I Am Being Screwed Out Of $250 (844 hits)
Category: GeneralRating: 0.95 on 25 reviews (Rate this item) (V)
Submitted by quack (View user info) at 2005-11-28 14:15:42 EST
I am being screwed. Fucked in the ass. Whatever terminology you'd care to use. Here's the downlow...
This past summer, I stayed at a condo in North Myrtle Beach, SC for the week right after college let out. It was a large group of my friends, and we rented several condos. Six of us were in the condo that I was in charge of, a three bedroom, fairly nice little beachside condo. No big deal.
For a group of rowdy college students, we treated this condo VERY nicely. The majority of the partying and all took place other condos, thankfully. I felt as though we had dodged a bullet and would receive our $1200 security deposit back without a problem. But someone, wither the homeowner or the rental company decided otherwise.
I received our refunded money, only $862.49, in the form of a check back in October, along with a statement citing charges for damages.
_________
Carpet Cleaning Charge - $70.00
Missing Twin Sheet - $12.60
Missing Bedspreads - $250.00
_________
I called the rental company to dispute the charges to no avail. I can accept the carpet cleaning charge, as it's probable that someone could've spilled something somewhere. I can even accept the missing sheets one, seeing as how it's only two bucks out of my pocket. But the missing bedspreads charge, which I was told over the phone by the rental company was for two missing single-size bedspreads, is ridiculous.
I have spoken personally to every member of my condo. I even slept in one of the beds that we allegedly "stole" the bedspread from. I KNOW that those bedspreads were there when we left. I told all of this to the rental agent, but she said they were missing and we're liable. I then asked for a receipt, as $250 seems to be an exorbitant amount for two single bedspreads. She said she'd check with the homeowner. Two weeks, no call back. I finally call her back and she says that he doesn't have a receipt.
Frustrated, one day I was looking through my pictures from the week and see one that has the bedspreads in it: a close-up of two of my friends in the bed, which shows the quality of the bedspread.
I call the rental agency back. (This is actually around the fifth call. I'm simplifying things for sanity's sake.) I tell her I have a picture that shows the quality of the bedspreads. She advises me to send a formal letter of complaint and to attach a copy of the picture. I write up a well-worded (in my humble opinion) letter that follows:
__________
To whom it may concern,
My name is XXXX, and a group of XXXX students and I stayed at your condos at North Myrtle Beach last May (5th - 12th). Everything went fine, and the accommodations were great as they have been the past few years.
The reason for my email is that, upon finally getting our security deposit back several months late, there were charges several charges that seem to be quite questionable. There were charges for a missing twin sheet ($12.60) and carpet cleaning charges ($75.00), both of which are somewhat doubtful since we put all of the linens in bags as we were told, and barely even used the master bedroom, much less spilled anything in it.
However, the main shock was a $250 charge for "Bed Spreads." I have been in contact with Sam from your office, who has been quite helpful in telling me that the charges were for "two missing twin bedspreads." But, concerning their loss, I can assure you that it is outrageous to suppose that we must have stolen or misplaced them. Like the rest of our linens, these bedspreads were bagged, tagged, and placed outside of the rental office. The only possible solution that I can see is that they must've been lost in the laundry process.
Regardless, if we are to be held accountable for the loss of these bedspreads, I would like documentation for their replacement purchases. I asked Sam, who in turn contacted the condo's owner, but she said that they had no receipt. Any of us who saw the bedspreads, can attest to the fact that they were absolutely NOT luxury, quilted, fitted, or expensive whatsoever. They were normal bedspreads, approximately 1/2 in. thick, dark blue on the top, with a white, somewhat plastic-feeling underside. I am attaching a picture that I personally took, which shows the quality of the spreads.
These charges, aside from being completely unfounded, and against a group of students who visited your establishment several times the past few years, are borderline fraudulent. Any sane person who types the query "twin bedspread" into Google, or visits their local department stores can agree that $250 is an exorbitant amount to pay, much less for bedspreads we did not lose.
I have had very little success with my repeated phone calls to your resort, but if we are to pay these charges, I will likely dissuade our group, which rents out around five condos a summer, as well as other contacts from our university and neighboring ones, from staying at your resort again. I'm also aware that lodging complaints with the Better Business Bureau and/or small claims court are options. Hopefully we can resolve this somehow.
Sincerely,
XXXX
XXXX '07
__________
THREE WEEKS PASS. Thanksgiving and all. I finally call back today. She says that she's in touch with the homeowner again and is sorry for the delay. They're suffering slowdowns with all of the Katrina damages to their other rental locations. She says the homeowner should produce some documentation soon. I ask what kind of documentation and she says, "either a receipt for the bedspreads or the fact that they were indeed there when you left."
