Hotel Smoke Damage Charge

[amigadude]

My wife and I went to an event in London with another couple, we booked rooms at Terminal 5 Travelodge, the other couple don't have a debit or credit card so they paid us in cash and we prepaid for both rooms.

 

About 2 weeks later a £150 charge for smoke damage appears on our debit card, no letter just a charge with the description "TRAVELODGE SMK/DMG" appears on our online statement. The hotel's own online terms and conditions say they have to inform you in writing to the billing address within 10 days.

 

We talked to the other couple, they smoke but they went downstairs and stood outside to smoke. The room had smoke detectors and the window doesn't open but the only evidence the hotel has is 3 members of staff could smell smoke from outside their room at 3:40am. They say they entered the room to check for evidence. The other couple say they heard someone try the door handle and thought it was a drunk trying the wrong door, they turned the light on and checked the door and no-one entered.

 

All we've done so far is talk to the operations manager and email customer services asking for a phone number. The operations manager said on the phone the charge was brought because of the smell of smoke at 3:40. The operations manager also said house keeping did not report a smell of smoke in the morning so I presume the special cleaning and unusable room the fine is meant to pay for did not happen.

 

What next? I'm working on a letter to send to their postal address, should this be sent recorded?

Edited March 9, 2010 by amigadude
Typo, added a bit or info

[ashmk]

Yes send everything recorded.

[My Real Name]

Did you pay by credit card? If so, have you considered contacting your card carrier to make a chargeback?

[perplexity]

Your best bet is probably to discuss this in person with the operations manager.

 

If there was a problem with smoke the hotel should have done something about that immediately, because it is a serious fire risk, a matter of health and safety. Instead of being reasonable about it, would the manager rather be sued for that?

 

I would put the question to the manager, not that I would go to a hotel with anybody who smokes. It means nothing to smoke if not to advertise the fact that a person fails to care for his health, which is to suggest that they are not so likely to care for yours, or did they volunteer to pay their share of the £150?

 

[damageandy]

any news on this my girlfriend has just got charged for this aswell, no one smoked in our room either, is this even legal, as they have no evidence just saying the room smelt of smoke.