Originally Posted by
ffgap
I don't think this is gonna fly in Europe? Did they inform you of the EUR 264 cancellation fee during booking? If not, this is likely unenforceable.
If it comes to it, it is their claim so they will have to prove you are liable to cough up the money.
They have always stated this on the final page when booking on their website.
Originally Posted by
ffgap
They cannot change the contract retroactively without the OP's consent. And consumer-protection laws in the EU most likely require the hotel/Marriott to disclose the no-show fee prominently during booking. This cannot be just be calculated based on a clause buried deep in the T&C.
I really don't think they have changed the contract, as I state above, it is prominently displayed on the bottom of the booking page (and not hidden in the T&Cs).
However, in my recollection, they used to actually state a dollar amount, even when you booked with points. I may be wrong, but I take the erroneous punctuation as an indication that things may have recently changed. As you will see below, when you book with points, there is now only mention of a nebulous "fee." For the contract lawyers among us, it may be worth arguing what a reasonable fee is. If the exact method of calculating the fee is not mentioned somewhere in the T&C, I think it would be hard legally to extract exorbitant amounts, but I wouldn't want to pay for the privilege of proving it in court....
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Final confirmation screen when booking with cash.
Final confirmation screen when booking with points.