cancelling a non-refundable reservation made 2 hours ago? help, please
May 4, 2005, 9:33 am
#16
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Originally Posted by Tummy
Remind them of the Lanesborough.
<<stating the obvious...sorry>> how can starwood (with a straight face) say tough doodie when someone books a non-refundable reservation and makes an honest mistake when they themselves backtrack?
shame on starwood.
May 4, 2005, 10:12 am
#17
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Originally Posted by fly co to see the yanks
boy, if there ever was a "hit the nail on the head," this observation would qualify.
<<stating the obvious...sorry>> how can starwood (with a straight face) say tough doodie when someone books a non-refundable reservation and makes an honest mistake when they themselves backtrack?
shame on starwood.
<<stating the obvious...sorry>> how can starwood (with a straight face) say tough doodie when someone books a non-refundable reservation and makes an honest mistake when they themselves backtrack?
shame on starwood.
Sincerely,
William R. Sanders
Customer Service Coordinator
Starwood Preferred Services
[email protected]
May 4, 2005, 10:57 am
#18
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Originally Posted by Starwood Lurker
Did the hotel tell the OP "tough doodie". I must have missed that.
I tried both the gold line and calling the hotel directly, and both times got a "too bad". The hotel person was pretty rude and also kept insisted on covering how even if i'd booked it 10 seconds ago instead of 2 hours ago they wouldn't let me cancel it without a $200 penalty.
May 4, 2005, 11:02 am
#19
Company Representative - Starwood
Join Date: Nov 2000
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Posts: 31,593
Originally Posted by gof
Not an exact quote, but it was in spirit! From the OP
It may indeed turn out badly for the OP, but I don't think any of us know for certain yet. Do we?
Sincerely,
William R. Sanders
Customer Service Coordinator
Starwood Preferred Services
[email protected]
May 4, 2005, 11:32 am
#20
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A good lesson to always read the rules.
May 4, 2005, 3:23 pm
#21
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Originally Posted by tcook052
A good lesson to always read the rules.
but, mistakes are made. just ask starwood about the lanesborough.
sure, customer care might let the member off the hook. but, it shouldn't be so hard considering it was an honest mistake caught pretty quickly.
what's good for the goose is good for the gander.
May 4, 2005, 5:08 pm
#22
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f-t-s-t-y
I guess you never read the OPs post, please go back and read or reread it. The OP NEVER said his res was a mistake, if anything just the opposite as he was making it where he was gonna even get the 5th day free. HE made his res in full knowledge of what he was doing.
It was some 2 hours after he made it, it seems that he informed that the reason he had to be there was no longer the case and his presence was no longer necessary/needed. It was then that he wanted to cancel his res, he didnt make a mistake at all, just he longer had no use for a 5 night stay that he booked as a non-refundable rate.
Now the Lanesbough did somehow post an error in the amount of its rate by someone somewhere leaving off a "0". The 2 cases are not the same.
Do I think that the OP should be let off the hook,yes and hopefully since he has stayed a few times already they will help him in this case. but it wasnt a mistaken res that was made.
I guess you never read the OPs post, please go back and read or reread it. The OP NEVER said his res was a mistake, if anything just the opposite as he was making it where he was gonna even get the 5th day free. HE made his res in full knowledge of what he was doing.
It was some 2 hours after he made it, it seems that he informed that the reason he had to be there was no longer the case and his presence was no longer necessary/needed. It was then that he wanted to cancel his res, he didnt make a mistake at all, just he longer had no use for a 5 night stay that he booked as a non-refundable rate.
Now the Lanesbough did somehow post an error in the amount of its rate by someone somewhere leaving off a "0". The 2 cases are not the same.
Do I think that the OP should be let off the hook,yes and hopefully since he has stayed a few times already they will help him in this case. but it wasnt a mistaken res that was made.
Last edited by craz; May 4, 2005 at 6:59 pm
May 4, 2005, 5:37 pm
#23
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Originally Posted by craz
f-t-s-t-y
I guess you never read the OPs post, please go back and read or reread it. The OP NEVER said his res was a mistake, if anything just the opposite as he was making it where he was gonna even get the 5th day free. HE made his res in full knowledge of what he was doing.
