Hotel - reposting with less info

[SouthWestmom]

Thanks to nice posters yesterday, I had the thread pulled as it had too much identifying info.

Basically, I paid for an hotel over the phone in November for two students for a birthday (one my dc). I rang and checked that not having my card would not be a problem when they arrived this weekend.

Reservations number and hotel number (it's a chain, no third party booking like hotels.com involved) - I rang three times in total and no issue flagged that I'd booked and paid for them but obviously wasn't staying.

When they arrived the hotel refunded me (not in my account) tried to charge my dc (student, no cash in account) and charged her friend. £250. I did not know this til later.

I rang, and they agreed to refund the friend and charge me - at this point I thought it was a pre authorisation charge.

They rang back - no, it was the full £250.

So as of this morning, I'm £500 down, the friend is £250 down. The room cost £250.

At some point I'm expecting the refunds to appear.

The students have been given a bottle of wine and I've been offered points for my membership.

More upset happened but it's identifying. I'm just so fed up that the friend has effectively lost her spending money (I would have repaid her if I'd known what was happening) and my treat became a stressful afternoon.

Had they originally charged your card or just done a preauthorisation? I don't know a single receptionist who would refund a deposit on arrival as it is just creating work.

At any point did they ask you to complete a third party authorisation form? I'd do this for any booking with the customer not present if it wasn't a prepaid rate.

Ultimately, the hotel can't impact the time for the refunds to be processed, however that doesn't absolve them of their poor handling of the situation.

I've worked on front desk and in reservations for several major hotel brands so feel free to pm if you'd like any help with the complaint.

Thank you. Definitely went out of my account mid November, transaction is on my bank account.

The same amount is now pending from my account, and same for dc friend. The hotel have apparently refunded the friend and my first payment.

Oh it was prepaid non refundable. Definitely.

Then when the girls arrived there was a big fuss over them not having the card to take a mandatory pre authorisation (for extras) and they refunded my card, without my knowledge, tried to charge dc (declined as no funds) so charged her friend.

Then they after speaking to me in the phone refunded the friend and charged me again.

Other things have happened and I've spoken to the duty manager but it's just infuriating that I tried to avoid this. The DM seemed to think the refunds were instant: still no sign.

Crikey.

Are you able to do an instant bank transfer to your DC to lend to friend?

I've offered that , luckily I'd given them some cash as had granny, and paid for their activity upfront.

Often the prepaid rates hotels advertise aren't actually taken from your account at time of booking but rather are pre-authorised as a pending charge. I have had that happen many times and have checked in thinking I have already paid for the room only to be told I haven't and to be charged on checkout at usual.

Check your account for the time you booked and make sure the money has actually debited and not just 'pending'. If that is the case you will find the pending amount returns to your balance in 7-10 days time.

I have done. It was paid 18th November.

They refunded my card, took payment from the friend, refunded the friend and took payment from me. Yesterday.

It was absolutely categorically paid for when they arrived. As confirmed three times in advance on the phone.

The issue is the front desk freaking at them not having my card.

First transaction - paid
Second transaction - pending to go out
No sign of refund

Assume friend has similar pending to go out and no sign of refund.

The hotel receptionist has made a massive mistake, there will have been method to her madness making sure there's a current authorised card on record for breakages it's extras etc. The cash will take 3-5 days to appear back on your available balance unless you can get the hotel to give you the merchant and cancellation code for your bank.

I used to have a job were occassionally I had to do a customer refund, sometimes people complained that the refund took time to arrive and we were told that the retailer has no control over the timing, it's down to the card company or bank so whilst the hotel have cocked up the speed of the refund isn't something they can do anything about.

There was never any doubt that the room was paid for : they decided on the day they needed the same card despite me checking this in advance.

Not the point I know but I don't believe this three day refund thing should still apply. They could do a FPS so peoples money doesn't get stuck in the system.

The thing is though that big companies have systems and procedures, they can't randomly do faster payments. A small local business maybe but not a huge multinational company that might not even have a UK accounts department.

Given that it's happened now OP and I'd guess your money will appear in due course what do you want the hotel to do? If you want a refund or voucher for a future stay I'd say you need to be specific with them.

Thanks coconut that's a good point. I don't know at the moment, I want an apology properly because it seems the girls were told that

A) a swipe would be taken of friends card for the record - dc checked this wasn't the room cost
B) dc would have to pay the room cost today and they would refund me

Then they went down to ask for another dressing gown (only one in room) and were told that actually the room cost had been charged to the friend but they would refund it and it would happen immediately.

Also I was told that the manager would refund the £17 they shouldn't have been charged for drinks (paid in cash) and this didn't happen.