Hilton HHonors - Appropriate compensation for mistaken hotel charge to my credit card?

Folks,

I am an SPG Gold, but have only the entry-level status in the HHonors programme.

I took a trip to South Africa last month and returned to discover that my credit card had been charged for a stay at the Jo'burg (Sandton) Hilton. However, I had cancelled that reservation well in advance of the date when I had been planning to stay there - so the hotel charged me for a stay that I did not make.

It took several phone calls, and several follow-up emails and phone calls before this got sorted out. I wasted several hours in total, which is significant to anyone, particularly to self-employed consultants.

No compensation was offered for this foul-up. I asked the London-based Hilton employee who served as a middle-person between me and the hotel, if there was any compensation available. She told me that the hotel would offer me an upgrade if I were to stay there in future. I replied that this was not particularly useful to someone who lives in Canada and who might never visit South Africa again. She replied that nothing further could be done.

I'm somewhat disappointed by that response. Perhaps it is simply my experience in dealing with SPG, but I would have thought that a global hotel brand had some discretion to make some sort of goodwill gesture to an occasional (and potential future) customer whose time they had wasted.

Was I expecting too much of HHonors to receive something (anything) as a token of compensation (points, transferrable upgrade, etc.)? As it stands, I have even less incentive to give Hilton my business in future, and some incentive to offer negative reviews of the HHonors programme to friends and colleagues.

As it stands, I have even less incentive to give Hilton my business in future, and some incentive to offer negative reviews of the HHonors programme to friends and colleagues.

I think that slamming HHonors (or Hilton in general) because of the error of one hotel is completely unreasonable, regardless of whether further compensation is warranted.

(And FWIW, I'm not convinced that further compensation is necessarily warranted, either.)

Mike

Did they reverse the charge in full?

I think that slamming HHonors (or Hilton in general) because of the error of one hotel is completely unreasonable, regardless of whether further compensation is warranted.

(And FWIW, I'm not convinced that further compensation is necessarily warranted, either.)

Mike


I appreciate the input, seriously. But, just to clarify, I'm not "slamming" them. I'm offering negative feedback based on the hassle that I experienced, and the lack of any goodwill gesture on the part of the company. You might be right that no further compensation is "warranted". But, I know from my experience with SPG, that any inconvenience imposed upon a customer is usually accompanied by some sort of token.

I appreciate the input, seriously. But, just to clarify, I'm not "slamming" them. I'm offering negative feedback based on the hassle that I experienced, and the lack of any goodwill gesture on the part of the company.

:rolleyes: Really? You just said that you're considering never staying with Hilton again, and considering telling everyone you know how bad HHonors is, all over this incident.

If that's not slamming them, I don't know what is.

You might be right that no further compensation is "warranted". But, I know from my experience with SPG, that any inconvenience imposed upon a customer is usually accompanied by some sort of token.

Just because SPG gives it, does that necessarily mean that the recipient deserved it?

Mike

File it under "Stuff Happens" and move on. If you were an elite HH member, I would have expected Hilton to offer some points to calm your feathers. As a non-elite, they wouldn't expect you to give much value to points and certainly wouldn't offer cash. You probably don't feel good about Hilton at this point, so stop staying there. With so many non-Hilton cloices, you shouldn't have to.

Why didn't you jsut call your credit card company and have them deal with it?

It took several phone calls, and several follow-up emails and phone calls before this got sorted out. I wasted several hours in total, which is significant to anyone, particularly to self-employed consultants.

Was I expecting too much of HHonors to receive something (anything) as a token of compensation (points, transferrable upgrade, etc.)? As it stands, I have even less incentive to give Hilton my business in future, and some incentive to offer negative reviews of the HHonors programme to friends and colleagues.

Like party-boy I am surprised that you did not simply refered the disputed amount to your credit card company. They handle these types of disputes all of the time. All that was necessary was for you to dispute the charge and quote your cancelation number.

I would not expect any compensation in similar circumstances, and I am a Diamond member.

Like party-boy I am surprised that you did not simply refered the disputed amount to your credit card company. They handle these types of disputes all of the time. All that was necessary was for you to dispute the charge and quote your cancelation number.

I would not expect any compensation in similar circumstances, and I am a Diamond member.

While it is always nice to have a company bend over backwards in making amends to an offended customer, whatever their level, it does not always happen.

I concur... I would not expect any compensation and after an initial call (or email) to the hotel - if the charge was not resolved, I would have sent it to the DD. If no resolution there, then to the CC. That would have resolved the situation.

I agree with everyone else. There was no other compensation necessary, especially since you could have just turned the matter over to your credit card company, with the cancellation number, and been done with it.

I agree with everyone else. There was no other compensation necessary, especially since you could have just turned the matter over to your credit card company, with the cancellation number, and been done with it.
I think the OP's compensation is learning this lesson: when you need to dispute a charge on your credit card, it almost always is easiery to deal directly with the cc company than with the merchant. (The cc company will typically ask you if you contacted the merchant, but it's ok to say that you have not.)

Years ago my parents rented a car in Europe, and when they returned, the rental car company had significantly overcharged their credit card. My mother sat down and wrote a long letter to the cc company and included copies of her cc bill and the car rental receipt. When I saw this, I told her to forget the letter and just call AMEX. One 10-minute call later, everything was taken care of.