And here I sit. Six months after my stay at this resort, wanting my fucking security deposit back.
Any suggestions? What should I do if they do indeed produce the receipt? Can I really take them to small claims court? Would the Better Business Bureau do anything worthwhile?
God damn this is annoying. I've spent at least six hours on this with various phone calls, emails, and all. Ideas?
User Reviews
Submitted by Zoidberg (user info) at 2005-11-28 20:50:20 EST (#)
Ranking: 0
I've fucked her
Submitted by quack (user info) at 2005-11-28 16:47:49 EST (#)
Ranking: 0
blitz_bob - haha "debaucherous." what was debaucherous in the letter? i was leveling with them with the letter. i wasn't trying to make it incredibly formal or anything. i'f i'm going to court or something, i suppose that would be a good idea, though.
apollo - college students. broke.
loki - you either have a good memory, or have been stalking me all these years. thanks for the tips, i guess. though i don't think this is a hippie liberal institution that would care about my "republican" or collegiate tone. (i don't see where either of those come into play in the letter...) they cater to old conservative folks usually.
Submitted by CaptainThorns (user info) at 2005-11-28 15:51:00 EST (#)
Ranking: 0
I've tried the BBB on several occasions, and they don't do jack shit. Don't waste your breath on them.
Submitted by loki (user info) at 2005-11-28 15:48:11 EST (#)
Ranking: 2
You're getting screwed out of more than that just paying tuition to go to Duke.
My parents have vacation rental property. I think what you should do is tone down the letter just a bit while continuing to express outrage over the time and trouble this has caused you. Essentially what you want to convey here is that you did not take their damn bedspreads and want your money back. I'd leave the bit about how you don't think their crappy linen is worth $250 off the table since you're trying to establish the fact that you did not take them.
Go with this:
1. I want an itemized receipt for any and all charges against my deposit.
2. I want a refund for any and all items charged against my deposit that were later discovered to be in error.
3. Failure to comply with my request will result in my filing a complaint with the BBB
whether you do or not actually file this complaint
Isn't there some sort of real estate board? Check out their website and see if they proudly tout membership in something like the Chamber of Commerce and threaten to contact them.
and for god's sake take an adult tone with this
If they or anyone else suspects that you are some little shit spoiled duke undergrad who voted for W and lives off the family teat, they'll treat you like you're some kind of spoiled little shit duke undergrad who voted for W and is living off the family teat.
with a unicorn tattoo
What? I'm just trying to help here.
Submitted by Shlongy (user info) at 2005-11-28 15:38:24 EST (#)
Ranking: 0
Those bed spreads weren't stolen...they probably had to burn them on account of the two beached whales that somehow found their way into your condo's bedroom and stunk up the bed spread.
I deduced this based on the photographic evidence presentled to me, Barnaby Shlongy.
Submitted by dangerdude (user info) at 2005-11-28 15:31:45 EST (#)
Ranking: 0
you should have dropped the google line, cause now they know you're a nerd and can't beat them up
Submitted by apollo88 (user info) at 2005-11-28 15:27:08 EST (#)
Ranking: 0
it's $250 between what, six of you?
skate it off.
Submitted by Xcuses (user info) at 2005-11-28 15:18:06 EST (#)
Ranking: 1
Submitted by badassmofo (user info) at 2005-11-28 14:17:56 (#)
Ranking: 0
Shlongy will tell you that he made 250 in the time it took him to read this post.
-------------
hahahahaha
true
Submitted by JonnyX (user info) at 2005-11-28 15:12:42 EST (#)
Ranking: 1
$250 spooge cleaning charge
Submitted by BLITZKREIG_BOB (user info) at 2005-11-28 15:05:34 EST (#)
Ranking: 2
I would re-word the letter. Take out all the references to the fact that you are/were a student and you were there with X-number of people. That only insinuates that your purposes there were debaucherous. Plus that picture doesn't help.
Call the rental agency and try to strike a deal with them: forget about the bedspreads, and you won't register a complaint with the BBB. Maybe they'll be willing to call it a wash.
Submitted by inion_de_trua (user info) at 2005-11-28 15:02:35 EST (#)
Ranking: 2
you can take them to small claims court. however $125 for a crappy twin sized bed spread, although insane, is feasible. if they can't provide a receipt for the purchase though they have no proof that's what it took to replace them. small claims court would have to basically judge your word against theirs. or you and your friends' words against theirs.
