Drunk Hotel Booking

mspenguin

Hello

Looking for advice. On 03 July whilst extremely intoxicated me and my friends were discussing a festival and when I went on to the hotels.com app on my phone to look at prices I accidentally booked a hotel (app is linked to PayPal so yes, it really was that easy). I only realised this the following day when I did the dreaded post night out bank balance check so I panicked and immediately went and cancelled the booking (around 14 hours after I had booked). The reservation was for September.

Six days later I saw I still hadn't received a refund and that's when I spotted the small print that the rate I had booked was non refundable - I immediately contacted hotels.com who said they would contact the hotel but three weeks have now passed and I've heard nothing.

Does the fact I was not compos mentis apply? or do I just have to suck it up that I !!!!!! £207 down the drain and don't even have a night away to show for it?

Ditzy_Mitzy

Pay up and forget about it, I'm afraid.  This is nobody's fault but your own.  

p3ncilsharpener

I don't see what your mental state has to do with this if your claim is you accidentally booked the hotel.  It was an accident that could happen regardless of mental state.  Is it really that easy to accidentally book a hotel using their app?  Even with payment details loaded there are typically several hoops to jump through before you get to the final page where you can book.

Either way, it's not cut and dried as to whether being drunk means you can or can't form a contract, otherwise nobody would have anything to do with anyone who is drunk because they could just say "I was drunk" to get out of paying.  And as I said your argument appears to be the app makes it easy to accidentally book a hotel, not that you were drunk and lacked the capacity.

FWIW you do have a night away to show for it, your booking is in Spetember.

mspenguin

p3ncilsharpener said:

I don't see what your mental state has to do with this if your claim is you accidentally booked the hotel.  It was an accident that could happen regardless of mental state.  Is it really that easy to accidentally book a hotel using their app?  Even with payment details loaded there are typically several hoops to jump through before you get to the final page where you can book.

Either way, it's not cut and dried as to whether being drunk means you can or can't form a contract, otherwise nobody would have anything to do with anyone who is drunk because they could just say "I was drunk" to get out of paying.  And as I said your argument appears to be the app makes it easy to accidentally book a hotel, not that you were drunk and lacked the capacity.

FWIW you do have a night away to show for it, your booking is in Spetember.

Unfortunately I don't because I cancelled before I realised it was non refundable

p3ncilsharpener

LouiseAFraser said:

p3ncilsharpener said:

I don't see what your mental state has to do with this if your claim is you accidentally booked the hotel.  It was an accident that could happen regardless of mental state.  Is it really that easy to accidentally book a hotel using their app?  Even with payment details loaded there are typically several hoops to jump through before you get to the final page where you can book.

Either way, it's not cut and dried as to whether being drunk means you can or can't form a contract, otherwise nobody would have anything to do with anyone who is drunk because they could just say "I was drunk" to get out of paying.  And as I said your argument appears to be the app makes it easy to accidentally book a hotel, not that you were drunk and lacked the capacity.

FWIW you do have a night away to show for it, your booking is in Spetember.

Unfortunately I don't because I cancelled before I realised it was non refundable

Welp, that's unfortunate.

[Deleted User]

Just have a few drinks and forget about it.

user1977

LouiseAFraser said:

Does the fact I was not compos mentis apply?

How would they tell that via the app? Does it have a breathalyser built into it?

JosephK

Can you "uncancel" the booking? If so, at least there's something to show for it even if not necessarily what you want. Otherwise, one of life's lessons.

pinkshoes

Well as it is non refundable you might as well go and enjoy the festival now! Have fun!!!

mattyprice4004

Any claims for not being 'all there' would only apply to someone with genuine difficulties, not someone who can't handle their booze. 
Doing silly things when drunk have consequences - I booked a holiday to NYC once! Was a great trip, but the money would have been better spent elsewhere at the time  

Important life lesson - don't try and use being drunk as an excuse to wriggle out of something, and only book when you're a bit more clear headed the next day.

lb364

You could try asking the hotel directly? 

I had luck doing so with an American hotel once, just explained that I had meant to cancel before the cut off and could no longer make the date booked…