Hotel not refunding 'Book with confidence' cancellation
Jul 6, 2021, 4:56 am
#1
Original Poster
Join Date: May 2005
Location: London
Programs: BA Silver, FB Plat, Accor Gold, IHG Gold, Wyndham Rewards Gold, BW Gold
Posts: 1,096
Hotel not refunding 'Book with confidence' cancellation
Over three weeks ago I booked a night's accommodation at the Ibis Styles, Leeds, UK, but then cancelled the booking a day later because of a date change. 'Book with confidence' is a flexible rate, whereby payment is taken on booking, but refunded if cancellation is made at least three days before the date of stay. On the rare occasions I have cancelled this type of booking since the pandemic began, the refund has been made within three or four days automatically.
Since no refund had been made after a week, I emailed the hotel and politely asked for them to deal with the matter promptly. After a further week without acknowledgement of my email or refund, I wrote a second time.and received a reply apologising and telling me that the refund had now been processed and the accounts department had been asked to treat the matter urgently.
Six days on from this, still having received no refund, I phoned the accor customer service platinum line, where the helpful agent told me that she would write an internal email (not to the generic H plus number) directly to the General manager. She confirmed this via an email to me, in which she had asked that she also be copied in to any correspondence so that she could monitor the progress, or lack of it. That was two days ago and the General Manage has not contacted me, nor has the refund been made.
In the meantime, a colleague with whom I am travelling had the same problem and has received no reply to any of his four emails, two addressed to the General Manager. He (a Gold member) also made a call to the normal customer service line who sent a similar email to the hotel and who also suggested my colleague might insitigate a refund through his credit card provider, explaining that Ibis Styles was a franchise like many other (most?) accor hotels and accor itself could not make refunds.
We have both since made individual bookings at the Leeds Novotel, in which I have already stayed.
I cannot believe that we are the only two clients who are in this situation. Perhaps the hotel has cash-flow problems and simply does not wish to make refunds. The silence and what I now think was simply a 'tell him the cheque is in the post' reply are suspicious.
Has anyone any suggestions? One fantasises about going in to the hotel in person when in Leeds and creating a fuss, refusing to leave until the refund is made, but I know that is not going to happen.
Franchise or not, the hotel is still trading under the accor name.
Since no refund had been made after a week, I emailed the hotel and politely asked for them to deal with the matter promptly. After a further week without acknowledgement of my email or refund, I wrote a second time.and received a reply apologising and telling me that the refund had now been processed and the accounts department had been asked to treat the matter urgently.
Six days on from this, still having received no refund, I phoned the accor customer service platinum line, where the helpful agent told me that she would write an internal email (not to the generic H plus number) directly to the General manager. She confirmed this via an email to me, in which she had asked that she also be copied in to any correspondence so that she could monitor the progress, or lack of it. That was two days ago and the General Manage has not contacted me, nor has the refund been made.
In the meantime, a colleague with whom I am travelling had the same problem and has received no reply to any of his four emails, two addressed to the General Manager. He (a Gold member) also made a call to the normal customer service line who sent a similar email to the hotel and who also suggested my colleague might insitigate a refund through his credit card provider, explaining that Ibis Styles was a franchise like many other (most?) accor hotels and accor itself could not make refunds.
We have both since made individual bookings at the Leeds Novotel, in which I have already stayed.
I cannot believe that we are the only two clients who are in this situation. Perhaps the hotel has cash-flow problems and simply does not wish to make refunds. The silence and what I now think was simply a 'tell him the cheque is in the post' reply are suspicious.
Has anyone any suggestions? One fantasises about going in to the hotel in person when in Leeds and creating a fuss, refusing to leave until the refund is made, but I know that is not going to happen.
Franchise or not, the hotel is still trading under the accor name.
Jul 6, 2021, 5:30 am
#2
Join Date: Mar 2016
Posts: 145
Over three weeks ago I booked a night's accommodation at the Ibis Styles, Leeds, UK, but then cancelled the booking a day later because of a date change. 'Book with confidence' is a flexible rate, whereby payment is taken on booking, but refunded if cancellation is made at least three days before the date of stay. On the rare occasions I have cancelled this type of booking since the pandemic began, the refund has been made within three or four days automatically.
Since no refund had been made after a week, I emailed the hotel and politely asked for them to deal with the matter promptly. After a further week without acknowledgement of my email or refund, I wrote a second time.and received a reply apologising and telling me that the refund had now been processed and the accounts department had been asked to treat the matter urgently.
Six days on from this, still having received no refund, I phoned the accor customer service platinum line, where the helpful agent told me that she would write an internal email (not to the generic H plus number) directly to the General manager. She confirmed this via an email to me, in which she had asked that she also be copied in to any correspondence so that she could monitor the progress, or lack of it. That was two days ago and the General Manage has not contacted me, nor has the refund been made.
