Advice required from the endless wisdom of NSC...

Mr Smggles · Jul 20, 2013

Some advice from my fellow NSCer's would be helpful thanks.

Last week I stayed in the Hilton in Syon Park, Richmond for two nights with the missus for our anniversary. With us we took two champagne glasses to enjoy our champagne with. These were taken by the housekeeping team when we were out during the second day as they were cleaning our room. I phoned the front desk to let them know of the problem as soon as we knew of it and they said they would have them ready for us when we checked out the next morning. Upon checking out we asked for them, but they were not found, and we were told by the front desk manager that they would contact us when they were found. Thats fine, we left thinking all would be well.

We received a phone call on the way home telling us they had been found and that they would post the glasses to us as soon as possible. Yesterday morning the post arrived with both glasses inside, but one smashed.

These were not your run-of-the-mill glasses, they were handed down to me from my grandfather who passed away two years ago. They came from a set of 12, 6 pairs being handed down to me, my two sisters and my three cousins. I have no idea if they are worth anything of monetary value, but they are certainly worth a lot in sentimental value to me.

I have spoken to the front desk manager about the problem which I am suitably fuming about and he has basically asked me to put a price on them. I have no idea what to say though? Should I take them to the cleaners? What sort of price should I be looking at here?

Thanks in advance.

Nibble · Jul 20, 2013

Take £100 and move on with your life. They are just glasses.

Sergei's Celebration · Jul 20, 2013

Nibble said:
Take £100 and move on with your life. They are just glasses.

That's really not very nice, I hope a fly lands in your food.

beorhthelm · Jul 20, 2013

so they are of sentimental value, but now you're missing them you want financial compensation... is the £ going to fix them?

really, the way forward is to find out the makers of the original set and ask them how much to replace one. thats the only price you can give.

Nibble · Jul 20, 2013

Sergei's Celebration said:
That's really not very nice, I hope a fly lands in your food.

Genuinely not trying to be nasty. Let me extrapolate: The glass was important to him, I understand completely. However, that exact glass is never coming back so what is the point getting upset? It's gone. If you can get a few quid to buy yourself and the wife something that will come to mean as much to each other over time, new glasses to celebrate the anniversary or the like, super. But Grandpa's glass is smashed. Live with it.

hybrid_x · Jul 20, 2013

beorhthelm said:
so they are of sentimental value, but now you're missing them you want financial compensation... is the £ going to fix them?

really, the way forward is to find out the makers of the original set and ask them how much to replace one. thats the only price you can give.

i find myself agreeing with beorhthelm for once.......maybe the heat is getting to me and i'm getting dizzy.

*

maybe your grandad is telling you to dump the misses? everything happens for a reason.

clippedgull · Jul 20, 2013

As said, the glass can never be replaced. I would ask for another 2 night stay (on the house) postponed until next year.

seagullsovergrimsby · Jul 20, 2013

Sorry to be callous but an insurance valuer would only give you a new for old price unless they were specified as valuable items in a policy. Maybe worth taking the remaining glass to an antique dealer who can give a valuation if it has some age to it.

Mr Smggles · Jul 20, 2013

Thanks for the advice so far, I would also like to add that the glasses were horrendously packaged, with just one layer of bubble wrap around them, with parts of the glass exposed. They came in a bag, not a box. I told the bloke what they meant to me so surely they should've taken every precaution to stop this from happening?

I know nothing will get the glass back, so there's not really much I can do about that. However I'm not one to roll over and die because of two of their colleagues idiocy. The cleaning lady shouldn't have taken them as they are completely different to the hotels ones and they were packaged awfully when being sent to me. I guess you could also argue they had plenty of time to get the glasses to the front desk as I phoned the night before we checked out.

withdeanwombat · Jul 20, 2013

Are the glasses old enough for an antique dealer to value the remaining one ?

It's certain you'll never get the original back, but perhaps a replacement could be sourced ?

Then double that price, add in extra for your investigative work, and send the bill to the hotel. They'll probably pay out of the petty cash, then everyone moves on.

I'd have been suitably pissed off in your situation. Forget it ? Move on ?

Options for wimps.

Goldstone Rapper · Jul 20, 2013

Some points to consider:

- if the glasses are of such value, can you appreciate the fact that you were taking a risk by travelling with them?
- having finished using the glasses, what action could you have taken to ensure the cleaners did not take them?
- having spoken to the hotel, and with them having recovered the glasses, could you have sent them the packaging to ensure a safe delivery back to yourself?

It's easy to be angry at others when it helps to hide the fact that you probably know deep down that you could have done something to prevent the final outcome.

