"LHH Scotland Review"

The 1 star numerous reviews below mirror our experience with LHH also. The 5 star reviews pre covid are I'm sure genuine, as the properties LHH advertise in their glossy brochure are really beautiful ( hence our booking for our 30th wedding anniversary). Covid though paints an entirely differently picture of this company. We booked and paid for a weeks holiday on Isle of Harrs in May and due to the pandemic and Government restrictions we were unable to go. LHH offered a mirror week next year but unfortunately family and work commitments meant we were unable to accept and requested a refund. Our reply from LHH was as they have replied to others it seems on this thread to claim our Travel Insurance. (£1200). I concur with those 1 star reviews posted about LHH, they have been dreadful to deal with, and like others we have reported to the CMA. I am more than disappointed that a Scottish Company has let us and others down so badly and would never recommend them.
In reply to LHH comment below, I do not think it is for our Insurance company to honour our claim, it should be you LHH who do the right and honourable thing by your clients and refund the money they sent in to your company in good faith.

"In the midst of a global pandemic I…"

In the midst of a global pandemic I have found LHH's response to our third booking with the company has been focused on maximising their revenue at the expense of customers, many, like ourselves, being repeat customers. Through no fault of our own LHH and the cottage owner were unable to fulfil their offer of accommodation. LHH's response was to absolve themselves of any responsibility.
Their offer of a deferral to the following year would have been accepted by us if it were not coupled with the requirement to pay the outstanding balance in full a year plus in advance. LHH's attitude to us up to this point had been very much a take it or leave it approach.
Being rental property owners ourselves we offered all of our booked customers full refunds - no questions asked. We did not and do not believe that any of our customers should suffer financially as a result of something outwith their control.
We will not be booking any future holiday accommodation with LHH who have shown themsleves to be totally lacking in any form of customer focus or empathy. It may be that the accommodation owners who have signed up with LHH have been aligned with their approach to handling this issue - if so then they should be prepared to be called out for their short sighted profiteering.
LHH's response below does confirm that after much hassle on our part we did receive our deposit minus our deductible from our insurance company - LHH (and/or its accommodation owners) profited to the tune of circa £300 for delivering nothing except for the curt emails and zero customer support. Needless to say there are many more individuals and families who have sufferred financial losses much greater than our own.

"Unscrupulous company"

Unscrupulous company
We booked and paid in full for a large property, Poyntzfield House, for my husband’s 50th, we could not travel as we had to follow government guidelines during COVID 19, LHH Scotland refused to give us our money back. They even ran a competition on their Facebook page giving a weekend away in the same house to key workers but they are quite happy to keep their existing customers’ money, there were 4 key workers in our group whose money they are still keeping. Disgraceful behaviour. The owner is a high profile writer who writes about Scottish history. We wonder if she realises the extent of LHH Scotland damage for Scottish tourism and in particular for her professionsl credibility. LHH needs to pay us our money back.

"Have been treated shockingly!!!"

Have been treated shockingly by this company! We booked a holiday which incorporated our wedding with Lhh and can honestly say it was a shambles from the very start. Staff were unhelpful with the booking from the very outset, despite the additional income from having the wedding there as well as the holiday let. Company cancelled due to COVID-19 and then refused to reschedule if we did not pay the balance in full and sign up to new terms and conditions which would mean losing the entire cost if they cancelled our holiday for a second time. Completely unreasonable to expect payment for a holiday 64 weeks in advance. The company believes it is above the CMA ruling which entitles all customers to a refund, credit note or reschedule of the holiday. An embarrassment to the Scottish tourism industry! Does not deserve the 1 star review but unable to post a review without giving the minimum score possible!
With reference to the Lhh response, the 12 weeks prior to entry payment terms only raised its head after three months of emails with the company and only when the owner of the property got involved and forced Lhh's hand to offer such terms. They also still expect acceptance of the updated terms and conditions which are unworkable. This is a perfect example of the type of response we have received over the last few months. Unhelpful, defensive and never the full story!

"I'm very happy with LHH"

My wife and I have used LHH whilst visiting Lewis for the past 7 years.
We have had to cancel two visits due Covid and LHH have dealt with them as agreed beforehand and entirely to our satisfaction.
A very professional outfit which, when faced with previous upsets and also Covid, have responded adaptably and thoughtfully to our problems.

"Efficient web site and excellent…"

Efficient web site and excellent communication throughout the process. Particularly good experience during the COVID pandemic where they very sensibly waited until the last possible moment before making decisions that affected our holiday.

"Abhorrent Company."

