MichaelKade

Need some help and suggestions... I'll try to be as brief as possible, feel free to ask for details and I'll fill in as appropriate.

Summary:

Booked a pre-purchase, non-refundable rate in error (I don't remember it ever indicating it was pre-purchase but the folks at IHG swear it did) for a reservation two months in advance. It's a high enough amount that I can't afford to pay in full for it now and will cut into my normal budget for bills. I've called the hotel, corporate, and the CEO of IHG Americas and have basically been told to go pound sand. Is there anything I can do?

Narrative:

On October 13th I made what I thought was a standard reservation for a 3 night stay at Holiday Inn Express in NYC in mid-December. A few days later, I noticed a charge for the full price of the room reservation (roughly $900) on my bank account (debit card used for reservation). I don't make a ton and for me, this is grocery/gas/etc. money. Not expendable income and money I won't have until the December/Christmas paycheck.

I called the hotel that day (less than a week after booking) and was told I had booked a pay upfront, non-refundable rate and there was nothing they could do. After escalating to the GMs office I was told they could change the dates or refund 50%. They said this was due to their franchise agreement with corporate and only they could grant an exception - it was at corporate's sole discretion.

I called the corporate offices and after being hung up on, blind transferred to the front desk of the hotel, I spoke with someone who told me it was the sole discretion of the hotel and there was nothing they could do. I e-mailed Kirk Kinsell (CEO, IHG Americas) and was handled by an executive response representative. After a week of waiting, I followed up and was told that I had indeed booked a pre-purchase, non-refundable rate and they could move my dates or refund 50%, but nothing else.

I am heartbroken as this is money I need to live... Any advice would be appreciated.

htb

Sometimes IHG sells "Best Flexible Rate" as non-refundable, pre-paid. Maybe that's what happened to you? I've almost run into this issue a couple of times and I blame IHG for that.

Since you've already talked to everyone and no-one is willing to help you, the only possibilities left are:

- start a social media shitstorm
- start a class action law suit
- manage to live without the $900 until Christmas

HTB.

Doc Savage

Or take the 50% refund. Did you get a screenshot of your res when you made it? That's the only way to prove it wasn't non-refundable.

Sorry to hear you got stuck paying for something you can't use.

I suppose it is possible you could find someone to pay you for the room, but there are hassles and pitfalls trying to do that.

JumboJet

I know they have to follow policy and were probably offering a lower rate but this IRON FIST kind of thing at a lot of companies seems over the top. I only hope it happens to them and they get treated the same way.

OP sorry looks like you screwed up and your on the hook. I would try and make the dates somehow so they don't get the 50% for being aholes.

Often1

You should have an email confirmation of your reservation. That should tell you the conditions of your booking and should be dispositive. You either booked a prepaid rate or not and that email confirmation will say so.

If you booked a prepaid rate, you have your answer. It's what you booked. If you did not, you have your proof.

Your reference to a 50% refund is unclear. Are they offering you $450 now which you will then pay when you arrive or are they offering you the room for $150/night?

MichaelKade

Thanks all for the quick responses.

They pulled the Web session log which showed a non refundable rate (they say). At this point I'm willing to believe that was possible but I am bewildered that they are so unwilling to help. I contacted them immediately after seeing the charge to notify them of the error... The reservation is two months away, not next week... This is money I literally need to buy groceries with. I simply cannot believe that even if I am 100% to blame here they are unwilling to see that sometimes people make mistakes and show some compassion.

chrism20

I've been here as well, thankfully my one was only for one night and the hotel was cheap as chips.

The attitude you're getting unfortunately is the norm, whilst you may be genuine I bet there is at least a handful of calls to each hotel every week with the same issue, many of them not genuine like yourself.

Do you still have the booking confirmation email? That confirms the rate you booked and will also detail the cancelation procedures/charges.

If you do and it states the rate can be cancelled get on the phone and ask what's going on, I'd also be looking at compensation for the stress caused - a minimum of one nights worth of points for that property possibly more.

If it is an advance purchase rate that's been booked unfortunately there isn't much more you can do and what the hotel is suggesting is actually quite fair as they don't have to do anything. Not what you wanted to hear I know but they could just turn around and say 'you cancel you lose the lot'.

First things first dig out the confirmation email and check that, hopefully they have made the mistake and not you.

AMDB7

I really feel for you, but forget the web session log; do what Often1 says above and check your email confirmation for yourself. His advice is spot-on.

If you did book a clearly non-refundable rate then it's very unfortunate that you did not notice it, as there are prominent notifications as such in the booking process and I'm not sure you have much recourse in this instance. You really are then in the hands of the hotel, and whilst you may feel their offer of a 50% refund isn't good enough they actually don't have to do anything, so I suppose at least they are trying to help maybe?

Wan1dap

Seems like you and the OP like to blame others for your own lack of focus. There is simply no excuse for not carefully reading the details as you make the booking. As for the suggestions about social media and the class action, they're just laughable.

htb

I'm glad I could make you laugh. As for how justified that is depends on how many people actually fall for "Best Flexible Rate" which is fully unflexible. Just up now (Guangzhou, 9/2):

If enough people fall for it, it's misleading. I almost fell for it a couple of times (being used to booking flexible "Best Flexible Rates", so I can imagine that others go all the way. But we had this discussion before and some people here seem to find it fully acceptable to call a rate "Best flexible rate", even though it's not.

As of now we don't know what the OP has actually booked, so it's a moot point to discuss if he is a victim of deceptive advertisement or just a victim of momentary absent-mindedness.

HTB.

Often1

Nothing to be said or done here until OP comes back with his confirmation email (with the identifying information info blanked out).

beachmouse

If you go back to the confirmation e-mail and discover that is both 'Best Flexible' and subsequently described as non-refundable, then an e-mail to the relevant New York regulatory agency (AG's office?) about 'misleading business practices' that is copied to the hotel/IHG can sometimes get you traction to get what you want.

Most businesses just don't want to deal with the bureaucrats and a lot of them will cave at that point. (There have been times where the only way I can get my slow-paying health insurance company to cut the check they were supposed to cut a month ago was to threaten to report them to state regulators, and surprise, check is in the mail next business day.)

MichaelKade

I went back and it does say non-refundable at the top of the initial booking page but not next to the individual prices nor the page where credit card information is entered (it's embedded within a link one must click).

I am sick to my stomach... I truly cannot afford this. :-/

Gagravarr

It's too late now, but in most cases (the odd non-refundable Best Flexible snaffu mentioned withstanding), it's quite clear what the rates are when booking if you know what words to look for.

Once you've picked a hotel for the date in question, it should show you advanced purchase rates (if available) and flexible ones, along with descriptions and details, like this:


Then, on the left on the booking confirmation page it lists deposit and booking cancellation details:


It's a mistake many of here have made at least once, so you're not alone. Next time, you need to keep an eye out for things like in the screenshots above, to see what conditions apply before you book

Often1

Any chance that you have a CC? You may find the property willing to charge the CC and refund the DC. That will mean making a minimum payment for each of the next few months and accumulating some interest, but at least you will have the $900 for immediate expenses.