It was some 2 hours after he made it, it seems that he informed that the reason he had to be there were no longer the case and his presence was no longer necessary/needed. It was then that he wanted to cancel; his res, he didnt make a mistake at all, just he longer had any use for a 5 night stay that he booked as a non-refundable rate.
Now the Lanesbough did somehow post an error in the amount of its rate by someone somewhere leaving off a ")". The 2 cases are not the same.
Do I think that the OP should be let off the hook,yes and hopefully since he has stayed a few times already they will help him in this case. but it wasnt a mistaken res that was made.
I guess you never read the OPs post, please go back and read or reread it. The OP NEVER said his res was a mistake, if anything just the opposite as he was making it where he was gonna even get the 5th day free. HE made his res in full knowledge of what he was doing.
It was some 2 hours after he made it, it seems that he informed that the reason he had to be there were no longer the case and his presence was no longer necessary/needed. It was then that he wanted to cancel; his res, he didnt make a mistake at all, just he longer had any use for a 5 night stay that he booked as a non-refundable rate.
Now the Lanesbough did somehow post an error in the amount of its rate by someone somewhere leaving off a ")". The 2 cases are not the same.
Do I think that the OP should be let off the hook,yes and hopefully since he has stayed a few times already they will help him in this case. but it wasnt a mistaken res that was made.
On this craz, we can agree 100%. ^ It may be stating the obvious to say 'read the rules', but as a TA I can't count the number of similiar stories to the OP's I've heard in a decade because people don't read the rules. This wasn't a clear cut, flat out mistake but a case where OP booked something that only later couldn't work because of a change in plans. It's up to local hotel whether to let the OP out of the reservation but IMHO there shouldn't be the automatic expectation that they should do so without question.
And trying to connect the two cases, this booking vs. the Lanesbough, is just bizarre. Did anyone think they were somehow entitled to special consideration in an appeal to SPG customer service after the Bora Bora misprice? Puhleeze
May 4, 2005, 5:57 pm
#24
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Originally Posted by craz
f-t-s-t-y
I guess you never read the OPs post, please go back and read or reread it.
I guess you never read the OPs post, please go back and read or reread it.
May 4, 2005, 6:56 pm
#25
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its not me you need to apologize to, i didnt do anything to you-nor you to me. No Beefs from me.
I didnt make a res at The Lanesbough, I personally think that they shouldnt have to honor what was a mistake. However as long as we will be held to have to pay for our mistakes then YES they should have to honor that 35GBP rate. If SPG will come out and say OK The Lanesbough need not honor what was a mistake in rates and for now on BOTH Any person or hotel will have up to say 12hrs to retract any res, then we all will be on the same playing field. Right now the Hotels cant make a mistake ONLY we can. Thats just NOT fair.
Im happy that at least the Lanesbough/SPG didnt go out and pay off those who had made any type of a res, that way in the future maybe people will make a res only if they really want to stay and not for profitteiring.
Now back to our topic, I do hope and feel that the OP should be let off the hook WITHOUT having to pay any type of a penalty. Heck he called after he made it 2 hrs before, I would hope that the Hotel will work with him and be kind enough to cancel it, that will win his loyalty and many others here on these boards. ^
I didnt make a res at The Lanesbough, I personally think that they shouldnt have to honor what was a mistake. However as long as we will be held to have to pay for our mistakes then YES they should have to honor that 35GBP rate. If SPG will come out and say OK The Lanesbough need not honor what was a mistake in rates and for now on BOTH Any person or hotel will have up to say 12hrs to retract any res, then we all will be on the same playing field. Right now the Hotels cant make a mistake ONLY we can. Thats just NOT fair.
Im happy that at least the Lanesbough/SPG didnt go out and pay off those who had made any type of a res, that way in the future maybe people will make a res only if they really want to stay and not for profitteiring.
