Sykes Cottages Reviews

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

1.2 Rating 1,481 Reviews

4 %

of reviewers recommend Sykes Cottages

Company Reviews

Questions

Metrics

1.2

Based on 1,481 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 1 star review on 8th November 2024

Anonymous

Sykes Cottages 1 star review on 2nd November 2024

Anonymous

Sykes Cottages 1 star review on 18th September 2024

Julie

Sykes Cottages 1 star review on 22nd June 2024

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216

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

“Booked with Sykes Cottages and paid deposit for a holiday during May half-term week. Covid 19 lockdown was announced and Sykes said all holidays up to 4th June would be cancelled but only offered me a chance to re-book my holiday at a later date. Was not happy with this and refused to pay the balance of holiday. They are now demanding a cancellation fee of £297 for a holiday i could not go on, disgraceful company who are now trying to fleece thousands of customers experiencing similar problems in getting holidays refunded or cancelled due to commence during lockdown. DO NOT USE THIS COMPANY.”

Helpful Report

Posted 4 years ago

“Never seen such shameless behaviour, taking money out of people’s accounts when it is for food and provisions during lockdown. Disgraceful 😡”

Helpful Report

Posted 4 years ago

“I booked a flat in N Wales through their subsidiary, Menai Holidays. When I emailed them to ask about my booking, which cannot go ahead, they gave me two options. One was to cancel and lose my deposit and the other was to pay the full amount and go. I can’t go because of the situation. We booked a holiday in Greece and that company not only replied to us promptly but made a booking for the same time next year at the same cost. Why can’t Sykes do that? I will lose the £425 deposit and have no other option. I will NEVER use them again unless they change their business practice. I used to rate them highly - not any more.”

Helpful Report

Posted 4 years ago

“Sykes have NOT made me happy.i have tried to rebook ( Coronavirus halting the possibility of meeting my bookin) and wrote explaining,even offering to postpone for 12 months. Told I could do this through my account . I tried but it was not possible. The site blocked the ability to amend holiday dates. I had checked their site and ghe cottage we had booked was free for the weeks wanted in 2021. They seem to be willing go.take new bookings but curiously unable to.amend , as they suggest we do, any live bookings. I wrote and explained and again suggested 2021 dates. Again told to use my account but no access to that function was allowed. They are now insistent that I pay the full deposit despite the fact that I will not be able to fulfil the booking due to Lockdown. I then tried to cancel and as always the only way to cancel was to tick the box which "confirmed to collection of the full deposit" total lack of integrity in my view. Sykes ate manipulating dates under the terms of their punitive deposit scheme in line and contrary to their contentions, are certainky NOT acting on behalf of their clients best interests. I hope that clients both renters and holiday makers take full note of their dishonourable approach and guess they will.soon cease trading.”

Helpful Report

Posted 4 years ago

“I have used them in the past, but NEVER again. I bet they rebrand under a new name,so keep a lookout, broadcast it if you find it.”

Helpful Report

Posted 4 years ago

“We contacted the owner of the property we were due to stay with in N.Ireland who informed us that he had refunded our payment of £441 to Sykes over 4 weeks ago. After the government instated the lockdown. We have made numerous calls to Sykes and waited on the phone for hours as well as numerous emails. They have no intention of repaying the money due and in my view are committing theft. Avoid this company at all costs in future either as a property owner or as in our case a family who really need our money returned”

Helpful Report

Posted 4 years ago

“My lovely wife had a brain haemorrhage and a stroke on 26th Feb which resulted in two life saving operations at Addenbrooke’s hospital and several weeks in an induced coma in the critical care unit. I contacted Sykes as soon as I possibly could to explain the situation and requested a refund of my weeks cottage holiday on 17th April 2020. I was advised that no refund would be offered (they contacted the cottage owner) and that the onus was on me to cancel the holiday but if the date could be filled then I needed to check the website and make contact again to ask for a refund. The corona virus lockdown meant that no one booked our holiday slot and I lost my full payment for no service received. Quite appalling given my personal circumstances and I shall not be using the services of Sykes cottages again.”

Helpful Report

Posted 4 years ago

“Sykes cottages are not refunding me my booking deposit of £611.40 due to my booking to stay on 20th June 2020. The remaining balance was due this Saturday and I was trying to negotiate a weekend away at the accommodation, no one returned my call. I have sent Sykes an email copy and pasting Dean Dunhams consumer lawyer letter and hopefully I’ll get a refund. Urge everybody who feels they are due a refund to do some research. Never book with them again.”

Helpful Report

Posted 4 years ago

“I will never use them again had to cancel a cottage for June and the day I cancel they took the remainder deposit out plus £49 cancellation fee. I tried contacting them but could never get through. I have advised lots if people never to use them lets hope the go bust”

Helpful Report

Posted 4 years ago

“if I could review 0zero I would. who knows what despicable directors run this company. They are ruthless cheating and totally dishonest”

Helpful Report

Posted 4 years ago

“Like others, I too am unable to receive a full refund. They are impossible to reach by telephone and they do not read my emails as evidence by receiving the same form letter after my response to their previous form letter. My holiday was booked for the first week of May and was cancelled by the owners of the property 5 weeks prior to the start date. Sykes is holding on to a booking and transaction fee for a total of $300+ stating I have a credit with them that can be used within the next 24 months. In the US - this would be illegal to take money for service or goods without delivering if contract was terminated by agent. If I could give zero stars I would.”

