Hotels.com.......I feel like I was ripped off

[krunchykrome]

I booked a hotel through hotels.com for a few friends who were visiting from out of town. Well, plans changed, and I was able to cancel the reservation that night. About a week had past, and I was wondering why the money had not been credited to my account. When I booked, I didn't read the cancellation policy. I had canceled reservations in the past, and never had a problem doing so, and I always received a refund. I eventually called hotels.com and they told me that if I cancel at anytime, I am subject to a 1 night cancellation fee. I only booked the hotel for one night, so I would not be credited for the full amount.

It was my fault and a lesson learned that I didn't read the cancellation policy, but I've never had a problem like this is the past with other hotels and websites. It was only about $135, but I feel like the policy is very unfair and deceiving.

Another company on my list not to do business with again. Just wanted to to give a heads up to those of you who were unaware of that policy with hotels.com.

 

[aphex]

I just cancelled a hotel in Zermatt that has a blank cancellation policy.... It says i need to cancel before 9th of March to avoid cancellation penalty, but as stated, the penalty page is blank...

I wonder if i'll be charged...

Actually, did i even provide a CC?

 

[KLin]

You may cancel or change your prepaid reservation, but you will be charged the cancellation or change fee indicated on the reservation order form. In addition, if you do not cancel or change your reservation before the cancellation policy period applicable to the hotel you reserved, which varies by hotel (usually 24 to 72 hours prior to your date of arrival), you will be subject to a charge of one-night's room rate, tax recovery charges and service fees. No refunds will be made for no-shows or early checkouts. See the hotel description for the cancellation policy period for each hotel. You agree to pay any cancellation or change fee that you incur. In some cases, hotels do not permit changes to or cancellations of reservations after they are made, generally for stays during holiday periods or special events. You will be notified before the reservation order is completed and your credit card is charged if a reservation is non refundable or non changeable. You agree to abide by the terms and conditions imposed with respect to any completed reservation order for a hotel stay as specified on the reservation order form.

Hotels.com user agreement


Reads to me like it was the hotel's policy, not hotels.com's policy.

 

[krunchykrome]

Originally posted by: KLin

You may cancel or change your prepaid reservation, but you will be charged the cancellation or change fee indicated on the reservation order form. In addition, if you do not cancel or change your reservation before the cancellation policy period applicable to the hotel you reserved, which varies by hotel (usually 24 to 72 hours prior to your date of arrival), you will be subject to a charge of one-night's room rate, tax recovery charges and service fees. No refunds will be made for no-shows or early checkouts. See the hotel description for the cancellation policy period for each hotel. You agree to pay any cancellation or change fee that you incur. In some cases, hotels do not permit changes to or cancellations of reservations after they are made, generally for stays during holiday periods or special events. You will be notified before the reservation order is completed and your credit card is charged if a reservation is non refundable or non changeable. You agree to abide by the terms and conditions imposed with respect to any completed reservation order for a hotel stay as specified on the reservation order form.

Reads to me like it was the hotel's policy, not hotels.com's policy.

Is that from Hotels.com? Link please?

 

[KLin]

Originally posted by: krunchykrome

Originally posted by: KLin

You may cancel or change your prepaid reservation, but you will be charged the cancellation or change fee indicated on the reservation order form. In addition, if you do not cancel or change your reservation before the cancellation policy period applicable to the hotel you reserved, which varies by hotel (usually 24 to 72 hours prior to your date of arrival), you will be subject to a charge of one-night's room rate, tax recovery charges and service fees. No refunds will be made for no-shows or early checkouts. See the hotel description for the cancellation policy period for each hotel. You agree to pay any cancellation or change fee that you incur. In some cases, hotels do not permit changes to or cancellations of reservations after they are made, generally for stays during holiday periods or special events. You will be notified before the reservation order is completed and your credit card is charged if a reservation is non refundable or non changeable. You agree to abide by the terms and conditions imposed with respect to any completed reservation order for a hotel stay as specified on the reservation order form.

Reads to me like it was the hotel's policy, not hotels.com's policy.

Is that from Hotels.com? Link please?

See my previous post. I find it funny that you still haven't read their agreement that I found in about 30 seconds and you make a post blaming hotels.com when it's not their fault.

 

[KLin]

Originally posted by: krunchykrome
I booked a hotel through hotels.com for a few friends who were visiting from out of town. Well, plans changed, and I was able to cancel the reservation that night. About a week had past, and I was wondering why the money had not been credited to my account. When I booked, I didn't read the cancellation policy. I had canceled reservations in the past, and never had a problem doing so, and I always received a refund. I eventually called hotels.com and they told me that if I cancel at anytime, I am subject to a 1 night cancellation fee. I only booked the hotel for one night, so I would not be credited for the full amount.

