fabiandesmet
New Member
We recently rented a villa in St. Barths through Wimco. Since peace and quiet were our absolute priorities, we explicitly delayed confirming our booking until Wimco provided a written guarantee that there was no active construction nearby. They assured us we would not be affected. Unfortunately, this was entirely false. Upon arrival, we were met with deafening, constant jackhammering starting at 7 AM, Monday through Saturday. The pool and outdoor terrace were completely unusable during the day.
While the villa owner eventually agreed to a partial two-night refund based on the agency's initial (and inaccurate) claim that the noise would just be "on and off," the situation drastically escalated shortly after. During our stay, a second construction site began, and incredibly, a stonecutter (!) set up right at the property entrance to grind rocks all day.
When we asked for a fair resolution given this severe escalation, Wimco's customer service showed its true colors. A concrete relocation to an equivalent villa was never offered - we were told nothing was available - yet management later had the audacity to claim in writing that we "chose" to stay in the construction zone.
Even worse, Wimco refused to take any financial responsibility for their own initial misinformation : while the villa owner absorbed the cost of the two refunded nights, Wimco completely refused to refund their 11% service fee on those nights. They essentially forced the owner to pay for the agency's failure to properly inform its clients, prioritizing their commission over accountability.
If you are paying premium rates for a luxury vacation in St. Barths, you expect honesty, transparency, and a team that stands by its written word when they make a massive mistake. Wimco failed on all fronts. We highly recommend booking through a different, more reputable agency than Wimco.
While the villa owner eventually agreed to a partial two-night refund based on the agency's initial (and inaccurate) claim that the noise would just be "on and off," the situation drastically escalated shortly after. During our stay, a second construction site began, and incredibly, a stonecutter (!) set up right at the property entrance to grind rocks all day.
When we asked for a fair resolution given this severe escalation, Wimco's customer service showed its true colors. A concrete relocation to an equivalent villa was never offered - we were told nothing was available - yet management later had the audacity to claim in writing that we "chose" to stay in the construction zone.
Even worse, Wimco refused to take any financial responsibility for their own initial misinformation : while the villa owner absorbed the cost of the two refunded nights, Wimco completely refused to refund their 11% service fee on those nights. They essentially forced the owner to pay for the agency's failure to properly inform its clients, prioritizing their commission over accountability.
If you are paying premium rates for a luxury vacation in St. Barths, you expect honesty, transparency, and a team that stands by its written word when they make a massive mistake. Wimco failed on all fronts. We highly recommend booking through a different, more reputable agency than Wimco.
