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Original poster

Would you respond to abusive email from hotel?

323 replies

digginforturnips · 13/07/2023 09:26

Stayed at a small guesthouse recently for two nights. The hotel had overbooked their cheapest rooms. They told us on arrival that we could either pay the £100 extra for an upgraded room, or they could cancel our reservation and find another hotel. There was no availability nearby. We were seriously unimpressed, but after a long journey had no real choice other than to say we’d pay. Owners actually seemed really nice other than that.

We checked out at 5am and did not pay the £100. Hotel has sent us 6 emails asking for the money, which I have ignored all of them. Then today I got a long and very angry email from them telling us how we are dishonest, untrustworthy, unhonourable people. They told us they would be leaving bad reviews of us, and they would be filing a complaint with the booking website.

What would you do? Would you email back? Contact the booking platform for advice?

OP posts:
misssunshine4040 · 13/07/2023 14:27

digginforturnips · 13/07/2023 09:26

Stayed at a small guesthouse recently for two nights. The hotel had overbooked their cheapest rooms. They told us on arrival that we could either pay the £100 extra for an upgraded room, or they could cancel our reservation and find another hotel. There was no availability nearby. We were seriously unimpressed, but after a long journey had no real choice other than to say we’d pay. Owners actually seemed really nice other than that.

We checked out at 5am and did not pay the £100. Hotel has sent us 6 emails asking for the money, which I have ignored all of them. Then today I got a long and very angry email from them telling us how we are dishonest, untrustworthy, unhonourable people. They told us they would be leaving bad reviews of us, and they would be filing a complaint with the booking website.

What would you do? Would you email back? Contact the booking platform for advice?

Horrendous behaviour from them.
They shouldn't have been so cocky and allowed themselves to be over booked.
In this situation it's them who should be bending over backwards to accommodate you in either by giving you whatever room they had available at the same rate you were initially paying or booked you another hotel.
This is standard procedure.
Tell them to jog on and leave the review of your experience first.

Blinkinbloodyhayfever · 13/07/2023 14:29

Your contract with them was whatever was in writing. You had paid the original amount upfront, but then the hotel changed their terms on your arrival. Assuming you have a booking confirmation to prove this. Unless you had something in writing to agree to the extra £100, then this was outside of the original contract, cannot be proven and therefore did not happen, as far as a court would be concerned. Yes you were wrong to agree to the upgrade when you had not intention to pay, but they were obviously running a little scam. Neither of you had particularly clean hands, but their sin was the greatest. Remind them of trading standards in your reply email and don't acknowledge that you agreed to the £100.

changeyerheadworzel · 13/07/2023 14:29

Nah, you AGREED to pay and then snuck out like Bonnie and Clyde at 5am and didn't pay.
Whatever about the hotel upping the price which was shit to be fair, they told you what the new price was, you agreed and you stayed the 2 nights and then reneged and ran off without paying. That's the long and the short of it.

EL8888 · 13/07/2023 14:30

Loving your work! They are total CF’s. Good on you for out manoeuvring them. Block them and report them to the booking platform. Then forget about the whole thing

WomanStanleyWoman2 · 13/07/2023 14:33

Laughing at all the "how dishonest" and "pretty low" comments. Some people really are pushovers. No wonder businesses like this try it on all the time.

Exactly. Total saps.

With all these “But.. but… you lied! That’s naughty!” type posts, I’d swear half of MN was educated at Mallory sodding Towers.

HN3452 · 13/07/2023 14:35

They told us they would be leaving bad reviews of us

How? They may have your name, but they can't give out personal info on a website about you. And if you booked and paid for your original booking, what can they say?

They sound idiots. Name and shame!

Humidititties · 13/07/2023 14:36

changeyerheadworzel · 13/07/2023 14:29

Nah, you AGREED to pay and then snuck out like Bonnie and Clyde at 5am and didn't pay.
Whatever about the hotel upping the price which was shit to be fair, they told you what the new price was, you agreed and you stayed the 2 nights and then reneged and ran off without paying. That's the long and the short of it.

I'd have done the same, this is totally the hotel's fault and OP's original price should have been honoured.

Humidititties · 13/07/2023 14:37

And why all the sneaking out comments? Have you never had an early flight?

Hyppogriff · 13/07/2023 14:38

While I agree they should have let you stay in the more expensive room without additional charge IF you had agreed already the cheaper room, if you agreed to pay the additional amount - it is dishonest of you not to have paid that when you left (and legally they are right).

changeyerheadworzel · 13/07/2023 14:39

Humidititties · 13/07/2023 14:36

I'd have done the same, this is totally the hotel's fault and OP's original price should have been honoured.

