This did not stop them claiming the balance due from an EXPIRED debit card just last month. We were unable to reach Sykes by any means and we have a full audit trail of attempts to do so, and so, we went to the owner who we knew from previous bookings. He was shocked to hear what had happened. He said Sykes had just paid him (minus their hefty fee for doing nothing) despite being told to cancel all bookings. Thankfully the owner said that he would refund us directly which he did. He has said he will never use Sykes again and neither will we. Avoid!”

Helpful Report

Posted 4 years ago

“During a really bad time for everyone (corona virus) I needed a holiday company that would talk to me, help me, listen. Sykes would not correspond via any means! Forcing me to rebook my holiday rather than get a refund. Then forcing me to cancel the rebooked holiday, again due to NO correspondence. They will probably now chase me and try to take me to court!!!”

Helpful Report

Posted 4 years ago

“I've booked a large house for 4 family groups end of August. I can't get through to Sykes on the phone and they won't reply to emails. I'm due to pay £2000 balance soon, and I can't feel safe doing it, in view of their appalling record with both customers and providers.”

Helpful Report

Posted 4 years ago

“AVOID THIS COMPANY LIKE THE PLAGUE. Sykes seem to think that they can breach their terms and conditions and refuse a refund, despite this being your consumer right. They refused to let me speak to a manager and just peddled the same, inaccurate and unlawful excuses. I will now be issuing a chargeback through my bank.”

Helpful Report

Posted 4 years ago

“I can echo most comments below, no refund despite numerous calls/emails, have just issued small claims court proceedings, will update on outcome.”

Helpful Report

Posted 4 years ago

“Reading all the reviews I began to think I was booking with a different company. Web site easy to use and got my refund within 14 days - web page said I had a credit and returned to me without hassle. Rebooked holiday with them again.”

Helpful Report

Posted 4 years ago

“They just take your money and after cancels your holiday. They do not give refunds.”

Helpful Report

Posted 4 years ago

“I was due to go away at the end of April to a cottage for a large family holiday to celebrate a special birthday to the value of almost £2000. Despite the government announcing towards the start of April that travel would not be allowed on the dates of our booking due to lockdown, we have still not received a refund on the full balance that has been paid. At first, we were being pushed to change the dates of the booking until next year which we did not wish to do. Eventually Sykes agreed to refund us the balance, but this was dependant on the cottage owner receiving 'funds from the government' that were due in June to enable them to cover the refund. To be reasonable given the situation, we waited until the last week in June for an update as we had not heard anything further and we had not received the refund. On chasing this up, we were advised the payment would be refunded to the original payment method by the 28th June as the owner had confirmed they were now able to make the payment. In the meantime, I received a further email from Sykes asking if I wished to be refunded the total amount or if I wished for them to retain the sum of the commission for a future booking to which we responded on the same day again asking for a full refund. I have since contacted Sykes again as the funds were not received by the 28th June as previously advised. I have now been told it will take up to another 30 days for a refund and there has been no acknowledgement of the previous email stating the cottage owner was now able to repay the money. Although they have been quick in responding to my emails, I feel that having to wait three months for a refund and the misleading information I have been given about the time scales for the refund is unbelievably poor. I have no confidence based on this that the refund will be received in the next 30 days and I would not use Sykes again because of this. Particularly as other holiday companies have treated their customers in a much better way.”

Helpful Report

Posted 4 years ago

“Admittedly Covid has been a great problem to companies like Sykes but their appalling lack of customer is unacceptable. I’ve been trying since May to get answers to queries but they don’t answer emails and trying to get through on the phone is a joke. Once they have your cash they just don’t care. I had a balance to pay for a holiday I knew I would not be allowed to take and Sykes were extremely quick to request it! but questions on getting a refund we’re totally ignored. Worried I might lose my money I was obligated to rebook. Promoted as “a family firm” so glad they’re not my family!!! So, obviously, never again. (I ignored their online quality survey 😂😂😂😂)”

Helpful Report

Posted 4 years ago

“I'm writing concerning the treatment of my parents as holiday cottage owners who have been with them for years. Skyes have not once asked if they are still willing and able to accept guests it's just assumed they are. My parents have been asked to repay all the money they have received in deposits during lockdown which they gladly repaid and have since been unable to contact Sykes they just receive snotty emails every few days accusing them of not completing surveys and failing to respond, which on every occasion they have! They have also been threatened with having to pay back not only the total holiday cost but another £500 on top for each booking if they cancel themselves. My parents are both high risk and the stress is very upsetting to them. If you want to book a holiday don't use Sykes who are a multi million pound company and are treating guests and customers appaulingly. If you haven't paid for your holiday yet..my advice is don't!! Shame on you Sykes...you total shits!”

Helpful Report

Posted 4 years ago

“Don’t book with this company been waiting since March for a refund impossible to get in touch with phone call never answered emails no reply have reported to tradings standards”

Helpful Report

Posted 4 years ago

“Like so many took booking then said it wasn’t available. I booked through homeandaway who took fees totalling £300, which can’t be refunded until Sykes Cottages cancel the book their end. Tried calling on hold for 2 hours, at one point someone answered then put me on hold. Fraudulent behaviour should be report and investigated”

Helpful Report

Posted 4 years ago

“Received e-mail saying holiday cancelled for end of June went on Sykes website to find cottage available for 2021 the same week, Booked amendment on line at an extra cost of £11.00 The whole process was easy and took 3 minutes.”

Helpful Report

Posted 4 years ago

“Rubbish, don't care about customers. Avoid at all costs. Don't have phones working or email you back. Never use them again. Lost £100s they just do not care. Check out all there reviews.”

Helpful Report

Posted 4 years ago

Sykes Cottages is rated 1.2 based on 1,493 reviews