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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:
neilyoungismyhero · 13/07/2023 20:54

BodegaSushi · 13/07/2023 11:29

There is actually a legal term for this, it could be argued that the OP agreed to pay under protest, it's because they really had no other option than to pay more.

In my case I had to pay upfront, but was able to argue the case after using that term and got a refund.

I'm surprised the hotel hasn't just charged it to OP's card though

Show quote history

You can't do that, it's illegal.

LlynTegid · 13/07/2023 21:02

You don't say what time you arrived and if it was in the UK or not. Very different if it is 3pm in a place with many alternatives, than 10pm at night where you don't have many options.

Catusrusty · 13/07/2023 21:36

neilyoungismyhero · 13/07/2023 20:54

You can't do that, it's illegal.

Show quote history

Is it really?

I stayed at the Mal in Manchester once and months later received a letter saying that they had changed my card in my absence because they had forgotten to charge us for a bottle of wine during our stay.

Neither of us could remember whether we'd even had this specific bottle of wine, we thought we had just had cocktails. We hadn't signed for it and they offered no evidence at all but they still unilaterally charged my debit card.

I was quite annoyed! To this day I don't know if someone else just charged it to our room. I should have contested it really but just had far too much on my plate at that point in time.

JenWillsiam · 13/07/2023 21:40

I would ignore it and if they charged the card I would dispute. Totally taking the piss.

SamW98 · 13/07/2023 21:43

Catusrusty · 13/07/2023 21:36

Is it really?

I stayed at the Mal in Manchester once and months later received a letter saying that they had changed my card in my absence because they had forgotten to charge us for a bottle of wine during our stay.

Neither of us could remember whether we'd even had this specific bottle of wine, we thought we had just had cocktails. We hadn't signed for it and they offered no evidence at all but they still unilaterally charged my debit card.

I was quite annoyed! To this day I don't know if someone else just charged it to our room. I should have contested it really but just had far too much on my plate at that point in time.

Show quote history

If you’ve left them details of your card to settle bar bills, room service etc then yea they can do this.
But if you only used card to pay for the room and have a receipt showing that’s what card was used for then no they absolutely can’t just take random amounts from your card without permission.

BodegaSushi · 13/07/2023 21:45

neilyoungismyhero · 13/07/2023 20:54

You can't do that, it's illegal.

Show quote history

Can’t do what?

SirChenjins · 13/07/2023 21:48

Can’t take money for something that wasn’t agreed - the guest house would have to prove the OP agreed to paying extra over and above what the original contract stated.

BodegaSushi · 13/07/2023 22:17

SirChenjins · 13/07/2023 21:48

Can’t take money for something that wasn’t agreed - the guest house would have to prove the OP agreed to paying extra over and above what the original contract stated.

If you’re referencing my quote, I was referring to the OP arguing that they paid under protest (or agreed to pay), not the guest house owners.

I agree that they can’t just take the money

Waffle78 · 13/07/2023 22:20

Just what I was thinking.

ZeldaWillTellYourFortune · 13/07/2023 22:21

SirChenjins · 13/07/2023 21:48

Can’t take money for something that wasn’t agreed - the guest house would have to prove the OP agreed to paying extra over and above what the original contract stated.

The OP admits she agreed.

Some of us keep our word.

I'd like to know what time of day and in what city this occurred.

SamW98 · 13/07/2023 22:38

And reading between the lines it wasn’t booked directly otherwise the grabby shysters would have taken the money already.

If it was booked though booking.com or another 3rd party, the hotelier would have no access to the OPs card details.

SamW98 · 13/07/2023 22:40

And I’m shocked that sone OPs are still trying to justify letting themselves be scammed by pretending it gives them sone sort of moral superiority

No anyone who would have given their money is enabling this sharp practice

whiteroseredrose · 13/07/2023 22:47

If it was through Booking.com let them know.

For future reference Booking.Com will help you if the property cancels. They found me alternative similar accommodation which was more expensive, and billed the difference to the original property owners.

Batalax · 13/07/2023 22:51

Stick to your guns op.

SheilaFentiman · 13/07/2023 22:54

LlynTegid · 13/07/2023 21:02

You don't say what time you arrived and if it was in the UK or not. Very different if it is 3pm in a place with many alternatives, than 10pm at night where you don't have many options.

OP has only posted twice, I think - the rest is speculation.

However. she did say:

”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. “

And given mention of the long journey and that she stayed 2 nights and had a 5am airport call, I would assume she arrived fairly late the first night and was not in the uk. Maybe up in the mountains or coast somewhere and a long drive back to the town near the airport

HighHedges · 13/07/2023 22:56

Gosh that's awful of them, they should have absolutely apologised and taken the upgrade on the chin.

