Dear Guests,
Without you, I would not have my small business. However, it is just that —-a business—- and I have to cover all the expenses that incur or I will be out of business.
When you make a reservation, you have effectively blocked anybody else from reserving those days so they probably booked elsewhere. Therefore, if you cancel, I run the risk of not being able to find somebody else to take the dates that you have blocked and I will lose income to cover the expenses for that house.
This is why no refunds are given if you cancel less than two weeks away from your reservation date or if you took the lower price nonrefundable option at booking.
The booking platforms and all professional hosts are aware of a variety of scams to attempt to get refunds. to prevent this from happening, I take the following precautions:
—- date and time stamped photos are taken after every cleaning
—- house condition and inventory photos are taken monthly but inventory is done after every guest checks out and condition is noted. If anything has changed, new pictures are immediately taken.
I do all check-ins in person, including a tour of the house where I go over amenities. During the tour, if you have any concerns about the condition of the house or cleanliness, you need to make them known during that time. If there are no complaints within 60 minutes of check-in, no refunds for condition of the house, amenities, or cleanliness will be honored.
By Signing the Terms of Service for the house you have rented, completing the checkin tour, and staying at least 1 hour (60 minutes) you AGREE to not initiate any credit card “Chargebacks”. If you initiate a chargeback, I will file a criminal complaint for defrauding an innkeeper/theft of services. Your acceptance of the house at check-in constitutes a completed contract by both parties.
There are no refunds or discounts for Events/Happenings out of my control:
— WEATHER – wildlife – stray/feral animals in the yard
— county burn bans prohibiting use of the fire pit
— excessive cold or heat which makes use of the hot tub dangerous
— road noise – traffic, horns, loud engines and exhaust, etc.
— sirens from emergency vehicles
— noise from neighbors (this includes barking dogs), neighbors outside, foot traffic on roads, children, etc.
— road closures due to accidents or road repair – closures of public venues, parks, historic sites, etc. This includes the Wichita Mountains Wildlife Refuge and Fort Sill.
— Health and safety issues that close down public places
— sudden mechanical failure of appliances
(I have portable air conditioners in the event that the air conditioning system fails and I have two dorm size refrigerators, a small chest freezer, and a spare free standing range in case of appliance failure. If any appliance fails during your stay, I should be able to replace it within 6 hours from when you contact me and no refund will be issued).
—Power outages and Internet outages
— Slippery porches, steps, and sidewalks at the houses due to snow or ice. I have multiple properties and I will do my best to get them cleared in the event of snow and ice, but I can’t do them all at once. You are advised to proceed with caution at your own risk. However, I will not be out clearing snow or ice when it is excessively cold or if driving conditions are dangerous. During the winter months, I leave snow shovels at each house and if you want to shovel snow, that is certainly your prerogative. There will be no refund for you taking such action. I also provide rock salt to melt the ice that you can apply yourselves if you choose. Again, there will be no refunds for any of these activities.
— Occasionally, the hot tub at the Carole Belle Cottage may be off limits because previous guest did something STUPID like break a glass bottle in it or dump bubble bath in it….or there is some other random mechanical issue. If this is the case, you will be entitled to a refund of the hot tub fee ONLY IF it was charged as part of your reservation as a separate charge. Otherwise, there is no refund for the hot-tub being unavailable and it should only be viewed as a “bonus amenity” with no guarantees of availability.
— If you rent the Blue Diamond Apartment, you automatically have access to my personal private home gym. Please follow all safety rules posted in the gym and I will make you aware of my usual hours using my gym and I won’t infer with your sleeping schedule or use the gym while you are there unless you request my presence as a “gym buddy”. Please have someone spot you when using the inversion table.
+++ There is NO possible way to clean 100% of pet hair from the pet friendly houses — there will always be a stray hair somewhere. NO REFUND will ever be given for the presence of pet hair (it can be sucked into the central air system and reappear at random as well as other “blowin’ in the wind” appearances)
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Please NOTE:
— as part of the TOS- terms of service, you agreed to alert me immediately if something is not working correctly or if there is any problem with anything and give me a chance to remediate the problem
— as part of the TOS- terms of service, you agree to let me know if anything gets damaged immediately so as to prevent further damage and/or schedule repair
— as part of the TOS- terms of service, you agree to contact me to ask questions if there is anything regarding the house or amenities that you do not know how to use or don’t know what needs to be done regarding anything instead of just trying “to figure it out on your own” which may lead to damage.
— as part of the TOS- terms of service, you acknowledge highly visible security cameras OUTSIDE the property which collect video that may be used at a later time in case of some event or something going wrong — this is no different than the use of CCTV by hotels, stores, gas stations, etc. Properties are not actively monitored when guests are in residence except during the hours of midnight – 5 am by our security management contractor who oversees in excess of 100 properties. Properties are monitored 24 hours a day during times when they are empty to watch for unauthorized access.
— THERE is a $50 penalty if any outdoor cameras are disabled or vandalized during your stay.
–There is a $15 penalty if any outdoor security lights are turned off or disabled during your stay.
— There is a great possibility that you will see wildlife on the property including squirrels, possums, racoons, coyotes, feral cats, stray dogs, skunks, etc and there is a good chance that the outdoor furniture and you car may get bird poop on it. Also, please note that we have mosquitos, spiders, flies, and bugs — especially during the summer months! All of these things are just a fact of life and to be expected. DO NOT HARASS any wildlife or stray animal. You do so at your own risk. If you see wildlife or strays outside, do NOT approach.
Please note that spiders, bugs, and mice are always trying to find shelter inside and help PREVENT these problems by not leaving food out and doors hanging open.
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Do NOT overuse utilities in any manner. This includes but is no limited to activities such as washing your vehicle with outside hoses or allowing friends/family to bring in their laundry to do. Please keep doors/windows shut when running HVAC or heat. If you bring a “kiddie pool” and fill it up with water from the property, additional water usage fees may apply.
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Wizard World Cottage and HoneyBee Cottage are PET FRIENDLY and all houses — with the exception of Hunterston Cottage — are required to accept ADA service dogs. THEREFORE, DO NOT BOOK any house other than Hunterston Cottage IF YOU ARE ALLERGIC to pet hair, dander, saliva, etc.
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Damage deposits are to ensure compliance with the complete and whole TOS and house rules. Statistically, we have withheld part or all of damage deposit less than 5% of the time. This means, that 95 out of every 100 guest are fantastic humans who are polite, respectful, appreciative, and happy to follow the rules! We hope YOU are one of our 5 Star guests!
We also know that mistakes happen — it’s better to contact me immediately if you break a $6 coffee mug than to let me discover it missing on my own. Honestly is always the best policy!
— We encourage all of our guests to purchase travel insurance through the carrier of their choice in the event that something comes up and you cannot complete your trip. I will happily provide a receipt and help you fill out the insurance claim.