Submitted by indoninja (user info) at 2005-11-28 14:45:36 EST (#)
Ranking: 2
Submitted by quack (user info) at 2005-11-28 14:36:20 (#)
Ranking: 0
ugh, the BBB seems like an arduous process. maybe i will think about it if they get the receipt. i feel like they'll have to refund me the remainder of the money if they can't get a receipt, though. but what if they do have a receipt. isn't $250 a ridiculous amount? they couldn't just go out and buy some fucking cashmere spread with my security deposit. don't they have to replace, not upgrade? egads. i'm just pissed i've spent so much effort on this bullshit. it's to the point that i'm doing it just for the sake of the matter.
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I would go with BBB, and if you used a service like expedia (or even if you didn't) I would trash them on there. Might not help to get your money back but it can't hurt, and at least you will be doing something. I would look into talking to a lawyer, which might be more trouble then it is worth but if you are willing to write a post about this it should be worthwhile to cal a lawyer.
Submitted by quack (user info) at 2005-11-28 14:37:18 EST (#)
Ranking: 0
oh, and the problem with either 5 or 7 on my side is that this isn't a local matter. i'm at school in NC, and this trip was 6 months and 2.5 hours away. hmm..
Submitted by TheSpook (user info) at 2005-11-28 14:36:27 EST (#)
Ranking: 0
Don't contact any government agency. They will move even slower and have less regard for your problem.
Submitted by quack (user info) at 2005-11-28 14:36:20 EST (#)
Ranking: 0
ugh, the BBB seems like an arduous process. maybe i will think about it if they get the receipt. i feel like they'll have to refund me the remainder of the money if they can't get a receipt, though. but what if they do have a receipt. isn't $250 a ridiculous amount? they couldn't just go out and buy some fucking cashmere spread with my security deposit. don't they have to replace, not upgrade? egads. i'm just pissed i've spent so much effort on this bullshit. it's to the point that i'm doing it just for the sake of the matter.
Submitted by Average_Dan (user info) at 2005-11-28 14:35:20 EST (#)
Ranking: 2
I have that news team here as well, 5 on your side. They ruin peoples shit.
Submitted by wookie (user info) at 2005-11-28 14:29:48 EST (#)
Ranking: 1
BBB won't actually do anything--they don't have the authority to--they'll just keep a record of the complaint on file.
If they produce a receipt, there is very little you can do--unless you have a way of proving the receipt is for sheets that weren't used to replace the "missing" ones.
If they don't produce a receipt, most states' laws require that they return your entire deposit, and you would have a strong case in small claims court.
Submitted by Luckystar (user info) at 2005-11-28 14:29:40 EST (#)
Ranking: 1
I used to work in the service department of a car dealership and dealt with the Better Business Bureau frequently... When the BBB calls their rep, the rep HAS to follow up with the BBB in a certain amount of time or they can face fines. If what they had done was deemed fraudulent, they can have their business license yanked, or be put on a 'watch' list for future issues. Either way you will get a quicker response, and they may figure that since you went through all that trouble, you maybe didn't steal the bedspreads.
Submitted by Phinch (user info) at 2005-11-28 14:26:58 EST (#)
Ranking: 2
in my town we have a guy on the evening news that goes around fixing things like this. its called seven on your side or something like that.
just googled it. its abc seven on your side. call em up.
Submitted by Jeanneee (user info) at 2005-11-28 14:22:57 EST (#)
Ranking: 1
In the wise words of some random Uber-user whose name I can't remember: "Fire is the cleanser."
Submitted by quack (user info) at 2005-11-28 14:21:31 EST (#)
Ranking: 0
indoninja - with the BBB? are they even effective? i've heard they just compile complaints against businesses. but do they really produce any sort of result that will actually benefit me?
Submitted by indoninja (user info) at 2005-11-28 14:18:48 EST (#)
Ranking: 0
Go ahead and file a complaint.
Submitted by The_taste_of_Monkeys (user info) at 2005-11-28 14:18:30 EST (#)
Ranking: 2
Two words: Hired Assassins.
Id expect to pay $250 for that kind of service, not some half-assed duvet.
Submitted by badassmofo (user info) at 2005-11-28 14:17:56 EST (#)
Ranking: 0
Shlongy will tell you that he made 250 in the time it took him to read this post.
Submitted by quack (user info) at 2005-11-28 14:16:40 EST (#)
Ranking: 0
That is the actual picture. Does that bedspread look like a nice $125 investment to you?