Holiday apartment let & GDPR

Emily_Joy

user1977 said:

No, nobody had mentioned anything about a damages deposit. I was replying to your comment about paying nothing at all before you turn up.

I apologise, I was not clear enough. The booking was paid in full via trip dot com. The host requested a photo of both sides of a credit card to collect deposit for incidental damages during the online check-in process the day before arrival (to be sent via whatsapp). 

flaneurs_lobster

Emily_Joy said:

user1977 said:

No, nobody had mentioned anything about a damages deposit. I was replying to your comment about paying nothing at all before you turn up.

I apologise, I was not clear enough. The booking was paid in full via trip dot com. The host requested a photo of both sides of a credit card to collect deposit for incidental damages during the online check-in process the day before arrival (to be sent via whatsapp). 

This is the bit I think is off. Unless the trip.com site terms mention this or there's some mention in the terms for this specific booking of a CC being needed then I can't see how it can be demanded either prior to or on arrival.

Of course, it's all very well making this point but as you found out if a demand is made the day before travel then there's really only compliance or the course that you took. 

I think you should make a formal complaint to trip.com citing the host's demands and asking for your money back. I've never used them so I've no experience but they are a Chinese-based company so your further recourse if they are not forthcoming is limited.

Worried_fool

flaneurs_lobster said:

Emily_Joy said:

user1977 said:

No, nobody had mentioned anything about a damages deposit. I was replying to your comment about paying nothing at all before you turn up.

I apologise, I was not clear enough. The booking was paid in full via trip dot com. The host requested a photo of both sides of a credit card to collect deposit for incidental damages during the online check-in process the day before arrival (to be sent via whatsapp). 

This is the bit I think is off. Unless the trip.com site terms mention this or there's some mention in the terms for this specific booking of a CC being needed then I can't see how it can be demanded either prior to or on arrival.

Of course, it's all very well making this point but as you found out if a demand is made the day before travel then there's really only compliance or the course that you took. 

I think you should make a formal complaint to trip.com citing the host's demands and asking for your money back. I've never used them so I've no experience but they are a Chinese-based company so your further recourse if they are not forthcoming is limited.

I have used them several times and their customer service is unusually good for a travel agent. I do agree that you should notify them about the host's behaviour.

Westin

Worried_fool said:

flaneurs_lobster said:

Emily_Joy said:

user1977 said:

No, nobody had mentioned anything about a damages deposit. I was replying to your comment about paying nothing at all before you turn up.

I apologise, I was not clear enough. The booking was paid in full via trip dot com. The host requested a photo of both sides of a credit card to collect deposit for incidental damages during the online check-in process the day before arrival (to be sent via whatsapp). 

This is the bit I think is off. Unless the trip.com site terms mention this or there's some mention in the terms for this specific booking of a CC being needed then I can't see how it can be demanded either prior to or on arrival.

Of course, it's all very well making this point but as you found out if a demand is made the day before travel then there's really only compliance or the course that you took. 

I think you should make a formal complaint to trip.com citing the host's demands and asking for your money back. I've never used them so I've no experience but they are a Chinese-based company so your further recourse if they are not forthcoming is limited.

I have used them several times and their customer service is unusually good for a travel agent. I do agree that you should notify them about the host's behaviour.

I think that depends on if the property listing mentioned a security deposit or not.  I don't think the OP has indicated that.

Emily_Joy

I think it is a good idea to update: I have submitted chargeback request after talking to trip for a week or so.

They first offered 10% in coins as a goodwill. I explained it is not good enough. They slowly increased their offer to 30% in cash and accompanied it with a long explanation how good their offer is. Within 3 days of the initial chargeback request trip wrote to me saying they already transferred funds to the landlord, asked me to cancel my request in return of 35% refund as a goodwill gesture. I did not reply. Then they called me daily for a week saying the same. Then I went abroad and was not keen on answering the phone.

Long story short, the bank wrote earlier this week saying that chargeback has been successful, end of story.

Grumpy_chap

What exactly does the bank mean by "chargeback has been successful"?

I suspect they mean that the bank processed the chargeback and it has not been contested within the timeframe for the supplier to do so.

That doesn't preclude the supplier from pursuing alternative means to recover the payment.

Remember, chargeback is just the modern equivalent of stopping the cheque.

Emily_Joy

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/comment/81932569#Comment_81932569

It is not the bank's wording, it is my own ;-) In fact it has been contested by the supplier within the timeframe. The bank ruled in my favour. What kind of "alternatives to recover the payment" you have in mind?

Grumpy_chap

The supplier can still pursue the usual debt recovery processes, which might mean a nice letter saying the bill is outstanding or could progress to seeking to recover the funds via small claims court.

A bank is not necessarily that robust when processing chargeback, though it is not common that the chargeback was contested and the bank did not simply then reverse the chargeback.

Emily_Joy

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/comment/81932639#Comment_81932639

Thank you for the warning. Is there a time frame for this?

Grumpy_chap

AIUI, the statute of limitations would apply so 6 years.