Originally Posted by
joachimm
From
https://www.flyertalk.com/forum/36678635-post1020.html
js1993 where is this "standard" documented outside of blog posts? The cancellation language is "
FULL PREPAYMENT AT TIME OF BOOKING/NON REFUNDABLE/NO CHANGES". In this case the "prepayment" is in points. There's not a prepayment in cash, or even a pre-auth on the credit card. As I understand it, the fee is charged manually, and not necessarily on the day that the cancellation is processed, so the "cash rate" fee is never disclosed and can be impacted by the hotel's manual process.
I believe non-refundable means the currency used to purchase something can not be refunded. Not that the merchant can charge a fee in a different currency that has no defined exchange rate. If this is not possible due to some issue internal to the merchant, I'm not sure why that should be imposed on me, the consumer.
It would be different if the language said very clearly "CANCELLATION WILL RESULT IN A CHARGED FEE EQUAL THE CASH RATE OF THE CURRENT AVAILABLE ROOM OR SUITE". This is not stated anywhere that I've seen, you just have to know about it because you obsessively read travel blogs.
It is part of the T&Cs you agreed to when you joined and participate in WoH ...
"
If a Member cancels an Award Reservation in compliance with the applicable hotel’s or resort’s cancellation policy, any corresponding points that have been deducted from the Member’s account (or the applicable award) will be returned to the account within approximately three (3) days of the cancellation. If a Member does not follow the proper cancellation policy for the applicable hotel or resort or if a Member does not check into the hotel or resort when scheduled, the credit card provided with the Award Reservation will be charged the Standard Rate then being offered by that hotel or resort on the date charged in accordance with the hotel’s or resort’s cancellation or no-show policy and any points/award redeemed for the applicable Award Reservation will be returned to the Member’s account, except that – if for any reason the credit card provided with the Award Reservation cannot be charged – Hyatt reserves the right, in its sole discretion, to (a) attempt to charge any other payment method we have on file for such Member and/or (b) retain (or deduct from the Member’s account) the points or award redeemed for the applicable Award Reservation."