Premier Inn - Don't be caught out!

MarsdenCuckoo

I booked and pre-paid a special rate room recently at the Premier Inn but due to snow decided not to travel after all. I've just received notification today that because I didn't turn up (or cancel) I have now been charged the full room rate!

Just wondering what others think - the letter quotes:

"If you book a non-cancellable reservation and do not arrive, you will be charged the full value of your stay. As you did not arrive or cancel, a charge of £29 has been levied."

Is that legal/even remotely morally acceptable i.e. being charged for not cancelling a non-cancellable reservation?

Lagoon

I think the wording in the letter is a little wrong, but yes - if you book a room that can't be cancelled, you should pay for it. There are more expensive room rates that include the option to cancel - the cheaper ones are often the ones that can't be cancelled, enabling people to get a good deal on the condition that they're definitely paying and the hotel won't lose out.

If your room could have been cancelled, then you should have done so. Someone else might have booked that room even at short notice - instead, they had a room they couldn't use and no money for it.

MarsdenCuckoo

Thanks for your comment but am still confused how it would even occur to someone to cancel a non-cancellable reservation.

I booked and paid in full for a room in advance and thought that was the end of it. Seems nonsensical to say that they are charging me £29 for not cancelling a non-cancellable reservation - yes/no?

Lagoon

MarsdenCuckoo wrote: »

Thanks for your comment but am still confused how it would even occur to someone to cancel a non-cancellable reservation.

I booked and paid in full for a room in advance and thought that was the end of it. Seems nonsensical to say that they are charging me £29 for not cancelling a non-cancellable reservation - yes/no?

That's why I'm saying the wording in the letter seems wrong. The point is that you CAN'T cancel a non-cancellable reservation, so it looks like their letter is mixing up two separate issues.

You should be responsible for paying if you made a reservation that wasn't suitable for cancellation, but the letter isn't explaining the reason very well at all. I don't think calling and trying to cancel would have made a difference to your situation, unfortunately.

googler

Non-cancellable in this case means you can't withdraw from paying for it. It doesn't mean that the hotel can't use the room, if you choose not to turn up (and let them know as such).

You chose not to turn up, and didn't have the courtesy to let the hotel know.

I take it the charge was in addition to the full room rate? In which case, if you'd decided not to go, and let them know, they would have only charged the room rate, but since you didn't let them know you wouldn't be there, the £29 is a surcharge.

I think the surcharge is legally and morally acceptable.

lucy03

MarsdenCuckoo wrote: »

Thanks for your comment but am still confused how it would even occur to someone to cancel a non-cancellable reservation.

I booked and paid in full for a room in advance and thought that was the end of it. Seems nonsensical to say that they are charging me £29 for not cancelling a non-cancellable reservation - yes/no?

Have Premier Inn charged a second charge on top of the room rate that you have already paid for (although not used)?

susancs

MarsdenCuckoo wrote: »

I booked and pre-paid a special rate room recently at the Premier Inn but due to snow decided not to travel after all. I've just received notification today that because I didn't turn up (or cancel) I have now been charged the full room rate!

Just wondering what others think - the letter quotes:

"If you book a non-cancellable reservation and do not arrive, you will be charged the full value of your stay. As you did not arrive or cancel, a charge of £29 has been levied."

Is that legal/even remotely morally acceptable i.e. being charged for not cancelling a non-cancellable reservation?

Are you sure you have pre-paid for the saver room? I ask because whenever I have booked a saver rate with PI, I have been asked for my card and charged on arrival. I wonder if the £29 is just the nightly rate you booked but did not pre-pay and the letter is just notifying you that your card has been charged?
I would check you bank account to confirm you have pre-paid for the room?

susancs

Just had a look and payment for the room is taken on arrival so the £29 would be the rate you booked the room for and being a "no show" you had still to pay this rate as the room was not one you could cancel. I think if you check your bank account then you should see that only £29 in total has been charged for the saver room on the date of your arrival and you did not pre-apy for the room.

Copied and pasted below for your information (link below).
http://www.premierinn.com/en/faq/booking/prices_and_room_rates.html#childrenchildrenfaqlist.73695
How do I get the best price when booking?


We want you to get the best value for money when you stay with us, so here are a few tips. First, book online if you can. You'll always get our lowest prices when you book online rather than by phone.

Look out for our Premier Savers - such as rooms from just £29. These are only available when you book online. If a Premier Saver is available it will appear in your search results when you click for availability.

Payment is taken on arrival. If you've booked a Premier Saver room and you'd like to pay by credit card, you'll be charged a fee of £2 to process your payment. We won't charge you anything to reserve a room online with your credit card, or for payments made with debit cards. Flexible rate rooms do not incur a card processing fee.

McKneff

The wording of the letter is bad.

But at the end of the day, you booked and paid for a room which yu didn't turn up for. You were charged for it.

Simple as that really.

martinthebandit

IIRC when I last booked one of their rooms there was an option to pay extra which would have allowed a refund of some of your money if you had to cancel.

Non cancelable (is that a word?) means you pay for the room irrespective of if you use it or not

MarsdenCuckoo

Thanks peeps; am still not exactly sure what I have been charged and being Easter the last activity on my a/c showing is 26 March. I received the letter, as above, this morning though.

I paid £29 (deducted from my bank a/c when I booked mid February) but received the letter today re. my intended stay on 24 March.

On first reading I took it to mean that I'd been charged an additional £29 for not cancelling/notifying them I wasn't coming but then on second reading it continues: "The amount of £29 has been redeemed against this charge from previously supplied deposit(s)." which TBH I didn't actually understand but am now wondering if this is just referring to the original £29 I paid..... Doh!!!

Could be that I haven't been charged extra for not letting them know I wasn't turning up after all but I really don't know.

('Confused')