"Clever-hotels.com"

Alibear

Hi guys,

Has anyone used the website "clever-hotels.com" (German site) to book a hotel? If you have anything good, bad or indifferent to say about them please let me know here or via PM; very concerned

brightkane

used them to book 2 weeks in cancun, had no issues, emailed the hotel to make sure they got booked and they had it, brought voucher with me and all was fine.

xpletiv

As BrightKane said, if youre ever in doubt, call the place after you make the booking to make sure they got it.

tadhgenright

I used them to book a hotel in Argentina. They came up as the cheapest via Trivago. No problems whatsoever with the booking.

andersat2

booking.com was, is and will be the cheapest and direct option for booking accomodation.

trivago - is just another comparing site. nothing about real booking with them. they redirecting to the site you will book. and usually booking.com is cheapest

ScouseMouse

I used this very company to book a hotel in Reykavik last month. THEN I read up online and saw people giving out loads about them.

I emailed the hotel directly asking them to confirm the booking was in order and they confirmed it was. They charged me 320 euro for two, for three nights B&B in the Radisson SAS Blu in Rekyavik where everyone else on Trivago.com was charging around €500.

When I checked in last Thursday, I handed in the emailed voucher and everything was fine. No problems whatsoever.

ScouseMouse

andersat2 wrote: »

booking.com was, is and will be the cheapest and direct option for booking accomodation.

trivago - is just another comparing site. nothing about real booking with them. they redirecting to the site you will book. and usually booking.com is cheapest

Booking.com came in much more expensive for me. I was talking to a couple of girls on a tour I did and the same double room in the hotel cost them 480 euro, I paid 320 !

snowgal

dont agree about booking.com either. they're hit and miss. last time I was away I discovered I paid €100 more per night from booking.com! raging!

dudara

Posters - stay on topic please. This is not a thread to discuss booking.com

dudara

ShoulderChip

I made a booking today but got no confirmation email,
Their website now appears to be down, very worried.

What can I do?
I have emailed them and the hotel waiting on replies.
Will call them tomorrow but think my 360euro may be gone,

AIB have informed me that they can not do anything about it but I should email them on the day when I go to the hotel if they dont honour it, seems like they are fobbing me off.

#worried.

dkd

don't book through clever hotels . com got caught out last week end they never booked the hotel for me hotel said they never heard of them but got lots of complaints about them after two phone calls loads of emails no vouchers no response bank as usual could not do anything credit card company said put it in writing and they would see if they could do any thing then got response from clever hotels to say they will refund my money im still waiting :mad::mad::mad::mad:

Catalpa1

I've used Trivago to get hotels in Spain, and the USA like others I rang the hotel to confirm which they did, then I simply turned up and booked in. Trivago were way cheaper for me but always shop around

Jayop

Just got this email from the company I booked my first family holiday with. We're due to fly on Thursday and I have no idea now where I stand.

Dear Customer,

We regret to inform you that Navelar GmbH had to file for insolvency on 22.08.2013. The preliminary insolvency administrator of the company has immediately started negotiations with the main contractual partners of Navelar, but unfortunately these negotiations have been terminated without a solution.

The companies, through which Navelar has booked hotel rooms for its customers, have announced this afternoon that they will cancel all bookings of Navelar. Your booking will probably be affected as well.

We can’t assess how quickly your personal booking can be cancelled by our partner, as this cancellation period has been negotiated between our wholesale partner and the individual hotel, but we deem it possible that you might be requested to pay again to the hotel directly.

We therefore expect that you may have claims for reimbursement of your travel costs against Navelar GmbH. According to German legislation these claims can be filed only in the ‘insolvency table’. Once the liquidation proceedings will be opened (probably in October / November, 2013), the insolvency administrator will send you forms to submit your claims. Please be informed that prior registration is not possible for legal reasons.

Due to the large number of stakeholders, we kindly ask you to refrain from contacting Navelar by telephone. Please contact our email account info@clever-hotels.com for enquiries instead. Owing to the expected high volume of enquiries the processing time might be longer than usual.

We are aware that this situation will bring significant hardship for you and we sincerely apologize for this situation. Unfortunately there are no feasible alternative solutions, because of the insolvency of the company.

Kind regards,

Navelar GmbH

hdowney

Did you take out travel insurance before you booked the holiday?

