Integrity Questioned After Multiple Cancellations
I am extremely dissatisfied with my experience with Salcombe Abode.
Properties were advertised and offered for advance booking for 2026. Bookings were accepted and confirmed. However, after securing those bookings, the company later cancelled them and relisted the same properties in the new year at higher prices.
This did not happen in isolation. At least three separate properties were cancelled for different parties who were all attending the same wedding. When multiple cancellations affect guests of the same event, the pattern becomes obvious.
Taking bookings well in advance, only to cancel and relist at higher rates, demonstrates a complete lack of integrity. It is dishonest, untrustworthy and, frankly, immoral behaviour.
People plan significant life events around accommodation. Cancelling confirmed bookings for apparent financial gain shows disregard for customers and the disruption caused.
I would strongly advise others to think carefully before relying on this company for important dates.
Reply from Salcombe Abode
We are surprised to see this feedback, as we were proactive with both yourself and the booking platform (Booking.com) regarding this matter.
To ensure the facts are represented accurately, we would like to clarify the timeline of events:
Immediate Notification: Your booking was made on 1st April 2025 for a stay in May 2026. This occurred due to a technical system synchronisation error which opened a calendar year prematurely with incorrect parameters. We identified this error and contacted you via the booking platform within 24 hours to explain that the booking was invalid and could not be honoured. This was an isolated incident.
Proactive Communication: Following our initial message, we reached out to you again over the coming months to seek a resolution. These communications remained unacknowledged by you for over six months.
Contesting Multiple Cancellations: We strongly contest your claim regarding a pattern of multiple cancellations. No other cancellations were made by us for that period. We do not cancel guest bookings as a matter of course and only did so in this instance due to the immediate technical error mentioned above.
Resolution via Booking.com: We contacted the booking platform for their input and Booking.com took over the management of your reservation directly due to the specific circumstances. We were made aware that they subsequently reallocated your holiday group to comparable alternative accommodation for your dates in May 2026.
We maintain a high standard of integrity and handled this error within 24 hours of it occurring - more than 13 months in advance of your stay. As there was a failure to engage with us on a timely basis to resolve the issue, the matter was taken over by the booking platform you used, who handled this to the point of conclusion directly with you.