It was my fault and a lesson learned that I didn't read the cancellation policy, but I've never had a problem like this is the past with other hotels and websites. It was only about $135, but I feel like the policy is very unfair and deceiving.

Another company on my list not to do business with again. Just wanted to to give a heads up to those of you who were unaware of that policy with hotels.com.

Quoted for posterity.

 

[krunchykrome]

Originally posted by: KLin

Originally posted by: krunchykrome

Originally posted by: KLin

You may cancel or change your prepaid reservation, but you will be charged the cancellation or change fee indicated on the reservation order form. In addition, if you do not cancel or change your reservation before the cancellation policy period applicable to the hotel you reserved, which varies by hotel (usually 24 to 72 hours prior to your date of arrival), you will be subject to a charge of one-night's room rate, tax recovery charges and service fees. No refunds will be made for no-shows or early checkouts. See the hotel description for the cancellation policy period for each hotel. You agree to pay any cancellation or change fee that you incur. In some cases, hotels do not permit changes to or cancellations of reservations after they are made, generally for stays during holiday periods or special events. You will be notified before the reservation order is completed and your credit card is charged if a reservation is non refundable or non changeable. You agree to abide by the terms and conditions imposed with respect to any completed reservation order for a hotel stay as specified on the reservation order form.

Reads to me like it was the hotel's policy, not hotels.com's policy.

Is that from Hotels.com? Link please?

See my previous post. I find it funny that you still haven't read their agreement that I found in about 30 seconds and you make a post blaming hotels.com when it's not their fault.

Actually, it wasn't Sheraton's (the hotel) fault. I had called them, and they told me that some of the websites consider the reservation payments to be prepaid, which means it not refundable. It was Hotels.com decision and policy to charge a 1 night cancellation fee.

The only fault here is my own for not reading that policy, but it was in fact the website's policy and not Hotels.com.

Do you work for a hotel or something because I seemed to have hit a nerve with you?

 

[MX2]

I bet they make a ton of money like that

 

[Beev]

You guys want to know a little trick? Give EVERY hotel (or hotel booker) the wrong expiration date for your credit card. When you check in they will most likely swipe the card through a capture thing and it will correct it, BUT if you need to cancel, and they say no then they can't charge you

<<Works in hotels

 

[alien42]

hotels.com has served me well in the past with by far the cheapest rates available. dont blame them because you didnt read the fine print.

 

[Mermaidman]

One hotel may have different cancellation policies depending on the type of rate or the season. For example, the deeply discounted rate may be completely non-refundable, whereas a more expensive 'flexible' rate has (you guessed it) a more liberal cancellation policy. Gotta read the fine print for EACH reservation.

Also, I always book directly at the hotel's website to earn frequent traveller points and avoid the hassle of a middle man. (Prepaid deals from travel websites almost never earn points.)

 

[DaWhim]

Originally posted by: Sraaz
You guys want to know a little trick? Give EVERY hotel (or hotel booker) the wrong expiration date for your credit card. When you check in they will most likely swipe the card through a capture thing and it will correct it, BUT if you need to cancel, and they say no then they can't charge you

<<Works in hotels

holy cow......this is a great trick! green to you!

 

[krunchykrome]

Originally posted by: Sraaz
You guys want to know a little trick? Give EVERY hotel (or hotel booker) the wrong expiration date for your credit card. When you check in they will most likely swipe the card through a capture thing and it will correct it, BUT if you need to cancel, and they say no then they can't charge you

<<Works in hotels

Thanks! :thumbsup:

 

[krunchykrome]

Originally posted by: alien42
hotels.com has served me well in the past with by far the cheapest rates available. dont blame them because you didnt read the fine print.

Read my original post. I said it was my fault, I just feel like it's deceiving.