Now back to our topic, I do hope and feel that the OP should be let off the hook WITHOUT having to pay any type of a penalty. Heck he called after he made it 2 hrs before, I would hope that the Hotel will work with him and be kind enough to cancel it, that will win his loyalty and many others here on these boards. ^
May 4, 2005, 9:21 pm
#26
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craz,
I couldn't agree with you more. ^
I couldn't agree with you more. ^
May 5, 2005, 9:28 am
#27
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Location: Washington, DC, USA
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Originally Posted by fly co to see the yanks
i did read it and you are correct. sorry.
May 5, 2005, 10:22 am
#28
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Except that the Starwood site has language that says it is not bound by obvious error rates. Unfortunately, I do not believe they have anything in their T&C that says "Your rate is non-refundable unless you chose to not read the conditions and your plans changed".
May 5, 2005, 1:36 pm
#29
Join Date: Feb 2003
Location: Washington, DC, USA
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Originally Posted by wharvey
Except that the Starwood site has language that says it is not bound by obvious error rates. Unfortunately, I do not believe they have anything in their T&C that says "Your rate is non-refundable unless you chose to not read the conditions and your plans changed".
May 6, 2005, 5:31 pm
#30
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follow-up: what actually happened (thanks, SPG!)
I went away for a few days and came back to find my message had stirred up quite a bit of debate! So here is what actually happened:
I called SPG customer service (thank you very much, William, for providing the number!) and explained the situation to them. The rep was very courteous and helpful, and offered to call the property for me. He said he would get back to me soon. Five minutes later, I get a phone call from him, saying "just wanted to let you know that i called the hotel and there is a managers meeting going on now so it may be a little while before I can get someone on the phone." (how cool is it that he called me back just to say that?) A few hours later, the reservation manager of the hotel calls me back (having spoken with him) to say no problem, they have cancelled it without penalty. I LOVE spg! ^
I unfortunately did not get the rep's last name (first name Drew) and when I called later to say thanks so much for the help and find out how to send in a notice of good service, the person said that a claim ticket had never been opened so she couldn't figure out who I spoke to. If anyone knows how to submit a compliment for a rep whose last name you don't know, please let me know so I can do so.
Oh, and one more clarification: there seemed to have been a lot of debate in people's messages about whether I had made a mistake or whether it was just that plans have changed. The answer is that it was both - I've made reservations on-line before at that property and at other SPG DC-area properties, and they've never been non-refundable. I was looking at the refundable rate when I realized I could do the "stay 5 days, get 25% off promotion", and i just didn't notice that doing so made the reservation non-refundable (my mistake). It was only when my plans changed an hour later that I learned that the reservation was non-refundable. Hopefully that clears things up
I called SPG customer service (thank you very much, William, for providing the number!) and explained the situation to them. The rep was very courteous and helpful, and offered to call the property for me. He said he would get back to me soon. Five minutes later, I get a phone call from him, saying "just wanted to let you know that i called the hotel and there is a managers meeting going on now so it may be a little while before I can get someone on the phone." (how cool is it that he called me back just to say that?) A few hours later, the reservation manager of the hotel calls me back (having spoken with him) to say no problem, they have cancelled it without penalty. I LOVE spg! ^
I unfortunately did not get the rep's last name (first name Drew) and when I called later to say thanks so much for the help and find out how to send in a notice of good service, the person said that a claim ticket had never been opened so she couldn't figure out who I spoke to. If anyone knows how to submit a compliment for a rep whose last name you don't know, please let me know so I can do so.
Oh, and one more clarification: there seemed to have been a lot of debate in people's messages about whether I had made a mistake or whether it was just that plans have changed. The answer is that it was both - I've made reservations on-line before at that property and at other SPG DC-area properties, and they've never been non-refundable. I was looking at the refundable rate when I realized I could do the "stay 5 days, get 25% off promotion", and i just didn't notice that doing so made the reservation non-refundable (my mistake). It was only when my plans changed an hour later that I learned that the reservation was non-refundable. Hopefully that clears things up