What Should You Do If a Hotel Refuses to Issue a Refund?
When you stay in a hotel and the service isn’t up to par, you expect to be able to talk to someone about it. Unfortunately, this does not always occur. Sometimes, staff will insist that nothing can be done in order to avoid having to refund your money or give you another room in another part of the hotel. This implies you can’t stay where you are, but there’s also not much place to go. If this has occurred to you, you are not alone, but it does not mean you are powerless. Learn what you can do if the hotel refuses to return your money and avoid being saddled with an expensive hotel bill you didn’t mean to pay!
If you are refused the refund of your money, you may be able to sue for that cost. The Federal Trade Commission’s (FTC) Fair Credit Billing Act (FTC) provides some protection for consumers who have been denied refunds for services they have not used or have never agreed to obtain. You have the ability to sue the hotel if they violated the FTC Act. The first step is to figure out if you have a case. If the hotel refused to refund your money because you cancelled too late, you might not be able to get your money back. If, on the other hand, the hotel refuses to reimburse your money for any other reason, they may be held accountable for your losses. There are three types of cases where hotels can be held liable for not refunding customer’s money: breach of contract, quantum meruit and conversion. To win one of these cases, you must demonstrate that the hotel owes you money or property based on an agreement or promise.
The initial step should be to acquire all of your documents. This includes the initial confirmation email, any emails you exchanged with the hotel, the phone call recording (if available), and any printed correspondence from the hotel. Once you’ve collected everything, prepare a letter requesting a full refund due to what happened during your stay. Demand letters are a way of formally requesting something from the person or business that owes you money. The letter will often be in writing and will include the amount owed, the reason for the debt, how much time they have to pay, and what will happen if they do not comply.
If the demand letter does not address your case, you should think about engaging an attorney. There are many different legal options available when someone owes you money. You should consult with an attorney who is knowledgeable in this area before taking any action. It is recommended that you should not sign any agreement that offers less than what you believe you are owed. Finally, most businesses only issue refunds under certain conditions, so it’s crucial to understand the terms of service before making a purchase.