Hotel Charging Friends Card & Changing Locks?

S

stevieg

Guest
Hi all!

Friday before last I was running a gig in Dublin and booked a five-star suite in a hotel/guesthouse style building for the act I was bringing over from the UK. When booking i supplied a 3v credit card number to the website but there wasnt enough on the card so I asked a friend could i use their card and give them the money for the room. They said I could and so i rang the guesthouse and called out the details over the phone, to which they charged immediately.

Now, I expected there to be a reception, but as there wasnt, guests were asked to drop their bunch of three keys into a safety box on the way out the door. The act in question forgot to do so when leaving for the airport. I received an email from the hotel owner the following monday (at this stage i had left for a 2 week holiday) saying that my guest had forgotted to leave the keys and there would be a 60euro replacment charge (which could be refunded if the keys were returned) and also a 60euro soilage charge for some drops of red wine on the carpet that needed cleaning. As i was on holidays I forwarded the email to the uk manager of this act asking for the keys to be returned and left it at that. I expect when I return to dublin at the weekend the keys will have been posted back to my office.

Then this morning I get a second email from the same guy saying "Several weeks have now passed since he stayed with us and the keys have not been returned. There is however a security issue here that must be addressed. One key cannot be cut but it is necessary for us to change the locks at this stage. I have tried contacting you by telephone to discuss this issue but cannot contact you on your cell phone. There will now be a lock replacement charge of which we cannot forgo. Our locksmith will be dealing with this immediately. We will be in touch after that."

Several week have not passed, it has only been 10 days! Can they charge me to replace the locks? Also, if they were going to charge me to replace the locks, why would they charge me to replace the key last week, if it wasnt going to usable? Can they charge me to replace a key, and then charge me to replace locks afterwards? If they were going to change the locks if the key wasnt returned, surely they shouldnt charge me to replace a key? One or the other, but surely not both. And should they nbot have mentioned before the email this morning that the threat of changing the locks was there? It was never mentioned before today.

Also, my friend only agreed to the inital payment of 139euro, and I gave the details over the phone. Can they charge all this to her card without her signing a cardholder-not-present form, or agreeing herself over the phone? This is not her bill, and she doesnt give permission for these second and third payments. Are they able to charge her card? It wasnt given to them in writing, nothing was signed and it wasnt on the initial booking.

I dont mind paying the soilage charge, or even the key replacement if the key isnt returned, but this seems like they are just taking advantage charging one after first taking the other?

Any help would be appreciated,

Thanks in advance

Stevie
 
Stevie, think you are goosed. I would reckon they are trying to tell you something here. You have messed up and now you must pay the price.

Have the keys being found yet ? Yoir friend that used her credit card as she issued the card details knowing there were going to be charged. Even worse you decided to take off on holidays without completing your side of the transaction. In case you weren't aware 10 days is two working weeks.

Pay your bills and move on. Running gigs is a profitable business in case you didn't know.
 
I suppose you're lucky they didn't throw the TV out the window into the swimming pool, like the good old days.
 
I think the idea of having to change the locks was that it appears they only had the three keys they gave you. If they had to break in to relet this room, then the locks need replacing and new keys cut so I dont think it unreasonable to charge you for locks and keys. To be honest I think the amount is reasonable as well given that they presumably had to pay for a locksmith to call out and change them.
 
elcato said:
I think the idea of having to change the locks was that it appears they only had the three keys they gave you.
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If this is the case, it seems like sloppy practice. It's not the first time that a guest has walked off with room keys, particularly when there is no attended reception. I'm not sure that it is at all reasonable to hit up the guest for the cost of a locksmith, when they should really have had a spare set of keys on standby.
 
If this is the case, it seems like sloppy practice. It's not the first time that a guest has walked off with room keys, particularly when there is no attended reception.
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Probably not but they probably also returned them within a week. It would be foolish of them not to change the locks if three keys are not sent back. In most cases now its a card key which is simply cancelled or invalidated on checkout but with keys its still a problem.
 
Unfortunately it seems like pay up time. If you are promoting / organising gigs and accomodation may I kindly suggest you open a new credit card account and use that for all future transactions. 3v is fine for ordering personal items but it is slightly unprofessional to be passing on part balances onto a friends credit card.

The premises are well within their rights to charge the card for new locks etc. You made the booking and really should have been repsonsible and ensured that everything was sorted and finalised with the premises before heading off. Small Hotel / guesthouses rarely have e-cards, and they have no option at this stage but to change the locks as the keys still havent been returned to them. They have a business to run and duty of care to new and future guests for their security.

You could consider passing the costs onto their manager (was there any t&c's contract for the bookling?)but I doubt this would bode well as a future promoter.

These are all the things you learn from - tighter ship next time round!
 
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