Can a foreign hotel take legal action against you?

[Lilly1102]

I booked a hotel in Norway ages ago a life got in the way and I only got round to trying to cancel today. I thought it would’ve been a standard 3 day cancellation policy but when I checked today it’s 30 days!!! I know this is such a lesson to always read the fine print.

I sent a very polite email saying that actually, the reason I’m cancelling is due to a change of financial circumstances in the first place and asked politely if they could cancel my room and waive the fee (there’s still 2 weeks for someone to book).

The entire hotel stay would’ve been £2500 for a hotel in Norway and the hotel manager replied back saying everyone needs to adhere and pay and she offered me 4 months of £700 instalments.

They tried to take the money out today (ironically after I emailed to cancel) and it got declined because actually I’m maxed out on overdraft. I then ordered a new card with a new number in the hopes that they’ll never be successful in taking £2500+ out. I would be happy to pay a 1 nightly fee , that seems reasonable.

I’ve emailed them again apologising and saying I’m happy for them to ban me from their hotel list (it’s not really a chain) and I offered to pay some of it just not all (waiting for a response). It really has caused me great stress and anxiety because OBVIOUSLY if I knew they would charge the full amount within 30 days I would’ve cancelled sooner.

Tbh I’ve never heard of a 30 day cancellation policy before so this is new to me, I’ve only ever seen 3 days max.

i KNOW this is my fault and a lesson learnt but realistically, can a Norwegian hotel take legal action and will I get a bad mark on my credit score for this?

it’s causing me great monetary worry. I’m hoping the hotel manager sympathises because I’ve told her that I can’t even afford the monthly payment she’s offered me!

If the OP paid by card, debit or credit, then I think as a previous poster has said then the pre-authorisation will carry through to any new card on the same account, and the hotel will be able to keep trying to collect payment.

In the first post, OP asked if the hotel could take legal action and whether it could affect her credit score. I couldn't comment on the hotel's possible remedies, but I imagine that her credit card being declined would do the latter all by itself.

I've also done an advanced search for OP's other posts and I have to say there is a very obvious 'woe is me' victimhood theme throughout all of them, complemented nicely by ever-mounting piles of industrial-strength self-delusion like we've seen from OP this morning.

I hope your employer cottons on to you. For an employee at a hedge fund you really have no clue about money.

“As I say, if I were the hotel manager and someone apologised profusely / showed me their financial situation I wouldn’t even consider perusing it.”

Do you run your own business? I’m beginning to see why you might be in the financial position that you are.

There will be financial propriety in the employment contract. (I’m in HR in the City). So risking being dismissed too.

For an employee at a hedge fund you really have no clue about money.

Really? I didn't know that claim. Rapidly revising my credibility rating.

If I want to book holidays, even though it leads me to overdraft then so be it! Spending money on experiences is never a bad thing, you can’t regret it!

You can regret it when you're in serious debt or have companies pursuing you through the courts for money.
Hopefully this experience has taught you a lesson on not booking things you can't follow through on and checking the cancellation policy more thoroughly.

I would resssure my friend and tell them not to worry.

Good thing I don’t work in the ‘finance’ aspect then. God, just be nice

Just an update that the hotel very kindly accepted my apology and said that on this occasion they’ll waive the fee :)

thanks to all who answered with actually useful info and not just to be rude

Excellent news Lill, thanks for the update.

Ugh I’ve never felt less happy for someone. You didn’t deserve their good faith. Your entitlement and ignorance is some of the worst I’ve seen on this forum. Using ‘mental health’ as a shield for your shitty attitude is also deeply offensive to people who are genuinely unwell.

I don't feel the same as most on this thread, I think giving them two weeks to resell the room at the most popular time of year is absolutely fine, and that's why they have released you from the contract- they realise getting into a legal dispute with you is fruitless and costs them, whereas reselling a room in a popular destination over Christmas is going to be pretty easy- most places are fully booked by now.

I don't think a terrible moral crime has been committed here, you did the wrong thing as in broke the contract, but I also agree that hotels have all kinds of cancellation policies and you can get caught out, and often if you throw yourself on their mercy they will be understanding given the circumstances, you weren't cancelling on the day and so they can easily resell.

