lastminute .com refusing to refund

Atomik1

Hi,

I made a booking for a two night stay in a Manchester hotel which stated "free cancellation before 19/3" on the booking page next to the book it link. My email confirmation also stated the hotels policy to be cancellation less than24 hours would incur a charge of 1 nights stay. I accepted this as free cancellation as long as they got 24 hours notice.

However, something has come up and I needed to cancel so I emailed lastminute.com this morning. I was shocked to get an response saying they could not refund anything as that is the hotels policy!!

I rang lastminute .com to be told that I must have been mistaken as I cannot have any money back it is totally non-refundable. My friend overheard this and decided to do a test booking whilst I was on the phone to them, and sure enough in bold green wording it clearly stated next to each room option the words "free to cancel before 19/3" I told this to the woman at last minute and she said she will ring up the hotel to discuss their policy and put me on hold. My friend then sadly left the booking page. After being on hold for quite awhile she came back to say the hotels policy is not to refund on premier rooms, so no refund allowed. I was furious.

I explained about us literally just having seen the cancellation offer on their website, and my friend went back to take another look, so imagine our shock when we looked this time to see that very wording REMOVED for my chosen room option, but still in place for all other room options!! She practically accused me of lying.

After making it clear I was not going to just accept this and lose my money she did agree to investigate and get back to me. Can anyone advise on where I might stand with this? I know the wording I saw was as clear as anything and my friend saw it too, plus it just so happens that all other room options still have free cancellation showing except the one I booked! Odd?! Plus I still have my email confirming my booking showing the hotel policy saying its OK as long as not within 24 hours, but even then I would only lose one nights fees and not 100% as per what she said. I even rang the hotel direct after speaking to last minute.com and she provided me with their policy which is nothing like the one quoted on the last minute website!! And she said the policy is the same whether you are booking a standard or a premier room. So how come last minute blamed it on the hotel having this policy for premier rooms? The plot thickens.

Any advice as to where I might stand would be fantastic, especially if she still insists no refund.

bris

Its almost impossible to have IT log in and change the page in the minute your suggesting it took them to do this while you were on the phone.

It sounds to me like you didn't register the fact that premier rooms were excluded so overlooked this part of it, but now know it because it has been pointed out to you.

Atomik1

Hi,

Thanks for your response.

Perhaps I should have made it clearer. When my friend did a test it came up with seven room options, two of which were for premier rooms, the rest standard. One premier option included breakfast, one room only. BOTH were showing as free cancellation when we first checked whilst on the phone, then later after being on hold about 5-10 minutes, only my chosen option (room only) had been changed, the other premier option was still showing as free cancellation.

Plus the hotel themselves said they don't differ between premier and standard. Plus we have booking confirmation showing that only charges will be incurred if cancel less than 24 hours before arrival. And even then it would be for equivalent of one nights stay and not 100% as per what she was saying.

We both saw 'free cancellation before 19/03' very clearly on their site next to the booking link

marywooyeah

Do you know how to take a screenshot? I'd try a test booking again and take a screenshot and send it to them. Do you have a confirmation email from the original booking showing the cancellation policy?

Atomik1

Hi,

I do have the original booking email.

I took a photo of the screen showing a premier room as free cancellation, sadly though this was after the change, so only shows a premier with breakfast as free cancellation, not my option of room only. If only we took a photo or did a screenshot of the original booking page!! But at least it shows a premier option as having free cancellation, which they were denying.

Atomik1

Oh my word, I just went back on to try another test and it has gone back to clearly stating free cancellation before 19/03 for ALL premier room options!! I am unsure how to do a screenshot, so i have just taken a photo and left page open.

Not sure how they can wriggle out of this one.

tberry6686

to take a screen shot : press Alt and print screen. Paste into word or equivalent.

Atomik1

Hi,

Thanks for the advice. I have figured out how to do a screenshot, slightly different as using Android nexus tablet. All done now though, thanks. Clearly showing free cancellation for my choice of room!

Looking forward to hearing their response now I have proof, plus original email stating cancellation will only incur charges if done within 24 hours of arrival.

Thanks again

hollydays

From their terms and conditions

"Cancellation of an existing booking (regardless of whether a new booking is made) may be subject to an administration fee charged by the accommodation provider (which may be equal to or greater than, the total amount of your booking)."
Also
"Please note that Booking Fees and credit card fees are non-refundable."



Your confirmation email should set out the terms on cancellation, what did it say?

Atomik1

Hi,

Thanks for your response.

Yes, I have an email and now a screenshot clearly showing the hotels policy which shows the only time a financial penalty would be applied by them would be if I cancelled within 24 hours of arrival date. I also spoke to the hotel yesterday who confirmed they would not charge for cancellation at this stage. It was only last minute who were claiming it was 100% non refundable. I did point this all out to them but they refused to refund and wanted to investigate further!

I paid by debit not credit card so no credit card fees etc were payable at time of booking.

beeg0d

Most likly the reason the free cancellation disapared and reapared with because of your friends "aborted booking". A lot of offers like free cancellation are limited to a particlar % of booked rooms. When your friend done the lookup that was proberlly the last of those rooms with free cancellation and lastminuite "reserved" that room for your friend, as they didnt compleate the booking in a set time (anywerre from 5-30 minuites) the free cancellation room was unreserved and put back on sale.

None of that affects your main question but proberlly sheds light on why the free cancellation disepared and reapared.