Forum menu
A few weeks ago on a Monday night, I booked a room online for where I was working that Wednesday.
I got a slightly reduced rate (£50/nt) as it was an advance booking (arent they all!) with no chance of refunds/change of date etc, which wasnt a problem.
Anyway, I paid online, got an email confirmation, but didnt open the email.
Then, at 10pm on the Wednesday night, I went to check in, and was told I hadnt got a booking, I then got the laptop out and showed him the email confirmation, which, unfortunately, showed me booked in as a week later.
Now, it is very rare for me to make such a stupid mistake, but, I thought I may well have messed up, and accepted it at the time, and spent a rather uncomfortable night in my car.
Fast forward to this week, when I get my bank statement, and it shows the hotel had taken payment for 2 nights, the night I had booked, with that date to the side of the payment reference and also the following Wednesday too with that date referenced also.
So, I ring them and say why have you taken payment for the first night when you told me I hadnt booked it?
Ok, they say, we'll refund you for that.
How about the following week, which I definitely had not booked, but your system says I have?
They insist I have booked that night and would not refund.
Now, clearly, they have had a fault with their server/back office system, which did not register my first nights (correct) booking, but have allocated me a place a week later, which I did not want. (and for which I had no email conformation)
However they say it is my fault.
Could someone more clued up than me explain how such a mistake could occur, so I can include that in my complaint letter - it was a right pain in a car for a night, when they had already been paid, so I really would like my £50 back.
Thanks.
Alan.
Small claim court?
😮
Not being an arse here (or at least not trying to), but are you saying that you paid online for both nights and didn't notice the doubled price, or that they've somehow sneaked the extra one in there afterwards ?
No, I only booked one night, the 5th Nov.
They said I hadnt booked the 5th, but had booked the 12th.
Then my bank statement showed they had taken payment for both the 5th and 12th.
Thye say they will refund one night, but not 2, but, I only ever wanted the 5th Nov, for which they said I hadnt booked, yet they had taken the payment.
did the email conformation say the original night or both nights?
The email said the 12th, but I never wanted the 12th - they had clearly got the booking for the 5th, as they took the money, but their computer said I hadnt booked.
From this. it looks to me like they had a fault on their IT system somewhere, but they wont admit it, and wont refund me for the night I hadnt booked!
Just a thought, have you checked your 'Sent' folder for the original email?
Just to double-check what your original booking was for, as ammunition.
Ive seen something very similar happening. Booking was made online through a travel agency and it resulted in two dufferent dates.
I dont know if you booked directly with the hotel or not but if you booked through say Expedia etc then raise it through them.
Actually if it was through expedia i would be really quite interested.