Honestly, you don’t deserve their goodwill. But I hope you learn this lesson. If it happens again, you go in with the knowledge you’ll be completely fucked if a hotel, airline or other company decides to pursue you for debt owed within the EEA/EU.

And while it transpires you work for a hedge fund, in a non-financial role, you should know better. Just because you’re not in a financial position, it doesn’t mean you can be ignorant. You could lose your job still if your credit profile tanks.

Quite frankly, I don’t care about the hotel. It’s not selfish

But you expected them to care about you though didn't you? You expected them to have compassion and understanding towards you, while utterly refusing to have any yourself.

And that's what's going wrong in the world, people demanding things from others they're not willing to give themselves and making themselves into the victim of the scenario if they think they're going to be treated the way they treat others.

You'll come unstuck one day, citing poor mental health doesn't get you a free pass to behave how you like and never have to deal with the concequences of that.

I think you need to grow up. You've entered into a financial contract. You can't plead and beg because 'life got in the way'. They have been reasonable and made adjustments for you difficult position but really if you are flying that close to overdraft then Norway is not a place to be booking hotels!

You absolutely take the biscuit OP. What a piss taker.

Quite.

As for

I’m a loving, kind person. Quite frankly, I don’t care about the hotel. It’s not selfish.

... do you even hear yourself?

hope karma hits you hard

what goes around comes around, especially to an entitled turd like you

How will they fill the room now for 23-24-25-26 December?
You know there is this little thing called Christmas. People have already got their plans organised. There are not a whole load of people looking to go to Norway to a top hotel for those days who haven't already booked.
The OP knew ages ago that she couldn't go but just got around to cancelling. Such a shit thing to do

Going by the number of people saying to just not pay, there are a lot of shitty people on MN

@Lilly1102

I’m a loving, kind person. Quite frankly, I don’t care about the hotel.
The irony of these two sentences escapes you doesn't it

@Lilly1102

i never expect my friends to pay me back for anything. Ever
More fool you then. That's not being kind. That's being mug.

If I want to book holidays, even though it leads me to overdraft then so be it! Spending money on experiences is never a bad thing, you can’t regret it!
Well no. I guess you don't regret it as you aren't the one stung with the loss when you cancel last minute and don't pay.
You sound like the worst kind of person.
Entitled. Refuses to accept responsibility and feels justified because of your mental health.
Just shocking.

So was your booking for December? I'd say it is massively unreasonable to think you could cancel a 4 day stay and get a refund at 2 weeks notice. Its a peak time of year and way too late for them to sell it again. They have decided to eat the loss but that doesn't make it right. You booked it, you should have paid for it or cancelled in good time.

Did they?

How convenient.

Just wanted to say that if hotels and other travel providers have a cancellation policy they usually ask for a deposit on booking and full payment ahead of that cancellation deadline. If one does not make the full payment or the hotel is unable to take payment via the credit card given on the booking by this deadline the booking is cancelled by the hotel. If they offer free cancellation then they will usually ask for the payment on check out so do not charge you ahead of time.

The hotel failed to try and take payment from you before the 30 day deadline with the credit card provided at the point of booking or contact you when that payment method failed at which point the booking could have been cancelled by them. They probably realised the mistake of not taking the credit card payment at the 30 day marker when you emailed to cancel and thus tried to take it at that point but failed.

I realise they might be an independent hotel etc. but I personally think you are not totally to blame here. Yes out of fairness if you knew you couldn’t go you should have told them earlier, but they should have tried to take payment earlier too and cancelled the booking if they failed to take payment. That is why those deadlines exist so they either get paid or they release the room which allows enough time for a new booking. They have failed to do this at the 30 day marker and then tried to rectify their mistake by making you pay regardless of the fact they could sell the room again.

Please don’t feel bad, it was mistakes on both sides and it’s amicably sorted now!

Plus Norway at Christmas in Northern Lights season with two weeks to go, I think they’ll have no problem selling the room!