(By the way, this isn't a blaming or even a 'shift the blame' post. I appreciate how it feels to lose something that means a lot to you. I just want you to consider that the hotel staff did not set out to cause you harm, and even though it wasn't sufficiently protected, they took the time and effort to package and send you your item, with the best intention. At least acknowledge them for that. The fact the manager is also asking you to name a price suggests he/she is genuinely wishing to deal with the impact of what's happened rather than just fobbing you off with an empty 'sorry').

Wardy · Jul 20, 2013

Like you say you are not getting the glass back, and dare I say putting a money value on it is fairly pointless since even if you could replace it, the glass you got would not be "the" glass. Have a think about what would help to make you feel better. A free weekend in the penthouse? A donation to a charity? Whatever then ask for that.

BHAZiggy · Jul 20, 2013

Mr Smggles said:
I have spoken to the front desk manager about the problem which I am suitably fuming about and he has basically asked me to put a price on them. I have no idea what to say though? Should I take them to the cleaners?
Thanks in advance.

I'm not sure that the cleaners would have any idea of their value. Perhaps you should take them to some sort of valuation specialists instead.

Tory Boy · Jul 20, 2013

Surely any claim will be against the courier?

I think the hotel are being reasonable and not really sure what else they could have done.

TB

Sergei's Celebration · Jul 20, 2013

Nibble said:
Genuinely not trying to be nasty. Let me extrapolate: The glass was important to him, I understand completely. However, that exact glass is never coming back so what is the point getting upset? It's gone. If you can get a few quid to buy yourself and the wife something that will come to mean as much to each other over time, new glasses to celebrate the anniversary or the like, super. But Grandpa's glass is smashed. Live with it.

I do like the idea of using the money to purchase something to celebrate or remember an anniversary, something that may grow in importance. Maybe something that could be passed onto children perhaps. Good idea.

timbha · Jul 20, 2013

you sound terribly bitter from what seems a genuine error/mistake. Nobody did anything on purpose but you are looking for some £ to make you feel better.

How about talking to the hotel manager and he might offer you a free night with a meal as a gesture.

All the glasses will break eventually. Get two more from BHS

Goldstone Rapper · Jul 20, 2013

timbha said:
you sound terribly bitter from what seems a genuine error/mistake. Nobody did anything on purpose but you are looking for some £ to make you feel better.

How about talking to the hotel manager and he might offer you a free night with a meal as a gesture.

All the glasses will break eventually. Get two more from BHS

Glasses may not mean anything to you (or me, for that matter), but if it was something different that was taken and damaged that personally meant a lot to you, you might be going through the same thought processes as the OP.

Nibble · Jul 20, 2013

withdeanwombat said:
I'd have been suitably pissed off in your situation. Forget it ? Move on ?

Options for wimps.

edit

Harry Wilson's tackle · Jul 20, 2013

I had a sort of similar experience 15 years ago. I took three precious sets of film to be developed (never mind why they were precious) at a local supermarket. When I went to pick them up, all three had been ruined. There was a 'fault in the machine' and it had 'chewed up' the negatives. My first question was 'when it chewed up the first set, why the feck did you shove the other two in, you loonies?'. I was completely livid and quite upset. I was given three free films and free developing.

Bottom line, NOTHING could bring back those photos, so I had only one option. Use the free film and developing and try to forget about the loss. In your case I'd ask for £100 (as someone else suggested) since they have offered. BTW you don't sound bitter (good) and simply sound like you feel it right and proper to get some recompense, however inadequate (also good).

If that doesn't help, you could always leave it six months, then sneak back and burn down the hotel. Revenge is a dish best served cold. Only half joking . . . ;-)

Lord Bracknell · Jul 20, 2013

Harry Wilson's tackle said:
I had a sort of similar experience 15 years ago. I took three precious sets of film to be developed (never mind why they were precious) at a local supermarket. When I went to pick them up, all three had been ruined. There was a 'fault in the machine' and it had 'chewed up' the negatives. My first question was 'when it chewed up the first set, why the feck did you shove the other two in, you loonies?'. I was completely livid and quite upset. I was given three free films and free developing.

Bottom line, NOTHING could bring back those photos, so I had only one option. Use the free film and developing and try to forget about the loss. In your case I'd ask for £100 (as someone else suggested) since they have offered. BTW you don't sound bitter (good) and simply sound like you feel it right and proper to get some recompense, however inadequate (also good).

If that doesn't help, you could always leave it six months, then sneak back and burn down the hotel. Revenge is a dish best served cold. Only half joking . . . ;-)

I think you'll find that the shop had published some "conditions of sale" for this service - which would clearly state what (if any) compensation might be due for a duff processing.

As for the hotel and champagne glasses incident, my guess is that any compensation will be down to the hotel itself to make an offer. Let us know if they do.

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