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greatgenes.bsky.social
greatgenes
@greatgenes.bsky.social
5.7K followers 4.6K following 11K posts
Melburnian. 43 year old female. Overqualified compared to alpha male peers. Wear 👠. Taylor Swift ✨. Kamala & Hillary > Trump & Biden. Divorced. Friends with ex. 2 extraordinary kids. Fit 💪🏼. F1 fan. Aspiring 🏎️ driver. Keep 🪴 as pets. Love 📚. Drive a Mini.
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greatgenes.bsky.social
greatgenes @greatgenes.bsky.social · 1h
I might have simply been lucky. Also usually I’m quite good with checking T&C’s etc. That day I was particularly distracted with a million things on.

Oh well. I’ll be more careful next time :)
greatgenes.bsky.social
greatgenes @greatgenes.bsky.social · 1h
@lovenotgreed.bsky.social I informed them of what the ACL says…
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greatgenes.bsky.social
greatgenes @greatgenes.bsky.social · 2h
I’ve never had an issue with AirBnB or with Booking.com. Unfortunately this was booked directly with the venue.
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greatgenes.bsky.social
greatgenes @greatgenes.bsky.social · 2h
This is the place.

tuki.com.au
Tuki Retreat – Accommodation, Restaurant & Farm Regional Victoria
Escape to Tuki in regional Victoria – rustic stone cottages, farm-to-table dining, trout fishing & country hospitality. Just 90 minutes from Melbourne, near Daylesford & Ballarat.
tuki.com.au
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greatgenes.bsky.social
greatgenes @greatgenes.bsky.social · 2h
That option wasn’t available unfortunately.
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greatgenes.bsky.social
greatgenes @greatgenes.bsky.social · 2h
That’s exactly what I did Derek. ACL reference had to come after they refused to refund.
Reposted by greatgenes
jatolion.bsky.social
Jatolion fixes stuff and knows things. @jatolion.bsky.social · 9h
They had better not have the hide to ask for a review. :)
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greatgenes.bsky.social
greatgenes @greatgenes.bsky.social · 8h
haha they don’t even have to ask. They’ve totally earned it 😂
greatgenes.bsky.social
greatgenes @greatgenes.bsky.social · 8h
Ouch indeed! 😔
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simmatthews.bsky.social
simmatthews.bsky.social @simmatthews.bsky.social · 8h
Good on you for pushing back , not enough people have the tenacity to do this , businesses like this get away with it, keep the foot on the throat .
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mspraxis.bsky.social
MsPraxis @mspraxis.bsky.social · 8h
Absolutely worth it! And it wasn't all that much more. I felt so relieved to have locked in the accommodation but knowing I can cancel if I have to (hopefully not though!).
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finnigans.bsky.social
TheFinnigans @finnigans.bsky.social · 8h
Yes Robbie, the Motto of the Young Player Trap Club
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babsflowers.bsky.social
Barbara Flowers @babsflowers.bsky.social · 11h
They're terrified of cancel culture. Keep publicising the issue & you'll probably get a refund. I had to resort to a bad review on Trip Adviser a few years ago... suddenly everyone sprang into action, I got my money back on the proviso I wrote, on Trip Advisor, that the situation had been resolved
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greatgenes.bsky.social
greatgenes @greatgenes.bsky.social · 9h
Awww thanks! 😄
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finnigans.bsky.social
TheFinnigans @finnigans.bsky.social · 11h
Welcome to the Young Player Trap Club. No1 YP
@mspraxis.bsky.social

@roseannebyrne.bsky.social
@ournewhomecoach.bsky.social
@roobiefox.bsky.social
@koparafallskid.bsky.social
@bronwynhill1.bsky.social
@creativecatjk.bsky.social
@smilingdiva.bsky.social
@auspicioustimes.bsky.social
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Reposted by greatgenes
greatgenes.bsky.social
greatgenes @greatgenes.bsky.social · 9h
It is. I sent them relevant extracts!

I’ll definitely be reporting them and sharing their details on every social media platform I can. First though I want to give them a chance…
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greatgenes.bsky.social
greatgenes @greatgenes.bsky.social · 9h
It is. I sent them relevant extracts!

I’ll definitely be reporting them and sharing their details on every social media platform I can. First though I want to give them a chance…
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adewright.bsky.social
Ade Wright @adewright.bsky.social · 11h
Pretty sure that’s against ACL mate. Just report them
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mspraxis.bsky.social
MsPraxis @mspraxis.bsky.social · 10h
Damn! That is indeed a trap! I booked something yesterday for February 2026 and almost clicked the wrong one but thankfully I was able to book the one where I don’t even have to pay a deposit and I can cancel up to 24 hours beforehand. Phew!
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greatgenes.bsky.social
greatgenes @greatgenes.bsky.social · 11h
Definitely. I booked in a hurry because a bunch of places I looked into were already sold out. Their website said I can cancel up to 72 hours in advance but I totally missed the part which said the deposit is non-refundable.

