Hotel pre-authorisation legalities?

hasaposse

BoGoF wrote: »

Obviously a legal expert as well......

Thanks for the really useful contribution.

hasaposse

JReacher1 wrote: »

Once you have agreed to the preauthorisation then the hotel can take that money without seeking permission.

Thanks, this is what I'm trying to find out, but do you know how this is applied ie is it simply something the bank / CC companies allow merchants to do, or is there any sort of law regarding this? I initially thought that this would be the case ie you authorised the payment so they can just take it, and that normal consumer law would then come into effect and you'd have to query charges after the fact, but I couldn't really find anything solid on Google. Obviously you can do a charge back with the CC issuer but I wondered if that would then be at the discretion of the CC company's T&Cs or whether there was some kind of law that covered it.

pmduk

Are you asking us to do your school holiday homework for you?

hasaposse

pmduk wrote: »

Are you asking us to do your school holiday homework for you?

I'm not really sure what you're getting at, but thanks for the insightful info. You do know there's an option *not* to reply if you have nothing to add, right?

peachyprice

hasaposse wrote: »

That wasn't my question. I'm asking whether the hotel has to get permission to use the pre-authorised amount when you check out, or whether the pre-authorisation simply lets them charge whatever they like up to that amount.

I feel like I've repeated this quite a few times now.

No the hotel doesn't need further permission. By giving them your card you are agreeing that they can charge your card for services you use, otherwise there would be no point in getting pre-authorisation in the first place, they would just ask you for your card when you check out. Just look at the T&C's of any hotel you book, it's there, clear as day.

I'm not sure why you are finding this so hard to grasp.

hollydays

hasaposse wrote: »

I'm not really sure what you're getting at, but thanks for the insightful info. You do know there's an option *not* to reply if you have nothing to add, right?

Of course, it’s only fair to point out the same applies to you.

hasaposse

peachyprice wrote: »

No the hotel doesn't need further permission. By giving them your card you are agreeing that they can charge your card for services you use, otherwise there would be no point in getting pre-authorisation in the first place, they would just ask you for your card when you check out.

I'm not sure why you are finding this so hard to grasp.

It's clear that you don't really understand the question, and I'm also not just looking for assumptions or opinions.

As I said in my original post, I'm trying to find out whether the pre-authorisation gives them permission to take as much of that money as they like when you check out, for whatever they see fit, without any further authorisation from the customer.

From the replies and reading other links etc it seems like the pre-authorisation will allow them to charge whatever they see fit when you check out, but that card issuers and banks pretty much require a signature to avoid any charge backs, and that the hotel obviously still has to comply with consumer law. It doesn't mean they'll adhere to those laws at the time, but without a signature it's a lot easier to reclaim bogus charges from your CC company.

So not what you said. Hence me finding it "hard to grasp".

hollydays

You need to pay a lawyer.

hasaposse

hollydays wrote: »

Of course, it’s only fair to point out the same applies to you.

It's my thread, and you're speaking directly to me. I'd suggest just not replying to threads if you have nothing useful to add and you're just going to be rude. However, if you start a thread and someone does the same to you, I'd say it's not that weird to reply to them as I've done to you.

I guess I just don't understand the point of replying to a post with a childish remark rather than some useful information.

hollydays

hasaposse wrote: »

It's my thread, and you're speaking directly to me. I'd suggest just not replying to threads if you have nothing useful to add and you're just going to be rude. However, if you start a thread and someone does the same to you, I'd say it's not that weird to reply to them as I've done to you.

I guess I just don't understand the point of replying to a post with a childish remark rather than some useful information.

I do not see the point of replying with a childish remark either .
Pay a lawyer.
You have been given useful advice over and over, but as already said, can not seem to grasp it. Good luck, but you need someone to talk to on a one to one by the look of it.