Case Summaries

The provider acknowledged the communication delays and missing inventory items and subsequently resolved these issues. It also provided Wi-Fi boosters after upgrading the service. The hot water was restored within 24 hours of being reported and the leak was repaired within four days.

The provider initially offered £50 per student as a goodwill payment, based on its assessment of the financial impact of the issues. It did not consider that the circumstances justified the group’s request for £300 per student.

The students were dissatisfied with the providers response and brought their complaint to us. We considered that, although the individual issues had been resolved within reasonable timescales, the cumulative effect of several problems was likely to have caused distress and inconvenience beyond minor disruption. We also noted that the provider had considered the financial impact but had not adequately considered the non-financial impact on the students. We asked the provider if it wanted to settle the complaint.

The provider agreed to increase its offer to £300 per student. The group accepted the offer, with £15 already provided as catering credit and the remaining £285 paid by bank transfer.