Credit card doesn't want to return my charged card. 25 February at 9:24AM in Credit cards 17 replies 838 views

born_again

HillStreetBlues said:

Vanquis should have raised a Chargeback for service not received.
How long since you contacted Vanquis?

Service was available. OP decided not to use it. Which is not covered.

born_again

sa2000 said:

So last month I book an apart. Name Stay apartment through Booking.com. On the day I was supposed to get there. I notice the apartment wasn't there.  I thought it was an addressing issue. When I ask someone locally they said they never saw that address and my map actually said I would have to walk another 40 minutes.

Check-in time was for 3 pm. I was supposed to get an instruction on how to get access. When I called to ask for those instructions, someone kept saying someone will call me.

No one called me till about 7 pm. to say I have to pay a holding deposit of £750. Not even the Hilton which I previously would use instead of a short let takes a deposit to stay in their hotel.

It occurred to me that I may have been scammed. I called my credit card company Vanquis, and to date, I haven't received my payment of £ 344.44.

I have called Vanquis and they ask me over and over to explain and still haven't received any information and when the funds will be paid back.

After investigating Stay In Apartment I noticed from the Google reviews other customers had had similar issues. When you call them they become aggressive on the phone.

How can you charge my card for the service I didn't get?

Booking.com promised to refund me and give me a free stay and they didn't do that. I understand they are not a UK company so they don't care.

Im looking to cancel my credit card account since the credit card company is in support of this fraudulent activity

uld have to walk another 40 minutes.

Im looking to cancel my credit card account since the credit card company is in support of this fraudulent activity

Hotels always take a pre auth. In case of no show's or a rock & roll moment & trash the room.

It is not fraud, as you paid for the booking. Fraud, as far as banks go is when a unknown 3rd party use your details.

cymruchris

born_again said:

HillStreetBlues said:

Vanquis should have raised a Chargeback for service not received.
How long since you contacted Vanquis?

Service was available. OP decided not to use it. Which is not covered.

That's my interpretation of events as well.... As much as they could have potentially made things clearer in terms of deposits and addresses - the service was there - and the OP declined to go ahead and use it. As much as there are a load of 1 star reviews - that's an aside. The booking was made, the security deposit as advised by both the people providing the accommodation and the app itself wasn't paid, and the property not used. So I'd say the OP is liable for the full cost. (There may be some mitigation in terms of deposit clarity and the address of the property - but on balance, I'm not sure they have a leg to stand on)

phillw

born_again said:
Service was available. OP decided not to use it. Which is not covered.

The service wasn't available.

It was an incorrect address, so it wasn't as advertised & they were prevented from using it because they were asked to pay a security deposit that they hadn't previously agreed to.

Cancelling the credit card won't do any good though.

If booking promised to refund, then you need to keep speaking to them about that.
You could also raise a complaint with your credit card issuer and request a charge back.
However I don't think you get section 75 protection on these kind of transactions.

sa2000

I have spoken to Vanquis. For over a month now. They just said it's been investigated. What I don't understand is why are they still increasing my credit limit?

MorningcoffeeIV

Because they think they trust you to manage it. 

If you don't want it, reject it.

cymruchris

sa2000 said:

I have spoken to Vanquis. For over a month now. They just said it's been investigated. What I don't understand is why are they still increasing my credit limit?

The raising of the credit limit is nothing to do with your investigation - they are totally separate entities. If you're offered it - definitely take it if you can continue to manage the card well.

You mention the address was wrong - in what way was it wrong? Looking through all the other reviews (and there are some high ones as well as the 1 star ones you've singled out) - nobody else seems to mention a problem with the address? (Most seem to say that it was a great location, which would indicate that it was listed in the right place - but everything else was rubbish).  It does seem like it's not the greatest choice of places to stay, there's no doubting that - but maybe you could clarify how the address was wrong? It appears to be in Pepper Street on the Isle of Dogs on the Booking.com website and map - what did you receive that told you differently?

Additionally looking at the listing under their 'house rules' - they do mention a damage deposit of £500 that needs to be paid a week in advance. Were you renting more than one room/apartment? Or I wonder that because you hadn't paid the £500 in advance as required whether they charged a higher fee at check-in if you hadn't paid it. Did you read this before booking?