Show quote history

Your word is your bond.
Have the courage of your convictions and stop sneaking around, dodging emails like a fucking pussy.
The hotel is at fault I agree but at least TELL them you are not paying instead of sneaking out and ignoring emails. Answer them and TELL them they were wrong and you are NOT paying. What the OP is doing by dodging is showing she knows she did something wrong.

sadlittlelifejane · 13/07/2023 14:39

changeyerheadworzel · 13/07/2023 14:29

Nah, you AGREED to pay and then snuck out like Bonnie and Clyde at 5am and didn't pay.
Whatever about the hotel upping the price which was shit to be fair, they told you what the new price was, you agreed and you stayed the 2 nights and then reneged and ran off without paying. That's the long and the short of it.

They agreed on a price and were baited far away from home where the options were fuck off and MAYBE find somewhere else to stay last minute if you are lucky or PAY US MORE MONEY.

I'm sure if you were faced with lying to a scamming arsehole or sleeping on the pavement you would also choose the former.

HN3452 · 13/07/2023 14:40

changeyerheadworzel · 13/07/2023 14:29

Nah, you AGREED to pay and then snuck out like Bonnie and Clyde at 5am and didn't pay.
Whatever about the hotel upping the price which was shit to be fair, they told you what the new price was, you agreed and you stayed the 2 nights and then reneged and ran off without paying. That's the long and the short of it.

"snuck out like Bonnie and Clyde" - did the OP have a gun then?!

"reneged and ran off" - ran off? Like the bandits they are - shouting "you'll never catch us" and firing off that pistol 😂

I swear some people should write ruddy awful fiction with the take they have on OP's posts

ButterCrackers · 13/07/2023 14:41

Pay the rip off one hundred but leave reviews explaining the situation. If their abusive email doesn’t say private and confidential on it I’d be including it in the reviews.

changeyerheadworzel · 13/07/2023 14:42

sadlittlelifejane · 13/07/2023 14:39

They agreed on a price and were baited far away from home where the options were fuck off and MAYBE find somewhere else to stay last minute if you are lucky or PAY US MORE MONEY.

I'm sure if you were faced with lying to a scamming arsehole or sleeping on the pavement you would also choose the former.

Show quote history

I certainly would NOT agree to pay and then leave and not pay and dodge emails.

Scienceadvisory · 13/07/2023 14:42

changeyerheadworzel · 13/07/2023 14:39

Your word is your bond.
Have the courage of your convictions and stop sneaking around, dodging emails like a fucking pussy.
The hotel is at fault I agree but at least TELL them you are not paying instead of sneaking out and ignoring emails. Answer them and TELL them they were wrong and you are NOT paying. What the OP is doing by dodging is showing she knows she did something wrong.

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She didn't sneak out, she had an early flight. How are so many posters not getting this!! It's really not a fucking difficult concept to grasp.

Dinoswearunderpants · 13/07/2023 14:43

If the room you originally booked was not available due to their error, then I couldn't be paying a penny extra.

More fool them for not taking payment at check in.

Scienceadvisory · 13/07/2023 14:43

changeyerheadworzel · 13/07/2023 14:42

I certainly would NOT agree to pay and then leave and not pay and dodge emails.

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Then you are a mug.

NotTerfNorCis · 13/07/2023 14:43

They shouldn't have overbooked. Their problem.

Quitelikeit · 13/07/2023 14:44

Sorry but these people should have called you in advance

however you said you would pay and then left without doing so

ButterCrackers · 13/07/2023 14:44

And to add ask for an invoice and receipt with their VAT number on it.

changeyerheadworzel · 13/07/2023 14:44

HN3452 · 13/07/2023 14:40

"snuck out like Bonnie and Clyde" - did the OP have a gun then?!

"reneged and ran off" - ran off? Like the bandits they are - shouting "you'll never catch us" and firing off that pistol 😂

I swear some people should write ruddy awful fiction with the take they have on OP's posts

Show quote history

They did actually renege...they agreed to pay and they did not. They had no intention of paying at all. Sorry but that does not sit well with me.

Hibiscrubbed · 13/07/2023 14:45

They fucked up so they should have swallowed the loss. I don’t really blame you for not paying. Ignore them.

Dustybarn · 13/07/2023 14:45

I own a guesthouse and in the circumstances I would have upgraded you for free without question.

However, you agreed to pay for the upgrade. So in the end you were dishonest. They will probably have you flagged on the booking platform at a minimum and you may find limited availability going forward and they may lay a criminal complaint.

LaurieFairyCake · 13/07/2023 14:45

As you've said you had a flight to catch !

Me, I'd have stayed for breakfast and THEN not paid Grin

They are TOTALLY in the wrong

OldBeller · 13/07/2023 14:46

I've worked in a similar industry and it's ALWAYS a free upgrade.

Don't pay!

Who are they going to complain to? God?