Holiday Inn refund

Oldman

Hi, just asking to see if anyone else has been through this procedure and found it safe.
I have been offered a refund for problems with a booking using a Holiday Inn. The reservation was made after a transfer from the reception at the HI concerned to Central Reservations, I thought it was the Holiday Inn I was talking to. This reservatons was made for a hotel about a mile away from the one I wanted, which was a Holday Inn Express, next to a railway station. Not a mile away.
Now I have been offered a full refund by IHG corporate, via email, providing I send them
– Name of account holder
– address of the account holder (street name / number, zip code and place of residence)
– Name of the bank
– Bank address (street name / number, zip code and city)
– IBAN
– BIC

Which seems a bit phishy to me. Why not just instruct the hotel to payback via credit card and refund them via corporate?
Has anyone else had a refund from Holiday Inn or IHG and done this safely?
Thanks

Ebe_Scrooge

Sounds dodgy to me. Any time I've had cause to request a refund for something, they always insist on paying it back to the same card I initially paid with. Added to which, the reference to ZIP code rings alarm bells. Even if they are an American company, pretty much all companies that operate in multiple countries would tailor their communications to the local conditions - i.e. they'd refer to a Post Code.

I'm not saying for certain that it's a scam - but I'd tread very carefully. See if you can phone up their Customer Services people direct on a number you know to be genuine (rather than being transferred by someone else), and speak to someone.

born_again

Technically they are in breech of card regulations as they are supposed to refund the card used.

I take it that this is a UK hotel?

Ben8282

What was the means of payment used and to who was the payment made?

Bexgrossman

Sounds like accounts need this info. I had to do the same when I wanted a DHL refund.

Tallaght

Usually they refund back to the card that made payment.

makeni555

For the card payment
Address not fishy imo as AVS is in operation most places now. Post Code/ Zip can be mandatory on some transactions.

AVS - Address Verification Service, uses the digits in your Line 1 and Post Code to help protect against fraud. Their bank will pass it onto your bank to cross match it - many translations can now be declines due to failing AVS - my property has mandatory rules that AVS must pass for customer not present (book by phone) payments). It helps reduce charge backs.

Our bank refers to it as a ZIP not Post Code as US system not UK system, probably the same at IHG?

For the bank account details
Sounds like corporates (Central reservations) mistake so corporate are refunding by bank transfer instead of the property as it may well be a franchise at the Holiday Inn Express. You could try and insist that Corporate re imburse the Holiday Inn Express for their mistake and HIEX refund your card instead?

Ben8282

Unfortunately OP has never been back to give further clarification about this situation.
We are assuming the OP paid by credit card. At what point he found out that the reservation was at the wrong hotel we don't know. We also don't know if he stayed at the other hotel that he originally wanted to stay at, stayed at the hotel booked or slept elsewhere. We also don't know if this is a refund or compensation for error.

sassy_one

Ben8282 wrote: »

Unfortunately OP has never been back to give further clarification about this situation.
We are assuming the OP paid by credit card. At what point he found out that the reservation was at the wrong hotel we don't know. We also don't know if he stayed at the other hotel that he originally wanted to stay at, stayed at the hotel booked or slept elsewhere. We also don't know if this is a refund or compensation for error.

What are you going on about.

The thread starter has stated it was a refund for the booking, not compensation and also not been back, he only posted 24 hours ago.

Talk about post count increases.

Ben8282

sassy-one wrote: »

What are you going on about.

The thread starter has stated it was a refund for the booking, not compensation and also not been back, he only posted 24 hours ago.

Talk about post count increases.

What are YOU going on about 'talk about post count increases?'
Is this post the best advice you could find to offer the OP?

born_again

sassy-one wrote: »

What are you going on about.

The thread starter has stated it was a refund for the booking, not compensation and also not been back, he only posted 24 hours ago.

Talk about post count increases.

Pot kettle & black...:rotfl:

The Op has not been back to answer any of the questions asked.:j Which I would expect anyone posting a question to keep checking back to check for replies...