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Hotel error has left me broke for the week!

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  • 02-06-2017 9:20pm
    #1
    indie warrior
    Registered Users Posts: 52 ✭✭


    Made a booking yesterday for a hotel break for 4 nights in August for two adults and two kids. I was paying I think about 30€ extra to avail of the cancellation policy ie I can cancel 3 days before and won't pay anything, no payment would be taken now but input your card number as guarantee. happened to be online bank today and noticed that the full payment (500€) is pending payment as the hotel have taken the full payment .
    I contacted hotel today and girl said she would ring me back. Hence no call back so I rang them and she said payment had been refunded but my bank tell me I won't see that until next Friday.
    I'm fuming as that is my weeks wages and I have no money in bank now, I spoke with manager of hotel and he said he will call me back but have heard nothing.
    No money now for a week, should hotel compensate me??


Comments

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    #2
    njs030
    Closed Accounts Posts: 4,030 ✭✭✭njs030


    They should refund you immediately which they have done. It's the bank that takes 3-5 days to refund you not the hotel.

    It's annoying but there's no reason at all for them to compensate you, if you're unhappy just don't give them your business.


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    #3
    davo10
    Closed Accounts Posts: 6,926 ✭✭✭davo10


    Firstly, look at what you agreed to when booking hotel. If you use Trivago/bookings.com/Hotels.ie they say that payment can be taken at any time between the time you booked and the time you check in. If that is the case then they have a right to take the money, you get the whole lot back if you cancel but it takes a few days to process the refund.


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    #4
    indie warrior
    Registered Users Posts: 52 ✭✭indie warrior


    Really its the hotels error and they only refunded when I notified them.


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    #5
    davo10
    Closed Accounts Posts: 6,926 ✭✭✭davo10


    indie warrior wrote: »
    Really its the hotels error and they only refunded when I notified them.

    Did you book directly on hotel website or was it with a third party seller?


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    #6
    indie warrior
    Registered Users Posts: 52 ✭✭indie warrior


    davo10 wrote: »
    Firstly, look at what you agreed to when booking hotel. If you use Trivago/bookings.com/Hotels.ie they say that payment can be taken at any time between the time you booked and the time you check in. If that is the case then they have a right to take the money, you get the whole lot back if you cancel but it takes a few days to process the refund.

    Yes the booking clearl stated that no paymenthe would be taking now. The hotel have admitted they have made an error but as they didn't action it quick enough I will have to wait a week to get it back which seriously leaves me out of pocket


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    #7
    L1011
    Moderators, Business & Finance Moderators, Motoring & Transport Moderators, Society & Culture Moderators Posts: 67,745 Mod ✭✭✭✭L1011


    The refund speed is your banks problem, not the hotel and the hotel are not liable for your bank being incompetent realistically.


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    #8
    indie warrior
    Registered Users Posts: 52 ✭✭indie warrior


    davo10 wrote: »
    Did you book directly on hotel website or was it with a third party seller?

    Booked with 3rd party but it clearly stated no payment now and I would pay directly with the hotel


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    #9
    indie warrior
    Registered Users Posts: 52 ✭✭indie warrior


    L1011 wrote: »
    The refund speed is your banks problem, not the hotel and the hotel are not liable for your bank being incompetent realistically.

    Firstly hotel was incompetent to take payment in first place. My bank advised how it could be refunded by close of business today if hotel contacted their bank and referenced the transaction and faxed it to my bank to advise error. I spoke to the hotel manager and gave him all this information but it didn't happen in time or maybe he didn't action it?


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    #10
    eeguy
    Closed Accounts Posts: 3,478 ✭✭✭eeguy


    indie warrior wrote: »
    Firstly hotel was incompetent to take payment in first place. My bank advised how it could be refunded by close of business today if hotel contacted their bank and referenced the transaction and faxed it to my bank to advise error. I spoke to the hotel manager and gave him all this information but it didn't happen in time or maybe he didn't action it?

    Hard luck. If its not done today it'll be Tuesday.


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    #11
    ForestFire
    Registered Users Posts: 2,246 ✭✭✭ForestFire


    L1011 wrote: »
    The refund speed is your banks problem, not the hotel and the hotel are not liable for your bank being incompetent realistically.

    But is the point not that, he should not need to be refunded in the first place?
    It was the hotels error that has put him in this position to begin with.

    For example, during banking errors where wages are not processed in time, have the banks compensated customers for missed Direct Debits, Standing orders etc?


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    #12
    Vinnie222
    Registered Users Posts: 864 ✭✭✭Vinnie222


    L1011 wrote: »
    The refund speed is your banks problem, not the hotel and the hotel are not liable for your bank being incompetent realistically.

    Hotel shouldn't have taken money in the 1st place especially when you booked it with free cancellation . Happened to me last year and I got a upgrade and the 1st night free


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    #13
    njs030
    Closed Accounts Posts: 4,030 ✭✭✭njs030


    indie warrior wrote: »
    Firstly hotel was incompetent to take payment in first place. My bank advised how it could be refunded by close of business today if hotel contacted their bank and referenced the transaction and faxed it to my bank to advise error. I spoke to the hotel manager and gave him all this information but it didn't happen in time or maybe he didn't action it?

    You're right they shouldn't have taken it but an error was made and they have rectified it.
    What else can they do!

    Have you cancelled your booking in light of their incompetence?


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    #14
    listermint
    Registered Users Posts: 33,643 ✭✭✭✭listermint


    You sure it's taken and not blocked that value on your card . Hotels do this too.