Well done for sneaking out!

stichguru · 13/07/2023 23:01

Yes -leave bad reviews, block and report to trading standards. Ask CAB or possibly trading standards, about where you stand legally on not paying for the upgrade. I don't know, on one hand, you did say you would, so you possibly should. On the other hand though, you should have been offered a room at the price you paid, not basically told you had to pay more if you stayed. It's like these ones where builders have charged more than quoted because it's cost them more.

WomanStanleyWoman2 · 13/07/2023 23:47

Some of us keep our word.

You* keep *saying this like it’s some incredible badge of honour. All it really means is that you’re 100 quid poorer than the OP.

Blossomtoes · 13/07/2023 23:53

I can’t believe some of the sanctimonious posts on here. No wonder scammers keep on doing it with such easy targets.

PrincessFiorimonde · 14/07/2023 00:31

If this had been posted in AIBU, I would definitely have voted YANBU.

OP booked (and presumably paid for) a room at a certain rate. But the guesthouse then tried to change the terms of the agreement.

Perhaps OP should have stood her ground at reception, refused to pay the extra, created merry hell about it with the manager and the booking platform. But she says she was tired from a long journey and also there were no alternative options available nearby (even assuming that the money she'd paid for the room would have been immediately refunded to her). So I can see why she might have agreed, under duress, to the hotel's unreasonable demand. And later thought, 'Why on earth should I pay extra for something I booked and paid for in good faith?'

An earlier poster said that OP should pay the extra because 'Your word is your bond'. Ha ha! Why doesn't that apply to the establishment that took the booking?

The only thing I'd do differently from OP is re: the emails. Just reply, tell the guesthouse it behaved abominably and you'll be leaving reviews all over the place to say so.

NatashaDancing · 14/07/2023 00:51

PrincessFiorimonde · 14/07/2023 00:31

If this had been posted in AIBU, I would definitely have voted YANBU.

OP booked (and presumably paid for) a room at a certain rate. But the guesthouse then tried to change the terms of the agreement.

Perhaps OP should have stood her ground at reception, refused to pay the extra, created merry hell about it with the manager and the booking platform. But she says she was tired from a long journey and also there were no alternative options available nearby (even assuming that the money she'd paid for the room would have been immediately refunded to her). So I can see why she might have agreed, under duress, to the hotel's unreasonable demand. And later thought, 'Why on earth should I pay extra for something I booked and paid for in good faith?'

An earlier poster said that OP should pay the extra because 'Your word is your bond'. Ha ha! Why doesn't that apply to the establishment that took the booking?

The only thing I'd do differently from OP is re: the emails. Just reply, tell the guesthouse it behaved abominably and you'll be leaving reviews all over the place to say so.

I can't believe the sanctimonious posts either. In any case the OP arrived late, the cheaper rooms were overbooked but a more expensive room was available. So the B & B were apparently willing to refund the OP running the risk of leaving the more expensive room empty (I doubt it will get many late night , unbooked, walk -ins) and lose the OP's cash.

I've never been asked to pay to be upgraded if the hotel has made a mistake. It doesn't happen very often but the hotel just takes it on the chin. They may as well have an otherwise empty room filled and the bad PR isn't worth it.

ZeldaWillTellYourFortune · 14/07/2023 02:00

WomanStanleyWoman2 · 13/07/2023 23:47

Some of us keep our word.

You* keep *saying this like it’s some incredible badge of honour. All it really means is that you’re 100 quid poorer than the OP.

No, it means more than that. Pity those who don't comprehend.

user1492757084 · 14/07/2023 03:40

Get in and place a review first. A polite but honest one.

Write, on paper, a polite letter to the hotel explaining your side and that you will not be paying for their mistake.
Keep all records and be prepared to defend in court. (though they would be mad to prosecute.)

Teder · 14/07/2023 05:14

ZeldaWillTellYourFortune · 14/07/2023 02:00

No, it means more than that. Pity those who don't comprehend.

Show quote history

You mean like the hotel who neither “kept their word” nor “kept to the law”?

Glera · 14/07/2023 05:19

Perhaps say you misunderstood and you thought that the room was normally £100 more...not that you were expected to pay it. Or send something like:

' As is your right to notify the booking website, we ourselves with also be doing the same to report them of both

1) being an unreliable property who overbooks,
2) threatening the customer with a higher fee
3) sending rude emails.

In addition, you'll be ensuring all reviews encourage future guests to find an alternative property to avoid risk of an extra fee.

A shame as you had a pleasant stay and would have loved to return but sadly, they've fallen short of the standards assured through the booking'.