How do I get my money back?

Skuxx

Hi Lads,
Basically I was trying to book a room with the travel lodge in the UK about 10 days ago for New Years eve, I entered my card details etc. online to book it but it said "invalid card number" and the booking failed, which was fine until I went to the bank to see they had debited my account anyway!
The bank told me the money wasn't taken out of my account but was on hold in a holding account waiting to be claimed for the booking.
The travel lodge confirmed this and confirmed that there was no booking in my name, therefore the money should be released to my account within 3/4 days. As of today I still have got nothing back! I rang the hotel again and they told me that it is up to the bank to claim they money back on my behalf. I then rang the bank who told me once the money has been debited it is up to the hotel to either use it or return it and that there is nothing they can do!!
I'm stuck between the two and am getting no satisfaction from anywhere!!

Anyone able to offer some advice??

danjo-xx

I think the onus is on Travel Lodge to recall it and then credit it back to you.

Jet Black

Bank are right. The hotel have put a hold on the money. Once the hotel release the money its automatically available on the account, might take one or two days once the hold is removed to show.

Who did you contact at travel lodge? Was it the hotel directly or the customer support?

Thoie

This might be better in consumer issues. Did you make the booking on Travelodge's own site, or another 3rd party website?

If you were directly on the Travelodge website, tell them get their act together and release the hold immediately, if they haven't done so already.

If it was a 3rd party site then you need to contact that site to organise the release.

Skuxx

Jet Black wrote: »

Who did you contact at travel lodge? Was it the hotel directly or the customer support?

Yeah it was the customer services department....

Thoie wrote: »

Did you make the booking on Travelodge's own site, or another 3rd party website?

If you were directly on the Travelodge website, tell them get their act together and release the hold immediately, if they haven't done so already.

If it was a 3rd party site then you need to contact that site to organise the release.

It was on the travel lodges own website, no third party....

Just wondering if I was to make an official complaint, who would it be to, just so I can throw a few names around when on the phone to them, might motivate them a bit!

nlgbbbblth

Visa Debit?

I checked into a hotel on 17 November.
My Visa debit card was swiped on arrival and an amount of EURO 400.00 was taken as a pre-authorisation charge.

I checked out of the hotel on 20 November and paid my bill in full.
The amount was EURO 380.12 and this was debited from my bank account within two days.

However the EURO 400.00 charge was still showing as "pending transaction" on my bank account and as a result I could not access any funds until 1 December when it was released.

i.e. two weeks.

Bank blamed hotel.

Hotel blamed bank.

Skuxx

nlgbbbblth wrote: »

Visa Debit?

I checked into a hotel on 17 November.
My Visa debit card was swiped on arrival and an amount of EURO 400.00 was taken as a pre-authorisation charge.

I checked out of the hotel on 20 November and paid my bill in full.
The amount was EURO 380.12 and this was debited from my bank account within two days.

However the EURO 400.00 charge was still showing as "pending transaction" on my bank account and as a result I could not access any funds until 1 December when it was released.

i.e. two weeks.

Bank blamed hotel.

Hotel blamed bank.

Yeah an Ulster Bank visa debit! It'll be 2 weeks on Wednesday I think so I'll just have to wait and hope it comes back then!

nlgbbbblth

alan1990 wrote: »

Yeah an Ulster Bank visa debit! It'll be 2 weeks on Wednesday I think so I'll just have to wait and hope it comes back then!

They drop off eventually or so I'm told. 10 - 14 days was quoted. Some pain in the neck. I was able to access funds in another account but if you didn't have that option you'd be rightly stuck.

Skuxx

nlgbbbblth wrote: »

They drop off eventually or so I'm told. 10 - 14 days was quoted. Some pain in the neck. I was able to access funds in another account but if you didn't have that option you'd be rightly stuck.

That's exactly it, I have access to other funds but not enough to rebook the room! It's only a travel lodge but it's costing ~€300 for 2 nights over new years

marywary

Its the hotel thats placed the hold on your funds and if the debit is then not processed, the hold will automatically be removed after 10 working days. It might be worth speaking to your Bank to see if they can help if you don't have access to funds, they might be able to help.

Thoie

alan1990 wrote: »

Yeah it was the customer services department....


It was on the travel lodges own website, no third party....

Just wondering if I was to make an official complaint, who would it be to, just so I can throw a few names around when on the phone to them, might motivate them a bit!

The number below relate to sections in this doc, they're not laws: http://www.fsa.gov.uk/pubs/other/PSD_approach_latest.pdf


Point out the authorisation has not been released within the 3-4 working days you were told about. Ask them as they're already holding the auth, can they help you out by reserving the room for you under that authorisation. If not, why not. If they start going on about systems explain that their internal system problems shouldn't be the concern of the customer. Ask them for their complaints procedure (under the Payment Services Regulations - see 11.9).

If they say they don't have any, ask for their registered company number so that you can make a complaint to the UK Financial Ombudsman Service. Ask for the name of the person you're speaking to, and ask who in their legal department should be referred to in the complaint.

You can also email paymentservices@fsa.gov.uk and outline the situation, and ask them for their advice on resolving the issue.

unclebill98

It's the hotels issue. Happens a lot with the visa debit card. Can take up to 14 days to correct.

mark1974

I'm having same problem.
Bought presents for 150 pounds from Amazon using Ulster bank visa debit card.
The day I placed the order the money was taken from my account. However, three days later when the goods where shipped the money was taken out again.
Bank blamed Amazon so I rang them and was told that the money taken the first time wasn't actually taken from my account, just put on "hold"
Amazon then told me they would FAX the bank to release the hold and to ring the bank back to free the money to my account.
Rang the bank and they told me they never heard of getting faxes for this!
Still waiting and its been six days now.
I still don't know who is to blame.

nlgbbbblth

mark1974 wrote: »

I'm having same problem.
Bought presents for 150 pounds from Amazon using Ulster bank visa debit card.
The day I placed the order the money was taken from my account. However, three days later when the goods where shipped the money was taken out again.
Bank blamed Amazon so I rang them and was told that the money taken the first time wasn't actually taken from my account, just put on "hold"
Amazon then told me they would FAX the bank to release the hold and to ring the bank back to free the money to my account.
Rang the bank and they told me they never heard of getting faxes for this!
Still waiting and its been six days now.
I still don't know who is to blame.

Unusual to hear of problems with Amazon in respect of this issue. Normally Amazon don't debit the account until they are about to ship the goods. That's why I like using them for music or DVD pre-orders - you can reserve the item but not pay for it until they post it, unlike some sites that charge you immediately.

Was it Amazon UK or one of the others?

mark1974

Ya, Amazon UK. Ive used them myself a few times but this is the first time I've spent over 100 pounds in 1 transaction so I don't know if this has anything to do with it.
I still don't know for sure who took it as each are blaming the other, but Amazon have told me its a security measure.
If this is the case surely my money should be released by now as Amazon where actually paid from my account four days ago.
I'm not worried about the money missing as I can see it in my account, just angry that I can't use it :mad: