Problem with Cash & Points stay
Aug 18, 2014, 12:03 pm
#1
Original Poster
Join Date: Nov 2002
Location: LAX
Posts: 3,433
Problem with Cash & Points stay
In early July i had a 2 night cash and points stay at a cat 3 property
3500 points + $55 USD
at the time i had plenty of star point in my account. Over the course of the summer i had a few more stays and now have just a few hundred points in my account
This morning I received an email from the front office manager of the hotel i stayed at 7/6/14 saying she just noticed that the room charges were not processed properly and they never billed me for the cash or points and now my SPG balance does not cover the 7000 points so they will just go ahead and bill my card on file for their "best" rate.
what would you all do?
3500 points + $55 USD
at the time i had plenty of star point in my account. Over the course of the summer i had a few more stays and now have just a few hundred points in my account
This morning I received an email from the front office manager of the hotel i stayed at 7/6/14 saying she just noticed that the room charges were not processed properly and they never billed me for the cash or points and now my SPG balance does not cover the 7000 points so they will just go ahead and bill my card on file for their "best" rate.
what would you all do?
Aug 18, 2014, 12:16 pm
#2
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Start by checking your SPG account and your credit card. IME points are debited when a reservation is made, not after the stay. Similarly, the hotel bills the credit card shortly after checkout at the latest.
If you have a future stay booked using points, you could cancel that, at least temporarily until you have earned more points. What would it cost to either purchase points or transfer them from the account of a friend or relative? Is this less than what the hotel proposes to bill you?
In fact, exactly what rate does the property plan to use and how was this calculated? IMO it should be the best historical rate that was available to you, including any AAA etc. discounts to which you are entitled, on the date your reservation was made. Best Available at the time of check in could mean the rack rate.
I'd do this research first before deciding whether make a fuss about the fact that your account perhaps wasn't billed properly at the time of your reservation or your checkout.
If you have a future stay booked using points, you could cancel that, at least temporarily until you have earned more points. What would it cost to either purchase points or transfer them from the account of a friend or relative? Is this less than what the hotel proposes to bill you?
In fact, exactly what rate does the property plan to use and how was this calculated? IMO it should be the best historical rate that was available to you, including any AAA etc. discounts to which you are entitled, on the date your reservation was made. Best Available at the time of check in could mean the rack rate.
I'd do this research first before deciding whether make a fuss about the fact that your account perhaps wasn't billed properly at the time of your reservation or your checkout.
Aug 18, 2014, 1:31 pm
#3
Join Date: Nov 2010
Location: KSA
Programs: Marriott AMB, Skywards Gold
Posts: 3,737
The points should've been processed at the time of booking. The hotel should just bill you the cash portion which is $55 plus taxes and fees per night.
Aug 18, 2014, 1:45 pm
#4
Original Poster
Join Date: Nov 2002
Location: LAX
Posts: 3,433
Start by checking your SPG account and your credit card. IME points are debited when a reservation is made, not after the stay. Similarly, the hotel bills the credit card shortly after checkout at the latest.
If you have a future stay booked using points, you could cancel that, at least temporarily until you have earned more points. What would it cost to either purchase points or transfer them from the account of a friend or relative? Is this less than what the hotel proposes to bill you?
In fact, exactly what rate does the property plan to use and how was this calculated? IMO it should be the best historical rate that was available to you, including any AAA etc. discounts to which you are entitled, on the date your reservation was made. Best Available at the time of check in could mean the rack rate.
I'd do this research first before deciding whether make a fuss about the fact that your account perhaps wasn't billed properly at the time of your reservation or your checkout.
If you have a future stay booked using points, you could cancel that, at least temporarily until you have earned more points. What would it cost to either purchase points or transfer them from the account of a friend or relative? Is this less than what the hotel proposes to bill you?
In fact, exactly what rate does the property plan to use and how was this calculated? IMO it should be the best historical rate that was available to you, including any AAA etc. discounts to which you are entitled, on the date your reservation was made. Best Available at the time of check in could mean the rack rate.
I'd do this research first before deciding whether make a fuss about the fact that your account perhaps wasn't billed properly at the time of your reservation or your checkout.
not at the time of reservation or at the time of checkout
the rate they want to use is less than the current best rate i can find for that hotel, but more than i would have paid when i was looking for a hotel.
i ONLY chose this hotel based on the value cash and points provided
Aug 18, 2014, 1:46 pm
#5
Original Poster
Join Date: Nov 2002
Location: LAX
Posts: 3,433
UPDATE
i think this is reasonable, although i was pretty surprised they contacted me about their mistake from 6 weeks ago!
Aug 18, 2014, 4:52 pm
#7
Join Date: Mar 2007
Posts: 3,990
Sorry, no sympathy here.
Cheers,
Aug 19, 2014, 12:17 am
#8
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I would have asked to have the points deducted when I noticed the problem. Otherwise, the hotel could cancel the booking just like they can cancel a reservation on a prepaid rate if payment is not received or a rate requiring a deposit if the hotel doesn't receive the deposit by the agreed upon time. Why risk losing a reservation, especially when I would think that the odds of staying for free would be very low.
Aug 19, 2014, 12:19 am
#9
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If the mistake was done by SPG (in not deducting the points when the reservation was made) rather than the hotel, maybe Starwood is giving them the (value of the) points anyway. In that case, it would be wrong to also charge the OP.
Aug 19, 2014, 12:55 am
#10
Join Date: Nov 2010
Location: KSA
Programs: Marriott AMB, Skywards Gold
Posts: 3,737
How were the points not deducted? Whenever I make a points or points/cash booking, the points instantly deducts from my account.
Aug 19, 2014, 1:10 am
#11
Join Date: Sep 2006
Location: Manchester, England
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Posts: 8,021
I agree. I cannot remember a time when this wasn't the case with a points or a cash & points reservation that I have made. Certainly seems like a unusual situation that the OP has experienced.
Aug 19, 2014, 2:57 am
#12
Moderator: British Airways Executive Club, Marriott Bonvoy
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This is an interesting case from the OP.
Is it reasonable. or even legal, for a hotel to substitute and demand a cash rate, the amount of which seems to be entirely of the hotels choosing, to cover for a mistake they made several weeks previously by not collecting the Starpoints (the agreed payment method) in a timely manner ?
Is it reasonable. or even legal, for a hotel to substitute and demand a cash rate, the amount of which seems to be entirely of the hotels choosing, to cover for a mistake they made several weeks previously by not collecting the Starpoints (the agreed payment method) in a timely manner ?
Aug 19, 2014, 12:15 pm
#13
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No sympathy but a nice, not only "reasonable" hotel.
Aug 19, 2014, 8:25 pm
#14
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Why "mistake" and why should we have any sympathy with the OP. He OP booked a room and committed himself to a certain rate. At the end of the day he did not have the required currency in his account and starts complaining. It I enter into a contract I know what I need to pay and keep my funds available.
No sympathy but a nice, not only "reasonable" hotel.
No sympathy but a nice, not only "reasonable" hotel.
Aug 19, 2014, 9:19 pm
#15
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If I write a check and you fail to cash it, the check becomes void after 6-12 months in the USA. The OP had the points available when the reservation was made and when the stay occurred. However, the hotel apparently failed to take the points or request them and the OP has spent the points on other things in the meantime.