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    #15
    L1011
    Moderators, Business & Finance Moderators, Motoring & Transport Moderators, Society & Culture Moderators Posts: 67,745 Mod ✭✭✭✭L1011


    Vinnie222 wrote: »
    Hotel shouldn't have taken money in the 1st place especially when you booked it with free cancellation . Happened to me last year and I got a upgrade and the 1st night free

    They refunded it at the first instance - nothing else they can do on that front. Upgrade or whatever can be argued for but they're not going to get the OP their cash faster. Its also quite possible its entirely down to the third party booking service that this happened, not the hotel - booking direct is always less risk prone.

    Irish banks are in the stone age when it comes to transaction processing and batching. UK has "3 hour" transactions that are realistically instant for over a decade now.


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    #16
    indie warrior
    Registered Users Posts: 52 ✭✭indie warrior


    notjustsweet wrote: »
    You're right they shouldn't have taken it but an error was made and they have rectified it.
    What else can they do!

    Have you cancelled your booking in light of their incompetence?

    No not yet, will wait until I get my refund. I have stayed in this hotel many a time I'm sure as a return customer they will look after me.


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    #17
    Not Quite A Hipster
    Registered Users Posts: 40 ✭Not Quite A Hipster


    I've booked and still book hotels from a certain site and they they do mention pre authorisation. It caught me out once when I booked abroad and the hotel (for want of a better word) tested the card and I had not got the cash. The holiday was 6 months away so I had the opportunity to book again but it is always on my mind when booking. I assumed they take a nominal sum and not the whole amount but I'm not sure how it works.
    I'm guessing it's in the terms when you booked. I'm feeling your pain and hope you get it sorted.


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    #18
    Sadb
    Registered Users Posts: 10,432 ✭✭✭✭Sadb


    A certain third party site always states that you pay no money now but in the terms you usually have to. I recently booked a place for august and the site advertised "pay nothing now" but when you actually clicked on the options there were different terms and conditions depending on price. The cheapest fares were to pay up front, the middle range was to pay 10/20% now with free cancellation, some were dearer with free cancellation but there would be a hold on the account for the full amount. There was no option to book if you didn't have money on your debit card essentially.
    Not saying that is the case here but read the ts&cs before pointing blame in the wrong direction.


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    #19
    indie warrior
    Registered Users Posts: 52 ✭✭indie warrior


    Sadb wrote: »
    A certain third party site always states that you pay no money now but in the terms you usually have to. I recently booked a place for august and the site advertised "pay nothing now" but when you actually clicked on the options there were different terms and conditions depending on price. The cheapest fares were to pay up front, the middle range was to pay 10/20% now with free cancellation, some were dearer with free cancellation but there would be a hold on the account for the full amount. There was no option to book if you didn't have money on your debit card essentially.
    Not saying that is the case here but read the ts&cs before pointing blame in the wrong direction.

    Thanks for reply but no no money should have been taken now, although it was booked through 3rd party it said I would pay hotel directly at the time but definitely no money would be taken now. The hotel have admitted that they made an error by taking it. I'm just peed off that I have no money left in my account this week with shopping and other bills to pay. To be fair it's not the banks fault even if hotel have put money back it will still take 3_5 working days to reappear


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    #20
    L1011
    Moderators, Business & Finance Moderators, Motoring & Transport Moderators, Society & Culture Moderators Posts: 67,745 Mod ✭✭✭✭L1011


    indie warrior wrote: »
    To be fair it's not the banks fault even if hotel have put money back it will still take 3_5 working days to reappear

    The delay is the banks fault and nobody elses. Irish banks have not invested in IT to a sufficient extent since the 1980s and also seem to quite like the delays.


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    #21
    CeilingFly
    Closed Accounts Posts: 3,378 ✭✭✭CeilingFly


    It will be in your account on Wednesday at latest.

    Hotel processed refund Friday - batched Friday night, sent to your bank Tuesday due to bank holiday and will show on your account Wednesday.

    Possibly it will show Tuesday.


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    #22
    sunny2004
    Registered Users Posts: 2,538 ✭✭✭sunny2004


    indie warrior wrote: »
    No not yet, will wait until I get my refund. I have stayed in this hotel many a time I'm sure as a return customer they will look after me.

    Simple write to them and ask then can they do anything by way of helping you out with the booking and explain what taking the full amount meant to you..

    Maybe they can offer a discount or free meal or something...


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    #23
    indie warrior
    Registered Users Posts: 52 ✭✭indie warrior


    sunny2004 wrote: »
    Simple write to them and ask then can they do anything by way of helping you out with the booking and explain what taking the full amount meant to you..

    Maybe they can offer a discount or free meal or something...

    I emailed them on saturday explaining what it meant to me and they called me yesterday to apologise once again for their error and said they will do something for me if I come down on the date I have booked. I suppose they can't do anymore, it was a human error and now with the banks. I did appreciate the call back though


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    #24
    ssmith6287
    Registered Users Posts: 1,341 ✭✭✭ssmith6287


    indie warrior wrote: »
    Booked with 3rd party but it clearly stated no payment now and I would pay directly with the hotel

    your dealings are with the third party, not the hotel.


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    #25
    CeilingFly
    Closed Accounts Posts: 3,378 ✭✭✭CeilingFly


    ssmith6287 wrote: »
    your dealings are with the third party, not the hotel.

    Not always.

    Booking.com are a facilitator and contract is always with the place you book.

    They make this very clear in the first paragraph of their terms.

    Same with some other booking services. However sites like hotels.com are different. They buy rooms at a fixed price and sell them on.

    Always beware that on sites like booking.com that if you are buying accommodation in usa / Canada, taxes are added afterwards as is the local "norm"


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