Aaron Naisbitt

Poor comms and delays from motorway. Once I got in touch with the buyer it got sorted, pit it this way. A well past the buyer collecting the car, motorway are still asking me what's happening.

We stayed at Sandhills, Salcombe through Finest Stays and Coastal Concierge, and I feel compelled to share an honest account of our experience to warn anyone expecting a premium property or service.

On paper, Sandhills looks spectacular, the photos show a bright, immaculate, high-end home with incredible views. In reality, it fell far short. The upkeep, cleanliness, and service were all below the standard you’d expect for a property of this price point.

Here’s what we experienced:

Filthy windows that completely ruined the otherwise beautiful view, so streaked and dirty it was hard to enjoy what should have been the house’s biggest feature.

Children’s toys and furniture scattered throughout the living areas, along with a storage room filled with patio cushions and clutter, all hidden from the property photos. It totally undermined the luxury feel you expect when booking a supposedly “top-end” home.

No welcome experience whatsoever, no milk, no biscuits, no card. Just some random food left behind in the freezer. Ironically, on our final day, flowers and a card were delivered for the next guests. When I asked why we hadn’t received anything similar, the message was ignored.

The patio area was a mess, covered in weeks, if not months, of dead leaves, acorns, and debris. The entrance and pizza oven area in particular were filthy and completely uninviting.

The pizza oven itself was old, rusty, and dirty, so we couldn’t use it at all.

The driveway has failed at the bottom, it’s sunken enough that cars scrape the front when entering or leaving. Despite taking care, my car was scratched underneath. Unfortunately, there’s no alternative parking.

The house was far too hot, with unclear heating controls and no instructions on how to adjust it.

Several toilets smelled damp and musty from the start. We had to air them out and buy air fresheners ourselves.

No vacuum was provided initially, so we had to request one just to tidy up.

When we raised all this in our feedback, the response from Finest Stays was polite but dismissive. They thanked us for the “valuable feedback” and said they’d improve things for future guests, but offered nothing in the way of a gesture, refund, or goodwill for us. In other words: “Sorry your holiday was disappointing, but tough luck, we’ll do better for the next people.”

We’ve been renting high-end properties across Cornwall and Devon for over a decade, and I’ve never encountered a firm that hides behind glossy photos while delivering such poor presentation and aftercare.

Be warned: Finest Stays do not offer the “finest” experience. The photos hide the truth, the upkeep is poor, and the service is shocking. Once they have your money, they simply don’t care.

Avoid this company - there are far better, genuinely premium agents in the South West who understand what a luxury stay should feel like.

I recently ordered a new pet pram from Cat Tree UK for our Shih Tzu, who is recovering from a compressed disc in her back. This only happened this week, and following an MRI, we’ve been told to keep her rested. It’s challenging to manage her around the house, especially when we need to move her safely if we’re on our own. The pram is a lifesaver – now we can keep her still and comfortable while still being mobile, even if it’s just for trips to the kitchen or bathroom.

I placed the order early yesterday morning, knowing standard shipping usually takes 4-5 days. However, I emailed the team at Cat Tree UK at 7:30 am to explain our situation. To my surprise, the Managing Director emailed me back at 8 am! They went above and beyond to secure faster delivery for us, and the pram arrived by 11 am the next day.

This level of service is exceptional. I recognise this wasn’t standard practice for them and must have been difficult to facilitate, but their team added a truly human touch to the online shopping experience. They showed genuine care and made a stressful time so much easier for us.

Fantastic job, Cat Tree UK – thank you so much! I wouldn’t hesitate to recommend you to anyone. Five stars all the way! 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟

Lee & David were great, super polite, dressed as they should be to represent the firm!

Top guys!

When I placed my order with the manufacturer, I was told it would be delivered on the Friday. Panthers text and email updates came in and it was now the following Tuesday?!

However, a short wait on the phone and the customer service chap explained that it had to be a three man job, they don’t do those every day, so I had to wait a bit longer.

Although this was slightly frustrating, I cannot fault how polite and professional the advisor was, and putting my annoyances to one side, it was just one of those things.

The delivery day arrived and the team called me, got here a few hours early and all three guys were polite, courteous and very respectful of my house, making sure I was happy with where the box was dropped, avoiding any floor scratched etc.

Would I use panther again? 100%, maybe the other players out there could learn a thing or two from the team at Panther on how to get the job done right, first time and on time!

Keep up the good work.

I have now called BG at least 10 times in the past 6 months about an error in their reporting. Despite the case being escalated every time I call, and even a case being logged with Equifax, BG has still not called me back and resolved the issue. Shocking service and a mistake by them which has impacted my credit rating severely. What can I possibly do to get this error rectified????