Accidentally booked a room on my iPhone X at a rate with no cancellation
Nov 8, 2017, 9:02 am
#16
Join Date: Jan 2005
Location: SMF
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Reminds me of the time my supermodel girlfriend had just gotten out of the bath and slipped on our marble floors at our estate on Lake Como. Everything would have been fine had she not bumped into my other supermodel girlfriend causing her to accidentally book a non-refundable Space-X reservation for me.
In all seriousness, I’d call SPG and/or the hotel directly ASAP to try to resolve, regardless of booking mechanism.
In all seriousness, I’d call SPG and/or the hotel directly ASAP to try to resolve, regardless of booking mechanism.
Last edited by Sam P. Goodman; Nov 8, 2017 at 9:08 am
Nov 8, 2017, 2:39 pm
#17
Join Date: Mar 2008
Location: Fort Lauderdale, FL
Posts: 3,360
Assuming the functionality of this new version of the iPhone is indeed different from the previous versions, I'd say the mention of the phone is a pertinent fact. Disparaging someone for including a pertinent fact is not helpful here.
Nov 8, 2017, 3:53 pm
#18
Moderator: British Airways Executive Club, Marriott Bonvoy
Join Date: May 2006
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Not necessarily due to the iPhone X, but I have considerable empathy for the OP here. Doing a booking on the latest iteration of the SPG iPhone app, you look at the rate on a screen headed “REVIEW & SUBMIT” and at the bottom there’s a button labelled “SUBMIT”.
IMHO it is not at all clear that “SUBMIT” means “COMMIT TO A NON REFUNDABLE BOOKING NOW”. What’s wrong with labelling the button “BOOK”?
IMHO it is not at all clear that “SUBMIT” means “COMMIT TO A NON REFUNDABLE BOOKING NOW”. What’s wrong with labelling the button “BOOK”?
Nov 8, 2017, 5:13 pm
#19
Join Date: Dec 2014
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Did you miss this part of the OP:
Assuming the functionality of this new version of the iPhone is indeed different from the previous versions, I'd say the mention of the phone is a pertinent fact. Disparaging someone for including a pertinent fact is not helpful here.
Assuming the functionality of this new version of the iPhone is indeed different from the previous versions, I'd say the mention of the phone is a pertinent fact. Disparaging someone for including a pertinent fact is not helpful here.
And the fact the OP is unfamiliar with their new iPhone X is not relevant to whether the hotel will refund/not charge for this mistaken reservation and how the OP should go about it (ie, phoning or emailing them). I'm sure they are not interested in the narrative about how the errant reservation was made and on which device. The only relevant information is that a reservation was made by mistake and the OP wants it cancelled.
I was saying as much to my celebrity personal trainer on my Vertu Signature Touch as I got into my Bentley yesterday morning on my way to lunch with Quentin Tarantino at Maso in New York.
Nov 8, 2017, 5:18 pm
#20
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To the actual question - call SPG and/or the property right away. I've never found them to be overly unfair when dealing with simple errors, which would be the case here. But you need to do it relatively quickly.
Nov 8, 2017, 5:39 pm
#21
Join Date: Jun 2003
Posts: 1,953
I am glad the OP specifically mentioned the iPhone X.
I was in an Apple Store just over the past weekend to try out the new phone, and getting to the home screen without pressing the physical home button (as on previous iPhones) is indeed different and takes getting used to. I was thinking EXACTLY that swiping up from the bottom of the screen all the time might cause me to inadvertently click to a different webpage if browsing, or to tap on an app at the bottom of the screen instead, etc. It did not cross my mind at that time that some apps' "Confirm" button are located at the bottom of the screen, so the OP's unfortunate incident is a good reminder to me to be careful if using the new iPhone. Thank you, OP.
I was in an Apple Store just over the past weekend to try out the new phone, and getting to the home screen without pressing the physical home button (as on previous iPhones) is indeed different and takes getting used to. I was thinking EXACTLY that swiping up from the bottom of the screen all the time might cause me to inadvertently click to a different webpage if browsing, or to tap on an app at the bottom of the screen instead, etc. It did not cross my mind at that time that some apps' "Confirm" button are located at the bottom of the screen, so the OP's unfortunate incident is a good reminder to me to be careful if using the new iPhone. Thank you, OP.
Nov 8, 2017, 5:40 pm
#22
Join Date: Oct 2008
Posts: 338
Give the OP the rest. Apparently the new iPhone does not have the home button anymore and going home requires some kind of manipulation with the bottom of the screen. Guess what else is at the bottom of the screen -- the submit button.
