Hotel charged for Fire alarm triggering

rustyboy21

WickedWolfie wrote: »

Your argument is almost directly analagous to those used by the private parking industry and frankly about as convincing. That "industry" has had a kicking from the courts for purporting to charge penalties - it was made very clear that only statutory bodies had the legal right to charge penalties, other bodies could do no more than recover their costs.

The members of that "industry" now claim to charge contractual fees. The courts in at least some cases have ruled that the presence of such charges must be made explicitly clear in advance, and have specifically ruled small print on signs to fail to meet this requirement. There is a strong argument that hiding the possibility of such charges somewhere in an A4 page of 6point font text would similarly fail to meet the court's fairness test.

Were I the OP I would file a without consent complaint with my card provider and get my money back. If the hotel wishes to pursue the matter let it take legal action BUT it is probable that such action would only return their actual incurred costs (which they will have to prove, as will they have to prove that it was your friend that actually did the damage) and not their outlandish and unjustified fees. Plus their court costs, which will most likely cost a damn site more than the £150 the OP has been charged for initially

I believe that Travelodge's charges for alledged violations of non-smoking rooms are coming under increasing scrutiny and will, if they have not already, face legal challenge in the near future.

Your obnoxious reply was not needed.

So are you saying that even though the OP's friend, supposedly went ' sleep walking' and set off the fire alarm, that would have called out the fire brigade, which most likely woke other paying customers in the hotel, Then... Thats ok, the hotel should take all the blame and cost from their actions and the OP shouldn't pay anything at all?

McKneff

A hotel doesnt call the fire brigade, if a fire alarm goes off, it is an automatic call electronically to the fire station.

And stop calling people names, it's rude and uncalled for.

rustyboy21

McKneff wrote: »

A hotel doesnt call the fire brigade, if a fire alarm goes off, it is an automatic call electronically to the fire station.

And stop calling people names, it's rude and uncalled for.

Then he should stop with the holier than though attitude and looking down his nose then.

Also, I didn't say that the hotel called the fire brigade, I said the alrm going off would call the fire brigade. In my earlier posts, I have also made that fact, so please read correctly in future

post edited though.

Needtoknow_3

Just to drop my opinion/experience etc in the pot...

Having worked in hotels and in building management...

Where I work now, if the fire alarm goes off, the building security managers have a few minutes whereby they check the alarm indicator board, check whether there is a fire and if it is a false alarm, which most of the time it is and thank goodness, they call the fire brigade and cancel the call out. Hence no charge.

Fire alarms are set off so frequently in hotels in my experience as a guest, I can't for a minute imagine they don't operate the same as where I work.

I find it a little strange OP that you found out via email that you were to be charged, I know this friend was in a pickle and you were helping out but I would have expected your friend to have mentioned to you that they had set the alarm off and there would be a charge etc - or is that just me ?

Good luck anyway.

Justicia

Needtoknow wrote: »

...but I would have expected your friend to have mentioned to you that they had set the alarm off and there would be a charge etc - or is that just me?

Nope, not at all!

WickedWolfie

rustyboy21 wrote: »

Then he should stop with the holier than though attitude and looking down his nose then.

Also, I didn't say that the hotel called the fire brigade, I said the alrm going off would call the fire brigade. In my earlier posts, I have also made that fact, so please read correctly in future

post edited though.

I suggest you put your rattle back in your pram! If you want to be obnoxious two can play at that game! God forbid that someone does not worship the ground that the so-called "industry expert" thinks, in his own sad, self-inflated ego, he hovers over. Better "holier than thou" than up your own rearend!!!

On a money saving website I offered my views about how the OP should best respond to what frankly looks like a blatant and as far as I can tell not adequately justified cash grab. Make no mistake not only would I ensure, if I was the OP, that I made it VERY expsnsive for the firm in question but if it's employees operated as you wish to I would ensure that they were all looking for new jobs (clue: cost the firm thousands to at best make a few hundreds and you will NOT be popular).....