chunky649

What you're describing as "uncommon" is common with me. and I've stayed probably 10x more HI/HIx then you. Unless your credit card is on file on the IHG website, you ALWAYS have to leave a credit card "on file" for incidentals and damages. By the way, that form they have you sign (at least in America) should contain the legalese stating that the hotel can charge you for anything you take/damage without asking for your permission.

You admitted guilt. They have proof. You were charged "full retail" plus whatever they tacked on administrative/service. What are they suppose to do? Haggle with you on what you can find at the outlet mall during the last memorial-day special sale? Put yourself in their shoes: if they didn't charge your credit card preemptively, and wrote you a polite letter asking you for money, would you not ignore it as well? How much time and resources will they have to spend to chase you down?

It looks like this hotel is diligent in keeping evidence. If you file a dispute with your credit card company, they will most likely fight back, and with evidence, win. You end up still paying (small chance that the charge will decrease), and you left a black mark on your credit card record - unjust dispute/complaint.

thelostshark

Excellent post! Click on the link and one can buy the "same sheets the hotel uses," the most expensive of which are $70.

Depending on how they respond to the OP, I'd be inclined to ask what type of sheets they were, and offer to pay the price quoted on their web site.

I agree that it is fair for the hotel to charge something, but $261 is roughly 4 times the overpriced sheets they have for sale. tls

jabbered

$70 is per sheet. It looks like multiple sheets were marked on. A mattress pad could also be easily bled on through the sheet.

$260 does seem excessive and I'd ask for a detailed bill of the charges.

chrism20

Which is the retail price, you can bet that the hotels will be buying through a bulk deal with IHG, if they are paying $25 for them I'll be astonished.

The charge levied is outrageous, I agree the OP should voluntarily make some payment towards the replacement but what they have been charged is disproportionate to say the least.

Following the charge the OP should have been sent an invoice and PDQ receipt for the transaction, also check with your card issuer to see if the transaction has been processed as customer present, if it has you're bargaining power immediately increases.

jabbered

Agreed that most hotels would buy in bulk. This could explain the charge that whoever said charge this much failed to calculate price per rather just used the cost of 20 sheets (example).



I do have a few questions for the OP:


How many days after checkout did the extra charge post?

What manager are you in communication with? The GM? When was your last attempt to contact?




It wouldn't surprise me for this charge to be a week or so after you departed. I would guess the hotel tried to launder themselves 1 or 2 times, then possibly sent to a professional/dry cleaner. When returned and still damaged, they then started process of finding out how much and charged for the items.

jfalfarord

The charge went through my credit card 2 days after checkout (which means they did the charge the same day of checkout, it generally takes 2-3 days for these charges to appear).

I noticed the charge this Monday (28 days after checkout), when I reviewed my credit card statement. I emailed the general hotel email that appears at their webpage requesting the charge to be reimbursed given that I paid with points.

After 24 hours without response from hotel, I opened a report with IHG. Then the General Manager of the hotel (whom I actually met during my stay, he is actually the owner) emailed me within minutes, explaining the linen issue. That was yesterday (Tuesday) afternoon. Yesterday evening I replied the GM apologizing and offering to pay reasonable cleaning or replacing expenses, but that the $261.97 is an exaggeration.

It´s been 24 hours now from my reply and no response yet. If by tomorrow evening I do not get a response I will contact IHG following the report that I already raised and explaining the situation.

nacho

I don't know how worn the sheets are, but in some of the HIX and CY I stayed in the US - they were so worn that it's for cleaning car/washing floor. If it's the case, then I think the hotel is trying to make some $ out of this.

If the GM is the owner, I can imagine the hotel is running on maximizing income and reduce costs. It makes sense because this is how businesses run, but then it becomes very stingy and could leave a bad impression to customers - I doubt that OP will stay there again nor he will recommend the hotel to anyone.

I don't know if this kind of things only happen in the US and China. When my parents went to China with tour group, when they check out, the hotel always send someone to check all the rooms. Once they broke a glass and they were told to pay CNY 3 for it - they are perfectly ok with it, they broke the glass, they pay for the real cost. Once we were at Fairfield Inn in Fresno, I saw a note saying that the towels are not for cleaning shoes (I was shocked to see that), and they said for any unreasonable stains they will charge the guest. What's the definition of 'unreasonable' stains? Does period stain from ladies counts? What about some seniors who have bladder issues?

