Location: New Zealand
Hi everyone, I just wanted to share a frustrating experience I had while trying to book a holiday home in Hawke’s Bay and also ask for some advice. The property is listed on an online platform featuring several properties. What started off as a simple booking enquiry turned into something that felt misleading, unprofessional, and honestly quite dehumanising. I’m not sure if I’m overreacting or if this is actually worth pursuing further. I’ve never dealt with something like this before and could really use a second opinion.
So I recently tried to book a property. The listing described the property as being “ideal for significant birthdays,” which really appealed to me because I was planning something low-key for my own birthday with a few friends. The listing also clearly stated that there was only a one-night minimum stay required between 1 September and 30 October, which was perfect for my timing.
I sent through an enquiry, but I got a reply saying they actually have a three-night minimum and that they “prefer not to host parties.” That was already kind of disappointing, because I was relying on the information in the listing when I decided to enquire. I replied, pointing out the one-night minimum mentioned on the website and asked if they’d consider honouring what was advertised.
I also mentioned that, as far as I understand, under New Zealand’s Fair Trading Act, businesses are supposed to make sure their advertising is accurate and not misleading, especially if that advertising directly influences consumer decisions.
That’s when it got weird. The next email I received included this sentence:
“Why the hell he thinks we would let them stay here after that threatening stated before we have the right to refuse enquiries and choose to do this at this time.”
That was shocking to read. First of all, they referred to me in the third person, and also assumed I was male, which I’m not. The whole thing felt like a private comment they meant to send to someone else, but they accidentally included it in the email to me. It didn’t even really make grammatical sense, which makes me think it was rushed or copied from somewhere else.
After that, they doubled down, saying they’ve had issues in the past with 21sts and 30ths and now only accept bookings for “50ths, 60ths, and 75ths.” But again none of that is in the listing. The listing literally encourages people to book for significant birthdays, and that information (plus the one-night stay) was the entire reason I enquired in the first place.
I totally understand that property owners can turn down bookings at their discretion, especially if they’re worried about damage or noise. But if that’s the case, shouldn’t the listing be honest about that? It feels like they’re promoting something they no longer actually offer, and then rejecting people once they show interest based on the very reason the listing said it was a good fit.
Now I’m just left feeling kind of… gross. It’s not just the misleading info, but the tone of that one email, the part where I’m talked about in the third person and misgendered that really got to me. It felt dismissive and unnecessary, and it made me wonder how many other people have had similar experiences and just let it go.
I’m not sure if I’m being too sensitive or if it’s even worth following up on. But it’s been on my mind, and I thought I’d put it out here to see what others think.
Would you let this go? Or would you follow it up? If so, with who? Commerce Commission? The platform? Media? I honestly don’t know what the right move is here, and any advice would be really appreciated.
Thanks for reading.