Dunsdale Lodge, Dunsdale Lodge, Carriage Drive, Frodsham, Cheshire, WA6 6ED

Stayed for a week in Easter in Dunsdale Lodge, Frodsham, Chester and had a lovely time and lodge was as described although the furniture is a bit cheap and the beds are a bit uncomfortable.

Came home feeling relaxed but that soon disappeared as six days after we received an email from Sykes who are there property agent stating they taken £250 from my credit card (the maximum allowed on their housekeeping bond) to cover damage to a bedside table. Disputed this and it took them a further 4 days to send photos and an invoice of the damage.

The damage was a cracked drawer front which was already there when we arrived at the cottage but as my daughter didn't use the drawers she never told us about it and we never noticed it when we were leaving. Sykes made out that she must have danced on it to cause such damage.

After numerous emails Sykes said they made an error as the invoice was for two cabinets as the originals were obsolete and they were refunding half the damage amount to my card. This was after numerous posts looking for evidence.

I texted the lodge owner (Mike) as well but they never responded to my message and we left the property exactly as we found it.

Sykes washed their hands of any further involvement and stated I would have to use the small claims court if I wanted my money back and at the moment I am still down money on my card.

I found the customer service when I eventually got to speak to someone to be completely one sided and hostile and they admitted they are nothing more than a booking site.

Would never use this company again and I was going to book a expensive house in Cornwall the night before this blew up. Thank god I hesitated.

Avoid Sykes and the owners at all costs as we have found out Sykes have form for this kind of thing. In future I will be booking direct with the property owners and would never use this cottage or Sykes again.