Similarly, I cancelled a hotel reservation in Paris last year, but was charged a no-show fee nonetheless. One call to AMEX and it was all taken care of.

Note that it is very important to keep cancellation numbers when cancelling hotel reservations. With the number, it makes the whole process much smoother.

I think the OP's compensation is learning this lesson: when you need to dispute a charge on your credit card, it almost always is easiery to deal directly with the cc company than with the merchant. (The cc company will typically ask you if you contacted the merchant, but it's ok to say that you have not.)

Years ago my parents rented a car in Europe, and when they returned, the rental car company had significantly overcharged their credit card. My mother sat down and wrote a long letter to the cc company and included copies of her cc bill and the car rental receipt. When I saw this, I told her to forget the letter and just call AMEX. One 10-minute call later, everything was taken care of.

Similarly, I cancelled a hotel reservation in Paris last year, but was charged a no-show fee nonetheless. One call to AMEX and it was all taken care of.

Note that it is very important to keep cancellation numbers when cancelling hotel reservations. With the number, it makes the whole process much smoother.


Thanks to all who have replied to my post. The advice to contact the CC company is advice that I will certainly heed next time. This was the first time that this has happened to me, and the process of getting shuffled around between different Hilton agents on 3 different continents was what contribued to most of my frustration. I had figured they should want to make it up to me somehow, but I realize now that I also contributed to my own headaches by not going directly to the credit card company.

Cheers

Folks,

I am an SPG Gold, but have only the entry-level status in the HHonors programme.

I took a trip to South Africa last month and returned to discover that my credit card had been charged for a stay at the Jo'burg (Sandton) Hilton. However, I had cancelled that reservation well in advance of the date when I had been planning to stay there - so the hotel charged me for a stay that I did not make.

It took several phone calls, and several follow-up emails and phone calls before this got sorted out. I wasted several hours in total, which is significant to anyone, particularly to self-employed consultants.

No compensation was offered for this foul-up. I asked the London-based Hilton employee who served as a middle-person between me and the hotel, if there was any compensation available. She told me that the hotel would offer me an upgrade if I were to stay there in future. I replied that this was not particularly useful to someone who lives in Canada and who might never visit South Africa again. She replied that nothing further could be done.

I'm somewhat disappointed by that response. Perhaps it is simply my experience in dealing with SPG, but I would have thought that a global hotel brand had some discretion to make some sort of goodwill gesture to an occasional (and potential future) customer whose time they had wasted.

Was I expecting too much of HHonors to receive something (anything) as a token of compensation (points, transferrable upgrade, etc.)? As it stands, I have even less incentive to give Hilton my business in future, and some incentive to offer negative reviews of the HHonors programme to friends and colleagues.

I don't think they were wrong in not providing compensation. S*it happens. I'm a HH Gold, and had a double bill form a recent stay in Myrtle Beach. Instead of dealing with the HHonors desk, I simply called AMEX, sent them the folio for my room, and asked that they contest the charge. Done. I don't think just b/c the property billed me twice due to computer error or employee error I was entitled to anything (and my time is valuable, as is everyone else's on this board).

My $.02

Of many posts I've read, this one certainly does not require compensation. The hotel made a mistake, most likely the person who cancelled the reservation did not cancel it correctly. They credited back your credit card. You want a transferable upgrade or points for this? I don't think so.

I think the offer of the hotel to give you an upgrade next time you stay there is generous enough. It is not there issue that you most likely won't be back in that country.

I don't think they were wrong in not providing compensation. S*it happens. I'm a HH Gold, and had a double bill form a recent stay in Myrtle Beach. Instead of dealing with the HHonors desk, I simply called AMEX, sent them the folio for my room, and asked that they contest the charge. Done. I don't think just b/c the property billed me twice due to computer error or employee error I was entitled to anything (and my time is valuable, as is everyone else's on this board).

My $.02If your time is so valuable, why bother to spend it posting essentially the same thing that has been said ten times already? :confused:

a refund to your VISA/MC.

Stuff happens like this all the time. Welcome to the age of computers. My buddy says, "to error is human, to really screw things up takes a computer!"

This definitely falls under the "sh*t happens" category.

Compensation? "Sorry Mr. XXXXX. We will correct that for you immediately."

Dawn

If your time is so valuable, why bother to spend it posting essentially the same thing that has been said ten times already? :confused:

Thanks for the insight. I failed to read the entire thread, and responded to the OP. I should have spent more of my time reading through it. I'll do better next time.

Thanks to all who have replied to my post. The advice to contact the CC company is advice that I will certainly heed next time. This was the first time that this has happened to me, and the process of getting shuffled around between different Hilton agents on 3 different continents was what contribued to most of my frustration. I had figured they should want to make it up to me somehow, but I realize now that I also contributed to my own headaches by not going directly to the credit card company.

CheersThe OP has obviously learned a useful tip about disputing CC charges. I certainly understand the fustration ottawaflyer21 felt in dealing with this, which highlights why it is especially nice to have the CC dispute rights when dealing with a hotel, rental car company, or whoever on another continent.

I wish this were compensation-worthy, but it really isn't.

I have been dealing with the Arizona Biltmore over a botched charge for the last 2 weeks and I wouldn't expect anything beyond a reversal of the erroneous charges.