We found cameras in our £1,500 Airbnb and fear the owner has footage of us naked: SALLY SORTS IT

At the end of August, I stayed for three nights in a chateau in Versailles with my husband and three young children. We booked through Airbnb for £1,500. We noticed several cameras inside the property, including one on the upstairs landing between the bedrooms and bathroom. None of the bedrooms were en-suite, so we all crossed that area in towels, partially dressed and sometimes naked, assuming the cameras were switched off. But on the last night, returning to the property, we saw one of the indoor cameras powered on and operating in the dark. We worry we may have been filmed.C.H., London. A reader is concerned the owner of a French Airbnb rental was secretly filming their family during their staySally Hamilton replies: Your experience made me cringe, as it would anyone who feared their privacy had been invaded on a family holiday.You had been away for a birthday celebration in another part of France and decided to stop near Paris en route back to the UK. On returning from a trip to see the Eiffel Tower lit up in all its glory, you were dismayed to see these less appealing lights blinking at you at 11pm.You knew the camera must have been operating. But had it captured images of you all over the previous days? You took photos of the camera as evidence and reported your concerns to Airbnb on your return.You found online that indoor cameras have been banned by the platform since 2024, hidden ones never having been permitted.Airbnb investigated, but told you the host had confirmed to it the cameras had been turned off and there was no footage taken or stored. It offered you a 50 per cent refund as compensation. Let Me Know Do you receive a much larger or smaller state pension than your partner? I’d like to hear from you, email sally@dailymail.co.uk When you told Airbnb you had seen at least one camera seemingly operational, it told you: ‘We cannot provide further clarification on the status of the camera.’In other words, it could not rule out there being any footage of your family taken during the stay. It simply closed your case.I felt you had been handled shoddily, as Airbnb was unable to reassure you about footage.I checked its rules and they say: ‘Hosts are not allowed to have security cameras and recording devices that monitor any part of a home’s interior, such as the hallway, bedroom, bathroom, living room, or guest house, even if they’re turned off or disconnected. These prohibitions also apply to the common areas and shared spaces of private room listings.’Less obvious is the mention of penalties for those who do not comply – something hosts should take note of. Appended to its community policy, is the following: ‘If these requirements are not met, the presence of cameras inside a listing may result in listing or account removal.’Exterior cameras are permitted, but their presence must be spelt out on the listing so that guests can decide whether or not this is a dealbreaker for their booking.Given all this, I felt a 50 per cent refund did not go far enough.On my intervention, Airbnb reopened your complaint. Recognising the breach of its own terms by the host, it reimbursed the remaining £750 cost of your stay. A spokesman says: ‘Our initial handling of this report fell short of our usual high standards.‘We’ve refunded the guest in full and removed the listing from Airbnb. Indoor cameras are banned on Airbnb regardless of their location, purpose or prior disclosure. In the rare event of a violation of this policy we take action.’It said the case had been sent for review by a ‘quality’ team to identify areas for improvement that could lead to further training for those involved. It also urged any Airbnb guest worried about safety during a stay to report this to its 24-hour safety line via phone, email or chat.While you were glad to receive a full refund, lingering doubts remain about the footage that may have been captured. My only suggestion for you is to report the case to police in Versailles who could potentially seize the cameras and check for footage. You told me you are investigating this option for your peace of mind.Avati ignored rail refund claim because I posted itMy partner and I booked return tickets with Avanti West Coast from Oxenholme in the Lake District to London Euston in July. They cost £179.90 with a senior railcard. The outward journey was delayed 28 minutes and on the return the train terminated at Preston, resulting in us arriving home three hours late. We were told to apply for compensation online or by Freepost. I elected for post and sent off the form the next day. After three weeks of hearing nothing, I contacted the rail firm and was told it had no record of my claim and that internet claims were prioritised. I felt this was age discrimination as at 82 my IT skills and equipment are limited.C.S., Kirkby Stephen, Cumbria.Sally Hamilton replies: Delay Repay is a UK-wide scheme that pays travellers compensation if their train is delayed or cancelled. Payouts on return journeys range from 12.5 per cent for a 15-to-29-minute delay to 100 per cent if it’s over two hours.When you were told your claim to Avanti had not been received, you were asked to send photocopies of your tickets, which luckily you had.Ten days later you phoned to chase and were exasperated to be told there was no record of the initial claim or the follow-up. You then emailed the same copies across, only to be told the next day they weren’t legible enough.You sent them again and this time they were accepted, though you were warned the application could take up to another 28 days. However, you had had enough, so you contacted me.Once I was on board, Avanti soon confirmed your money was on its way and apologised. Issuing such compensation appears to be a big part of its everyday operation. Its website shows that for the four weeks from May 31 to June 27 alone, it repaid £4.7million to delayed customers.Just 1 per cent of claims are by post, according to Avanti, which says postal claims are usually processed within four weeks. Online is speedier, but it also needs photos of the tickets and can still take four weeks until the money’s in the bank.Last week, you told me after another delay you claimed online. Although you found this taxing, within a few days your money was on its way. You said: ‘Maybe it’s because their internet delay repay process is efficient… or am I tagged because of your recent involvement?’Who knows? But it does make me wonder whether postal and online reclaim customers are really treated the same, as Avanti claims.Straight to the point I purchased a £140 lamp from a John Lewis store while I was visiting family, but when I got home and opened the box, the wood base had a chip. John Lewis said I could only get a replacement by sending it to our nearest store – which would mean a 100-mile round trip. I can’t even exchange it at my local Waitrose.B.D., Stamford, Lincs.John Lewis apologises and says it gave you the wrong information. It has since arranged to send you a new lamp.*** I had a £1,100 holiday booked for May 19, but was admitted to hospital five days before, so couldn’t travel. I submitted a claim to my travel insurer and paid £90 for a medical report, but Admiral has rejected my claim. It says I took out the policy on May 6 so I should have known hospitalisation was likely.J.P., Hove, E. Sussex.Admiral apologises and says the symptoms that resulted in your hospital stay could not have been anticipated. It has settled your claim – including the £90 fee – and has given you £500 in compensation.*** I had a fixed Isa with Kent Reliance that ended in June and I instructed it to transfer it to another provider when it matured. I have tried to transfer my funds with two providers, both of which have been rejected. When I asked Kent Reliance why, it gave me four different excuses. No one can tell me where my money is.M.R., Bletchley, Bucks.Kent Reliance told me it is treating your complaint as a ‘priority’, but refuses to speak to me any further. Meanwhile, you have been told it will take eight weeks to investigate. Write to Sally Hamilton at Sally Sorts It, Money Mail, Northcliffe House, 2 Derry Street, London W8 5TT or email sally@dailymail.co.uk include phone number, address and a note addressed to the offending organisation giving them permission to talk to Sally Hamilton. Please do not send original documents as we cannot take responsibility for them. No legal responsibility can be accepted by the Daily Mail for answers given. 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