Devastated family hit by holiday scam as they discover villa never existed

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A British family's dream holiday – their first for 10 years – was ruined after they rocked up in Spain to find that the four-bed villa they booked didn't actually exist.

Neil Bray, 42, wife Hannah and four children were hoping for a holiday of a lifetime when they booked to stay at the Alicante-based villa in Spain for two weeks.

They were hoping to live it up at the property which was advertised as having a swimming pool, sauna, jacuzzi and tons of outdoor space.

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However, despite transferring 180 Euro deposit for the 1,800 Euro holiday, their worst nightmares were realised once they arrived in Spain on July 24 to find that nobody was at the airport to collect them . . . and that the villa didn't exist.

After calling, emailing and texting the supposed villa owner with no success Neil realised he had been scammed and started searching for alternative accommodation.

The family had to fork out 2,800 Euros for a new villa and 125 Eurovs on travel, with a further 325 Euros spent on a hire car.

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Neil, a bank manager from Bexhill, East Sussex, said: “The villa looked amazing – it had a swimming pool, sauna, jacuzzi and it was large.

“I spoke to the guy around a week before and I was saying how much we were looking forward to going on holiday, and he was suggesting places to eat and drink and telling me how nice the weather was out there.

“But we got there, and nobody was there to pick us up – at that point, we were in an absolute panic.

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“We spent the first six hours stranded in the airport whilst we frantically found a villa that set us back 2,800 Euros.

Luckily, Neil secured an alternative property for him and his family to stay in, rather than having to fly straight back to the UK.

However, the extra costs meant that they ended up splashing out all of their spending money.

This left their dream holiday becoming a “low-key” one.

Neil added: “I feel so stupid, it has affected my well-being and mental health – I feel so ridiculous.

“We have just been focusing on making the most of the trip for the children.”

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• money
• space
• Euro
• Family
• Spain
• Spain holidays

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