I do believe hotels have some kind of insurances against these damages (at least these never happens in Europe and most parts of Asia).

Nowadays there are very good stain removers available in supermarket - here we have Vanish - it removes blackberry juice. I have done that recently - those marker stains are not permanent (I haven't seen any kiddy markers are made of permanent ink). I think that they are water based and therefore it can be washed away.

I think the issue here is that the hotel didn't notifiy him about the charge - how much cost does it involve in writing a simple email? If the hotel is smart, they would write an email and telling OP about the incident and told him the actual cost of removing the stains, and then ask for payment. Simply billing someone $261 without telling them is unprofessional.

Of course the hotel have administrative costs, and they are allowed to charge whatever they want. However this is not a standard practice in every hotel in the US, the hotel can loose customers by being so stingy to them.

I have kids too - this is our usual drill when we enter a hotel room: Unplug the phone(s), empty the minibar (put all the items in a high shelf in the closet), remove the kettle (if there is one), take away all the documents, flyers, etc., remove the pen and paper., make sure that there is nothing they can draw on/with in their bags, remove all the toiletries (if they have their own room).

Not that I think they will try to use their power to ruin the room, but kids are kids, when they are under 4, they don't always realise that there are something they shouldn't do. Now that they are older we can explain to them not to touch the minibar, or damaging properties (we still put those things away if they are staying in a separate room).

If this whole thing doesn't work out, I'd write and share my experience with others about this hotel on TA. I hope OP will get something worked out, please report back!

AMDB7

My experience concurs with those of others that this is nothing out of the ordinary - I am usually requested for a cc authorisation at check-in on points nights.

I'm not sure why so many people are outraged by the $260-odd charges for the damages your children caused, as without knowing exactly the extent of the damage it's impossible to say whether that is fair or not; it would be very easy to cause $260 damages with a marker pen to even the lowest grade of hotel room, but you need to request a breakdown and proof of the charges to be certain.

I've only ever had one real experience of causing damage to bedding in a hotel; my wife had a coughing fit whilst lying in bed and holding a glass of red wine in an HI room, and it went everywhere. Sheets, pillows, duvet, valence, and carpet. I never would have believed that one glass of red could cause that much carnage in a room, but it looked more like a crime scene. We were both horrified and immediately contacted reception to let them know of the damage and request new bedding, adding that we would of course pay for any deep-cleaning to bedding or carpet etc, or replacements as required. The staff were gracious and kind and replaced everything with no fuss and told us not to worry. I mentioned it again at check-out, and once again I was told not to worry. No charges were ever raised, but I would have paid them without hesitation if they had been.

nicolas75

This is the reason why:
http://www.wholesalelinenssupply.com...-list.htm#sec3

Jaimito Cartero

Huh? I don't see mention of bedbugs in the OP.

nicolas75

Interesting insights:

http://www.washingtonpost.com/lifest...0da_story.html

jayer

Without re-reading the thread, you did confiscate the suspect markers the budding artists used to verify it was permanent ink and really would not come out of a white cloth with chlorine bleach? I thought that was why hotel linens are always white. Not to mention why kids markers might be bright colors but were always washable.

AMDB7

But as I stated in my post you partially quoted, it is impossible to know whether to be outraged or not until we know the full extent of the damage, broken down and verified with proof of costings. If the hotel is trying to make money out of this then I will happily join in the outrage as that is clearly wrong.

I'm just suggesting that the cost of a couple of wholesale sheets may, or may not, be the sum total of the damages caused, and we should hold back on outrage or agreement until we know more. How long is a bit of string, by the way?

I agree that it's bad practice for the hotel not to contact the guest prior to the charges on their cc, but it's also bad practice to let your child play with a marker pen in a hotel room, accidentally or not.

tom_MN

Sometimes they do require a swipe, it just depends on the hotel. Usually no, not even a request to show any ID.

As to the automatic charges, I agree that not contacting the customer before the charge seems wrong, however it is typically done this way with damage to rental cars and in instances like your example. I assume that it is because a fair number of people don't read their monthly statements so this is the path of least resistance. Sending a letter announces the charge.

Often1

For all those who want notice, how about -- when you (or your kids) do obvious damage to a room -- you notify the FD and then follow up with the appropriate senior person asking what the damage will be?

"Sorry my kid marked up your sheets, please let me know what it will all cost".