Debit card pre-authorisation - Advice please

charle1980

Hi everyone

I had a spa treat this weekend with my partner for his birthday. This is what happened;

Treatments of £55 each booked weeks ago for treatment to take place on Sat 19th Jan at 2pm. Booked the treatments in VIP suite which has a hydrotherapy bath, shower and lounge. Brochures strongly implies these can be used if treatments booked in there.

Our appointment was rescheduled by the spa 4 hours prior due to a member of staff ill. We arrived next morning at 11am expecting to have our massages and be able to relax afterward in the VIP couples suite, have a nice bath etc. We were told that we hadn't booked the bath !!!

Well to cut a long story short I was so disappointed that although normally I never complain. This time I did and said I wasn't happy to pay for the experience, after all it was far less than I was expecting.

I was told by the receptionist that as they had pre-authorised the card they would take payment regarless. And they bloody well have!!!!

I really can't beleive it, I emailed the manager who has fobbed me off and said they won't refund. What can I do? I told the bank I hadn't authorised the payment and they said they can't help either and to contact the SPa head office. It is an independent spa though anf the manager is already on the offensive with me.

Is there anything I can do? I feel robbed. It's like if I had a bad meal in a restaurant the waiter couldn't go into my purse and take payment. I know it's a civil matter but not really sure where to start and if it's even worth it.

Regards
Charlotte

Terrylw1

If you tell your bank you have not authorised the payment they should clawback the cash for you. It's then between you and the spa to sort out whether you should pay of not.

You can do that with DD's under an indemnity claim but credit cards have had a clawback process for years as well.

RadoJo

Which spa was it - is there a website where we can see how the treatments were represented?
To be honest, if you got what you paid for (even if it did not include everything you thought it would), then I can't see there being much grounds for a claim with the bank - you would be better off taking it up with the spa and explaining that you were gracious enough to accept their change in arrangements, and the least you should be able to expect would have been the courtesy of their flexibility with regard to use of the facilities.

In terms of the authorisation, you provided details of the card in the same way that you would for an online transaction, so I woudl imagine that that in itself constitutes authorisation. After all, if you hadn't turned up, they presumably state that they will take some or all of the payment as a deposit, so they seem within their rights to debit the card without your express permission.

C_Ronaldo

Did you not get a list of what you payed for eg an email stating what was included and the amunt you payed,

Dixie99

no point contacting your bank : it's a dispute between you and the spa