Jayop

hdowney wrote: »

Did you take out travel insurance before you booked the holiday?

Nope. We are on a total shoestring and it was very much a last minute booking.

I've been emailing my hotel and to their credit I've sent and received multiple emails in the last hour.

Here's the transcript with the names etc removed. (the oldest one is at the bottom)

Thanks xxx.

I have printed my voucher already so I will bring it with me. Will you please let me know if anything changes with my booking.

Thank you again for the very fast responses.

xxx


Hi,
as soon as I have no cancellation, your booking is valid. Remember you must hand the hotel voucher to the reception on arrival. The voucher is the validation of your payment.
Sincerely,
xxx



xxx
Hi xxx

Thank you for your reply.

How can I confirm this now? I am due to fly from Ireland next Thursday and I'm very unsure of what to do. If I do have to pay you again how much will my stay cost me?

Thanks
xxx

xxx

Dear xxx
thank you for your booking with xxx. We can confirm that we have your booking in our system. Regarding payment, we cannot confirm as you are not a direct payer to us.
Sincerely,
xxx

xxx

xxx
Hello.


I have just received an email from clever-hotels.com to say that they have gone into administration. I would like you to confirm that my booking has been made with you and that I am fully paid. The booking reference is;

BOOKING REFERENCE: xxx
Agencyreference: xxx

Thanks in advance

xxx1

That seems to leave me in limbo. The original email from clever hotels said that the wholesaler is cancelling the bookings but the hotel say it's still valid for now with my reservation voucher.

I'm worried now that it'll be cancelled late next week before I arrive leaving me up the creek.

greenman09

Got one of these emails also. Rang the hotel in Galway and they have the booking. Email says booking will be cancelled so hotel know nothing yet. Could be easier to get a chargeback done on visa (which could take a while) and rebook hotel independently.

My only issue is a refund at this stage as hotel has loads of rooms free

Jayop

greenman09 wrote: »

Got one of these emails also. Rang the hotel in Galway and they have the booking. Email says booking will be cancelled so hotel know nothing yet. Could be easier to get a chargeback done on visa (which could take a while) and rebook hotel independently.

My only issue is a refund at this stage as hotel has loads of rooms free

I wish it was that easy for me.

If my hotel does get cancelled then I will not be able to afford to book another one this week. It was super tight as it was and if I don't go, apart from the disappointed kids I'll have paid for the flights which I'll lose out on too.

I paid mine on a Visa debit too so I doubt I'll be able to get any refund that way.

hdowney

I think you are on a hit and hope then. No insurance to fall back on and Visa Debit.. I dunno how easy it is to get a chargeback with them compared to a proper credit card. I hope everything works out for you though

Jayop

Thanks dude. Sick with worry here tbh.

Jayop

Question from another person who got the same email.

If anyone can help him it would be great.

I booked with Budget Travel (who are 100% fully bonded). I used my own debit card and contact details. Yet my gfriend receives the above mail despite never having any dealings with that site at all, Budget travel don't even have her email.

What is the liability of a fully bonded travel agent in this case do you know?

Teileen

They have gone into liquidation apparently.. What this means for my booking I have no idea...doesn't look good

CH3OH

Teileen wrote: »

They have gone into liquidation apparently.. What this means for my booking I have no idea...doesn't look good

DELETED comment as merging of threads made it clearer that it was Clever Hotels only discussed

Teileen

Yes but clever hotels.com are not

Teileen

Just heard from my hotel..my booking was cancelled...& the money has been taken out of my account,
I found this company through Trivago...what do they have to say about the situation?

dudara

Teileen - how did you pay for your booking?

Teileen

I used my credit card. Will this make a difference>

dudara

Yes, get in touch with your credit card provider and explain the situation. Ask them to initiate a chargeback for the transaction.

barcon11

CH3OH wrote: »

For clarity: it is Clever Hotels (Navelar GmbH) who have filed for insolvency.


Trivago are fine!

