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| Version 1 | Version 2 |
|---|---|
| Trip Advisor couple 'fined' £100 by hotel for bad review | Trip Advisor couple 'fined' £100 by hotel for bad review |
| (35 minutes later) | |
| A couple have been "fined" £100 by a Blackpool hotel they described as a "rotten stinking hovel" on travel review website Trip Advisor. | A couple have been "fined" £100 by a Blackpool hotel they described as a "rotten stinking hovel" on travel review website Trip Advisor. |
| Tony and Jan Jenkinson posted the negative comment after being unimpressed with the one night they spent at the Broadway Hotel. | Tony and Jan Jenkinson posted the negative comment after being unimpressed with the one night they spent at the Broadway Hotel. |
| The couple, from Whitehaven, later found £100 charged to their credit card. The hotel said its policy was to charge for "bad" reviews. | The couple, from Whitehaven, later found £100 charged to their credit card. The hotel said its policy was to charge for "bad" reviews. |
| Trading Standards are investigating. | Trading Standards are investigating. |
| Officials believe the hotel may have breached unfair trading practice regulations. | Officials believe the hotel may have breached unfair trading practice regulations. |
| Peeling wallpaper | Peeling wallpaper |
| The manager of the hotel, on Burlington Road West, was unavailable when contacted by the BBC. | |
| The hotel policy, contained in a booking document, reads: "Despite the fact that repeat customers and couples love our hotel, your friends and family may not. | The hotel policy, contained in a booking document, reads: "Despite the fact that repeat customers and couples love our hotel, your friends and family may not. |
| "For every bad review left on any website, the group organiser will be charged a maximum £100 per review." | "For every bad review left on any website, the group organiser will be charged a maximum £100 per review." |
| Retired van driver, Mr Jenkinson, 63, said: "It was filthy, dirty, rotten, stinking hovel run by muppets. | Retired van driver, Mr Jenkinson, 63, said: "It was filthy, dirty, rotten, stinking hovel run by muppets. |
| "The shower was filthy - my wife wouldn't even get into it to wash her hair. The wallpaper was peeling off, the kettle didn't work and there was no water at all in the bathroom. | "The shower was filthy - my wife wouldn't even get into it to wash her hair. The wallpaper was peeling off, the kettle didn't work and there was no water at all in the bathroom. |
| "It was beyond a joke, and didn't get better at breakfast time. We went down in the morning and the staff were standing around messing with their mobile phones. | "It was beyond a joke, and didn't get better at breakfast time. We went down in the morning and the staff were standing around messing with their mobile phones. |
| "I found the breakfast inedible - the bacon wasn't cooked - I couldn't finish it." | "I found the breakfast inedible - the bacon wasn't cooked - I couldn't finish it." |
| Mr and Mrs Jenkinson were on their way to visit family in Oxford when they decided to split up the journey. | Mr and Mrs Jenkinson were on their way to visit family in Oxford when they decided to split up the journey. |
| They only choose the hotel because it had a car park and paid £36 for the double room. | They only choose the hotel because it had a car park and paid £36 for the double room. |
| Mr Jenkinson added: "At one point I opened the drawers of the chest of drawers and they fell in. If it had been a kid they could have been hurt." | Mr Jenkinson added: "At one point I opened the drawers of the chest of drawers and they fell in. If it had been a kid they could have been hurt." |
| He said the details of the charge were in the booking documents, but his wife did not have her glasses on and signed it without reading the small print. | He said the details of the charge were in the booking documents, but his wife did not have her glasses on and signed it without reading the small print. |
| John Greenbank, north trading standards area manager, said it was a "novel" way to prevent bad reviews. | John Greenbank, north trading standards area manager, said it was a "novel" way to prevent bad reviews. |
| He said: "I have worked for trading standards for many years and have never seen anything like this. | He said: "I have worked for trading standards for many years and have never seen anything like this. |
| Refund sought | |
| "The hotel management clearly thinks they have come up with a novel way to prevent bad reviews, however we believe this could be deemed an unfair trading practice." | "The hotel management clearly thinks they have come up with a novel way to prevent bad reviews, however we believe this could be deemed an unfair trading practice." |
| The couple have sought a refund via their credit card company. | The couple have sought a refund via their credit card company. |
| Councillor John McCreesh, cabinet member for trading standards, said: "Customers need to be free to be honest about the service they're getting. | Councillor John McCreesh, cabinet member for trading standards, said: "Customers need to be free to be honest about the service they're getting. |
| "Other customers depend upon it. Hotel owners should focus on getting their service right rather than shutting down aggrieved customers with threats and fines. | "Other customers depend upon it. Hotel owners should focus on getting their service right rather than shutting down aggrieved customers with threats and fines. |
| "People should have the right to vent their disappointment if a hotel stay did not meet their expectations and should not be prevented from having their say." | "People should have the right to vent their disappointment if a hotel stay did not meet their expectations and should not be prevented from having their say." |