Nov 8, 2017, 6:55 pm
#23
Join Date: Feb 2010
Posts: 1,026
This happened to me when spg updated their app few months ago.
Booked STR Maldives, non refundable rate, over 15K usd booking.
Called plat line straight away and they said they will contact the property to cancel booking.
Being impatient I called str maldives direct and spoke to reservations. They cancelled my booking no problems.
Booked STR Maldives, non refundable rate, over 15K usd booking.
Called plat line straight away and they said they will contact the property to cancel booking.
Being impatient I called str maldives direct and spoke to reservations. They cancelled my booking no problems.
Nov 8, 2017, 7:55 pm
#24
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Not necessarily due to the iPhone X, but I have considerable empathy for the OP here. Doing a booking on the latest iteration of the SPG iPhone app, you look at the rate on a screen headed “REVIEW & SUBMIT” and at the bottom there’s a button labelled “SUBMIT”.
IMHO it is not at all clear that “SUBMIT” means “COMMIT TO A NON REFUNDABLE BOOKING NOW”. What’s wrong with labelling the button “BOOK”?
IMHO it is not at all clear that “SUBMIT” means “COMMIT TO A NON REFUNDABLE BOOKING NOW”. What’s wrong with labelling the button “BOOK”?
Nov 9, 2017, 3:17 am
#25
Moderator: British Airways Executive Club, Marriott Bonvoy
Join Date: May 2006
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The same transaction on the SPG iPad app says "CONFIRM", and online it says "COMPLETE RESERVATION", which are standard, unambiguous terms for the final commitment of a booking transaction.
Anyone who used to these conventions is likely to interpret "SUBMIT" as meaning "go to another screen before finally committing to the reservation".
Why is the terminology in the SPG iPhone app so different from the SPG iPad app ?
Nov 9, 2017, 6:44 am
#26
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But with regard to "submit" in an IT sense, it really means send whatever you've entered/selected to the "computer" for processing. I've never heard in IT circles that it is limited to "non-binding transactions."
Nov 9, 2017, 7:37 am
#27
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The hotel processes the payment manually some time after they receive your reservation request details. It's not done by SPG online.
Email them immediately, apologise and explain your mistake. If you're still anxious then phone them and speak to the reservation department.
I once needed to cancel a Four Points reservation a few minutes after I'd submitted it and the hotel cancelled it without taking payment when I emailed them a few minutes later.
Email them immediately, apologise and explain your mistake. If you're still anxious then phone them and speak to the reservation department.
I once needed to cancel a Four Points reservation a few minutes after I'd submitted it and the hotel cancelled it without taking payment when I emailed them a few minutes later.
Hotels can be very good about that if they want to be.
I've even had Hotwire (on "opaque"/"hot deal" bookings) allow me to cancel after taking payment when I have discovered that an app or some other error had me booking two or more rooms when I meant to only book one.
Nov 9, 2017, 8:24 am
#28
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I've done this exact thing before via the app. I thought I had one more page to go before committing, and specifically wanted a refundable rate.
Phoned SPG the minute it booked...they canceled it, no problems.
SUBMIT is a terrible label. It needs to be CONFIRM, making it clear that this is the final step. Especially since the app is a step shorter than many people are used to. (In and of itself, that's okay...as long as it doesn't catch people by surprise.)
In the Marriott system, you can cancel many nonrefundable rates within 24 hours of your booking, similar to the fare rules on most U.S. airline tickets. That's nice...if you make a total mistake in the app, you don't need a phone call to get it fixed.
Phoned SPG the minute it booked...they canceled it, no problems.
SUBMIT is a terrible label. It needs to be CONFIRM, making it clear that this is the final step. Especially since the app is a step shorter than many people are used to. (In and of itself, that's okay...as long as it doesn't catch people by surprise.)
In the Marriott system, you can cancel many nonrefundable rates within 24 hours of your booking, similar to the fare rules on most U.S. airline tickets. That's nice...if you make a total mistake in the app, you don't need a phone call to get it fixed.
Nov 9, 2017, 10:04 am
#29
Moderator: British Airways Executive Club, Marriott Bonvoy
Join Date: May 2006
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IMHO it's bad UX, and needs fixing.
Nov 9, 2017, 10:22 am
#30
Join Date: Jul 2007
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I was unable to reproduce the error on my jitterbug. I did however have to pull over my Toyota Corolla to make sure.