-- what does this mean ??? ive booked through olotels on the tripadvisor website but got an email about "clever hotels" ... ive never booked a room though clever hotels .. have they sold olotels or tripadvisor a room can some one help ??? where does that leave me and my engaugement suprise trip ???

barcon11

dudara wrote: »

Teileen - how did you pay for your booking?

does it make a differnce with regards to paying with credit or debt card ???
is one easier than the other to charge back ??

dudara

I know that you couldn't initiate a chargeback with the old Laser debit cards. I'm not 100% certain what the story is at the moment with the new Mastercard & Visa debit cards. I need to research it, or perhaps another poster could help?

aaronm13

Booked a hotel in Vegas for my parents and just saw this now. Here's the best bit, they fly out in the morning. I've just rang the hotel and their reservation is indeed canceled. I got no email off clever hotels and just came across the news by chance this afternoon. What a mess this is.

barcon11

dudara

Threads merged so that all information is in one place.

dudara

greenman09

Rang my hotel in Galway and booking was cancelled. Rebooked through booking.com as don't need breakfast. Will be organising chargeback to CC with bank in the morning.

Teileen

in a right state...do I forget about my holiday lose out on what the flights cost??
or do I try & beg,borrow or steal the money to rebook/pay for my hotel?
It's a tough one

athtrasna

dudara wrote: »

I know that you couldn't initiate a chargeback with the old Laser debit cards. I'm not 100% certain what the story is at the moment with the new Mastercard & Visa debit cards. I need to research it, or perhaps another poster could help?

You can definitely do a chargeback on Visa Debit cards...not sure about Mastercard Debits though

coylemj

Jayop wrote: »

Nope. We are on a total shoestring and it was very much a last minute booking.

I've been emailing my hotel and to their credit I've sent and received multiple emails in the last hour.
That seems to leave me in limbo. The original email from clever hotels said that the wholesaler is cancelling the bookings but the hotel say it's still valid for now with my reservation voucher.

I'm worried now that it'll be cancelled late next week before I arrive leaving me up the creek.

You need to distinguish between a 'booking' and actual payment. If the company that you booked with is now in difficulties, it means that the hotel will need payment from you, unless they have already been paid in advance which I suspect is not the case because they haven't stated this to you.

You need to ask the hotel if they have been paid for the room or not, that will tell you where you stand. If they haven't been paid then you are up the creek because by the time you get to the hotel, the reservation will probably have been cancelled and even if it hasn't, they will expect you to pay for the room.

mgbarry

I booked two hotels with clever-hotels.com back in July, one for next Friday in Naples and one for a week later in Rome. I booked both hotels using my VISA card.

I too got an email from clever-hotels.com/Navelar about the insolvency.

I have been in touch with my bank's card services about a possible chargeback and with both hotels.

My booking in Naples seems to be OK for now. The hotel have said that as far as they are concerned the booking is valid and prepaid. Hopefully that won't change between now and Friday.

My booking for the hotel in Rome was cancelled yesterday, but the hotel allowed me to rebook for the same dates at the same rate. So additional expense, but at least I have a reservation and somewhere to stay in Rome.

My bank told me that in cases like this, potentially effecting a lot of people, they (meaning VISA??) like to put together a co-ordinated policy/response, so everyone can be processed the same way, and that can take a couple of days to come together. In the meantime, to prepare the case for a Chargeback I should contact the vendor and see what redress they are willing to make for me. Based on their reply, I must then make a formal application for a Chargeback and include all details and correspondence between me and the vendor.

So I have sent an email to clever-hotels concerning my booking for the Rome hotel and will be sending their reply and all other detail to my bank to initiate a Chargeback.

sandin

Couple of things with this (I'm booked with them too and am simply rebooking)

1. Trivago Tripadvisor etc are an advertising site - so you can't lay any blame whatsoever against them Its like clicking an advert on boards and trying to blame boards if things go wrong.

2. If you paid by Visa Credit or Visa Debit you can do a chargeback - a tiny percentage of every visa transaction goes to insurance, so its the built in insurance you are claiming on.

3. MasterCard Credit cards also have this insurance, but last time I checked Mastercard DEBIT cards did not have insurance., so if you paid by mastercard debit, the money is probably lost.

I don't think they accepted laser cards as they did not operate in Ireland.


So best things is not to get stgressed by it - there is nothing that can be done by clever hotels at this stage and it no use getting annoyed - apply for the chargeback and rebook.

If you paid by visa debit and things are tight, explain it to the bank, show them the email from the company and any half decent bank manager will give you a temporary overdraft as it will be refunded (most have the power to give €1,000 instantly)

nkay1985

I went through this same process with 1800hotels.com three years ago. Had booked accommodation in Florida for my honeymoon with them and they went belly up. Luckily I had booked with my Mastercard Credit Card.

