Panther Knob Cabin Rentals Panther Knob Cottage Rentals Susan Bates WARNING –RENTER BEWARE Panther Knob Cabin Rentals in Pigeon Forge, Tennessee owned by Bobby & Susan Bates Pigeon Forge Tennessee
WARNING –RENTER BEWARE Panther Knob Cabin Rentals in Pigeon Forge, Tennessee owned by Bobby & Susan Bates. After speaking with Susan on the phone for the first time I had a bad feeling about having to pay half by check & the other half had to be in cash. For some reason it felt shady, but she seemed nice so I shook it off. NEVER again. I will trust my gut!!!
When we first arrived we were overwhelmed with the smell of mold, mildew, & dust. There were cobwebs hanging from the ceiling and the ceiling fans. My wife has allergies to mold & dust. We tried to air the place out by opening all the windows & doors, but it didn’t help. We had to sleep with the windows open it was that bad & it didn’t help. While there the temperatures got cold, but we just couldn’t take the bad odor. Susan showed up for her money at around 9 am the next day (Saturday). We tried to show her the cobwebs, but she claimed she was color blind & could not see dust. We had the doors open at the time she arrived because the smell was just so bad. While talking with her a roach was climbing up my leg & all she could say was “Oh my God, Oh my God, I’m so sorry!!” After I killed it she grabbed a paper towel & cleaned it up off the floor. Then she left saying the she could come back on Monday & clean the place. I told her my wife wouldn’t be able to last that long with her allergies. The only relief my wife could get was to go outside or go sit in our van. She finally agreed that she would come clean Sunday. We stayed another night because we were not able to find another place until Sunday afternoon. We left late Sunday afternoon & never saw any sign of her or a cleaning crew (We felt if she could show up at 9am to get her money, she should have shown up at least by that time to make this right. After all her place should have been clean before our arrival). We returned Tuesday & found that she had cleaned, but the smell was just as bad & the roaches were still there. Although the worst of the cobwebs were gone there was still dust hanging from the ceiling & dust on the furniture. In fact, my wife wrote her initial in the dust. The water is horrible. Before the water gets hot to take a shower it is brown or orange. Your skin feels dirtier after cleaning than you did before. We were NOT told about the rusty water before we came. In fact before coming we asked if a washer & dryer were provided & she said yes never telling us that the rusty water would leave our clothes stained. When we arrived we found signs all over the place warning of the minerals in the water that would stain clothing. She said that you are in the mountains & this should be expected (she said that about the bugs too). The place we rented after leaving her cabin had none of these problems. We have been coming to the Gatlinburg area for our anniversary for 40 years & have never encountered the rusty water or roach problems. We have rented private homes, cabins & hotel rooms.
After finding that the place had supposedly been cleaned and the odor & roaches were still there we left the key on the counter that Tuesday & took pictures. We sent her an email (below you will find a copy of the email I sent her) asking for a partial refund on that Tuesday. We have also tried calling her & leaving messages, but have yet to hear back from her. We have pictures that show the cabin at our arrival & we have pictures from the Tuesday after she cleaned.
Date: October 8, 2014 at 9:59:20 AM CDT
To: Susan Bates Subject: Re: Confirmation & Directions to Deerwood
Susan as you well know we were unable to stay in your cabin due to the dust, mold and mildew which my wife has severe allergies too. You were also aware of the conditions because you were apologizing for them. While you were standing there to collect your $297.50 in cash, I had a roach and a spider crawling up my pants, you again were very apologetic. I was able to acquire a new cabin from Sunday night till Friday. I am requesting A partial refund of $200 for the two nights we were not there (Wed and Thur). I returned your key Tuesday afternoon. I don't think that's an unreasonable request.
3 Updates & Rebuttals
R Burns
Moody,Alabama,
The matter with Panther Knob Cottage rentals has been fully resolved
#4Author of original report
Fri, January 23, 2015
This is an updated review as of January 23, 2015 On Panther Knob cottage rentals. I received a nice letter and a full refund for the week that we stayed October 3-10, 2014 in the cabin Deerwood. I am happy to say that this matter has been resolved fully.
R Burns
Moody,Alabama,
Worst Place I have ever Stayed Panther Knob Cottages owner Susan Bates
#4Author of original report
Mon, November 17, 2014
This is an update to the complain against Panther Knob Cottage Rentals owner Susan Bates. So far she has not responed or made an attempt to make this right. She knows of the situation and chooses to do nothing!
But this is business & we expect her to do the right thing by refunding our money because the fault was hers. Her place was filthy & unhealthy (the public has every right to expect the place they rent to be clean & healthy). Even if my wife had no ill effects from the place, we deserved the place we paid for to be a clean place to stay. My wife's allergies only gave her problems when she was in THAT (Deerwood cabin) cabin. My wife was fine when she went out on the porch or was out & about. We even told Susan that she got relief when she went outside the day she picked up the money & tried to blame my wife's allergies on the fact that we were in the mountains. Mold, mildew, dust, & roaches are not the norm for any place anywhere. We didn't suffer these conditions in any of the other places we have stayed in over the 40 years we have been coming to the Gatlinburg area. She knows the truth. I will not withdraw my complaint or quit posting the truth online because I think that the public deserves to be warned & that I deserve a refund.
