Refund of restaurant deposit - taking longer and I need refund to book elsewhere

tripled

Once the 14 days is up, raise a chargeback with your card provider on the grounds that they have told you they cannot fulfil the booking, and they have twice promised a refund but it hasn't been received.

If they have actually put the refund through then it is possible both the refund and the chargeback be credited to your card, but if that happens, expect that within a few weeks the duplicate credit will be reversed.

Aylesbury_Duck

serendipity109 said:

Friendly lot aren't you?
My issue is the way the restaurant are dealing and also minimising that it would take this long, they had misled me into thinking it'd be 3 days now it's actually 14 they weren't upfront and the fact they are taking so long, I feel sure I have rights with this one.
It's not about asking for more money from friends which it appears to have been turn into....

I thought time was of the essence and that's why people offered a pragmatic interim solution.

Let's get back to your rights, then.  You do have rights, and you're free to exercise them.  Write to the organisation to whom you paid the deposit, telling them you want the return of your £150 deposit within 14 days or you'll take them to small claims court.

And technically, you weren't being advised to ask for more money from friends, just another £10 advance of what they'll have to pay, anyway.

If you'd prefer to take on the hassle of exercising your rights and potential court action on behalf of these friends, and risk not being able to book elsewhere in the meantime, rather than asking them for more of their owed amount up front, that's entirely your choice.

The_Unready

I'm with the Op on this one. I don't believe it's reasonable to have to wait up to a month for a refund (as has been suggested).

The restaurant have explicitly chosen to use the payment platform (whichever one it is) but the responsibility for ensuring that cancellations are refunded in a timely manner  remains with the restaurant. They can't (or shouldn't) try to pass that responsibility to a third party.

Ultimately it's the restaurant's reputation that's at risk here - I doubt that the Op will be recommending them anytime soon, and may even (legitimately) be passing on the details of their experience to family, friends and the wider Internet communities.

If the restaurant don't care about that, then that's their right, but they shouldn't lose sight of the fact that reputation is everything in the hospitality trade.

Aylesbury_Duck

The_Unready said:

I'm with the Op on this one. I don't believe it's reasonable to have to wait up to a month for a refund (as has been suggested).

The restaurant have explicitly chosen to use the payment platform (whichever one it is) but the responsibility for ensuring that cancellations are refunded in a timely manner  remains with the restaurant. They can't (or shouldn't) try to pass that responsibility to a third party.

Ultimately it's the restaurant's reputation that's at risk here - I doubt that the Op will be recommending them anytime soon, and may even (legitimately) be passing on the details of their experience to family, friends and the wider Internet communities.

If the restaurant don't care about that, then that's their right, but they shouldn't lose sight of the fact that reputation is everything in the hospitality trade.

All true, but OP's main problem is that time is running out and she doesn't have the funds to book elsewhere.  That's why people have been offering more pragmatic ways forward to enable a second booking elsewhere.

The_Unready

Aylesbury_Duck said:

The_Unready said:

All true, but OP's main problem is that time is running out and she doesn't have the funds to book elsewhere.  That's why people have been offering more pragmatic ways forward to enable a second booking elsewhere.

Indeed, and those suggestions have been mostly useful/helpful.

I was addressing the comments relating to the reasonable-ness (or otherwise) of the restaurant's current stance.

serendipity109

Aylesbury_Duck said:

serendipity109 said:

Friendly lot aren't you?
My issue is the way the restaurant are dealing and also minimising that it would take this long, they had misled me into thinking it'd be 3 days now it's actually 14 they weren't upfront and the fact they are taking so long, I feel sure I have rights with this one.
It's not about asking for more money from friends which it appears to have been turn into....

I thought time was of the essence and that's why people offered a pragmatic interim solution.

Let's get back to your rights, then.  You do have rights, and you're free to exercise them.  Write to the organisation to whom you paid the deposit, telling them you want the return of your £150 deposit within 14 days or you'll take them to small claims court.

And technically, you weren't being advised to ask for more money from friends, just another £10 advance of what they'll have to pay, anyway.

If you'd prefer to take on the hassle of exercising your rights and potential court action on behalf of these friends, and risk not being able to book elsewhere in the meantime, rather than asking them for more of their owed amount up front, that's entirely your choice.

I will write if nothing is in my account by Saturday, this is what they have promised seen as it's now 14 days and not three. I did say if you had told me 14 days from the start I would have been more patient. I have checked my CC today and nothing has been credited back.
Do you suppose an email would suffice and should I write now or wait until Saturday ?

serendipity109

The_Unready said:

I'm with the Op on this one. I don't believe it's reasonable to have to wait up to a month for a refund (as has been suggested).

The restaurant have explicitly chosen to use the payment platform (whichever one it is) but the responsibility for ensuring that cancellations are refunded in a timely manner  remains with the restaurant. They can't (or shouldn't) try to pass that responsibility to a third party.

Ultimately it's the restaurant's reputation that's at risk here - I doubt that the Op will be recommending them anytime soon, and may even (legitimately) be passing on the details of their experience to family, friends and the wider Internet communities.

If the restaurant don't care about that, then that's their right, but they shouldn't lose sight of the fact that reputation is everything in the hospitality trade.

You are right about their reputation. I obviously won't be recommending them. 

serendipity109

Also I would be paying a further deposit of my own funds rather than waiting for each person to pay me the deposit it will after all be deducted from the final bill so all good.

Aylesbury_Duck

serendipity109 said:

Aylesbury_Duck said:

serendipity109 said:

Friendly lot aren't you?
My issue is the way the restaurant are dealing and also minimising that it would take this long, they had misled me into thinking it'd be 3 days now it's actually 14 they weren't upfront and the fact they are taking so long, I feel sure I have rights with this one.
It's not about asking for more money from friends which it appears to have been turn into....

I thought time was of the essence and that's why people offered a pragmatic interim solution.

Let's get back to your rights, then.  You do have rights, and you're free to exercise them.  Write to the organisation to whom you paid the deposit, telling them you want the return of your £150 deposit within 14 days or you'll take them to small claims court.

And technically, you weren't being advised to ask for more money from friends, just another £10 advance of what they'll have to pay, anyway.

If you'd prefer to take on the hassle of exercising your rights and potential court action on behalf of these friends, and risk not being able to book elsewhere in the meantime, rather than asking them for more of their owed amount up front, that's entirely your choice.

I will write if nothing is in my account by Saturday, this is what they have promised seen as it's now 14 days and not three. I did say if you had told me 14 days from the start I would have been more patient. I have checked my CC today and nothing has been credited back.
Do you suppose an email would suffice and should I write now or wait until Saturday ?

No, it's always best to send a letter.  Doesn't need to be recorded, just get certificate of posting (free) and it's deemed to have been delivered.

Jenni_D

Whilst a letter will seem more "official" (and may yield a better - or at least quicker - result), I believe an email is now accepted by the courts as a formal means of communication as it is deemed "durable", in that once sent it can't be altered without such alterations being easily identified.