Travelodge on line double bookings problem

greenarmy_2

I wondered if anyone has had a problem with the Travelodge website taking a booking for more rooms than you want. I recently tried to book a room and after entering the date etc it told me my password that I had used the day before was not recognised. I was prompted to reset it which I did. On returning to the web page it was right back at the beginning of the booking process so I re-entered the details. All the way through it still showed me one room and one price until I confirmed payment when it came back double the price and told me I'd booked two rooms. I rang customer services who told me this happens commonly and the basket 'locks' a booking and then you get charged for the lot. The problem is you can't see that whilst you're in the booking form. I expected them to sort it as it was a common problem, especially as I alerted them immediately. It was obvious I hadn't just booked two rooms and then changed my mind as I'd never asked for two rooms. I had to use the expensive phone line to be told I had to e-mail this complaint as they couldn't sort it on the phone. I was then told they wouldn't refund my money, just give me a voucher for another booking which I couldn't afford to do. I escalated it and was told the original decision stands. Rubbish customer service and a clear lack of effort to investigate what had happened.
Beware of this site. I book lots of on-line travel and I have never come across this seemingly sneaky way of getting your cash before.

Crabman

It may take a formal letter to trigger a proper gesture. If they've admitted their error it's odd that they should consider it reasonable expect you to foot costs incurred in rectifying their fault. There are alternative numbers available on www.saynoto0870.com

In my experience, Travelodge customer services are pretty useless. I refuse to stay with Travelodge anymore - much better to pay a little more and stay at a far more comfortable Premier Inn (can be cheaper than Travelodge sometimes) where they actually care about customers and even give you a full refund if you don't get a good night's sleep

chonorla

I also had this problem, but I ended up with 2 lots of 2 rooms! They sent me an E-voucher to use instead of a refund. So we had to book another weekend away for later in the year rather than lose our money altogether.

Obviously the money would have been better, but like with you, they refused to budge.

colmil

I booked a room in September last year on line and when I confirmed the booking a red box came on the screen to say that they could not confimr the booking, so I booked it again, when I again confirmed it, both bookings were shown!

I sent an e mail immediately on their website and heard nothing so two days later I sent anothe e mail.

They claimed they had not received my e mail and I was charged for both bookings

My local trading standards dept asked them to return the money for the second booking but they have refused so I have taken them to the small claims court and I am awaiting their response.

They are an absolute shower and needless to say I will never stay with them again.

I will post the result of my claim in due course.

Crabman

Good luck with the court claim colmil :cool:

greenarmy_2

It's reassururing to hear that I'm not the only one who has had this problem. I am very interested to hear you have persued this so far colmil, good for you. It's the principal and the fact that it will happen to other people if they are not called to account for their shocking website practices.

I actually would have much preferred to use Premier Inn like you Crabman and had tried them first but they were too far from where we are going.

LisaBee_2

I have recently had exactly the same problem as Colmil. I would be interested to see if the small claims court was helpful. Travelodge customer services are really amazingly useless, i wrote to them with my complaint and asked for a full refund, the reply i got stated that they will offer eVouchers and that decision is final, any further correspondance from myself will be 'noted but not relied to' !!! So, basically they just dont deal with the complaints!!

cherokee

This has recently happened to us as well! We ended up with a four night unintentional double booking and my husband swears he doesnt know how he did it. Travelodge customer services said their system was "incapable of making a double booking" and would only refund the bit of the stay that hadnt happened yet. So we are out of pocket for one night (£39). Like another posting, I was then told they wouldnt enter into any further correspondence when I challenged their decision. I was going to put it down to experience but now I have seen that it has happened to others I am going to pursue a refund or even e-vouchers would be good!! Can a company like Travelodge really cut a customer off like that and ignore their complaints? Who would I contact to escalate this? Thanksx

EmmaLouLou

Colmil,

I have just registered on this site because within the last few days the same thing has happened to me. I thought I was booking one room at a Travelodge in August and somehow I have been charged for two. I KNOW this isn't my fault, and having read others' posts, I now know this happens quite a lot. Again, Travelodge are trying to fob me off with e-vouchers for over a hundred pounds...not interested. I am awaiting a phonecall which may never come from their management. I wanted to know how much you paid for the small claims court and if travelodge lost, how is it they haven't paid up? I'm weighing up my options on this one :mad:

Crabman

EmmaLouLou wrote: »

Colmil,

I have just registered on this site because within the last few days the same thing has happened to me. I thought I was booking one room at a Travelodge in August and somehow I have been charged for two. I KNOW this isn't my fault, and having read others' posts, I now know this happens quite a lot. Again, Travelodge are trying to fob me off with e-vouchers for over a hundred pounds...not interested. I am awaiting a phonecall which may never come from their management. I wanted to know how much you paid for the small claims court and if travelodge lost, how is it they haven't paid up? I'm weighing up my options on this one :mad:

If Travelodge fail to pay an amount stated on a court order you can simply ask the court to have the order enforced:

http://www.hmcourts-service.gov.uk/infoabout/enforcement/index.htm

The_mangler

I wont touch Travelodge anymore - not sure how our problem occurred but after booking for a stay in Madrid I found the money had gone from our account despite being told it would be taken upon arrival. I emailed them to double check this was the case and I was told all rooms are payable in advance so it would be for the Maddid trip. Yet when we got there I was asked to pay again. Came back home and after 6 unanswered replies we finally got the response that they have had a new online system so have no trace of our original email which contained all the details of the duplicated payments - and needless to say 9 months on from payment I no longer have copies of statements myself :mad: Basically they dont want to know and have wiped all of our previous stays of our account on line so we cant check that way. Its left a very bitter taste, we're on benefits and £130 is a lot to us, the Madrid trip was a 40th birthday present paid for by compensation after an accident. I will never ever stay with them again and I am going to keep searching and trying every way I can to c atch them out.

To all who are having problems with Travelodge - dont give up fighting and lets all vote with our feet, they are con artists and desreve to go out of business, not so cheap when you have to pay twice.