Raising a dispute for a purchase (hotel room)

hodd

I was supposed to have a business trip in France this week, but it was cancelled a few days ago. As usual, I'd booked the hotel myself intending to claim back the costs later. This isn't the first time I'd had to cancel this hotel, so I was surprised to be told on this occasion that no refund would be given.

Like most hotels, you can pay (in this case an additional €40) more to enable refunds to be made. If you pay the discounted rate and don't turn up, you lose your money.

This is not a problem of a late cancellation, as this was done in time. My mistake was to unwittingly book the first night (a Sunday) at a cheaper rate. The remaining four nights were at the full flexible rate. Logic would dictate I lose the money from that first night’s stay. However, the hotel stated that I will lose the payment for the entire week. So I had no benefit whatsoever for paying the full flexible rate for the other four nights.


Despite polite phone calls and e-mails to the hotel manager, no refund was promised. My company will refund me if necessary, but something’s wrong and very unfair. We’re talking over €600 here.


So, I called my credit card company to report the problem and open a “dispute”. I then e-mailed the hotel to inform them of this.


As I say, €600 is a whopping amount, and my company’s offer to refund me despite the hotel’s unfair policy and my apparent negligence is a huge relief.


But before all this, I was unaware a credit card company opened disputes. I’m just wondering how the credit card company will proceed. The hotel will claim they are in the right, and the credit card company cannot dictate what’s right or wrong.

.1xp

The hotel will show the merchant the terms and conditions of booking and confirmation that you had booked a 'promotional' rate which clearly has restrictions.

If you wanted fully flexible, in case of cancellation, you really should have opted for that.

Why should the hotel have to refund when you had booked (albeit, the first night, at the promotional rate)

Ultimately, they have done nothing wrong. Other than not refunding the flexible part of the booking.

I'm unsure how you could split the rate, when booking, in to a part promo rate, part fully flexible rate?

Plxply

hodd wrote: »

I was supposed to have a business trip in France this week, but it was cancelled a few days ago.

Who exactly cancelled the trip? If it was the hotel or airline and they provided no refund then your claim will succeed, if it was you who decided not to travel then both companies have fulfilled their side of the agreement and your claim will fail. Although you may feel it's unfair to not refund all the days, you agreed to their terms and conditions when you were booking the hotel.

hodd

.1xp wrote: »

Ultimately, they have done nothing wrong. Other than not refunding the flexible part of the booking.

That's all I want. I paid the higher fully flexible rate, but I get no advantages or protection for doing so.

.1xp wrote: »

I'm unsure how you could split the rate, when booking, in to a part promo rate, part fully flexible rate?

I'm not sure, but this is a big hotel chain with presumably decent booking software. The rates were as follows:

Sunday: €129
Monday: €164
Tuesday: €164
Wednesday: €164
Thursday: €164

If I'd booked Sunday as one transaction and the other four nights as a second transaction, it would be no problem. I'd lose the €129 but receive the 4 x €164 back without any problem. However, as I booked all dates together, the one discounted night penalises me for the entire week. I could have booked the weekday nights at a much cheaper rate and received the same lack of flexibility of protection.

hodd

Plxply wrote: »

Who exactly cancelled the trip? If it was the hotel or airline and they provided no refund then your claim will succeed, if it was you who decided not to travel then both companies have fulfilled their side of the agreement and your claim will fail. Although you may feel it's unfair to not refund all the days, you agreed to their terms and conditions when you were booking the hotel.

My company cancelled it. This often happens, which is why I usually pay the full flexible rate. As I said, I have cancelled at this hotel before with no problems and a full refund. I'm not arguing with you, as you were good enough to respond, but the hotel is offering no advantage for a customer paying the higher rates for the four weekday nights. As already said, I cold have paid the discounted rate for the weekday nights and received the same lack of flexibility and protection as I eventually got paying the full whack.

AdamJK_2

Surely at the very least you have grounds for redress with the hotel. If they have charged the extra to be 'fully flexible' on the 4 nights in question then they should honour that extra charge and refund the bookings.

At very least they should refund the €40pn/€120 extra charge as this has had no benefit for you so surely advertising and selling the rooms with this benefit was misleading. Personally I can't help but think the hotel manager is trying it on to boost his occupancy figures.

chattychappy

I tend to think if the higher flexible rates were stated as such when you made the booking, then you're entitled to a refund. Eg if there some sort of grid/calendar with the different days coloured differently or tagged flexible or whatever.

If, however, the day rates were just the same as the flexible rates but flexibility wasn't referred to when you confirmed, then you're stuffed I think. True you got no extra benefit by paying more for those subsequent days, but that's tough, I think.

If going to the CC, you're not really disputing as in claiming the charge was unauthorised. It's more the case of a s75 type claim (which they might be able to cover with a chargeback) on the grounds that the merchant is in breach of contract for not refunding as per the promised flexibility.

I don't book mainstream hotels much - but when I've booked flexible rates I've not had to pay in advance (perhaps only giving a CC to guarantee the first night should I not cancel in time). I've only had to pay upfront for the whole stay if booking a cheaper, non-flexible deal.

hodd

As I say, the stress factor is all but gone as my employer will refund me regardless, but it's only fair that I challenge the hotel. It would be nice if they gave at least a partial refund, which at the very least will be less hassle for both sides. I am also going back to France next week, and this is the best hotel by miles I'll be a lot more careful with Ts & Cs in future too.

The main question is, though, what will the credit card company actually do? Will they contact the hotel directly? I'll let people know how this goes, but I'm curious about the process. I imagine a hotel is well used to credit card disputes.