Sonder reservation rate glitch
Jun 21, 2025 | 8:38 pm
#1
Original Poster
Join Date: Feb 2002
Location: BOS
Programs: AA EXP 1MM, DL PM, Bonvoy Ambassador (Plat Life), HH G, Amtrak, B6, MR
Posts: 1,721
Sonder reservation rate glitch
I booked a reservation at a Sonder property via marriott.com for a year out as soon as the dates became available. At the time I booked it, I saw 3 different rate options - member rate flexible, which is what I booked, and two others with prepayment, one refundable and one not. My email confirmation says nothing about any sort of prepayment. It's now several weeks later, and my credit card was charged a prepayment for this stay. I went back to marriott.com and when I look up my reservation, now the rate details page say that they will charge me a prepayment. So this language is now totally different from the language in my email confirmation.
I've booked at Sonder a few times before, and saw that they always charge upfront. So I was pleasantly surprised when I saw the regular member flexible rate without prepayment -- I thought maybe this was a Marriott improvement. The rate I booked was a little bit more expensive than either of the two prepayment rates, and I thought that was worth it for me holding on to my money for the next year rather than Marriott holding on to it.
So now I've got a reservation that I paid more for than I needed to, thinking I wasn't goin to be charged a prepayment, but I was charged a prepayment anyway. I can't rebook it -- the property is sold out (yes, a year out - popular dates at this destination). I called Marriott and they couldn't do anything. They transferred me to Sonder. They couldn't do anything either.
It seems my options are to keep it or cancel it. I intend to stay at this property on those dates, so cancelling it is not really an option. But I'm now paying more for this than I needed to because of what I can only assume is either an IT glitch on Marriott's side or someone screwing up loading rates in the first place.
To confuse things further, the amount charged to my credit card is about $2 more than the total listed in my email confirmation, which is also the same as on marriott.com. Perhaps a tax change?
I could perhaps dispute the charge with Amex, but I fear that may cancel my reservation.
I'm asking for collective wisdom of the group here -- do I have any recourse here, or do I just need to deal with it?
I've booked at Sonder a few times before, and saw that they always charge upfront. So I was pleasantly surprised when I saw the regular member flexible rate without prepayment -- I thought maybe this was a Marriott improvement. The rate I booked was a little bit more expensive than either of the two prepayment rates, and I thought that was worth it for me holding on to my money for the next year rather than Marriott holding on to it.
So now I've got a reservation that I paid more for than I needed to, thinking I wasn't goin to be charged a prepayment, but I was charged a prepayment anyway. I can't rebook it -- the property is sold out (yes, a year out - popular dates at this destination). I called Marriott and they couldn't do anything. They transferred me to Sonder. They couldn't do anything either.
It seems my options are to keep it or cancel it. I intend to stay at this property on those dates, so cancelling it is not really an option. But I'm now paying more for this than I needed to because of what I can only assume is either an IT glitch on Marriott's side or someone screwing up loading rates in the first place.
To confuse things further, the amount charged to my credit card is about $2 more than the total listed in my email confirmation, which is also the same as on marriott.com. Perhaps a tax change?
I could perhaps dispute the charge with Amex, but I fear that may cancel my reservation.
I'm asking for collective wisdom of the group here -- do I have any recourse here, or do I just need to deal with it?
Jun 21, 2025 | 10:23 pm
#2
A FlyerTalk Posting Legend
Join Date: Apr 2013
Location: PHX
Programs: AA EXP; UA 1MM & PP; Marriott AMB; Hyatt Globalist; Hilton Diamond (Aspire)
Posts: 62,158
I'd say your options are cancel or don't cancel.
More likely a currency fluctuation.
More likely a currency fluctuation.
Jun 25, 2025 | 5:38 pm
#3
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Sep 2007
Location: BOS
Programs: DL DM 2MM, Marriott LT Titanium, Hertz PC, Avis PC
Posts: 17,157
Personally I'd look for other hotels, and try contacting Marriott one more time and explain to them that you were incorrectly charged an advance payment even though the confirmation states nothing about this.