Helpful Report

Posted 4 years ago

“Like many others, I had a holiday booked with Sykes due to commence on 20 June. The balance of payment of £968 was due on 9th May. I was unable to change the date of his holiday on line (the system only allows holidays up to 14th June to be changed) and cancellation would have involved charges just short of £400. They patently cannot deliver this product under current restrictions yet still persisted in sending me reminders about final payment! After a frustrating exchange of emails I finally managed to speak to a member of staff by telephone this morning. She was brilliant and whilst I held on line she contacted the property owners for me and negotiated a re-booking for 12 months hence. It cost me a £30 admin fee but considering their previous intransigent position I regard this as a good result! My advice is don't try to deal with this online. Ring them. You may have to wait for an answer (48 minutes in my case) but the persistence will pay off.”

Helpful Report

Posted 4 years ago

“Sykes Cottages are breaking the law, that's a fact. Martin Lewis has been inundated with messages and you CAN GET YOUR MONEY back, go via the Charge Back System, the CMA or the Small Claims court. They do not have a leg to stand on and fighting you via these systems will cost them more ultimately. Let's all fight them for what they have stolen from us.”

Helpful Report

Posted 4 years ago

“Terrible company to deal with, the customer service is zero. We have just lost our £200 deposit. our balance was due to be paid this week but as Sykes cannot guarantee our holiday would go ahead in June we felt that losing £200 is better than £600 for the full balance. They offer amended dates if the holiday is cancelled, these are Winter dates and the fact my Wife is a key worker (police) and can't book or switch holidays, it has left us high and dry. Sykes refused to budge and for just £200 have lost our custom forever. We have used them 3x in the past, their stupid loss.”

Helpful Report

Posted 4 years ago

“Terrible company to deal with with zero customer service skills. We have just lost our £200 deposit, our balance was due to be paid this week but as Sykes cannot guarantee our holiday would go ahead in June, we felt that losing £200 is better than £600 for the full balance. They offer amended dates if the holiday is cancelled, these are Winter dates and the fact my Wife is a key worker (police) and can't get or switch holidays left us high and dry. Sykes refused to budge (we would have rebooked as soon as we could) and for just £200, they have lost our custom forever. We have used them 3x, so it is their stupid loss as we will never book with them again”

Helpful Report

Posted 4 years ago

“What a joke of a company! This has been going on for weeks and we still have no refund. The company is a disgrace. Saying they will call us back and never do. Saying they haven't been able to get hold of the owners of the holiday cottage and I called them 1st time and got through. Will never be booking through these again!”

Helpful Report

Posted 4 years ago

“An absolute disgrace of a company, took my money even after I cancelled my holiday, knew I would lose my deposit but they took the full balance anyway. I've now been sat with an email confirming they are refunding the money to me only to get a response to me chasing it today saying I need to speak to Booking.com! total fraudsters just holding onto customers cash. Seems like lots of stories of them doing similar to others, hopefully they get whats coming to them when this is all over.”

Helpful Report

Posted 4 years ago

“I am a small holiday cottage business with just 2 cottages. This is my first year with Sykes. I am horrified to read all the stories here about customers struggling to book new dates or get refunds due to Corvid 19. Sykes asked me if I wanted to refund my guests if they wished to cancel in these unprecedented times, if they had booked before March 17th and I said absolutely, so why aren't they doing it? I refunded all my direct bookings and returners immediately. It will be a very hard year for me as a little business but we are all in the same boat so it is important to look after each other! Sykes have also taken the full commission plus VAT from me on all bookings including those that have been cancelled which is harsh. I don’t even know if they have refunded my customers which is a concern.”

Helpful Report

Posted 4 years ago

“If I could leave them 0 stars, I would. In these troubling and uncertain times, this greedy and immoral company are displaying a total disregard for their customers. We have paid thousands to go on a multi-family break this April which we are no longer allowed to attend due to the Covid-19 pandemic. The cottage can no longer provide the accommodation yet Sykes will not refund us or even answer our calls and/or emails. We have a pregnant lady, vulnerable adults and key workers within our group, where is their care, gratitude and compassion? Absolutely disgusted with their stance and would never ever book anything through them again despite previously being a loyal customer. They’ve just ignored email after email too!”

Helpful Report

Posted 4 years ago

“To all Sykes customers who want a refund for a cancelled booking - look up DEAN DUNHAM SYKES REFUNDS to read free legal advice with Template letters to send to Sykes with the threat of legal action to recover your money and not be bullied into future bookings if you don’t want this. Note your contract is with the owners, Sykes act as agents but all the legal information you need is there on DEAN DUNHAM’s Twitter and Blog to get Sykes to repay your money- they are unscrupulous greedy and cowardly and it is only direct action following the procedures of letter before action, requests for refunds in reasonable timeframes and possibly court action which will get them to liaise with owners and get your money back to you if this is what you want.”

Helpful Report

Posted 4 years ago

Sykes Cottages is rated 1.2 based on 1,481 reviews