Big mistake not obtaining confirmation and terms and conditions when booking hotel

Fairdealconsumer

We should have been warned when the Manager failed to confirm our telephone booking in November for 4 days in July, despite repeated requests, so that we had not agreed to any terms and conditions.
On arrival in July we were given a tiny room not fit for purpose. Although clearly recently decorated and very clean it was too cramped for two people exacerbated by no storage. Beds without headboards slid about the floor and air con and the only bedside shelf were situated so as to make them unusable safely. After an uncomfortable night we complained to the manager who after some persuasion found us a suitable room in another of his hotels nearby. We accepted this with the proviso that if a room became available back at our original hotel we would, after viewing its suitability, return.
We were astonished therefore to return the next night to find that all our belongings had been carelessly “packed” with scant regard to our privacy or security and without our knowledge or consent and sent back to the original hotel! We consider such behaviour unprofessional and unacceptable practice.
With no real option but to accept the second room ( we were by now exhausted and thoroughly fed up) it was a relief to find it an improvement. A fan was supplied on request as the room was stifling.
However our disappointing experience was not yet over. When we went to pay our bill we found that full payment had been deducted from our credit card on our first day without our knowledge or approval. This only came to light when the dining room waitress presented us with a printout, the Manager being unavailable! This means that details provided for booking purposes only had been kept for over 7 months with implications for our security.
Have others fallen foul of this bad practice which I assume is legal?

sheramber

The 'booking purpose' is so that if you don't show the hotel can charge your card so of course they will keep the details.

Why else do you think you gave the card details.