Air conditioning for free by accident!

stoneman

I'd have done it as well, good find OP.

Just like I'd take home a nice pillow from a Vegas hotel. OH likes a pretty cocktail glass, I've had them as well from casinos.

Oh and I've also taken stuff out of a buffet, aren't I the right criminal:beer:

headpin

shaun_from_Africa wrote: »

Well, I've something further to add.

You knew that the use of the airconditioner was chargeable and that as you had been using it, you owed payment so by not admitting to this, you committed fraud as I think a reasonable person (or a judge) would think you have a legal duty to declare that you had been using a paid for service.

Fraud by failing to disclose information
A person is in breach of this section if he—
(a)dishonestly fails to disclose to another person information which he is under a legal duty to disclose, and
(b)intends, by failing to disclose the information—
(i)to make a gain for himself or another, or
(ii)to cause loss to another or to expose another to a risk of loss.

http://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/2006/35/section/3

This is of course English Law and not applicable in Greece or any other country. And, in any case, what “legal duty” would the OP be under to disclose what had been done? May have a moral duty but certainly not a legal one.

Also, how would the OP know if the hotel would suffer a loss if the AC was used? In a large establishment (I am assuming a reasonable size) then the AC would likely be running anyway and the use by the OP would not cost very much if anything at all in addition to the operating costs already being incurred. Certainly not €5 per day. So any loss would not and could not be the sum being requested as payment. It may be the additional cost of their use, if any, of the AC. €5 is not their loss as they have never had this sum and would need to prove that they had actually incurred this amount as the additional cost of the AC if they wanted to claim it as a loss. I doubt that they could.

What is “criminal” is charging €5 per day when the actual additional cost to the establishment will probably be (much) less than 10% of this figure. But exploiting tourists is fine, I suppose? Everything cuts both ways.

alidai

Why is it criminal to charge €5 for the AC? What profit margin is acceptable? The price was clearly there as an option to pay and therefore arguing that “the price is too much so I’ll take it for free” is stupid.

Much like the argument of “ill stream premier league football because Sky costs too much and it shouldn’t”

stoneman

alidai wrote: »

Why is it criminal to charge €5 for the AC? What profit margin is acceptable? The price was clearly there as an option to pay and therefore arguing that “the price is too much so I’ll take it for free” is stupid.

Much like the argument of “ill stream premier league football because Sky costs too much and it shouldn’t”

I stream NFL cause Gamepass is £140 for 12 weeks of prime football

Takmon

headpin wrote: »

This is of course English Law and not applicable in Greece or any other country. And, in any case, what “legal duty” would the OP be under to disclose what had been done? May have a moral duty but certainly not a legal one.

Also, how would the OP know if the hotel would suffer a loss if the AC was used? In a large establishment (I am assuming a reasonable size) then the AC would likely be running anyway and the use by the OP would not cost very much if anything at all in addition to the operating costs already being incurred. Certainly not €5 per day. So any loss would not and could not be the sum being requested as payment. It may be the additional cost of their use, if any, of the AC. €5 is not their loss as they have never had this sum and would need to prove that they had actually incurred this amount as the additional cost of the AC if they wanted to claim it as a loss. I doubt that they could.

What is “criminal” is charging €5 per day when the actual additional cost to the establishment will probably be (much) less than 10% of this figure. But exploiting tourists is fine, I suppose? Everything cuts both ways.

So using your logic if i went into a supermarket and stole all my shopping and got caught they would only be able to charge me the cost price for the shopping because that is the only loss they can prove and couldn't charge the price of each item as displayed :rotfl:

You also don't seem to understand how Air Conditioning systems work in hotels. The OP had to physically turn on a circuit breaker to activate the air con so each room has it's own unit.
So if we considering electricity alone the unit that just cools my bedroom in my house will use easily £2 a day and the UK isn't exactly known for high temperatures so it will cost more in hotter countries. Then you need to consider the cost of servicing and maintenance of the units.

Also it's surprising how many people on here seem to be insulted by the fact that companies make profits on goods and services :rotfl:

RS2OOO

Thanks for posting this OP. It's interesting to see the wild differences in opinion, and the analogies, some of which to me are far fetched.

So OP worked out how to get free Air Con when it should have been chargeable.

Someone likened this to a tradesman stealing all your jewellery which to me seems an extreme analogy.

But what about Hotels that require your key card to operate the electricity? The idea being that you take your key card when leaving the room so as not to waste electricity by leaving the Air Con on.

Yet so many people wedge a bit of cardboard in the slot so the aircon keeps the room nice and fresh ready for your return 8 hours later.

Is that comparable to the OP situation?
I feel it is more morally wrong than what the OP did, but almost everyone (I've come across in resort hotels) does this.

Don't know why but I would feel bad doing the latter, but would feel victory doing what OP did.

couriervanman

And you still get the odd room cleaning operative/chambermaid/cleaner who insists on lifting your card out of the slot........normally when its 80f outside and you've been baking on the beach,and looking forward to returning too a nice cool room:D

seatbeltnoob

I do think it's an excessive charge for 5 euros per night per room. DId you stay in for 28 days, or 14 days with 2 rooms?


I did volunteer parking charges at an IBIS when the staff forgot, it was £3.50 per night. Which for a gated (pin access) car park in the city of Manchester was very reasonable.



I wouldn't be volunteering the AC charges, they are excessive and most hotels provide them for free.

seatbeltnoob

RS2OOO wrote: »

Yet so many people wedge a bit of cardboard in the slot so the aircon keeps the room nice and fresh ready for your return 8 hours later.

I did that on holiday on Thailand, use my nectar card, not a cardboard. Funny thing is all the expensive hotels we stayed at would pretty much accept any card in the slot. So much for "smart card reader", but the budget hotels were on it and they refused to work without the valid card.


They even deactivated cards that checked out. I found an old smart card left behind by previous guest and the card wouldn't work.


I wouldn't leave it on for 8 hours though, that;s taking the !!!!. We just left it on when we left the hotel briefly to take our laundry over to the laundramat (cheaper and quicker to do it yourself than leaving it for hotel)

bradders1983

seatbeltnoob wrote: »

I did that on holiday on Thailand, use my nectar card, not a cardboard. Funny thing is all the expensive hotels we stayed at would pretty much accept any card in the slot. So much for "smart card reader", but the budget hotels were on it and they refused to work without the valid card.


They even deactivated cards that checked out. I found an old smart card left behind by previous guest and the card wouldn't work.


I wouldn't leave it on for 8 hours though, that;s taking the !!!!. We just left it on when we left the hotel briefly to take our laundry over to the laundramat (cheaper and quicker to do it yourself than leaving it for hotel)

Easy way round that - if there are 2 of you ask for 2 cards. Leave one in the slot in the room all the time.

Most will give you 2 cards anyway if there are 2 of you.