In the meantime go to the likes of trip advisor and tell people of your experience. I did it 18 months ago, I went round a few websites and took great delight in doing so. It might not actually get you anywhere but for sure it will make you feel better.
Write a review for Tripadvisor but email it first to the agency and the owners and tell them that unless they become more reasonable then you will have no choice but to let the world know about your experience
Threaten action - it normally prompts them into action. Ask for their solicitors details so your solicitor can liaise with them directly. This should give them a gentle nudge. Good luck
We booked a fairly expensive week in a big, old, self-catering house, over Christmas in the UK, during all that snow. The place was nice but bitterly cold inside all the time, because the heating was inadequate, to the extent that we had the curtains closed during the day to keep the heat in. Some of our guests left early to go back to their own houses where it was warmer and we cut short our stay by 3 days. Some of the appliances didn't work either. We were not able to contact the agency we booked it through during our stay because they were out of the office for the Christmas break and there was no emergency contact number left.
I have complained in detail to the agency who has contacted the owner who basically says nothing is her fault and refuses to compensate in any way. The agency has not mentioned their part in it either, just forwards me the owner's unhelpful emails to comment on. I'm getting increasingly annoyed that neither of them is admitting any liability and just hoping that I will go away quietly.
It's not worth my wasting time or money on threatening legal action but neither the owner nor the agency should get away with this level of service. What should I do next?