In the meantime, a colleague with whom I am travelling had the same problem and has received no reply to any of his four emails, two addressed to the General Manager. He (a Gold member) also made a call to the normal customer service line who sent a similar email to the hotel and who also suggested my colleague might insitigate a refund through his credit card provider, explaining that Ibis Styles was a franchise like many other (most?) accor hotels and accor itself could not make refunds.
We have both since made individual bookings at the Leeds Novotel, in which I have already stayed.
I cannot believe that we are the only two clients who are in this situation. Perhaps the hotel has cash-flow problems and simply does not wish to make refunds. The silence and what I now think was simply a 'tell him the cheque is in the post' reply are suspicious.
Has anyone any suggestions? One fantasises about going in to the hotel in person when in Leeds and creating a fuss, refusing to leave until the refund is made, but I know that is not going to happen.
Franchise or not, the hotel is still trading under the accor name.
Since no refund had been made after a week, I emailed the hotel and politely asked for them to deal with the matter promptly. After a further week without acknowledgement of my email or refund, I wrote a second time.and received a reply apologising and telling me that the refund had now been processed and the accounts department had been asked to treat the matter urgently.
Six days on from this, still having received no refund, I phoned the accor customer service platinum line, where the helpful agent told me that she would write an internal email (not to the generic H plus number) directly to the General manager. She confirmed this via an email to me, in which she had asked that she also be copied in to any correspondence so that she could monitor the progress, or lack of it. That was two days ago and the General Manage has not contacted me, nor has the refund been made.
In the meantime, a colleague with whom I am travelling had the same problem and has received no reply to any of his four emails, two addressed to the General Manager. He (a Gold member) also made a call to the normal customer service line who sent a similar email to the hotel and who also suggested my colleague might insitigate a refund through his credit card provider, explaining that Ibis Styles was a franchise like many other (most?) accor hotels and accor itself could not make refunds.
We have both since made individual bookings at the Leeds Novotel, in which I have already stayed.
I cannot believe that we are the only two clients who are in this situation. Perhaps the hotel has cash-flow problems and simply does not wish to make refunds. The silence and what I now think was simply a 'tell him the cheque is in the post' reply are suspicious.
Has anyone any suggestions? One fantasises about going in to the hotel in person when in Leeds and creating a fuss, refusing to leave until the refund is made, but I know that is not going to happen.
Franchise or not, the hotel is still trading under the accor name.
I found that when I cancelled several bookings with the Ibis Styles Kensington earlier in the year under the Book with Confidence policy I did not have such an issue - so I don’t know if something has changed since then or whether earlier in the year my card wasn’t charged straight away so there wasn’t any refund required.
You are certainly not the only one experiencing this.
Jul 6, 2021, 5:33 am
#3
Join Date: Jul 2014
Location: Saint Brieuc
Programs: HHonors, Accorhotel Platinium, Nordic Choice Platinium
Posts: 966
the "book with confidence" rate has absolutely not my confidence either
In the last year, I had to cancel more or less ten reservations at the "book with confidence" rate and I have never been reimbursed automatically. Each time, I needed to call or mail the hotel to ask for refund.
And I am not the only one : see Hotel doesn't answer emails after cancellation of a flexible rate or Novotel LIsbon, problem with refund
In the last year, I had to cancel more or less ten reservations at the "book with confidence" rate and I have never been reimbursed automatically. Each time, I needed to call or mail the hotel to ask for refund.
And I am not the only one : see Hotel doesn't answer emails after cancellation of a flexible rate or Novotel LIsbon, problem with refund
Jul 7, 2021, 12:54 pm
#5
Join Date: Sep 2009
Location: Somewhere in Central Europe... usually.
Posts: 20
Same here, no refund after cancel, but after inquiring via the ALL web page (generic form) they (ibis Krakow) emailed me that refunds have been ordered. Some 1-2 weeks later indeed, they appeared on my CC balance.
Jul 8, 2021, 4:56 am
#6
Join Date: May 2015
Location: RBA / TBS
Programs: AF Gold / Accor Gold / Hilton Diamond / TP Silver / A3 Gold
Posts: 2,742
Please wait 2 more weeks for refund to be handled in the pipeline , it usually takes time cause lot of entities are involved (which is ironic cause it goes super quick when YOU want to spend YOUR money , but not the other way around) , if nothing then submit a proper claim through the website
Last edited by fifty_two; Jul 8, 2021 at 5:13 am
Jul 21, 2021, 2:50 am
#8
Original Poster
Join Date: May 2005
Location: London
Programs: BA Silver, FB Plat, Accor Gold, IHG Gold, Wyndham Rewards Gold, BW Gold
Posts: 1,096
Update
Still nothing from the hotel.
