Can a hotel charge me for their mistake?

Buzby

It isn't courteous, I agree - however any card merchant can use the previously supplied details to initiate a further charge, although there is a time limit for this (up to a week, I believe). The usual excuse is a fee for 'extra cleaning' due to folk smoking in nonsmoking rooms.

If you don't want this happening use a cheque or cash.

martindow

We still don't know from the OP whether the payment made was less than the quoted charge? If so they were correcting a mistake made at reception although it would have been polite to tell you that they had done this.

If these are additional charges they should tell you what these are. If you disagree you need to query them and ask the bank to charge back the amount if it was incorrect or unjustified.

zagfles

callum9999 wrote: »

Is it also fraud if they charge your card because you stole their towels?

What difference would that make? If they think you stole the towels then they should go to the police, not effectively act as judge, jury and baliff all at the same time.

By checking into a hotel you generally agree to pay them what you owe. If the OP did underpay then I hardly see how it could possibly constitute "fraud". The hotel may not have been allowed to take the extra money in that way (it would depend on the contract), but if the OP owes the money anyway (they haven't disputed that they do) then I hardly see what the point of this thread is. Unless they're looking for a way to get out of paying for it...

If the OP owes the hotel money then the hotel should send the OP a bill for it. Not just charge any old card they happen to have used before. It's up to the OP how to pay the bill, not the hotel. The OPs card might be up to it's limit, cause an overdraft etc, they may prefer to use a different payment method. And the OP may want to dispute the bill, eg it might be owed by another member of the party, or not owed at all.

Unless they have specific permission to charge the card, what they've done is not really much different to altering a cheque.

tamiami

I thought it was normal practice for a hotel to take a swipe of your card to cover any extras, minibar, restaurant etc.

zagfles

tamiami wrote: »

I thought it was normal practice for a hotel to take a swipe of your card to cover any extras, minibar, restaurant etc.

Yes. Hotels often ask for a swipe for this, but the customer has to agree to it (I always refuse as I don't like charging stuff to my room).

But that's not what happened here by the sounds of it, the OP only paid the bill using the card, and the hotel just decided to charge an additional amount to it.

Westin

But that's not what happened here by the sounds of it, the OP only paid the bill using the card, and the hotel just decided to charge an additional amount to it.

Well actually, reading between the lines, it would seem only what it was owed...

zagfles

Westin wrote: »

Well actually, reading between the lines, it would seem only what it was owed...

So what if it was? Unless the cardholder has authorised the charge to the card, the hotel has no right to charge it. They should send a bill.

If you owed your mate a tenner, would you think it's acceptable for him to rummage through your jacket pockets/handbag, get your wallet/purse out, and just take it? Or would you expect him to ask for it politely?

photome

zagfles wrote: »

So what if it was? Unless the cardholder has authorised the charge to the card, the hotel has no right to charge it. They should send a bill.

If you owed your mate a tenner, would you think it's acceptable for him to rummage through your jacket pockets/handbag, get your wallet/purse out, and just take it? Or would you expect him to ask for it politely?

That would depend on what was agreed at the outset

zagfles

photome wrote: »

That would depend on what was agreed at the outset

Er, well, quite. If he says "my wallet's in my jacket - help yourself" then that's fine. He's agreed to it.

Westin

Quote:

Well actually, reading between the lines, it would seem only what it was owed...
So what if it was? Unless the cardholder has authorised the charge to the card, the hotel has no right to charge it. They should send a bill.

The OP didn't answer my earlier point on the registration card. This likely gives the authorisation to collect and settle all outstanding amounts.

Morally, the money also appears to have been owed. I think the OP knows that.

So, legally and morally, what sounds like was due for payment should I believe be paid.