Yourstay.com

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During November of 2002 I reserved lodging in London offered by yourstay dot com. This was for a March rental. URL: http://www.yourstay.com/LONWSCH3.html

There were four reasons we selected the London lodging offered by the Yourstay web site; the location, three bedrooms, available parking, and swimming pool/hot tub.

As it turned out, there was no parking available at or near our lodging, those renting (as opposed to leasing) apartments were not allowed access to the pool, and the unit had only two bedrooms. However, the London location was quite good.

Since I was unable to find any nearby parking I had to cancel our car rental and take a days charge as a penalty.

When I contacted Yourstay about these discrepancies I did receive a response and an apology, and was offered a discount on any future lodging I might choose to book through them. Although I appreciate their reply, I also believe that their web site could have been much more accurate.

And should one consider accommodations through the Yourstay dot com site I would suggest that you carefully verify those lodging features which you consider to be a necessity.

BTW: We looked for a pool/hot tub specifically for an ndividual in our group who suffers from arthritis. Otherwise this feature would have been unnecessary one does not generally vacation in London in order to do some swimming.





Submitted By: luftgekuhlt@hotmail.com

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We had a similar experience. The apartment we booked was rented to someone else. The replacement apartment was filthy - dirt everywhere, semen stains on the sheets, excrement smeared around a non-flushing toilet. We left, but have since been unable to get a refund. What ever you do, don't rent from YourStay.Com. They shoud be called You'llBeSorry.Con

Submitted By: themager2000@yahoo.com
Posted: Wednesday, July 02, 2003

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Stay away from YOURSTAY! We were highballed, jacked off and absolutely robbed by these thieves who gave us one price for a nine day stay in an apt in Kensington, then jacked us up another 100 pounds when we agreed to the price, but said there was no minimum stay but when we checked out early we were refused refunds of any type and also stay away from CAPITOL ONE VISA because they agreed with YOURSTAY and gave them over an additional 700 of our dollars for a dishonest business method that even the lowest American used car dealer would be ashamed to use.

Submitted By: ITG
Posted: Wednesday, July 09, 2003

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i have to disagree i have just had a 2 night stay with yourstay.com and the apartment was stunning the location was excellent-i admit the service could have been a bit better but the staff were very friendly and helpful-i had heard about these reviews and was weary but now im convinced and will be booking again...

Submitted By: sen1@hotmail.com
Posted: Thursday, July 10, 2003

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I would not believe the comment #3 above. I know Raz Ofer, the Middle Eastern, gent who IS yourstay.com. This is how he writes. Words like 'stunning' and 'excellent' are just like his ads on google. The comment is unsubstantiated and unspecific. And he misspells words (like weary instead of wary). Yes he has heard of these reviews because more people are telling him, he's now marketing by email instead of internet because you can find out these things on the internet. If you want to read more go to: http://www.shortstay-london.com/apts.php?operator=49&list=y.

Submitted By: john@shortstay-london.com
Posted: Wed, July 16, 2003

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We also had a BAD experience with Yourstay.com. We were kept waiting for 2 hours to receive the "key" to our reserved apartment (with 3 young, exhausted, cranky children) and, after numerous phone calls and being kept on hold repeatedly while Raz was trying to book other people in his "stunning" apartments, then a cab driver shows up at our hotel building to transport us to another apartment because ours was "broken"! The new location was inconvenient for us "tourists", did not have a pool - as our reserved apartment was supposed to - and was dirty - unwashed dishes in the dishwasher, unmade beds, dirty floors, etc... We were extremely unhappy and made repeated calls to Raz and Mike to make our complaints and dissatisfaction known. They only discounted the apartment by 10 GBP per night! Then, when I received the invoice, they charged me for their cost of putting through the charge on a credit card! Unbelievable. If you're smart - DON'T DO BUSINESS WITH THESE PEOPLE - THEY DEFINITELY MISREPRESENT THEIR APARTMENTS - AND CHARGE HIDDEN FEES - BEWARE!!!

Submitted By: rhusslage@hotmail.com
Posted: Tuesday, July 22, 2003

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My wife and her family also had a terrible experience with Yourstay. And their apartment in London was nothing like the web site description. Two bedrooms were actually one, kitchen appliances didn't work, two bathrooms were actually one and a half. And the condition of the apartment was pitiful.

Submitted By: Anonymous
Posted: Tuesday, July 22, 2003

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A number of lawyers are organising to oust Raz Ofer from the scene as he is no longer paying rent to the landlords from whom he has rented many apartments he is sub-letting. These landlords were assured that he was going to sub-let to high quality corporate tenants, not for holiday stays. With no offence to tourists, you understand that long term residential buildings do not always welcome the use of its facilities by tourists, for one thing the numbers using the facilities increase and requirements for supervision increase, which is why people had trouble getting into the swimming pool in the White House, Waterloo (marketed as Westminster): the management objected to tourist use. The point is the yourstay.com advertised the availability of a pool while Raz Ofer knew that there were problems with the building management regarding access. Raz Ofer's solicitors have now sent me a letter threatening damages for defamation!, adding the name of a company called Sun Apartments Limited. Raz Ofer even owns the flat he lives in through a company (Raz Ofer Limited) and a company called London Vacation Rentals Limited is also involved. He is being sued by landlords for back rent, but has stated in court that they won't get any money from the company through which he took the lease. Imagine the money he is making while sub-letting and not paying rent himself and assuming that he can get away with saying his company has no money! If you have any evidence of your complaints in relation to yourstay.com I would be grateful if you could forward it to me. John

Submitted By: john@shortstay-london.com
Posted: Sun, July 27, 2003

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We have just had a nightmare with yourstay.com. We booked to stay there on 29/30 July 2003. When we arrived the manager of the apartment block, 9 Albert Embankment refused to let us in saying that we had no right to stay there as it was a long term letting block only. We phoned Chris, Jane and Mike at Yourstay all of whom said that first, Santiago, some guy with a ponytail and then Raz would turn up to let us in. After waiting three hours,and numerous phonecalls at our expense on our mobiles, we decided to leave as our two young children were hungry and incredibly bored and we had already missed our London Eye trip that we had booked and paid for. The porter at the apartment block said that they had many complaints from Yourstay and that Raz would never turn up. We have had no apology and I have asked for a refund but doubt that I will get one. DO NOT BOOK WITH YOURSTAY.COM!!!

Submitted By: sisterg1@hotmail.com
Posted: Thursday, July 31, 2003

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I am the manager of one of the buildings Raz Ofer markets as four star hotel accommodation. We do not have the pool, gymnasium and room service suggested on his website and with reference to the semen stained sheets found in one holidaymaker's flat, I must say that I have never seen any of his "cleaners" remove laundry from, or bring laundry into the building. I recently turned away a party at the front door on the grounds that short stay lets are a contravention of the leaseholder's leases. The response from Raz Ofer was an abusive telephone call during which he informed me he would be coming to the building to "punch my stupid f*cking mouth in so that I would not be able to talk for a few days" He duly called and assaulted a member of staff on video. The police were called prior to his arrival but arrived just after the fracas. All he would say was that he had been illegally refused entry. The police decided he would not be permitted entry and was sent away. This man is, at the moment, free top walk the streets. I have been in touch with the Department of Trade &Industry and The London Tourist Board. The police and Trading Standards are both unable to act against Mr. Ofer's blatant acts of fraud unless they are contacted directly. However, in view of the nature of Mr. Ofer's activities, the best organisation to write to is:- DTI, Vetting Section, Company Investigation Branch, Room 703, 10 Victoria Street, London SW1H 0NN.

Submitted By: Anonymous
Posted: Friday, August 01, 2003