Hotel wants full upfront payment by bank transfer

[tarantule]

Booking to go away and staying two nights at a small family run hotel. It's peak season. They have asked for full upfront payment by bank transfer, which is not easy to do as it's on a small island in the Caribbean.

We thought we could just pay a deposit by card or on arrival as we usually do in the region.

We said we're happy to pay a deposit of one night and we'll pay cash for the rest when we arrive. But hotel owner is insisting that full payment must be made now. The hotel has a few bad reviews where people say the hotel kept the full balance when they could no longer make it (for a variety of reasons).

Would you do it or not?

Absolutely not. At least with a card payment you can raise a charge if you don't get the service. Bank transfer is gone forever. I wouldn't trust a business who pulled this shit.

If you can no longer make it then why should the hotel lose money in peak season (or any season)? You need travel insurance to cover that. However, no, I would not do a bank transfer unless it was a hotel with excellent reviews, and I could afford to lose the money if I turned up and there was a major issue for some reason ( eg, booked hotel with Aircon, but it was broken). Having said that, I have taken the risk in the past when travelling to less developed countries!

NOOOOO.

Find somewhere reputable.

@tarantule Would you do it or not?

No. That's not an acceptable reservation policy imo. And you can multiply "the few bad reviews" by the number of people who also had a bad experience but didn't post it.

It's only 2 nights, so I would pay it. If people don't turn up, they have every right to charge them as otherwise the hotel would lose money. That's what travel insurance is for.

It’s not the full payment that worries me, it’s the insistence of bank transfer, not credit card.

lots of hotels have a no refund policy - I don’t think they should have to reimburse if YOU cancel - but they let you pay via the method most convenient for you.

find another hotel, op.

no to bank transfer

also with bad reviews what’s the point? So many hotels around.. which island you’re going to?

Say that you'll be happy to pay in full in advance by credit card. So long as it's over £100 the credit card company will do a chargeback to you if they let you down.

Also, buy travel insurance to protect yourself.

Small businesses need to protect themselves from no-shows too.

I feel that lots of hotels want upfront payment?

If you can't make it, why should a small family fun hotel lose out? Is there a cancellation policy? how much are we actually talking?

Not via bank transfer

No to this from the hotel. Find a more reputable establishment to stay in for these two nights. They’re likely to be drowning in debt or are teetering on the edge of bankruptcy.

If it all goes belly up which is likely you will not see one pence returned from a bank transfer,

No!

Find an hotel in the same area on a booking site such as Booking. Com or Expedia etc and book it that way. Then you can pay by card and find a cancellation policy to suit you.

The upfront payment isn't a problem, but I wouldn't want to only have the option of bank transfer. Personally prefer to pay with credit card for that kind of thing.

No not a bank transfer. You'd have no protection from the bank at all if any issues. I'd find another hotel.

How much is it?

It wasn't an enormous amount of money - around £600.

I asked the owner if we could be sent a payment link as they advertise on their website the ability to pay by credit card. I have not received a response.

It's a shame because the hotel looks lovely, even accounting for the few bad reviews. But it looks like they want your money with no avenues for complaint - suspicious.

Just don’t do it, please. Does it not appear on other booking sites? That in itself is suspicious.

It’s very common in some countries - we’ve been asked to do this a few times in ski resorts in Austria (but they have had alternative options when we have pointed out it isn’t that easy from the UK in a non-euro currency). Not necessarily a scam.

I don’t think anyone has said it is a scam but a risk. If something goes wrong you have no legal protection.

It's a no from me.

£600 for 2 nights is a lot per night, and to some people is an enormous amount full stop.

Lots of people up thread implying it was a scam! “Find somewhere more reputable” “That in itself is suspicious” etc

It is a faff, and it is fair enough for OP not to want to bother. But likely not a scam.

The hotel had ‘a few bad reviews where people say the hotel kept the full balance when they could no longer make it’

This is not a valid reason for a bad review if they tried to cancel after a certain period. Many hotels in peak season will not refund if you cancel close to the date. Even big hotels will want a deposit then full payment 2 weeks prior. I am currently in Greece at a very nice place, booked through our regular agent and full payment needed to be made 2 weeks prior. No refund after this point. £9.5k for a week.
That’s what insurance is for.

the only issue I have is the bank transfer incase the hotel itself doesn’t live up to it’s responsibility

and ‘a few bad reviews’? Find me a single place with no bad reviews. If it’s from people who cancelled last minute and are upset at having to pay then I’m on the hotel’s side

Agree with @yakkity

Action Fraud suggest otherwise.
https://www.actionfraud.police.uk/alert/booking-com-alert

It’s important people are vigilant.

How do you even know if it's the correct bank details given. If you are corresponding by email then it could have been intercepted by scammers
I agree don't pay by bank transfer especially if they say they accept credit card