Hotel holding fee not refunded... AFTER 5 MONTHS

Wizardy18 · 18 March 2018 at 7:23PM

This is the exact reason why I refuse to pay for hotel bookings or stays with a credit card. The company can make any story up before, during and after and try charging you for damages you never did etc.

I had one hotel who took a £150 "Damage" fee a few years ago, the manager said he never had seen a room left so messy.
When asked for photos, he couldn't supply any.
He refused to refund me.

After tracing the actual director of the company, he was abroad too, advised him of the issue, and then threatened him with legal action via small claims, within a hour a refund was issued.
He said sorry and that he would have words with the hotel manager.

No evidence still was ever supplied, but days later I had my refund.

Never trust a hotel with your credit card, id rather use a debit card.

Bogof_Babe · 18 March 2018 at 8:01PM

Well we had a problem with a hotel in New York and a debit card charge. We had paid in full through a well known travel agent for a holiday package, flights, cruise, hotel, and two months after we got back the hotel took over £400 from my husband's debit card, and we only found out when he got a balance from a bank ATM. This was two weeks before Christmas and left us short. Our friends who we went with and who had paid on a credit card did not have a similar problem.

We tried to take it up with the hotel and got nowhere despite several costly phone calls. Then we did what we should have done in the first place and got the travel agent involved. It took them another month to obtain a full refund.

So no cards are foolproof. But unfortunately the likes of booking.com require you to reserve your room on a card. I don't know what the answer is.

chattychappy · 19 March 2018 at 10:03AM

Wizardy18 wrote: »

Never trust a hotel with your credit card, id rather use a debit card.

So you don't trust the hotel with the CC's money, but you trust it with yours?

vlmal · 12 October 2018 at 7:37PM

Hey all, a little update...

I think the title of this thread should be amended to: Hotel holding fee not refunded... AFTER 13 MONTHS

I have had lengthy correspondence with Intercontinental since the original post and got to the source of the problem - my wife paid for the room with points (as previously mentioned), but they also charged the card as if the points hadn't been used, so it was a final bill charge rather than a holding fee.

HOWEVER, I am yet to see any refund and Intercontinental Hotel have been increasingly slower to respond to my emails.
Fortunately, they deducted the points from my wifes IHG account on departure, as well as deducted the full bill from my credit card, which is evidence of a double payment.
They have offered me and my wife a free stay at any one of their hotels, but I have refused for obvious reasons. I just want the money back to be honest. The interest on the card recently changed and my credit card utilization is about 25% higher because of this, contributing to a poor credit score.

So since Intercontinental are apparently refusing the be fair and reasonable, what are my legal options from this point on wards?

Thanks.

P.S. I'm glad this thread wasn't closed as it is still unresolved!

Terry_Towelling · 12 October 2018 at 8:18PM

I suspect most contributors to the forum had worked out exactly what the issue was months back, which is why you were advised to get the transaction disputed and get it charged back as 'paid by other means' (or the like).

You are the cardholder and therefore the person responsible for the debts that you allow to be applied to it - not your wife. You need to take a much more active attitude and approach to the way you handle your cards - sorry.

All that said, IHG seems to be agreeing that they have made a mess-up here and they are just trying to fend you off rather than fork out. Press a bit harder if you really want your money back. If it is legal advice you are after, you will have to consult a legal professional - although some on the forum may be able to make suggestions as to legal processes that may be open to you.

Have you tried complaining to IHG head office rather than the hotel itself?

eco_warrior · 12 October 2018 at 8:30PM

This was way out of time for a chargeback when the OP made the first post. 120 days from 27th September was the last chance.

eddddy · 12 October 2018 at 9:14PM

I guess the reason you didn't want to contact the card company was because your wife used your card (and presumably knew your PIN) - and so you probably would have had to admit that you broke the card company's t&cs, and maybe had your account closed.

Looking at alternative options - Ireland seems to have a Small Claims Procedure, but...

Both the claimant and the respondent must be living or based within the State. If either party lives or is based in another EU member state, the European Small Claims Procedure should be used.

Link: http://www.citizensinformation.ie/en/justice/courts_system/small_claims_court.html

So I guess your wife could try the European Small Claims procedure: http://www.citizensinformation.ie/en/justice/courts_system/european_small_claims_procedure.html

T-G-C · 13 October 2018 at 7:57PM

eddddy wrote: »

I guess the reason you didn't want to contact the card company was because your wife used your card (and presumably knew your PIN) - and so you probably would have had to admit that you broke the card company's t&cs, and maybe had your account closed.

Looking at alternative options - Ireland seems to have a Small Claims Procedure, but...

So I guess your wife could try the European Small Claims procedure: http://www.citizensinformation.ie/en/justice/courts_system/european_small_claims_procedure.html

He could still have filed it and confirmed it was an authorized transaction, they are hardly going to ask the hotel for CCTV footage.

T-G-C · 13 October 2018 at 8:01PM

The hotel has no right to charge someone's card a considerable amount of funds, hold it for 13+ months and still be acting within the law.

Provided the hotel did not incur expenses upon departure, the full amount should be refunded. However, should and will are two different words.

I would start to threaten them with legal action, as it is essentially moral theft. They have taken the funds for something on the understanding it was essentially a refundable deposit, that something ended 13 months ago and have not returned it to you. I cannot describe it any other way.

Nasqueron · 13 October 2018 at 8:22PM

vlmal wrote: »

The interest on the card recently changed and my credit card utilization is about 25% higher because of this, contributing to a poor credit score.

To reiterate a point made maybe a billion times on this forum

YOU DO NOT HAVE A CREDIT SCORE

The "score" given on Experian, Equifax and Call Credit is a made up number, NOBODY except you sees it, you will NEVER have an application for credit refused based on this score, whether it goes up or down or irrelevant.

Hotel holding fee not refunded... AFTER 5 MONTHS

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