urgent...check ur bank TRAVELODGE taking payments twice!!!

gemmabe

billbennett wrote: »

From my chat with the security guys at FD, it seems TL took the payment using the same authorisation code as the first one. So therefore, the code generated by VbV the first time was still valid, because it was a hashed and processed combination of the amount, vendor ID, card number, VbV ID, and CVV.

Isn't it amazing that in these security-conscious times, where we are preached to about passwords and PIN numbers and how to "keep yourself safe", forced to use extra security measures for banking, etc. and THEN such a catastropic !!!!-up occurs that shows the security measures THEY have in place are about as much use as a chocolate teapot.

nuttyp

No refund for me yet, cant even find my reservation details as i went in june!!! Think i will refrain from booking with them again. Its a true lack of confidence in a large company, I hope the person responsible has seriously repremanded - if this is the true reason for the mistake.

BargainMad_3

Well I too have been affected by this. £30 charged twice - once for the initial booking and then taken again on the 12th/13th July.
Refund has gone through on the 14th/15th but no word of explanation or apology from Travelodge.

I cannot stand companies who are unable to stand up and be counted when they make a mistake like this i.e. hold their hands up and say what has happened and say sorry.

I think they are trying to sweep it all under the carpet and they think that putting the money back into your account somehow absolves them from doing anything wrong in the first place.

By that line of reasoning it is alright for someone to pickpocket you as long as they put your purse back 48 hours later !

BargainMad_3

ultimatestirrer wrote: »

Just checked my bank account after booking one room yesterday for £10, which they had taken, but now also showing a refund for £10. So possibly got the room for free!

The refunds are for being charged TWICE from June !!!

Check your statement !

nuttyp

Just rang, and a very polite lady said your one of many and its all HSBC fault!!! Yeah rite, anyway i should get a refund in 24 hrs, so monday at the earliest. Said totaly unprofessional, and they should read the website's - namely this one- and see how many real customers they have offended. She suggested asking for compensation, but i dont hold much hope of getting any!!

Will update if the refund ever appears, but if you've got yours your doing well!! Think theres a lot more people to do!!

floart

stressful and wrong though this huge mistake may be, hang on a minute folks...

i think a lot of you are missing the point, it's a big c0*k up by the payment handlers that travelodge uses, and your banks have messed up big time by allowing duplicate payments with identical codes, that shouldn't be allowed to happen at all

all of these organisations have allowed this error to happen due to a flaw in their payment systems, and it is them that should be held accountable, not neccesarily travelodge themselves, who may well now be suffering bad publicity and a lot of upset customers from something that isn't actually their fault.

it seems to me there is a major flaw somewhere along the line in the way your payments have been duplicated, and would suggest not only reporting to watchdog etc, but anyone affected should be contacting the financial services authority or other similar regulatory bodies

http://www.fsa.gov.uk/pages/consumerinformation/consumer_contact/index.shtml

CompBunny

In order to make it simpler for more affected people to complain, we should get together and write a draft/template complaint letter that people can enter their own details into. More likely to get a response from banks or travelodge in numbers! Has anyone contacted watchdog yet? I am happy to do it but my payment was only £25 for two rooms and no sob story Just the stress, inconvenience and general vulnerability felt!

nuttyp

It was just a shock, checked bank and thought i havent even stayed at travelodge - then i remembered i sent my DD and her BF to alton towers for 2 days and paid for a room near there. Just annoyed that the 'BANKS' have all allowed this to happen. Just hope that another doesnt happen......... still waiting for the refund.

gemmabe

floart I see your point, however putting that to one side that doesn't excuse the way Travelodge have not even bothered to inform their customers about this but left it to us to find out for ourselves (or not, as the case may be).

I agree the banks have to take accountability and I wrote a letter of complaint to Lloyds TSB yesterday also which includes the points you raised. Having said that, we trusted Travelodge with our card details and ULTIMATELY it is up to them to ensure that they are secure and not misused. Still, as Travelodge haven't contacted us to tell us what has happened and explain why, it is their own fault if people are blaming them for something that MAY not be entirely of their own doing.

BargainMad_3

I was just thinking if this double charge affected EVERYONE who bought on the said date in June....there must be MANY THOUSANDS of people affected.

The reason being the date was the first day of the sale......and we all know how many thousands of rooms sell out in hours.


Travelodge must in fact be too scared to acknowledge this.....the greater the problem the more deafening the silence !

Certainly one for Watchdog.......we are talking millions of pounds taken and put back in a piecemeal way and with no apology !