Charged full rack rate for award stay after check-out?

[JohnK]

Is it not Thailand you are talking about? In Thailand I never assume something that would logically happen in Australia (or most places) would logically happen there. It may but it may not.

As per OP. Holiday Inn Express Soho Hong Kong.

 

[dajop]

As per OP. Holiday Inn Express Soho Hong Kong.

oops sorry was probably thinking about something else when I posted. Still would like to think it was an honest mistake, but something is wrong with their systems that allows it to happen.

 

[medhead]

If people think you don't authorise the hotel to charge your card after leaving the hotel I suggest you read the fine print on the bit of paper you sign. You most definitely do agree that they may charge your card for items the hotel believe to be owed. So it comes down to a question of the validity of the charge not if the hotel can make the charge.

 

[Deleted member 29185]

If people think you don't authorise the hotel to charge your card

I used the term authorise and I agree it was incorrect. What I disagree with is hotels taking money that is not due to them, not properly checking their facts and not notifying guests when they do make a back charge. Guests should have the right to dispute charges and taking a largish sum from a card could in fact leave some guests in a financially difficult position. I'm not even talking about legal responsibilities here, as that would be difficult to discuss given the international aspect of travel, but simply a businesses way of treating their customers. An automated email is surely not difficult and surely the appropriate way for a business to conduct themselves.....unless they know by NOT telling people, they get away with it lots more times, which in my way of thinking is deceptive conduct and not a good way to treat customers who they may hope will return some day.

 

[medhead]

I used the term authorise and I agree it was incorrect. What I disagree with is hotels taking money that is not due to them, not properly checking their facts and not notifying guests when they do make a back charge. Guests should have the right to dispute charges and taking a largish sum from a card could in fact leave some guests in a financially difficult position. I'm not even talking about legal responsibilities here, as that would be difficult to discuss given the international aspect of travel, but simply a businesses way of treating their customers. An automated email is surely not difficult and surely the appropriate way for a business to conduct themselves.....unless they know by NOT telling people, they get away with it lots more times, which in my way of thinking is deceptive conduct and not a good way to treat customers who they may hope will return some day.

There are two things 1) agreeing they can charge the credit card for outstanding amounts and 2) determining if an amount is owed. Point 2 is the issue here and of course guests have the right to argue the validity of such charges. But that doesn't mean the hotel can't make the charge if they believe it's correct. Yes the customer is put upon, but isn't that the way in most aspects of life.

 

[Deleted member 29185]

There are two things

Three things.

3) whether a business should notify a customer when they are taking further payments.

 

[medhead]

Three things.

3) whether a business should notify a customer when they are taking further payments.

Until the "should" becomes "must", I think that is covered by customers being put upon/disadvantaged.

 

[Deleted member 29185]

Until the "should" becomes "must", I think that is covered by customers being put upon/disadvantaged.

For any business even remotely interested in customer satisfaction, the should would always be read as a must!

 

[medhead]

For any business even remotely interested in customer satisfaction, the should would always be read as a must!

True. Just need to accept customer satisfaction is given more than just lip service.

 

[JohnK]

If people think you don't authorise the hotel to charge your card after leaving the hotel I suggest you read the fine print on the bit of paper you sign. You most definitely do agree that they may charge your card for items the hotel believe to be owed. So it comes down to a question of the validity of the charge not if the hotel can make the charge.

Not sure that is relevant.

I booked and fully paid for the room mid-October. I stay on the 07 November and a week later find a charge on my statement for the room at full rack rate on 08 November. I reported the issue and it is now 26 November and I have not seen any refund to the credit card.

This is a joke. Not good enough. Took my money immediately but struggle to give it back? IHG should except another angry rude email from me in the next couple of days.

 

[medhead]

Not sure that is relevant.

I booked and fully paid for the room mid-October. I stay on the 07 November and a week later find a charge on my statement for the room at full rack rate on 08 November. I reported the issue and it is now 26 November and I have not seen any refund to the credit card.

This is a joke. Not good enough. Took my money immediately but struggle to give it back? IHG should except another angry rude email from me in the next couple of days.

It is relevant to the question of whether they stole from you. It is not relevant, or an excuse, to how they've stuffed up in fixing their mistake.

 

[JohnK]

It is relevant to the question of whether they stole from you. It is not relevant, or an excuse, to how they've stuffed up in fixing their mistake.

They took money for a room already full prepaid. Not sure whether you think because I handed my credit card over that I authorised them to charge me again for the room again. I didn't.

Fine line between mistake and theft in my opinion. I believe the only reason its not theft is I discovered the "mistake".

And the handling of it is unacceptable.

 

[Deleted member 29185]

Fine line between mistake and theft in my opinion.

I agree and it's very close to what VA did with billing people multiple times for airfares then refusing to refund them their money (not VAs money) for up to a month later (if at all). A mistake is a mistake but failing to give back the cash with due haste once detected is borderline theft, dishonesty, fraud and scamming.

 

[medhead]

They took money for a room already full prepaid. Not sure whether you think because I handed my credit card over that I authorised them to charge me again for the room again. I didn't.

Fine line between mistake and theft in my opinion. I believe the only reason its not theft is I discovered the "mistake".

And the handling of it is unacceptable.

I'm not saying it's right, but the fine print that I've read on the form I sign when checking in says that they can charge anything they believe is owing. As I already stated that doesn't mean you can't dispute when they are wrong, but you have authorised them to charge your card when you sign the check in form.

As you said up front, the best approach is to pay them a cash deposit.

 

[basso]

This is a joke. Not good enough. Took my money immediately but struggle to give it back? IHG should except another angry rude email from me in the next couple of days.

Did IHG charge you or the hotel? In my experience with random after market hotel charges, it is always quickest and easiest to deal directly with the hotel - if they are the ones that charged. Involving IHG is just involving a middleman in the whole problem - they most likely are just going to forward it to the hotel to deal with....

 

[JohnK]

Did IHG charge you or the hotel? In my experience with random after market hotel charges, it is always quickest and easiest to deal directly with the hotel - if they are the ones that charged. Involving IHG is just involving a middleman in the whole problem - they most likely are just going to forward it to the hotel to deal with....

Perhaps you right. I want IHG to know that I am not happy with the service I am receiving from one of their hotels.

 

[jackthomas]

Agree that this is not on, although good to hear they handled it promptly.

Had a similar scenario happen to me in BNE last week ( was somehow charged THREE times for the one room) at Hotel Jen ( Shangri La Brisbane)
Was refunded (after the standard 3 day wait) as soon as I brought it to their attention the night of check in, although no point compensation etc was offered.

I'm glad they handled it quickly, but no real apologies or compensations.

On the topic of cash deposits, I usually avoid this as they tend to be much higher than the deposit taken on a card (which seems excessive) but might change my thoughts after your experiences now.

 

[JohnK]

On the topic of cash deposits, I usually avoid this as they tend to be much higher than the deposit taken on a card (which seems excessive) but might change my thoughts after your experiences now.

I forgot the cash amount quoted in HKG but in Thailand it is 1,000 baht in most hotels and 3,000 baht in more up market hotels.

The only issue with cash would be transitting countries and not having local currency.

By the way still no refund although the 5,000 points are in account already.

 

[JohnK]

Refund has finally come through.

As it turns out I only lost $4.08 which is better than I thought.

Lesson learned. No more handing over credit card for room deposit.