 

[Goosemaster]

Originally posted by: krunchykrome

Originally posted by: Sraaz
You guys want to know a little trick? Give EVERY hotel (or hotel booker) the wrong expiration date for your credit card. When you check in they will most likely swipe the card through a capture thing and it will correct it, BUT if you need to cancel, and they say no then they can't charge you

<<Works in hotels

Thanks! :thumbsup:

fvking awesome

 

[RaistlinZ]

Originally posted by: Goosemaster

Originally posted by: krunchykrome

Originally posted by: Sraaz
You guys want to know a little trick? Give EVERY hotel (or hotel booker) the wrong expiration date for your credit card. When you check in they will most likely swipe the card through a capture thing and it will correct it, BUT if you need to cancel, and they say no then they can't charge you

<<Works in hotels

Thanks! :thumbsup:

fvking awesome

Glad I read this thread. Good stuff mate. :thumbsup:

 

[markgm]

Originally posted by: RaistlinZ

Originally posted by: Goosemaster

Originally posted by: krunchykrome

Originally posted by: Sraaz
You guys want to know a little trick? Give EVERY hotel (or hotel booker) the wrong expiration date for your credit card. When you check in they will most likely swipe the card through a capture thing and it will correct it, BUT if you need to cancel, and they say no then they can't charge you

<<Works in hotels

Thanks! :thumbsup:

fvking awesome

Glad I read this thread. Good stuff mate. :thumbsup:

While this might work, I wouldn't count on it. I've had charges go through with the wrong expiration date (even an expired date with my consumerreports.org account.) I found some info about it here: Text

 

[DT4K]

Originally posted by: krunchykrome

Originally posted by: alien42
hotels.com has served me well in the past with by far the cheapest rates available. dont blame them because you didnt read the fine print.

Read my original post. I said it was my fault, I just feel like it's deceiving.

How exactly is it deceiving? Did they say somewhere that there was no penalty for cancelling? If you just didn't bother looking at the cancellation policy, I'm not sure how you can call that deceiving.

I thought it was common knowledge that cancellation policies vary widely depending from hotel to hotel and from website to website.

 

[krunchykrome]

Originally posted by: DT4K

Originally posted by: krunchykrome

Originally posted by: alien42
hotels.com has served me well in the past with by far the cheapest rates available. dont blame them because you didnt read the fine print.

Read my original post. I said it was my fault, I just feel like it's deceiving.

How exactly is it deceiving? Did they say somewhere that there was no penalty for cancelling? If you just didn't bother looking at the cancellation policy, I'm not sure how you can call that deceiving.

I thought it was common knowledge that cancellation policies vary widely depending from hotel to hotel and from website to website.

It's not common knowledge. I've booked plenty of hotels through websites and through the actual hotels, and I've had to cancel reservations as well, and I've never had a full one (1) night's cancellation fee. I actually filed a complaint to the BBB for unethical and deceiving business practices. You can think what you want of it, but I honestly think it is unfair. I could could care less about the money at this point, I take it as a $136 lesson learned and it's a company that I wont do business with in the future.

 

[Beev]

Originally posted by: markgm
While this might work, I wouldn't count on it. I've had charges go through with the wrong expiration date (even an expired date with my consumerreports.org account.) I found some info about it here: Text

Hmm, well, I know our hotel (a Hampton) can't do anything without a real expiration date, and I've been to a few (maybe a Fairfield or Ramada?) that couldn't do anything either.

Of course, this is always subject to to change and I'm sure that in the future the expiration won't matter.

 

[dirtboy]

You're a victim of your own laziness and you want to blame hotels.com. You must be a good American. I'd bet that the arrangement hotels.com has with Sheraton Corp is a 1 day cancellation fee. Of course you conveniently omitted from the OP when you canceled the reservation. My guess is you waited until the last minute to cancel, and now you're here looking for sympathy. I may end up being wrong, but it is interesting how you omit material facts to make your position as the consumer appear that a big, evil corporation has gone out of their way to wrong you.

 

[Old Hippie]

It's not common knowledge. I've booked plenty of hotels through websites and through the actual hotels, and I've had to cancel reservations as well, and I've never had a full one (1) night's cancellation fee.

Maybe it's not common knowledge to you, but before I book a hotel, I read the cancellation fine print.

 

[dethman]

i for one applaud hotels.com for screwing you out of your money. you ALWAYS read the cancellation policy before a booking a hotel.

 

[tm37]

I have found that you can book through the hotel usually for the same price.

I also know that when I bitch to the hotel I can get my money back.

I travel quite a bit and I have used hotels.com.

Also if you see the price online you can usually call the hotel and get the same rate if it is higher on the net.

Only use hotels.com if you have no other choice.

I have also found this to be true with Northwest airlines.

 

[NFS4]

Originally posted by: Sraaz
You guys want to know a little trick? Give EVERY hotel (or hotel booker) the wrong expiration date for your credit card. When you check in they will most likely swipe the card through a capture thing and it will correct it, BUT if you need to cancel, and they say no then they can't charge you

<<Works in hotels

Haha, I love you