Travelodge Doublebooking Scam

HardWorker2010_2

If you think you've got a reservation at a particular Travelodge, think again!

It would appear that Travelodge are still taking more bookings than they have rooms for.

Earlier this week after having driven nearly 700 miles in one day I asked my wife to book me a room at the Norwich Cringleford site. I wanted an out of town site as I was driving a large van that was still loaded with expensive equipment and I didn't want the increased risk of town centre crime.

My wife paid for the room on line and even paid the extra for a text confirmation to my mobile phone (Charging to confirm a booking!!! Should have sounded the warning bells as to their attitude to customers there and then). The text arrived and I drove the last 50 miles happy that I had a room for the night.

Upon arrival the receptionist told me that they had let someone else have my room!!! I said this was unacceptable and she said they couldn't contact me as they didn't have my mobile number - strange they seem to have no trouble finding it when they can charge you for sending you a text!!!!! And why would they need to contact me anyway. If someone else turns up after they have reserved all the rooms surely THAT customer should be referred to the lodge that has empty rooms - but then they might go elsewhere, much better to grab their money now and mess about the customer who has already paid.....

I was told that I was expected to make my way to the Travelodge in the centre of Norwich and stay there. Obviously unacceptable - if I wanted to stay there I would have booked to stay there.

In the end I had to drive to another Travelodge 50 miles away (and 10 miles beyond my first call of the morning therefore adding 20 miles to my journey). I arrived 90 minutes after first pulling up at Cringleford thoroughly fed up and spent the night in one of the shabbiest rooms I have ever stayed in - missing paint, marked surfaces, dirty floor and shower, dripping tap, worn out mattress, in other words - typical Travelodge.

Just why Travelodge think its OK to take a booking, confirm it (at an extra cost) and then renaig on their obligations is beyond me. If I treated my customers like that I would soon end up in court.

I will never use a Travelodge again. I would rather sleep in my vehicle in the middle of winter.

The company's attitude stinks. Being given a refund after being messed around like this is the very least one should expect but Travelodge seem to think it's a perfectly acceptable way if treating people.

I complained on their Facebook page and they said on it that they would refund my money and then later in a private email said they wouldn't!!!!

Avoid them like the plague - from the state of some of their rooms you might be doing just that!

camNolliesMUMMY

Omg I will certainly think again before booking.

photome

This topic has been discussed many times before on here. I always phone travelodge in the afternoon of my arrival to confirm what time i will be arriving and that they have held my room. While that shouldnt be necersarry, it does give me peace of mind.

I do agree that you were treated appalingly especially as travelodge had your mobile number although the individual hotel may nothave had it

hcb42

Most hotels overbook, because many rooms can be cancelled late afternoon at no charge, it is when the over estimate the no of cancels this happens.

This chain are quite aggressive in this to make sure they fill, I almost never stay with them, but I would only do it if I can get there mid afternoon for that reason. The other problem is they try to keep you in a lodge when there re lots of other hotels they could book you to, which would be an upgrade, effectively.

2010

While I can sympathise, it`s all in their T&C.

http://www.travelodge.co.uk/terms/

9 Relocation

Travelodge operates a relocation policy (for more details on relocation policy click here). If a room is unavailable on arrival (except due to an event beyond our reasonable control, (see section 11.2)) then, we will either:
provide a room in another Travelodge hotel and pay the reasonable cost of transport to that alternative hotel or any applicable car park; OR
at your request, or, if in our reasonable opinion there is no suitable alternative hotel accommodation available, cancel your Booking and refund you any money you have paid in advance for the unavailable room(s) including related extras.
If you are due to pay on arrival at the hotel we will take payment for the cost of the booking and any prepaid extras. As outlined above any additional costs over and above the original cost of the booking will be covered by Travelodge. I.e. difference in room rates, reasonable transport costs, car park charges.

Must also add, I use them all the time up and down the country and have never had a problem and have always found their staff helpful.

coupleuk

If a room is unavailable on arrival (except due to an event beyond our reasonable control,

I havent read all the T&Cs but that statement is clear.

If Travelodge have oversold the Hotel it IS within their reasonable control.

If you have 200 rooms, you dont sell 210 of them.

Its very simple that even a junior school pupil can manage the maths.

If that happened to me, I would give them the opportunity to check me in to the nearest comparible hotel that I am happy to accept. If they refuse, I would book in anyway and take them thru the courts if I had to in order to get my money repaid.

withabix

Another reason why I will never book a Travelodge in this country.

2010

If a room is unavailable on arrival (except due to an event beyond our reasonable control,

coupleuk wrote: »

I havent read all the T&Cs but that statement is clear.

You obviously haven`t read that clear statement either.

A junior school pupil could manage the English.

If a room is unavailable on arrival

---

they send you to another hotel and pay reasonable transport.

(except due to an event beyond our reasonable control,)
You should then have read section 11.2

dzug1

coupleuk wrote: »

I

If you have 200 rooms, you don't sell 210 of them.

.

Why not? You know from experience that a certain proportion will be no-shows.

OK you are wrong in your estimates sometimes but you have systems in place to deal with that.

gingerdad

sorry but don't really see the issue, lots of compaines use overbooking, 99/100 its not a problem and makes good business sense if nearly every time enough people don't turn up.

coupleuk

OK, so Ive now read 11.2 - not a lot of point as it only backs up my point exactly.

11.2 Events Beyond our Reasonable Control: We shall not be in breach of these terms, nor liable for any failure to perform any of our obligations in relation to your Booking (such as the provision of room(s) and/or other products and/or services and/or extras) due to any adverse event,act, omission or accident which happens which is beyond our reasonable control including, but not limited to, flood, earthquake, extreme adverse weather conditions, natural disasters, other acts of God, acts of terrorism, interruption or fire (except by way of our default) or failure of (except by way of our default) electric power, gas, water, or other utility service, plant machinery, computers, vehicles or any collapse of building structures.

Travelodge, by overselling rooms, have performed the ACT of overselling them. The rooms didn't oversell themselves.

It is NOT beyond there reasonable control to know how many beds they have and to sell that many.

Leaving aside the (very good) business argument for overselling rooms - if they decide to oversell then they should put things right if they fail to have the rooms people have paid and contracted for. Compensation of twice the original cost (as per their T&Cs) may not be enough to secure another hotel room close to the Travelodge.

They should NOT be permitted to send you to an alternative town/city without your agreement - even though they are claiming such a right in their terms.

If you had wanted to stay in a different location, surely you would have booked in there.

What is to stop Travelodge opening a brand new lodge 2 miles from their worst tatty sh*thole they have.

All they have to do is take double bookings for the new place in the knowledge that their T&Cs allow them to send guests to the grotty place down the road.

I would love to see how they'd defend their T&Cs in a small claims court.

The OP stated that he was expected to travel to a TL in the centre of Norwich - the one doesnt have parking and his van is too tall to get into the NCP car park. The other doesnt have parking either and he would be expected to leave his van (with valuable equipment) in an open air car park off-site.

His original choice has free parking and is a more expensive hotel than either of the other two - did they offer him a reduced rate to move to one of these?