Hotel error - Have i got a free room?

bobblebob

Stayed at a hotel last night and the room was £50. At checkin they took a pre-authorisation on my card and gave me a receipt as normal. Went to checkout the following day and gave them my card to complete the transaction and settle the room bill. Got another receipt showing i paid and an invoice showing the bill had been settled.

Just checked now and the receipt she gave me this morning is for another pre-authorisation of £50, rather than a debit payment. So in effect instead she did a 2nd pre-authorisation instead of a payment. Invoice shows i have paid though.

My online banking had £100 'earmarked' (2 x £50 pre-authorisation amounts) but if the hotel dont realise, these will drop off in a few days.

So seeing as the invoice has me down as paying for the room, have i got a room for free, or will they realise and change the pre-authorisation to a payment?

dzug1

Well possibly - but more likely they will notice and make the actual charge.

bobblebob

Yea i thought they may do but seeing as the invoice has me down as paid, then who knows.

I noticed aswell that this morning she gave me both receipts (customer and merchant copy). Not sure if that changes anything

dzug1

Depends if she/management reconcile the invoices and receipts

I don't think merchant copies of transaction slips actually go anywhere other than the merchant's filing cabinet - actual details are processed electronically. So it is probably irrelevant that you have both copies.

This did happen to me a year or so back - and they never did notice. So there is 'hope'.

bobblebob

Time will tell then. Dunno how often hotels 'cash up' so to speak, so not sure if/when they would realise

meer53

I think you'll find that one authorisation drops off and one magically turns into a debit !

.1xp

When she does her shift banking at the end of her shift, they will notice that it was another authorisation rather than a completion and then they will complete the sale.

Wyndham

You could always be honest and let them know?

bobblebob

Wyndham wrote: »

You could always be honest and let them know?

Well i could be, or i could try get a free room

If they do their accounts properly they will notice the mistake anyway

msql

Ive seen this happen before to friend, this may be a attempt for a future scam.

My friend had used his card to place a dentist appointment. They authorized his card for £50. When it was time to pay the rest amount, another authorization of £50 was added and no payment taken. The customer (my friend) felt like he had scammed them.

In face the POS machine was a dummy machine and does not take full payments but rather save card details and pins. Couple weeks later money was taken out from his card and the dentist was the only place he had used this particular card. He eventually got his money back and reported the dentist.

Be wary of this, check your statements regularly if not daily. A dummy POS machine can be placed anywhere especially in places you would not expect.

Wyndham

bobblebob wrote: »

Well i could be, or i could try get a free room

If they do their accounts properly they will notice the mistake anyway

I would hesitate to use words like 'theft', but.....