Matt S.
Google
Unsafe, uninhabitable accommodation – refusal to refund.
We booked and paid for accommodation at BIG4 in good faith. Upon arrival, the cabin was not fit for occupation, particularly given extreme heat and the presence of two young children.
The air-conditioning was not operating to a level that made the cabin habitable, and there was no visible evidence of current electrical test and tagging on appliances. These issues were raised immediately with management. After consultation, it was clear the issues could not be rectified within a reasonable timeframe.
Given the conditions, we had no practical or safe alternative but to leave and secure alternative accommodation at short notice and additional cost.
Despite this, management refused a refund. The written response we received from the Holiday Park Manager stated:
“There will be no refund for your cabin as the cabin was checked on your departure day with everything working fine in there. Have a nice day.”
This response is dismissive, inconsistent with our lived experience, and fails to acknowledge basic consumer and safety obligations. Under Australian Consumer Law, accommodation must be of acceptable quality and reasonably fit for purpose. A failure of essential services in extreme heat constitutes a major failure, entitling a consumer to a refund.
We are now escalating this matter to Consumer and Business Services (SA) and SafeWork SA for review of both consumer compliance and safety standards.
This was a deeply disappointing experience, not just because of the condition of the accommodation, but because of the unprofessional and legally flawed response from management when the issue was raised.
Until this is addressed appropriately, we cannot recommend staying here.