I recently spent one night at Days Inn Buckeye, Arizona. I checked in on a Sunday night and checked out Monday morning. Upon checkout I noticed there was a one dollar telephone charge. I did not use the phone and asked the clerk to remove the charge but the clerk refused. What can I do? I e-mailed Days Inn via their website and am awaiting a response. Is there anything else I could or should do? If I contact my credit card company and dispute one dollar of the charge would that be effective?

What would be effective is to blow it off because it is so insignificant. Your time and energy are worth more than to pursue things like this after you gave it a shot at the desk. Even assuming this is a complete and total rip-off, it's a dollar. Sorry, but I just can't see expending a lot of effort for that; yours or anyone else's and principle or not. Your reward for succeeding is going to be exactly $1 and it's not like it will solve similar problems for you in the future. (I have more than a dollar's worth into this myself now. Do you see what I mean?! So drop it, okay?)

Did you sign your name on the credit card receipt? Something you could do is write right on the receipt that you're not planning on paying the $1 you were incorrectly charged, then dispute the $1 with your credit card company.

The amount of money we're talking about is ludicrous, in this instance, but applies to larger amounts as well.

Take the hotel to Small Claims Court

The absolute most you can get back as stated is $1.00. If you feel it's worth the effort, then you need to contact the accounting department at the hotel and ask they refund it. It has to be the hotel that issues the credit, speaking to anybody else at corporate or where ever will just have a bunch of people go "this guy is kidding" and probably ignore it.

For what it's worth, I may go after the dollar too, it's a good way to waste some telephone time while waiting for the database or something. It's not about the money.

Remember, Gus made close to $88,000 by diverting all the half cents to his paycheck in one of the Supermen movies.

Well, I am not the chepest of guys in terms of spending $ but I have to say here that it adds up. Especially if one spends a few months out of the year in hotels around the world.

Anyway, on principle, I think you should contest it further, I would (and I think my hourly cost rate is a little over $1). I am sick of seeing those charges and having to fight them every time.

$1 here $1 there ~ it all adds up & I agree it doesn't seem fair to be required to pay when the phone isn't used.

On the other hand, I've never called 911 & my monthly phone bill includes a 911 fee of $1.30 per month, plus lots of other fees related to the fact the phone is there and available for use. That statment is not to be considered me justifing the charge ~ but I imagine that would the hotel's justification.

If sending a complaint & refund request would make you feel better - do it.

I bet your post has helped more than 1 reader & made some make a mental note to ask about such charges before checking in @ Days Inn or any hotel.

A thought - will you ever stay at the same Days Inn again? If so, remember to take the box of tissues & roll of toilet paper with you! Those should be worth about $1.

@:-) ^ ^

And you of course kow that most of the telephone companies are paying huge fines because that money never made it to provide the enhanced 911 services they were supposed to be providing? Seems the phone companies all collectivly forgot that is what it was for and just applied it to their profit.

They add up, and if it takes somebody on their end $4 worth of time to discuss it wiht you, then maybe they will reconsider it on others.

You don't think a $1 charge adds up, but at the Caribe Hilton they add a $1 to each bill (not night) and give the money to Children's charities on the island. It's added up to $400,000 according to the posters at the hotel, an incredible amount of money I was very glad to leave on my bill and be a tiny part of.

I'm with you, and would be up for fighting on principle alone, but it is only a dollar. I hate feeling ripped off by a hotel. With that said, how much did you pay for Starbucks after leaving the hotel?

A dollar is neither here nor there... it's the principle I would complain about. They overcharge you, you point out their error, they refuse to put it right.... that's not acceptable.

If that had been me I would have written a note to the hotel (or corporate HQ) telling them what happened and asking them to (a) have words and (b) make a 10 dollar donation to my favourite charity to make up the way they treated me.

I agree 100%. A little here & there adds up to a tidy sum. I wish all the money was properly handled instead of situations like the 911 problem you posted.

Even collecting 25� would result in a tidy sum in a year's time. I've seen several grocery stores with scannable slips @ register for the customer to easily add .25, .50, $1 etc to grocery bill to go to worthly cause.

"What can I do?" For beginners, you can start by posting a more descriptive subject line!

If sending a complaint & refund request would make you feel better - do it.

[I sent a complaint/refund request e-mail to their corporate HQ via their website]

I bet your post has helped more than 1 reader & made some make a mental note to ask about such charges before checking in @ Days Inn or any hotel.

[I hope so]

A thought - will you ever stay at the same Days Inn again? If so, remember to take the box of tissues & roll of toilet paper with you! Those should be worth about $1. [/QUOTE]

[If I stay in that hotel again perhaps just B4 I check out I'll "accidentally" clog up the toilet!]

NOTE: My replies are in [brackets]