Debit Card Deposit

richardeth

About 3 months ago I visited Zurich and stayed at the Ibis Hotel. Unfortunately, I had forgotten to authorise my credit card for overseas used, so the hotel asked to me to put a holding deposit of CHF1000 against incidental spending on my debit card. This I duly did and entered my PIN accordingly.

It was my uinderstanding that these funds were just blocked out and would be released when I settled my bill.

A fortnight after settling my bill and checking out, I received my bank statement only to find that the CHF1000 had been taken along with the settlement of the bill. I raised this with the hotel, only to be told that they had only taken a hold on the payment and the problem was with the bank. Having contacted my bank, Barclays, and raised a disputed transaction with them, I have now received a reply from them stating that as I authorised the transaction and willingly gave my PIN, there is nothing they can do for me.

I am now trying the merchant again, but what more can I do?

It is my belief that I only authorised the hotel to hold the funds against settlement of my bill and in taking the funds, they exceded the authorisation I gave, but I really do not know where I stand in the eyes of the law.

Can anyone help?

bengalknights

Sounds like they charged your card instead of authorising, just dispute it with barclays and request a chargeback and hopefully it should sort itself out.

richardeth

Already desputed it and Barclays inform me that as I actually authorised a charge rather than just authorising a hold transaction. I have passed it back to Barclays, ut am not hopeful.

The fundamental question is, how do you know when you enter your PIN that you are just authorising as opposed to authorising a charge. This is particular more so as it was in Switzerland and the PIN machine was in German.