On 15th July (the original cancellation was 16th June), I sent an email (replying to the one I received from the Platinum phone line) saying that no communication from the hotel or refund had been received. The same person to whom I had spoken on the phone replied the next day. She told me that my case had already been 'escalated to the highest level' and that as each hotel is individually managed, 'they are the best avenue to address your concerns'. She added, 'Rest assured that your refund request is being analyzed to its fullest by the Director of Operations and General Manager and a direct contact will be provided soon as I have sent a reminder today.' That was five days ago, and it is now five weeks since I cancelled the reservation
Who the hell are 'the Director of Operations' and the (General Manager'? It's an Ibis Styles, not a Sofitel. It sounds as if they're working on nothing else other than my refund day and night.
The most disgraceful part, to my mind, is that three weeks ago (the only time the hotel replied) I was told that the refund had been processed and that the accounts department were dealing with it as a matter of urgency. So, they were just plain lying. They do not want to refund my payment and they are probably hoping I'll give up as it was 'only Ł53'.
Should I try a Trip advisor review of the hotel warning others not to have any confidence at all in the Book with confidence tariff at this hotel? I can't comment on anything else, of course, since I haven't stayed there.
And I can write back again to the Platinum service line. Or is it time to go via my credit card provider. Has anyone any experience of how long that takes?
How much time to we have to spend on these things. It's a simple of matter of breach of contract.
On 15th July (the original cancellation was 16th June), I sent an email (replying to the one I received from the Platinum phone line) saying that no communication from the hotel or refund had been received. The same person to whom I had spoken on the phone replied the next day. She told me that my case had already been 'escalated to the highest level' and that as each hotel is individually managed, 'they are the best avenue to address your concerns'. She added, 'Rest assured that your refund request is being analyzed to its fullest by the Director of Operations and General Manager and a direct contact will be provided soon as I have sent a reminder today.' That was five days ago, and it is now five weeks since I cancelled the reservation
Who the hell are 'the Director of Operations' and the (General Manager'? It's an Ibis Styles, not a Sofitel. It sounds as if they're working on nothing else other than my refund day and night.
The most disgraceful part, to my mind, is that three weeks ago (the only time the hotel replied) I was told that the refund had been processed and that the accounts department were dealing with it as a matter of urgency. So, they were just plain lying. They do not want to refund my payment and they are probably hoping I'll give up as it was 'only Ł53'.
Should I try a Trip advisor review of the hotel warning others not to have any confidence at all in the Book with confidence tariff at this hotel? I can't comment on anything else, of course, since I haven't stayed there.
And I can write back again to the Platinum service line. Or is it time to go via my credit card provider. Has anyone any experience of how long that takes?
How much time to we have to spend on these things. It's a simple of matter of breach of contract.
Last edited by rangerss75; Jul 21, 2021 at 9:44 am
Jul 21, 2021, 5:00 am
#9
Join Date: Mar 2017
Location: Spain
Programs: ALL Plat, HH Gold, Marriott GE
Posts: 1,142
Had this myself sometime ago. The Credit Card charge back seems the best method as this is independent of Accor etc. Send them all correspondence from Hotel agreeing to refund, and keep it simple by not referring to the "Head Office" stalling.
Good Luck
Good Luck
Jul 22, 2021, 10:28 pm
#11
Join Date: May 2014
Location: Perth Western Australia
Programs: Hilton Diamond, Accor Platinum, Wyndham Diamond, Bestwestern Diamond & Hyatt Platinum
Posts: 99
Still waiting for a ‘credit’ from the Mantra Twin Towns Coolangatta due to a Covid cancellation (snap lockdown); it’s been 3 weeks now, 5 phone calls, 4 emails and a lot of frustration.
Incidentally, the Flight I booked for the same trip with Qantas was refunded in full to my cc within 7 days.
Get your act together Accor.
Incidentally, the Flight I booked for the same trip with Qantas was refunded in full to my cc within 7 days.
Get your act together Accor.
Jul 23, 2021, 7:19 am
#12
Original Poster
Join Date: May 2005
Location: London
Programs: BA Silver, FB Plat, Accor Gold, IHG Gold, Wyndham Rewards Gold, BW Gold
Posts: 1,096
Final update
Money refunded to my Credit card today, six days after the Accor Platinum customer service reminded the hotel for the second time and five weeks and two days after the original cancellation. Despite Accor customer service assuring me that the hotel would contact me directly, not a word from them since over three weeks ago - their only contact at all - when they claimed they'd processed the refund. Certainly nothing since customer service contacted them. I wonder if they even bothered to respond to them?
Good luck to all others in the same situation. What an unnecessary waste of time this is for us.
Good luck to all others in the same situation. What an unnecessary waste of time this is for us.
Jul 23, 2021, 9:55 am
#15
Formerly known as newbie elite
Join Date: Feb 2002
Location: YUL
Programs: IHG Diamond Ambassador, Accor Platinum, AC50K
Posts: 2,923
Stop wasting you time with Accor and initiate chargeback procedures on your credit card with "Book with confidence" terms as your justification. Just give them the facts in a concise and clear manner.