Is there a consistent incidental hold policy?
Aug 1, 2008, 8:29 pm
#46
Join Date: Sep 2006
Programs: Marriott Silver, Starwood Preferred Guest, Kimpton InTouch
Posts: 105
Many of you have commented about the amount of time it takes for a hold to be released from you credit cards. Ideally, and generally, after the card is charged at check out the settlement reaches the finical institution in 24 to 48 hours. At that time the settlement should post and replace the hold made previously on your card. However, after posting the settlement it is up to the financial institution to release the hold on their end. Marriott Process all charges and holds the same way; however, different finical institutions mean that the timeliness of the release is not the same for each guest.
Many of you have also suggested making the amount of the hold available when the reservation is booked. First, I would like to say that this is an excellent suggestion. However, I am not sure how easily this could be done. I will make sure your suggestions and the content of this thread is forwarded to those who can further evaluate this process.
The flyertalk community is very important to Marriott in large way because of this type of feed back we receive from you.
Ira
Many of you have also suggested making the amount of the hold available when the reservation is booked. First, I would like to say that this is an excellent suggestion. However, I am not sure how easily this could be done. I will make sure your suggestions and the content of this thread is forwarded to those who can further evaluate this process.
The flyertalk community is very important to Marriott in large way because of this type of feed back we receive from you.
Ira
Aug 1, 2008, 8:38 pm
#47
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However, MarriottConcierge talked about hold post check-out. In my case I'm getting hit w/ 7 day hold after initial check IN. No explanation on that. I have encountered that for 12 years on dif cards, so I think part of it is Marriott.
An no advice on what would happen if the hold on check-in didn't clear by check-out & they tried to do a double-hold on check out & credit wasn't available due to the double hold. Would we end up doing dishes? Get hauled to jail?
MarriottConcierge also said while adding the incidental holds to the reservation was a good idea, that s/he wasn't sure how easy it would be to implement. Fair enough - to an extent.
But here's my response to that - IF, as MarriottConcierge says, every hotel has an arbitrary amount it chooses to impose as an incidental & the calculation is done on room+tax, adding the arbitrary incidental is also a simple programming event. After all, if as MC & socrates keep saying over & over & over that no manual intervention is allowed, then the extra incidental is an easy fix.
Here's my further response - I believe that Marriott (and every other hotel chain for that matter) has a legal & ethical obligation to make clear/transparent ALL holds & potential charges against a guest's cc. It's called full disclosure - not spin the bottle.
Cheers.
Last edited by SkiAdcock; Aug 1, 2008 at 8:49 pm
Aug 1, 2008, 9:01 pm
#48
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As for the banks' role in all of this....
I've always been amazed that they can get money out of your account in an instant. But it takes them three days....and sometimes a lot longer...to put money back in!
Aug 2, 2008, 6:43 am
#49
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Actually there is an unorthodox way to reduce the hold amount in the FS PMS system that I recently learned of. When checking you in, if a credit is issued to your account BEFORE the clerk checks you in and runs your credit card, then it will reduce your hold by that amount of money. This really only works with cash or bonus bucks coupons and as I said, is quite unorthodox.
Aug 4, 2008, 12:12 am
#50
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Actually it did and will (sounds like another inconsistency in how the system is supposed to work and how it actually works)...
Aug 4, 2008, 12:14 pm
#51
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BTW - this thread is refenced in an online article in the Consumerist; that article started re: a Crowne Plaza same situation w/ not knowing about the holds, but MarriottConceriege is quoted & a link to this thread provided. tom911 sent me the link to the Consumerist article.
The comments on the article got a bit sidetracked due to the guy using a debit card vs a credit card, but evidently the holds are still issues for people.
And it gets back to my point in that the amount of incidental holds should be made clear up front by the hotels so that people can make an informed choice when making reservations & know what they'll be hit with, not have to guess or find out after the fact.
http://consumerist.com/5032714/crown...dental-charges
Cheers.
The comments on the article got a bit sidetracked due to the guy using a debit card vs a credit card, but evidently the holds are still issues for people.
And it gets back to my point in that the amount of incidental holds should be made clear up front by the hotels so that people can make an informed choice when making reservations & know what they'll be hit with, not have to guess or find out after the fact.
http://consumerist.com/5032714/crown...dental-charges
Cheers.
Last edited by SkiAdcock; Aug 4, 2008 at 1:58 pm
Aug 4, 2008, 5:39 pm
#52
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Marriott could print out the hold upon check in just as Hertz does whenever I get a rental from them.
Aug 4, 2008, 9:25 pm
#53
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Which of course is higher than our floats. But back to my main point - I think Marriott (and every hotel chain; not dissing on Marriott) should make clear the amount of the hold on the hotel confirmation. Given it varies by property guests shouldn't have to 'guess' & should be informed. It's called full disclosure.
Cheers.
Aug 5, 2008, 8:58 am
#54
Join Date: Oct 2001
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Yeah, I'm not amazed either. I have a friend who is a lawyer for high-end real estate (think hundreds of millions for complexes, sports centers etc), & they were always trying to get everything deposited by Friday end of day. He said the banks did what they could do to get it to deposit after end of day cuz they'd have the float on #s like his for the entire weekend, and that adds up to some nice profits.