Traveler billed for room he never used

  • By Christopher Elliott
  • Wednesday, October 22, 2014 1:22pm
  • Life

Q: I recently booked a hotel room in New Orleans and had an unusual experience. We used Booking.com to make what we thought was a changeable reservation for a Monday and Tuesday night at the Bourbon Orleans Hotel.

There was nothing on the Booking.com website to indicate that a three-day notice was required to cancel our reservation. Also, there was nothing indicating that it would cost us almost $40 extra per day for parking at this property.

We never would have chosen the Bourbon Orleans if this had been made known to us.

We contacted Booking.com the night prior to our reservation, and the agent canceled it. But Booking.com refuses to return our deposit. What’s more, it has charged our credit card for $383 — that’s more than the $338 on the reservation.

Prior to retirement I traveled nearly 100 nights a year, and I have dealt with hundreds of hotels. I’ve never encountered such a dishonest, deceptive and unethical company in the travel business. Any help you can give us would be appreciated. — Bob McIntyre, San Antonio

A: Your online travel agent, Booking.com, should have disclosed the cancellation terms and parking fees when you reserved your room. I reviewed the Bourbon listing on Booking.com after wrapping up this case, and found that both the parking charges and the cancellation terms were listed. Sorta.

The parking fee is clearly disclosed on the first page. However, the cancellation terms vary, based on your room type. It’s possible that Booking.com could have been clearer with you about your ability to cancel, but it’s difficult to know for certain.

By the way, you are not required to park your car at the hotel. From the looks of it, there’s plenty of available parking nearby, which may have been cheaper.

If Booking.com said you would get a refund, then you should have received a full $338 credit — not a charge for $383. I’m not sure what accounted for the extra $45. Maybe they also charged you for a car you never parked in their garage?

It looks as if you got your wires crossed between Booking.com and the hotel. Since you made your reservation through an online travel agent, that would be your first point of contact in resolving this problem. As far as I can tell, the Bourbon Orleans Hotel just was enforcing its cancellation policy.

If Booking.com couldn’t help you, then you might have been able to dispute this charge on your credit card.

Fortunately, that is unnecessary. I contacted Booking.com several times on your behalf. At first, it promised to investigate your claim, but ultimately referred you back to the hotel, which denied your refund. After a second inquiry, Booking.com offered you a full refund.

(c) 2014 Christopher Elliott. Distributed by King Features Syndicate, Inc.

Talk to us

> Give us your news tips.

> Send us a letter to the editor.

> More Herald contact information.

More in Life

Brandon Hailey of Cytrus, center, plays the saxophone during a headlining show at Madam Lou’s on Friday, Dec. 29, 2023 in Seattle, Washington. (Olivia Vanni / The Herald)
Lynnwood-based funk octet Cytrus has the juice

Resilience and brotherhood take center stage with ‘friends-first’ band.

FILE - In this April 11, 2014 file photo, Neko Case performs at the Coachella Music and Arts Festival in Indio, Calif. Fire investigators are looking for the cause of a fire on Monday, Sept. 18, 2017, that heavily damaged Case’s 225-year-old Vermont home. There were no injuries, though a barn was destroyed. It took firefighters two hours to extinguish the blaze. (Photo by Scott Roth/Invision/AP, File)
Music, theater and more: What’s happening in Snohomish County

Singer-songwriter Neko Case, an indie music icon from Tacoma, performs Sunday in Edmonds.

Sarah Jean Muncey-Gordon puts on some BITCHSTIX lip oil at Bandbox Beauty Supply on Tuesday, Jan. 9, 2024, in Langley, Washington. (Ryan Berry / The Herald)
Bandbox Beauty was made for Whidbey Island locals, by an island local

Founder Sarah Muncey-Gordon said Langley is in a renaissance, and she’s proud to be a part of it.

Dominic Arizona Bonuccelli
Tangier’s market boasts piles of fruits, veggies, and olives, countless varieties of bread, and nonperishables, like clothing and electronics.
Rick Steves on the cultural kaleidoscope of Tangier in Morocco

Walking through the city, I think to myself, “How could anyone be in southern Spain — so close — and not hop over to experience this wonderland?”

chris elliott.
Vrbo promised to cover her rental bill in Hawaii, so why won’t it?

When Cheryl Mander’s Vrbo rental in Hawaii is uninhabitable, the rental platform agrees to cover her new accommodations. But then it backs out. What happened?

Byrds co-founder Roger McGuinn, seen here in 2013, will perform April 20 in Edmonds. (Associated Press)
Music, theater and more: What’s happening in Snohomish County

R0ck ‘n’ Roll Hall of Famer Roger McGuinn, frontman of The Byrds, plans a gig in Edmonds in April.

Mother giving in to the manipulation her daughter fake crying for candy
Can children be bribed into good behavior?

Only in the short term. What we want to do is promote good habits over the course of the child’s life.

Speech Bubble Puzzle and Discussion
When conflict flares, keep calm and stand your ground

Most adults don’t like dissension. They avoid it, try to get around it, under it, or over it.

The colorful Nyhavn neighborhood is the place to moor on a sunny day in Copenhagen. (Cameron Hewitt)
Rick Steves: Embrace hygge and save cash in Copenhagen

Where else would Hans Christian Andersen, a mermaid statue and lovingly decorated open-face sandwiches be the icons of a major capital?

Last Call is a festured artist at the 2024 DeMiero Jazz Festival: in Edmonds. (Photo provided by DeMiero Jazz Festival)
Music, theater and more: What’s happening in Snohomish County

Jazz ensemble Last Call is one of the featured artists at the DeMiero Jazz Festival on March 7-9 in Edmonds.

Kim Helleren
Local children’s author to read at Edmonds Bookshop

Kim Helleren will read from one of her books for kids at the next monthly Story Time at Edmonds Bookshop on March 29.

Chris Elliott
Lyft surprises traveler with a $150 cleaning charge

Jared Hakimi finds a $150 charge on his credit card after a Lyft ride. Is that allowed? And will the charge stick?

Support local journalism

If you value local news, make a gift now to support the trusted journalism you get in The Daily Herald. Donations processed in this system are not tax deductible.