If they don't help and you really want to stay at the property, then dispute the charge and provide your confirmation information as justification for the dispute.
If they don't help and you really want to stay at the property, then dispute the charge and provide your confirmation information as justification for the dispute.
Jun 25, 2025 | 11:36 pm
#4
Company Representative, Marriott Bonvoy
Join Date: Feb 2019
Programs: Marriott Bonvoy
Posts: 1,410
I booked a reservation at a Sonder property via marriott.com for a year out as soon as the dates became available. At the time I booked it, I saw 3 different rate options - member rate flexible, which is what I booked, and two others with prepayment, one refundable and one not. My email confirmation says nothing about any sort of prepayment. It's now several weeks later, and my credit card was charged a prepayment for this stay. I went back to marriott.com and when I look up my reservation, now the rate details page say that they will charge me a prepayment. So this language is now totally different from the language in my email confirmation.
I've booked at Sonder a few times before, and saw that they always charge upfront. So I was pleasantly surprised when I saw the regular member flexible rate without prepayment -- I thought maybe this was a Marriott improvement. The rate I booked was a little bit more expensive than either of the two prepayment rates, and I thought that was worth it for me holding on to my money for the next year rather than Marriott holding on to it.
So now I've got a reservation that I paid more for than I needed to, thinking I wasn't goin to be charged a prepayment, but I was charged a prepayment anyway. I can't rebook it -- the property is sold out (yes, a year out - popular dates at this destination). I called Marriott and they couldn't do anything. They transferred me to Sonder. They couldn't do anything either.
It seems my options are to keep it or cancel it. I intend to stay at this property on those dates, so cancelling it is not really an option. But I'm now paying more for this than I needed to because of what I can only assume is either an IT glitch on Marriott's side or someone screwing up loading rates in the first place.
To confuse things further, the amount charged to my credit card is about $2 more than the total listed in my email confirmation, which is also the same as on marriott.com. Perhaps a tax change?
I could perhaps dispute the charge with Amex, but I fear that may cancel my reservation.
I'm asking for collective wisdom of the group here -- do I have any recourse here, or do I just need to deal with it?
I've booked at Sonder a few times before, and saw that they always charge upfront. So I was pleasantly surprised when I saw the regular member flexible rate without prepayment -- I thought maybe this was a Marriott improvement. The rate I booked was a little bit more expensive than either of the two prepayment rates, and I thought that was worth it for me holding on to my money for the next year rather than Marriott holding on to it.
So now I've got a reservation that I paid more for than I needed to, thinking I wasn't goin to be charged a prepayment, but I was charged a prepayment anyway. I can't rebook it -- the property is sold out (yes, a year out - popular dates at this destination). I called Marriott and they couldn't do anything. They transferred me to Sonder. They couldn't do anything either.
It seems my options are to keep it or cancel it. I intend to stay at this property on those dates, so cancelling it is not really an option. But I'm now paying more for this than I needed to because of what I can only assume is either an IT glitch on Marriott's side or someone screwing up loading rates in the first place.
To confuse things further, the amount charged to my credit card is about $2 more than the total listed in my email confirmation, which is also the same as on marriott.com. Perhaps a tax change?
I could perhaps dispute the charge with Amex, but I fear that may cancel my reservation.
I'm asking for collective wisdom of the group here -- do I have any recourse here, or do I just need to deal with it?
We would like to help forward this issue to the hotel team so that they can look into it for you.
Please provide below information to us via private mail here or by email below.
Your full name
Marriott Bonvoy account number
Email address associated with your account
Information of the reservation (hotel name, stay date and confirmation number)
If you would prefer to send the information via email, please include your Flyertalk username.
Best Regards,
Christina Z
Specialist, Social Media Care
Marriott International
[email protected]