Abhorrent Company !!!
We booked a large holiday home with LHH. Due to the Covid pandemic LHH cancelled our booking.
No credit note, and no reschedule without agreeing to new and completely unfair terms and conditions. NO REFUND of our £990.00 stating our deposit was non refundable. This company is bordering on the criminal - avoid like the plague.

No LHH, the reason you can't respond to my review is because it's an accurate representation of events and I have all documents and emails to back it up.

"Adversity sorts the good from the bad."

Having used LHH last year to book a cottage in North Uist and enjoying a trouble free holiday, we booked the same cottage again this year for two weeks around Easter.

We were unable to have our holiday because of Covid-19, we contacted them and they said that they could not let us use the property and right from the word go their stance was that they would not refund us and we should take it up with our insurance, referring us to their terms and conditions which do reference cancellation insurance. However, we hadn't cancelled the holiday and LHH would not cancel either but would only offer the chance to re-book for the next year, at the time they were quoting some time after August 2021.

I don't understand why anyone would think it ok to keep my hard earned money for 18 months. I am not investing in this company, I am paying them for a service they could not provide, and should have been refunded in full without argument.

The company continually removed the cottage owners from my emails even though the contract for the holiday is between myself and the cottage owner, not LHH.

I found them completely unhelpful, rude and arrogant from the start. I understand that they were under a lot of pressure at the time, but lets remember, I am the paying customer and this is a service industry. You live or die on your customer service.

Even when the government issued the CMA statement, they refused to change their position. Yet, rather offensively and in a baffling change of stance, we recently received marketing from them offering cottage rentals with the promise that should there be a second wave of Covid, they will refund in full. No thanks, once bitten and all that.

I will say that they eventually offered to speak to the owner to see if they would agree to a 50% refund but that was too little too late, and they never did do that.

I would strongly recommend that you book elsewhere. There are lots of companies out there that put the customer first, even when things go bad.

Before you book anything, go online and search social media (LHH took their own social media down because of the amount of complaints) and other review sites, there are a lot of disgruntled ex LHH customers out there, they cant all be wrong.

Reply to LHH comment - No, you have the wrong person. I am not Mrs M Craig. I have not discussed insurance with you and certainly haven't changed my story about insurance. Therefore your comments are incorrect, please remove them from my post so that I can remove this reply.

"Huge let down in Service - A Customer’s experience"

I too have been affected by LHH Scotland’s decision not to offer refunds to customers who booked and paid in full for holiday accommodation booked through them, but were unable to take up their accommodation due to COVID19 travel restrictions. I was initially informed in an email headed, cancellation of your LHH booking, that in light of the Governments latest instruction, my booking could no longer proceed.

I have emailed LHH on numerous occasions requesting a refund for a service they were no longer able to provide. It is my understanding that the lockdown legislation had the effect of ‘frustrating’ the booking contract and as such if guests do not want to transfer their booking then they are entitled to a refund. Like many other LHH consumers, I have reported LHH to the Competition and Markets Authority, using the CMA’s online ‘Report a business behaving unfairly during the Coronavirus (COVID19) outbreak’ facility.

I find it very unfair that the property owner and LHH are not only refusing refunds but making additional profits out of their customer’s misfortune, as the property owner is no longer liable for expenditure costs associated with letting out their property and it is possible that both LHH and the property owner will have been provided with some Government financial assistance in various forms.

I was hugely disappointed not to be able to take up my LHH booking due to the COVID19 restrictions. This year was a special year for our family, and to mark the occasion we had plans to tour the Scottish Highlands and also visit the Channel Islands. I had accommodation and car ferry bookings with multiple Companies. With the exception of LHH Scotland, all of these Companies refunded the monies that I had paid them for the bookings that could no longer go ahead due to COVID19 travel restrictions. I am very appreciative of all those Companies that made the decision to do the right thing and it is those Companies who will be getting my business in the future. I am extremely disappointed with LHH - the only Company that has refused to treat their customers with respect and offer a full refund for the service they could no longer provide. It is how Businesses treat their customers in the bad times rather than the good times, that people will remember.

"Reported by CMA to Trading Standards"

CMA have contacted me to advise they have sent the information to Highland Council Trading Standards so this must mean they believe LHH have a case to answer in respect of retaining my deposit. Hopefully others who have reported to CMA have same result and a class action will follow. Like others have stated the excellent reviews for the properties should not appear as a review for LHH. Be aware this is a totally unethical company who have no concept of customer service and simply wish to retain any monies paid even when they are unable to provide the service. I have recently used Sykes Cottages and would give them 5 stars rather than the minus 5 I would wish to give LHH if it was possible