Guest wants refund for lack of shade, no remote
Hi, we're newish, taking over a guest house from my MIL, and also the main house rental when we're not there.
Elderly couple check in, they think the smart lock is a lockbox, and try to pry it open, looking for the key. I had sent 2 reminders with their code, and how the door works. I open the door remotely for them.
I immediately get a phone call saying that the remote is broken and they can't watch TV. The TV is on a mobile stand so it was unplugged, I asked them to try the remote again and they said they couldn't figure it out. I suggested they can use the Roku app to use it as a remote or they can send whatever streaming platform they want directly to the TV, and they wanted me to walk them through the installation and setup process. Process. I claimed ignorance because they have an iPhone and I have android, but thought that was the end of it. (Ended up sending the Roku support page on how to set it up) I also ordered a replacement to arrive tomorrow. They then called back to ask about where they could find shade, or if we have an easy-up. It's next to a river and can be quite windy, so no easy-up would stay for long, but there are various trees around for shade. There are multiple places around the property that have shade, including the front yard, breezeway, and picnic benches down by the river.
"I called to let you know that we are checking out on Wednesday rather than Thursday. The difficulty with shade, the broken remote and only one outdoor chair has been less than we hoped for. Sorry. We would appreciate any refund for the early checkout. Thanks for any consideration. "
There are 2 Adirondack chairs around a firepit on their own patio, another guest had moved it to the main patio.
Am I overreacting when this seems a bit silly to want to check out over? They were planning on being gone all day tomorrow anyway, and the house itself has AC and is shady. The remote (if it's actually broken) replacement will be there tomorrow, and they can use their phones to control it now.
I'm leaning towards the generic, "sorry we weren't to your liking, hope you have a good trip" and leave it at that.
Is their request for a refund reasonable? There's no way we can book it again so fast, and we have a moderate cancellation policy
Posted Aug 12, 2025, 5:45 AM UTC