All I had to do, from memory, was get the hotel to confirm that the booking had been cancelled and then send off a chargeback request. I think this came through within a few days.

Credit card companies pool all the money they've had to refund together and end up being a fairly large creditor so can usually get a lot of that back, as well as having the insurance mentioned above.

I feel very sorry for anybody who paid by alternative means.

Shelly104

I also booked my holidays through clever-hotel.com, I received that email aswell about navelar. So I emailed the hotel directly to c if they received any payment for my booking. They responded and told me that the company cancelled my booking but they are goin to keep my reservation and I've to pay on arrival (what a pain in the bk side). I paid by MasterCard visa so hopefully i can get a chargebk. Watch this space. I'm goin to use booking.com from now on when booking hotels.

Strongbow10

I received an email from these guys aswell but have not made any bookings with them as far as I know.

Did anyone else receive an email for no apparent reason? Maybe they made a mistake and someone else should have received it. Slightly odd to say the least

del 1

Very sorry to hear of everybody getting caught out. Unfortunately most of these websites and are not licensed and bonded in Ireland like a Retail Travel Agent. Airlines are the same if they go bust you are not covered.

I am a Travel Agent and licensed and bonded with the Commission for Aviation Regulation and as such you have full financial protection and peace of mind. I think these hotels websites and airlines need more regulation so the consumer is covered in the case of insolvency.


I am happy to help if anybody needs assistance.

Best regards,

Derek

Teileen

Teileen wrote: »

I used my credit card. Will this make a difference>

Teileen wrote: »

in a right state...do I forget about my holiday lose out on what the flights cost??
or do I try & beg,borrow or steal the money to rebook/pay for my hotel?
It's a tough one

Teileen, read through the thread carefully. Since you booked with your credit card, you appear to be one of the lucky ones who won't lose out financially. There's lots of advice about how to carry out a "chargeback".

Of course, getting the money together to pay for the hotel again is an awful pain, but at least you won't be paying for it twice!

ladysmufette

Hi all

Just registered here as I have received the same email and I'm currently trying to contact the hotel in Vegas where my booking is and paid by visa debit card so not sure if I will get any refund. I have travel insurance so do u know if that is covered under the policy

thanks

del 1

ladysmufette wrote: »

Hi all

Just registered here as I have received the same email and I'm currently trying to contact the hotel in Vegas where my booking is and paid by visa debit card so not sure if I will get any refund. I have travel insurance so do u know if that is covered under the policy

thanks

Hi,

You will really will have to check with the Insurance Company directly or check the policy. I know the insurance company I use does cover insolvency but there is a limit on it!

Best regards,

Derek

ladysmufette

Thanks I will

ladysmufette

a quick update

My booking at the hotel was cancelled already

ladysmufette

ladysmufette wrote: »

My booking at the hotel was cancelled already

The bookings that were "pre-paid" by clever-hotels.com still stand but anything that has not been paid by them before they declared insolvency will be cancelled, looks like this was the case with yours.

Some people are contacting their hotels directly and re-booking the rooms they had reserved, at least one user has said they got the same rate as had been offered by clever-hotels.com.

Who is your Visa Debit card with? Bank of Ireland do chargebacks on this card so either that or your insurance should make things right.

http://personalbanking.bankofireland.com/fs/doc/wysiwyg/4-1015r-visa-debit-transaction-dispute-form.pdf

ladysmufette

Thanks for the advice - I know they charged me the money back in June but didn't prepay the hotel :-(

ill speak to my bank its PTSB so fingers crossed

hurleytom

coylemj wrote: »

You need to ask the hotel if they have been paid for the room or not, that will tell you where you stand. If they haven't been paid then you are up the creek because by the time you get to the hotel, the reservation will probably have been cancelled and even if it hasn't, they will expect you to pay for the room.

Deleted User wrote: »

The bookings that were "pre-paid" by clever-hotels.com still stand but anything that has not been paid by them before they declared insolvency will be cancelled, looks like this was the case with yours.

My hotel HAD been paid in full and the reservation still got cancelled anyway - Hotelbeds (the 3rd party wholesaler) are now looking for a credit refund from the hotel !