Third email

The mildew and damp on the tipi and the wetness of the floor was well in excess of the normal levels of tolerance whether the dwelling is to be considered ethnic or not. The hole in the top also serves to emit smoke from the fire within the tipi below. It is this fire which serves to keep the tipi dry. Your tipis, not containing fires, have the hole sealed.

Though I did not receive the second call, you rang me twice to warn me that there was a possibility that the tipi may not be fit for use because of the rising water table indicating that the moisture – some of which at least – was not wholly due to the hole in the top.

When my wife contacted you to tell you we could not stay because of the condition of the tipi you offered a refund of our deposit in the form of a voucher, thus indicating that you were aware that the tipi was inhospitable.

Second reply

Tipi,s are ethnic dwellings and unlike most tents have a hole in the top to let the poles thru ,most people realize that this could also let in rain .Drips happen,especially in severe weather conditions ,we have just gone thru the worst august for eighty years .You booked aTipi and we supplied one . We cannot be responsible for bad weather

Second email

We are aware of the weather conditions we have had recently as we were camping, with no problems, for the week leading up to our stay in one of your tipis. We would not presume to hold you responsible for the weather but that you are responsible for the provision of tipis which are fit for purpose and as your tipis were wet inside we consider this to be a failing on your part. The condition of your tipis not being suitable for our stay was reinforced by more of your customers who, like us, had had to seek alternative accommodation in a bed and breakfast, thus incurring considerably more expense - not because of the weather but because of the inadequacy of your tipis to keep to keep the weather out to a satisfactory, safe or healthy level.

We have been already offered vouchers equal to the sum of our deposit in vouchers for a future stay in your tipis but as we do not plan to visit South Wales for a number of years we consider this impractical and would request again that you refund our deposit.

First Reply

Our tipis have been stayed in by many familes before and withstand gail force winds rain etc, we have had exceptionally bad weather this year which we can not be held responsible for, I am sorry you felt that you did not want to stay but if we treat it as a late cancellation there would be no deposit refund.

Very sorry we could not make your holiday happier.

First email

Dear Des and Jane,

Please could you refund my deposit of £50 as the tipi we had hired to stay in was in fact not fit for purpose and thus we had to seek altenative accomodation.

Booked tipi

Wanting to surprise the family I booked a tipi at Pembrokeshire Tipis. We were due to arrive on the 18th August and stay for 4 nights after camping at the Green Man Festival in the Breacon Beacons.

All went well until the morning of our arrival. I was rung by Des from Pembrokeshire Tipis who informed me that; due to the recent spell of bad weather, the tipis may not be fit for habitation. He planned to go to the site later that morning and ring me back with an update.

Not hearing from Des again we set off for the site ourselves. When we arrived we found the tipi in a very poor state. The walls of the tipi were covered in mildew and ringing wet, worse still the floor and carpets were also wet. In short the tipi was indeed uninhabitable by a family with two children.

Preempting wet conditions at the festival, I had booked the tipi to save having to put the tent up wet and in bad weather. My disappointment in the failure of the tipi was surpassed by the children's whose initial excitement at staying in tipi was now shattered at the prospect of having nowhere to stay.

I paid the Pembrokeshire Tipis a £50 deposit for the tipi. This is a record of my correspondence with them to attempt to get this deposit refunded.