Turns out, a 50% deposit isn’t legal in the first place! $640 FFS!!
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greatgenes.bsky.social
greatgenes @greatgenes.bsky.social · 11h
Needless to say, the whole situation has left a bad taste!

Most places nowadays don’t require any deposit. All my stays in Japan allowed for free cancellations up to a few weeks before!

I chose to stay in regional VIC this summer & this has been an expensive mistake.

🕊️💙🦋

#auspol
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Reposted by greatgenes
greatgenes.bsky.social
greatgenes @greatgenes.bsky.social · 11h
I received this response from their General Manager for stating that I intend to take the matter to Consumer Affairs.

According to this esteemed hospitality provider, a reminder of consumer rights & provider obligations under Consumer Law amounts to “threats”!

#auspol
< Back 6 Messages Re: Please cancel my booking Hello Gen, [Name redacted] has forwarded me your email. It's unfortunate that you didn't read the terms and conditions associated with booking accommodation at our property. I'd also like to state that I don't appreciate threats being directed at our business or members of it. As previously discussed we are more than happy to work with you to transfer your booking to another date on this occasion. I would also note that the Miners Cottage would be a more appropriate choice of accommodation for your family. Please let me know how you would like to proceed. Kind regards, [Name Redacted] General Manager
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greatgenes.bsky.social
greatgenes @greatgenes.bsky.social · 11h
Needless to say, the whole situation has left a bad taste!

Most places nowadays don’t require any deposit. All my stays in Japan allowed for free cancellations up to a few weeks before!

I chose to stay in regional VIC this summer & this has been an expensive mistake.

🕊️💙🦋

#auspol
2 1 5
greatgenes.bsky.social
greatgenes @greatgenes.bsky.social · 11h
I received this response from their General Manager for stating that I intend to take the matter to Consumer Affairs.

According to this esteemed hospitality provider, a reminder of consumer rights & provider obligations under Consumer Law amounts to “threats”!

#auspol
< Back 6 Messages Re: Please cancel my booking Hello Gen, [Name redacted] has forwarded me your email. It's unfortunate that you didn't read the terms and conditions associated with booking accommodation at our property. I'd also like to state that I don't appreciate threats being directed at our business or members of it. As previously discussed we are more than happy to work with you to transfer your booking to another date on this occasion. I would also note that the Miners Cottage would be a more appropriate choice of accommodation for your family. Please let me know how you would like to proceed. Kind regards, [Name Redacted] General Manager
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Reposted by greatgenes
greatgenes.bsky.social
greatgenes @greatgenes.bsky.social · 12h
I reminded them of the law.

Deposits greater than 10% are considered excessive.

When I booked, there was no pop-up to highlight that my deposit was non-refundable.

The dates are months away during peak season, which means it has not impacted their chance of getting another booking.

#auspol
Screenshot of Guidance for Tourism Businesses under Consumer Law consumer.vic.gov.au < Back to Contracts Unfair contract terms are void and cannot be enforced against customers. Businesses may want to include specific terms and conditions about fees, deposits or cancellation charges. If they do include these, they should make customers aware of them before they book. Failure to disclose these conditions could also be considered unfair, due to a lack of transparency. The ACL bans businesses from proposing, using, or relying on unfair contract terms in standard form contracts with consumers and small businesses. Penalties can be as high as: • $50 million for businesses • $2.5 million for individuals. Make sure any fees or charges reflect reasonable costs. Otherwise, they may be seen as penalties, which generally cannot be enforced. Deposits greater than 10 per cent of the total cost of a booking may be considered to be prepayments, which guests may not have to forfeit if they cancel their booking. Businesses should consider whether or not they need more than 10 per cent as a deposit. Screenshot of Guidance for Tourism Businesses under Consumer Law consumer.vic.gov.au < Back to Contracts Reducing losses Before applying a cancellation policy, tourism businesses should take into account the likelihood that losses can be limited by re-booking another guest. While the chances of re-booking get smaller closer to the booking date, the business should make reasonable efforts. If another guest books the accommodation for the same price, it may be difficult for the business to argue that it has the right to impose a cancellation fee, except for costs already incurred. If the contract allows the business to reclaim losses from a customer, without taking reasonable steps to avoid them, it may be deemed unfair under the ACL. This could include any terms that allow the business to claim the total cost of accommodation from a guest regardless of when they cancel the booking.
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