We are not without justification. There is no vicious attack or malice, only the truth. I cannot speak for others who have stayed in her cabins or speak for any of her other cabins. We are talking about the conditions of her place (Deerwood cabin) from Oct. 3-10, 2014. We told her that Sat. Oct. 4th at the time she came for payment that under these conditions my wife wouldn't make it until Monday (the day she said she would come back to clean. I personally feel that she should have had the cabin cleaned that very day.). Instead, she agreed at that time to come back Sunday (I reiterate that the place should have been clean upon our arrival). We never saw her and because of my wife's allergies we were forced to leave that Sunday afternoon & find another cabin (which by the way was in the trees & mountains & we suffered no ill effects). I will also say that we would not have stayed even Saturday night, but because of the Tenn/Florida football game we could not find other accommodations until Sunday. I agree that I should not have paid her, but thinking she would do the right thing I did. I noticed that she didn't address the fact that she was standing there a roach was crawling up my leg. We were not making fun of her color blindness, only telling the facts about what she told us. If she is that color blind that she can't clean properly then she should hire a cleaning crew or get out of the business (which by the way she told us she was thinking about doing).
I believe that I have been patient and that I made contact without any response so far. She is now aware of the situation & can still do the right thing. It is not too late for her to resolve this. If she makes this right I will be happy to go back & post that she has the integrity to do the right thing. I believe that a company is only as good as their customer service. Because she didn't respond and we had to get another cabin, we feel we are due a FULL refund.
Below is a copy of the email we sent while we were still there (We received responses from this email address before we came to Pigeon Forge, but not after). You will notice the date of Oct. 8, 2014. We stayed until the end of that week at another location because her place was so filthy. We called her after we got back from our vacation, because she didn't respond to our email. She has yet to respond to us in any way. We have pictures upon our arrival & pictures after the supposed cleaning to prove that what we are saying is true.
Date: October 8, 2014 at 9:59:20 AM CDT
To: Susan Bates pantherknobcottages@gmail.com
Subject: Re: Confirmation & Directions to Deerwood
Susan as you well know we were unable to stay in your cabin due to the dust, mold and mildew which my wife has severe allergies too. You were also aware of the conditions because you were apologizing for them. While you were standing there to collect your $297.50 in cash, I had a roach and a spider crawling up my pants, you again were very apologetic. I was able to acquire a new cabin from Sunday night till Friday. I am requesting A partial refund of $200 for the two nights we were not there (Wed and Thur). I returned your key Tuesday afternoon. I don't think that's an unreasonable request.
C Burns
Moody,Alabama,
Absolutely the worst place i have ever stayed!!!
#4Author of original report
Wed, November 12, 2014
Just to refresh everyone on Panther Knob Cottage/Cabin Rental owned by Susan Bates. We rented one of her 7 cabins (Deerwood) for seven days. Reserved this cabin in August 2014 for a week in October 3-10 2014. She was absolute about sending a check of $297.50 to reserve and $297.50 in cash she would pick up the second day you were there. (She reiteratied CASH only).
We communicated by email before we arrived and was sent directions to this cabin in which the key would be on the kitchen counter. The cabin was not locked. When we entered the cabin the smell was so bad we went back outside to catch our breath. we went back in and opened all the windows and doors to try to air the place out. The place was filthy!! Mold and mildew was on all windows, dust was hanging off of the celling. Roaches were everywhere, on the floor on the celling and in the kitchen!! When she arrived to collect her $297.50 in cash we still had the windows and all the doors open. She came in and while I was standing there talking to Susan a roach climbed my leg and she was very apologetic but knew the situation.
She offered to come back Monday and clean, this was Saturday. The cabin should have been cleaned before we arrived Friday!!! Before leaving she agreed to come back Sunday and clean..Nope she did not show!! To make a long story shorter we found another cabin for the week, since this was our 40 year anniversery I was determined to get my wife out of this place!! We came back to leave the key Tuesday and found the cabin still smilling awfull and the roches were still there. I asked for a $200.00 refund for Wednesday thru Friday. Which was very reasonable.
I sent Susan Bates an email (the same email we used before) on that Monday the 6th. she has still not responded to it as of November 10, 2014. We called Susan when we returned home on the 10th of October no answer so I left a voicemail, still no response.
I still have not heard from Susan Bates on this matter. I have filed a complaint with the BBB and the Consumer Complaint Agency, (search Susan Bates). I have also seen all the online complaints on her bussiness Panther Knob Cottage Rentals. She uses all the free AD places on the internet. Please be warned Before you rent from Susan Bates, Panther Knob Cottage Rentals!!!