Hotel not refunding my money

[leslety]

I had placed a reservation with a hotel in London but had to cancel a week prior to the date I was due to stay at this hotel. I had sent them my request to cancel via their contact us form which is on their website (Hotel accommodation in London Kings Cross - Wardonia Hotel)

 

After returning from my travels I find they had deducted the money from my bank account anyway. I have waited on a reply from them via email for 11 days then after that almost a month to get another reply (even then, I had chased it up) and they are now telling me that they receive nothing from this form and that they are very sorry as it has happened to another customer and they are "working" on removing this.

 

I'm just not happy at all. This form jumps out at you as soon as you visit that page and there is absolutely no warning that it does not work. I had no reason to believe it did not work! As I was travelling I had no spare time to ensure this was cancelled, I trusted this form worked and would deliver my request to cancel to them.

 

Am I just being stubborn and wasting my time here? Do I have any rights? I don't feel like giving up yet! but a tiny part of me thinks I am maybe in the wrong here given the fact I could be lying but I want to check anyway, any advice would be much, muchly appreciated!!

[dx100uk]

you have every right to a refund.

 

dx

[leslety]

Wow, thanks:p

 

Any ideas/advice on how to speed this up? We seem to be going back and forth in emails!

[Conniff]

You could tell them you have a friend in IT who would be glad to find the email on their pc for them as it will still be there even if erased accidentally.

That might speed things up.

[leslety]

Hahaha, do you think it really would? Because I will say it, don't want to end up looking like an idiot though

[Bookworm]

How long had you booked for and how much did they take? According to their own terms (which can only be found on the reservation page, VERY poor form), they'll only take 1 night accomodation if you fail to cancel in time anyway.

[dx100uk]

from doing a bit of research most consider 3 days notice sufficient warning to not incur a charge you should get your money back in full.

 

just as a side note: if you paid by credit card, do a chargeback.

 

now the email was a good idea, but sadly it was done online at their site, you could however indicate you have proof from your computer by looking at the history tab that you visited the site on the day you cancelled.

 

if its their website thats failed you should not have to be penalised for it!

thats their tough luck!

 

dx

[Conniff]

It is a fact that all things done on a computer are logged by the computer and are not erased.

Data is not erased even if you format the drive, so you would not be telling any lies.

 

If you delete an email, it goes into the 'Delete que', if you then delete it from the Delete que, it is still not deleted, just the name of the file is altered so it cannot be seen any longer, but is still there to be found if your looking for it, as long as it hasn't been overwritten with something else.

Edited October 12, 2009 by Conniff

[leslety]

I had cancelled about a week before I was due to stay so it was plenty of time. They took £45.00.

[leslety]

It does say somewhere that if give them atleast 24 hours notice they will not charge you

[leslety]

It is a fact that all things done on a computer are logged by the computer and are not erased.

Data is not erased even if you format the drive, so you would not be telling any lies.

 

I know, I'm just worried they might turn around and say yeah sure get him down:p I know this isn't likely but I like to cover my back.

[Conniff]

He could always be taken down with swine flue.

[leslety]

Hmmm, interesting Not really sure what to do. Thank you for the help so far!

[buzby]

Were you not concerned that there was no acknowledgement from them CONFIRMIMG the cancellation? For the last 4 years or so, I always distrust systems and would again contact them, or use a different method - ESPECIALLY when they have the ability to take money from me.

 

Many hotels use intermediate consolidation booking services, that will email the relevant hotel on behalf of the customer, but as these are intermediaries, a cancellation to them is NOT the same as a cancellation directly with the hotel. I agree, it may be difficult to tell - but if they were not aware of your change of mind, and the room was held for you on the basis of the CC number you gave, that cost remains legitimate.

 

A chargeback will also probably not be successful, as they'll simply say you hadn't cancelled and the charge is correct, as I assume the £45 is just one night's accommodation.

 

If you give out your numbers for anything, and you change your mind - you need valid confirmation of cancellation, it is not sufficient to hope it gets through. You should be given a cancellation number that can be used to rebuff any erroneous charge.

[leslety]

Like I said I was travelling and so I had no access to emails at all. This is the first time this has happened to me so obviously I will now learn from this "mistake". I had no reason to distrust their website, if I could trust they received my reservation via their website (which they did) why should I not trust they would receive my cancellation in a similar way? Had I had access to emails I would have been concerned if I had no confirmation but this was not possible.

[buzby]

In the last 5 years or so - the 'cancellation number' is your protection against such charges. Disputes over whether notice was given or recieved were legion, as were the disputes. The provision of the number put paid to this, as it was evidence thaqt you spoke with someone and if they subsequently failled to process the cancellation, they carry the cost - not you. Neither do I think it was a mistake on your part - until it happens, you'll remain unaware that such a thing exists!

[leslety]

So what should I do now? Give up?

[buzby]

Not at all - but don't be surprised if you don't get anywhere. An acknowledgement that the cancellation has been noted and processed provides verification. It won;t be for the first time that someone has claimed they cancelled and for one reason or another, the message didn;t make it. Paying with plastic has its downside too, as you are no longer in control, and this should be remembered every time the number is given out. Demanding a chargeback is no longer the easy redress it once was. With a cancellation number, it becomes a no contest.

[leslety]

Thank you! I'll keep trying, I just don't know what else to do now. I won't give up yet though

[noomill060]

Contact your credit card compamy and say "unauthrised transaction"

 

and

 

"section 75 Consumer Credit Act 1974/06"

[leslety]

I paid by debit card though:confused:

[leslety]

Heh, I got my money refunded:p:p:p:p:p:p:p

 

thanks for all the help

[noomill060]

well done